United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon on Tuesday warned that by 2030, half the people on Earth would be living under "water stress," a measure defined as less than 1,700 cubic meters of water available per person per year, unless action was taken.

Addressing the Budapest Water Summit with Hungarian President Janos Ader, Ban noted that while water was a government priority, no government could handle the work alone.

We "need the full engagement of all actors, communities, societies," he said.

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Work is to start on a new global standard for measuring food loss and waste, which experts hope will help reduce the significant amount of food that does not get eaten because it is spoiled or thrown away.

The World Resources Institute (WRI) said on Monday it would bring together representatives from academia, the private sector, government and civil society groups to develop an international “Food Loss and Waste Protocol”. The first version is due to be ready by mid- to late-2015.

(Reuters) - China is poorly prepared to tackle the impact of climate change that presents a serious threat to the country, thanks to a lack of planning and public awareness, the government said on Monday.