Dhaka – The National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas, Natural Resource and Power-Port on Thursday started its 4-day mass long march from the capital towards the Sundarbans in protest against the government’s move to set up a 1320 MW coal-fired power…
Category: Environment
Timely flood warnings for downstream Nepal and India
Giovanni Ortolani Communities in flood-prone areas often do not have access to information about flood forecasting. As a result, they do not have sufficient time to evacuate and put their cattle and belongings in a safe area. The new Community-Based…
Bus rapid transit draft bill to reduce traffic jam okayed in Cabinet
Dhaka – The cabinet on Monday approved in principle a draft law to regulate the planned “bus rapid transit”, to reduce traffic jam in the capital and its outskirts. “The proposed law will regulate the BRT system designed to reduce…
A look at China’s CO2 emissions
China’s carbon emissions, by far the world’s highest, may have peaked in 2014, according to a study published on Monday, potentially putting Beijing under pressure to toughen its climate pledges.China has promised to bring greenhouse gas emissions to a peak…
Teesta matter of time, ball in India’s court: Gowher
Dhaka – Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Dr Gowher Rizvi has said the long-sought Teesta water sharing deal will soon become a reality and the ball is now in India’s court. “It’s wise to say we’re very, very confident that…
Evidence of coral bleaching on Barrier Reef
Scientists Tuesday warned coral bleaching was occurring on the Great Barrier Reef as sea temperatures warm, and it could rapidly accelerate unless cooler conditions blow in over the next few weeks.Authorities cautioned last year that the world faced a mass…
Fortified rice raises risk of hookworm infections
Eating fortified rice increases the risk of hookworm infections, a study in Cambodian schoolchildren shows, suggesting that the rice’s added nutrients inadvertently help parasites grow.
US warns of Mosul dam collapse in northern Iraq
The US embassy in Baghdad has warned the risk of the Mosul Dam collapsing is “serious and unprecedented” and has urged people to be ready to evacuate. Maintenance work was disrupted after the dam was briefly seized by militants from…
Impacts of sea level rise
As sea levels rise, threatening cities from New York to Shanghai, the economic damage will increase even faster, scientists said.Extreme floods whipped up by storms will become ever more costly for cities as ocean levels edge up around the world’s…
Water, enegy-efficient investment for sustainable dev urged
Deputy Governor of Bangladesh Bank (BB) SK Sur Chowdhury has emphasised on strengthening water and energy efficiency investment for achieving sustainable development. “….mechanisms to capture the opportunities for water and energy efficiency investments need to be created or strengthened,” the…
Govt. wants quick execution of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project
The National Committee formed to monitor the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project has asked the Economic Relations Division (ERD) to complete the Inter Governmental Credit Agreement (IGCA) with Russia as the government wants quick implementation of the project.
Seattle-area salmons loaded with anti-depressants thanks to human waste
By Elaisha Stokes The everyday chemicals that humans ingest to relieve pain, fight depression and diabetes, or treat infection are winding up in the tissue of fish in Washington’s Puget Sound. A study in the journal Environmental Pollution detected unusually…
Hail, thunderstorm across Bangladesh kills 10
Dhaka –A nor’wester accompanied by hailstorm and heavy rainfall swept many parts of the country on Wednesday noon, leaving two sisters dead in Narsingdi and around 30 injured in Barisal and Munshiganj. A trawler capsized in Dhaleshwari River in Naraynganj,…
Fukushima meltdown alert was delayed
The operator of the Fukushima nuclear power plant hit by a tsunami in 2011 has admitted that it should have announced sooner that there was a nuclear meltdown at the site.The Tokyo Electric Power Company denied the meltdown for two…
Eco-tourism: Better for the planet, better for you
By Kim Yen White Understanding what is out there is the first step to the most fulfilling vacation you could ever take. Here’s what you need to know. Leisure travel is one of the behemoths of the service industry which,…
Late winter thunder-hail storm turns city weather pleasant
Dhaka – A 10-minute long nor’wester accompanied by hailstorm and heavy rainfall swept over the capital on Wednesday. Met office sources said the storm lashed several places in the capital and its surrounding areas at about 11:50am. Hit by the…
WIPO: IGC still divided on genetic resources protection
Geneva (Mirza Alas) — The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) held its 29th session of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore on 15 to 19 February at its headquarters in Geneva. The Committee…
Peru pipeline leaks in Amazon
Ruptures in Peru’s main oil pipeline have spilled 3,000 barrels of crude in an Amazonian region, operator Petroperu said Monday, and the oil has polluted two rivers native villages rely on for water, according to government officials.Two breaks in the…
Sea levels rising faster than in previous 2,700 years
Scientists have modeled a history of the planet’s sea levels spanning back 3,000 years, and concluded that the rate of increase last century “was extremely likely faster than during any of the 27 previous centuries.”
Limited role for gas in UK future
The use of natural gas for electricity generation in the UK may have to decline significantly over the next 30 years, according to a new study.Without carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology, gas-fired electricity would have to fall to 10%…
Missing radioactive material found dumped in Iraq
Official says “no concern of radiation” as five-month search for device ends in southern town of Zubair. Radioactive material that went missing in Iraq has been found dumped near a petrol station in the southern town of Zubair, ending speculation…
‘Ten million without water’ in Delhi as caste riot toll rises to 16
More than 10 million people in India’s capital are without water despite the army regaining control of its key water source after protests, officials say. Keshav Chandra, head of Delhi’s water board, told the BBC it would take “three to…
Water rationed as India caste protest toll rises
At least 10 people killed as protesters from Jat community cut off water to New Delhi treatment plant, causing shortage. At least 10 people have been killed and 150 injured in protests by India’s agricultural Jat community in support of…
Dolphin’s death creating anger in Argentina
The apparent death of a baby dolphin after being passed around on an Argentine beach is creating a furor in the South American country.Photos and video of the incident have begun emerging this week of the incident, which local media…
Unreal in pampered India
Sunita Narain Many years ago, when Delhi’s air pollution was as high as it is today, my colleague Anil Agarwal and I had gone to meet a high-ranking, responsible government official. This was in the mid-1990s, when air was black…
Study indicates immigration not to blame for terrorism
Migration is overall not a source of terrorism, according to new research from the University of Warwick. In fact, the study indicates that more migration could create a decrease in the number of terrorist attacks, not an increase. The research…
Sustainable dev impossible in Asia-Pacific without better data
Shamshad Akhtar As governments embark on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the first thing they must do is identify and plug gaps in data availability and quality, says UN ESCAP Under-Secretary-General Shamshad Akhtar. 2016 marks the start of the…
Rampal power plant project cannot be stopped: Muhith
Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the Rampal power plant was here to stay but admitted that it would have an adverse effect on the Sundarbans, bdnewsnews24.com has reported. “That would make some impact, obviously,” he said. “So many vessels will…
Teesta water falling alarmingly in Bangladesh part
The water flow of the river Teesta in Bangladesh has dropped significantly in recent times. This has had a negative impact on irrigation and other socio-economic activities of the area. Bangladesh has requested India to sign an interim agreement for…
Polluted air causes 5.5m deaths a year new research says
Jonathan Amos More than 5.5 million people worldwide are dying prematurely every year as a result of air pollution, according to new research. Most of these deaths are occurring in the rapidly developing economies of China and India.