As Europe experiences ever-warmer summers, drought has become a critical concern for countries in the North, as well as the South. Drought often leads to desertification, where the land is so arid it becomes infertile – Europe is not immune to this development, which is already being felt in several countries. To mark the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17 June, we spoke to two EU-backed projects that are trying to better understand how drought spreads and deserts develop, and uncover solutions for how to mitigate their effects and adapt to a warming and drier climate.
Historically, bats have a bad rap. The habits and activities of nature's only flying mammal largely elude us, in part because of their nocturnal lifestyle. Their reputation took another dive at the outbreak of COVID-19 in 2020, when it was thought that bats played a role in the chain of transmission that resulted in the pandemic. Researchers studying this mysterious animal are discovering just how important bats are to the global ecosystem. They can even provide important insights into the prevention of human diseases, such as diabetes.
The world is in a race against the clock when it comes to finding alternative sources of energy to power our energy-intensive lifestyles. Not only that, the way we produce our heat and electricity also needs to become more efficient. Bio-based combined heat and power systems are emerging as an emissions-free solution. | 
