The general assembly of the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean (GWP-C) began here on Friday with a warning that fresh water is becoming in short supply.“Drought and floods are putting all kinds of pressure on the human systems within the Caribbean, from public health to crop use and this means extending clean water to the poorest people who still lack it, will become an even bigger challenge in the future,” warned GWP-C, Chairman Trevor Thompson.Thompson told the meeting being attended by delegates from the English, Dutch, French and Spanish Caribbean that the region must tak

An algal bloom the size of the southern Australian island of Tasmania has been stirred up in the wake of tropical cyclone Rusty, an expert said Wednesday. The powerful storm hit Western Australia last week, bringing torrential rains and wild seas to the major iron ore hub in the resource-rich Pilbara. In its wake it has created a massive bloom of algae produced by the agitation of microscopic plants or phytoplankton, University of Western Australian oceangrapher Charitha Pattiaratchi said. "Basically it's an algal bloom. It's not harmful," he told AFP.