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    Showing 9 of 2131 news items
    Azores Begins Cattle Testing Over Health Fears Surrounding Heavy Metal Pollution Around Lajes Air Base
    Water & FoodAugust 6, 2026

    Azores Begins Cattle Testing Over Health Fears Surrounding Heavy Metal Pollution Around Lajes Air Base

    The Azores Regional Government is launching an independent investigation into decades of soil and groundwater contamination linked to Lajes Air Base on Terceira Island. Authorities will map fuel-contamination plumes and test cattle, pasture and water near affected areas, with separate analysis of milk because of the island's major dairy sector. The testing will cover hydrocarbons, heavy metals, PFAS and BTEX compounds, while a proposed independent technical commission is expected to review studies, commission further analyses and report on environmental and public-health measures.

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    Food Supply Chain Investments: A New Beginning for Caribbean Agriculture?
    Water & FoodAugust 6, 2026

    Food Supply Chain Investments: A New Beginning for Caribbean Agriculture?

    Caribbean countries remain heavily dependent on imported staple foods despite producing export crops, while a 2025 survey found 42% of people in the English- and Dutch-speaking Caribbean were food insecure. Investment in controlled-environment agriculture, such as container farms and high-tech greenhouses, could increase reliable local production in limited space and reduce exposure to hurricanes, drought and flooding. Regional supply-chain development is also being pursued through a planned modern sugar refinery in Belize, intended to process Caribbean cane for local manufacturers and meet more than 75% of Caricom's refined-sugar needs.

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    Turning the Tide: Hong Kong Seagrass Project Transforms Mudflats into Underwater Grassland
    Ocean & BiodiversityAugust 6, 2026

    Turning the Tide: Hong Kong Seagrass Project Transforms Mudflats into Underwater Grassland

    On Hong Kong's Lamma Island, researchers from the University of Hong Kong's Swire Institute of Marine Science are working with local people to restore seagrass in the waters off Sok Kwu Wan. Decades of coastal development had left parts of the seabed as bare mudflat, and the project is cultivating the native paddle grass, Halophila ovalis, for transplantation into marine meadows. Seagrass can improve water quality, reduce coastal erosion and provide nursery habitat for young marine life.

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    Reimagining Water and Resilience on a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea
    Water & FoodAugust 6, 2026

    Reimagining Water and Resilience on a Greek Island in the Aegean Sea

    Skiathos is becoming a resilience hub through the EU-funded NURISH project, which is preparing nature-based responses to water scarcity, wildfire and flood risk. Planned interventions include constructed wetlands combined with photovoltaic systems to treat and reuse urban wastewater, as well as systems to capture and store rainfall and flood runoff for firefighting and agriculture. The project aims to turn a cycle of seasonal water shortage and increasingly intense rainfall into a regenerative local water system, with implementation scheduled for 2027.

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    $100M Fund to Build Resilient Blue Economies in Island States
    Green Finance & EconomyAugust 6, 2026

    $100M Fund to Build Resilient Blue Economies in Island States

    Outrigger Impact has launched a blended-finance fund designed to provide equity and debt to blue-economy businesses in Small Island Developing States. The fund is targeting US$100 million and aims to help close the estimated US$10 billion annual adaptation-finance gap for islands. Its proposed investments include sustainable fisheries, circular economy, ecosystem restoration, coastal resilience, climate-smart infrastructure, clean energy and low-carbon shipping. The platform combines catalytic junior capital with a senior tranche for private investors and technical assistance for early-stage projects.

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    Remote Archipelagos: VAT Reduced to 1% to Support the Economy
    Green Finance & EconomyAugust 6, 2026

    Remote Archipelagos: VAT Reduced to 1% to Support the Economy

    French Polynesia has reduced VAT to 1% in the remote archipelagos outside the Society Islands, effective from 1 July 2026. The measure is intended to encourage investment, stimulate economic activity and protect household purchasing power, replacing previous rates of 13% or 16% for eligible transactions. Its application depends on where a sale takes place, the buyer's status and, for some goods sent from Tahiti, how they are shipped. Authorities will monitor prices through the end of the year to assess whether the reduction reaches consumers.

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    GSIS 2026 Podcast
    Culture & CommunityJuly 30, 2026

    GSIS 2026 Podcast

    SMILO Podcast Series: Recorded Live in Gran Canaria During the Global Sustainable Islands Summit 2026 in Gran Canaria, our partners at SMILO recorded a special podcast series bringing together island leaders, policymakers, and experts from across the world. The series explores key themes including governance, blue economy, marine conservation, and sustainable financing. You can listen to the full-length podcast recording below, or explore the individual 9-episode breakdown to dive into specific topics and speakers. We’d like to extend a special thank you to SMILO, the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, and all the incredible guests and speakers who shared their insights and made this series possible.

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    Partners Launch PacFresH2O to Strengthen Climate-Resilient Water Security in the Pacific
    Water & FoodJuly 30, 2026

    Partners Launch PacFresH2O to Strengthen Climate-Resilient Water Security in the Pacific

    Governments and development partners have launched PacFresH2O in Port Moresby to strengthen climate-resilient freshwater, sanitation and hygiene systems in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands. The five-year programme is supported by Germany's International Climate Initiative and co-implemented by GIZ, the Pacific Community, WaterAid Papua New Guinea and Live & Learn Solomon Islands. It combines infrastructure with stronger institutions, coordination and long-term water-service sustainability in two Pacific island countries facing growing climate pressures.

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    Windfarms on This Scottish Isle Are Contentious. Renewables Must Work for Local People Too
    Energy & TransportJuly 30, 2026

    Windfarms on This Scottish Isle Are Contentious. Renewables Must Work for Local People Too

    Community-owned wind projects on Scotland's Isle of Lewis have generated millions of pounds for local services, poverty reduction, environmental stewardship and cultural heritage. Yet many first-generation turbines are nearing the end of their working lives while community schemes face barriers to grid access and a planning system that can favour larger projects. The article makes the case for energy infrastructure that enables island communities to repower local assets and retain the social and economic value generated by renewable power.

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