World Resources Institute

Stories

Groundwater rises across the African Sahel after decades of drought

As of August 2026: Tracking Sahel land restoration

For decades the Sahel meant one thing: drought and famine. Now wells that once ran dry are filling, and in places the water table has climbed more than 13 feet.

Updated Aug 5

US becomes first nation to quit foundational climate treaty

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Condemning withdrawal as strategic blunder

On January 7, 2026, Trump signed a memorandum directing US withdrawal from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change—the 1992 treaty George H.W. Bush signed and the Senate unanimously ratified. The US is the first of 198 parties to exit. The UNFCCC underpins all international climate negotiations (unlike the Paris Agreement, which Trump also exited), and withdrawal takes effect one year from notification.

Updated May 19