Environment Bound

Algeria is battling a severe wildfire emergency this summer, with blazes ripping through forests, orchards, and grain fields across multiple regions. Civil protection officials say firefighters have had almost no respite, as more than a hundred fires flared up in a single day.

Algeria has set a new record for electricity demand as a punishing heat wave drives temperatures close to 49°C and wildfires burn across multiple regions. The state utility Sonelgaz says power use climbed above 21,300 megawatts on July 13, continuing a steep, year‑over‑year rise in summer load on the grid.

FAO monitoring shows Northwest Africa entering a new phase of desert locust activity, with Morocco facing the highest pressure and neighboring countries preparing for possible summer migrations toward Sahelian breeding zones.

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.