Environment Bound

Small desert locust swarms recently detected along the western Sahara corridor have prompted stepped-up monitoring across parts of North and West Africa, where shifting rainfall can quickly turn quiet desert areas into launchpads for wider infestations.

France’s National Assembly has unanimously approved a reform that makes it easier for people exposed to French nuclear tests in Algeria and Polynesia to obtain compensation, replacing an onerous case‑by‑case causality test with a presumption of exposure for those who were present in designated test zones and later developed recognized radiation‑linked illnesses.

Schools across Ksar El Kébir have been closed from February 2 to February 7 after heavy winter rains caused flooding and disrupted transportation in the city. Authorities cited safety concerns and difficult access to school facilities as emergency response operations continue in northern Morocco.

Algeria has already crossed into “absolute” water scarcity, with each resident effectively living on a fraction of the internationally accepted minimum. As officials lean ever harder on fossil aquifers and desalination plants, experts warn that the country is trading tomorrow’s security for today’s short‑term fixes.