Khulna, Aug 9 (UNB) –The forest department has issued red alert in the Sundarbans ahead of Eid-ul-Azha to protect the wildlife of the world heritage site. Leave of all the officials and employees of different stations and patrol outposts has…
Category: Biodiversity
Turning agro-waste into environment-friendly plastics
by Sahana Ghosh on 30 July 2019 • Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Italy’s port city of Genoa is making bioplastics from agro-waste. The institute has tied up with the city’s central vegetable market for sourcing raw material. • The…
In a world record, Ethiopia has planted over 350mn trees
In a record-breaking day this week, at the Gulele Botanical Garden in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia launched a historic tree planting campaign. Over 350 million trees were planted in an ambitious move to counter the effects of deforestation and climate change.
Agroecology, economic justice must to transform US farming
U.S. agriculture is contributing to climate change and exacerbating rural problems. The failure of industrial agriculture and the fact that the US is not feeding the world’s hungry is exemplified by the state of Iowa.
BD biodiversity platform launched, coordinated work urged
Dhaka, July 29 – The need for coordination of biodiversity conservation activities was emphasised at the launch of the Bangladesh Platform on Biodiversity Conservation by the Bangladesh National Committee of IUCN in Dhaka on Monday.
Money grows on trees–don’t uproot them
By Friday Phiri Pemba, Zambia, Jul 26 2019 (IPS) – Jennifer Handondo, a small scale farmer of Choma district in southern Zambia, plants food crops such as maize mostly for her family’s needs. Because of uncharacteristically high temperatures and low…
Tree fair fetches Tk 11 mn selling 16 lakh saplings
Dhaka, July 22 (UNB) – The month-long National Tree Plantation Campaign and Fair-2019 evoked an overwhelming response from plant and nature lovers as saplings worth around Tk 11 crore were sold during the fair. The fair, inaugurated by Prime Minister…
Dhaka to invite World Heritage Committee to the Sundarbans
Dhaka, Jul 10 – Bangladesh will invite World Heritage Committee (WHC) team to visit the Sundarbans and adjoining areas to prepare report on the environmental issue regarding the Rampal power plant, Prime Minister’s Energy Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury said Wednesday.…
Is there a co-relation between human development & SDGs?
By Pedro Conceição UN, Jul 1 2019 (IPS) – “People are the real wealth of nations,” began the first Human Development Report (HDR). That 1990 report marked a turning point in the global development debate. During the second half of…
New Mexico governor seeks ideas for recreational pot law
Santa Fe, Jun 29 (AP/UNB) — New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham is launching a new effort to craft legislation that could legalize recreational marijuana sales next year. The first-year Democratic governor announced Friday her recruitment of health, legal and…
5 BD cement factories near Sundarbans get EIA nod: Minister
Dhaka, Jun 29 (UNB) –Five air-polluting cement factories located within the ecologically critical area of the Sundarbans Reserve Forest have been given environmental clearance, Forest Minister Md Shahab Uddin told Parliament on Saturday. The factories are Meghna Cement Mills Ltd,…
Budgetary reform for sustainable development in BD urged
Dhaka, June 21 – Sushashoner Jonno Nagorik (Shujan), a civil society platform of Bangladesh called for budgetary system reform for sustainable development. The platform recommended the budgetary system be reformed to effectively impact the country’s sustainable development at roundtable programme…
Restaurants could be 1st to get genetically modified salmon
New York, Jun 21 (AP/UNB) — Inside an Indiana aquafarming complex, thousands of salmon eggs genetically modified to grow faster than normal are hatching into tiny fish. After growing to roughly 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) in indoor tanks, they could…
How indigenous people in Sikkim united in anti-dam movement
by Sahana Ghosh on 17 June 2019 • Territoriality through traditional self-governance played a key role in successful and sustained anti-dam protests by two indigenous communities in Lachen and Lachung in the eastern Himalayas. • While many anti-dam protests have…
Give up Rampal power plant project: TIB urges govt
Dhaka, June 17 – Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Monday urged the government to stop all ‘controversial projects’ including Rampal power plant which might pose a threat to largest mangrove Sundarbans. Expressing concern over the UNESCO’s recent proposal of listing…
Asia-Pacific Region falters on UN development goals
By Thalif Deen UN, Jun 14, 2019 (IPS) – UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a Chatham House meeting in London last week that the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), one of the legacies of the late Secretary-General Kofi Annan,…
Scaling up agroecology for sustainable development
In April 2018, the FAO hosted the Second International Symposium on Agroecology, following the first in 2014. With the main objective of moving from dialogue to action, the Symposium brought together different stakeholders and catalyzed inter-disciplinary dialogue and collaboration. The…
Where did insects come from?
by Geetha Iyer The evolution of insects About 500 million years ago (MYA), the Earth experienced a remarkable evolutionary event. Called the Cambrian explosion, it resulted in the emergence of a plethora of life forms – some gigantic, others small;…
Bangladesh Sundarbans has Tk 19-billon carbon reserve: Survey
Khulna, June 7 (UNB) – There is a reserve of 5.6 crore tonnes of carbon in the Bangladesh part of the Sundarbans, says a survey of the Forest Department. This carbon worth Tk 18,816 crore could be extracted without causing…
Plant biosecurity knowledge gap increases biological threats
By Caley Pigliucci UN, Jun 3 2019 (IPS) – The plant-life on the Pacific Islands is currently under threat as protections against diseases and pests are left in the hands of under-trained personnel with limited facilities. Talei Fidow-Moors, the Principal…
Extinctions can’t be halted unless water is protected
By Claudia Sadoff Colombo, Sri Lanka, May 31 2019 (IPS) – Global biodiversity loss has reached critical levels. One million species of plants and animals are now estimated to be at risk of extinction. The window for action is closing,…
Agroecology and organic farming can drive sustainability in agriculture
Most quarters agree that agriculture and food systems urgently need to change to make progress on several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) while staying within planetary boundaries. However, two narratives dominate the discussion: incremental steps to improve efficiency in conventional agriculture…
These dangerous aliens are here to stay
By Baher Kamal Madrid, May 29 2019 (IPS) – No, no, no. Nothing to do with what the US and Europe’s far-right fanatics now use to vociferate, saying once and again that “migrants come here to destroy our democracy, our…
Unleash all creative potentials to achieve SDGs
Mostafa Kamal Majumder Recent official information and statistics affirm, Bangladesh is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With four years of the 15-year time span to achieve 17 goals already spent, a government report says, ‘Bangladesh is…
Water bodies to be re-excavated for fish cultivation
The government has taken initiatives for re-excavation of water bodies across the country for fish cultivation to meet the demand of protein of the people. “The government would re-excavate abandoned rivers, canals and other water bodies for increasing fish production…
Organic croplands emit 40% less GHG, mitigate climate change
With a share of 10–12% in carbon-dioxide equivalents (CO2-eq.), agriculture contributes substantially to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Considering indirect emissions from agriculture-related activities such as fertiliser production and land use change, this share can be up to 30%. In…
Preserving biodiversity vital to reverse tide of climate change
The food people eat around the world is becoming “alarmingly homogenous” according to UN data, even though access to a wide variety of nutritious food has never been greater. That warning comes as the world marks the International Day for…
Long life to their majesties, the bees!
By Baher Kamal Madrid, May (IPS) – Amazingly organised social communities, bees ensure food chain. ‘Bee’ grateful to them… at least on their World Day! While the (surprisingly) still called homo sapiens continues to destroy Mother Nature, bees and other…
‘Fani’ rains bring smiles to Rajshahi mango growers in BD
Rajshahi, May 12 – Mango growers in the Bangladesh district of Rajshahi are expecting a bumper yield this year as they said the rains caused by recent cyclone Fani have brought an extra benefit to them. Dr Alim Uddin, a…
Ensuring the ‘lungs of the planet’ keep us alive
Forests are vitally important for sustaining life on Earth, and play a major role in the fight against climate change. With the 2019 session of the United Nations Forum on Forests wrapping up on Friday in New York, we delve…