Laura Tuck Washington, DC – India is currently facing its worst water crisis in years, with an estimated 330 million people – one-quarter of its population – affected by severe drought. Ethiopia is also dealing with its worst drought in…
Category: Green corner
From the front lines of climate change
Loren Legarda and Marcela Guerrero Manila/San Jose – On April 22, dignitaries representing no fewer than 175 parties signed the global climate change agreement concluded in Paris in December, setting a record for the adoption of an international accord. The…
Greens want govt steps to ensure supply of safe water in Dhaka
Dhaka – Green activists have urged the government for immediate steps to check water pollution, recover water-bodies and ensure safe water for all unb news agency reported. They said poor water management, unchecked water pollution and supply of unsafe water…
Green City concepts demonstrated on Expo 2016 Antalya
The International Association of Horticultural Producers (AIPH) and Turkish Ornamental Plants and Products Exporters Association (OAiB) have joined forces to promote Green City concepts on their garden at Expo 2016 Antalya in Turkey. Designed by award-winning garden designer, Nilufer Danis,…
Animals like green space in cities—and that’s a problem
Parks, green roofs, and urban trees all welcome animals, but people have to learn how to share their living space, experts say. In 2014, a snowy owl briefly lived in Washington, D.C., until it was hit by a bus and…
Green village proves high value of low carbon living
A GREEN village with minimum 7.5 star energy efficiency ratings is proving near zero carbon communities are not only achievable but can also save residents money. The Lochiel Park Green Village in South Australia’s capital Adelaide, consists of about 100…
Asian-Pacific Women’s presentation on population & dev for UN
ARROW, Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women, based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, is a regional, partnership based, non-governmental organisation that has been working since 1993 to advance women and young people’s health and rights, particularly in the area of…
Green building’s LEED credit promotes sustainable forestry
The green building movement – from architects and builders to specifiers and planners – can now benefit from an expanded range of responsibly sourced timber and forest products eligible for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED).
SEEING THE WHOLE
Implementing the Sustainable Development Goals in an Integrated and Coherent Way This new report by Stakeholder Forum, Bioregional and Newcastle University and funded by the Government of Finland sheds light for policymakers and stakeholders on how the Sustainable Development Goals…
Cities need more ‘living green’, concludes Int’l confce
The importance of ‘living green’ was brought to the attention of sixteen countries at an International Green City Conference this month. Becoming the greenest city in the world, using plants to manage stormwater threats, how to implement greening and change…
Renewable energy sector seeks duty cut in next budget
Dhaka – Entrepreneurs in solar and renewable energy sector have placed a 13-point proposal seeking cut in customs duty (CD) and value added tax (VAT) on different items in the upcoming budget for the fiscal year 2016-17, UNB Staff Writer,…
Science meets farming to reveal Africa’s best bean
Bruno Awio The second of our INASP/SciDev.Net data challenges features an agricultural project from Uganda. A team of scientists joined 358 farmers in two districts to test the best bean they were growing in terms of robustness, yield and marketability.…
Upscaling community seed banks, upholding farmers’ rights
The global seed market has grown considerably in the last decades into a multibillion-dollar industry, largely due to more farmers purchasing seeds. Despite the growth in the commercial seed sector, the majority of farmers in the developing world still depend…
People’s movements in India, Bangladesh join to save Sunderbans
In yet another major initiative strengthening people-to-people cooperation between South Asian nations, people’s movements in India joined hands with their Bangladesh counterparts to save the Sunderbans. This was declared in Delhi by a delegation of 11 senior activists who took…
Organic meat and products more nutritious than non-organic
GreenWatch Desk A new meta-analysis based on 67 published studies comparing the composition of organic and non-organic meat products has found that organic milk and meat contain around 50% more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids than non-organic. In addition to organic…
Keys to success of Paris Agreement: World Bank climate policy officer
The historic climate agreement reached by more than 190 nations in December 2015 will require more than just the individual efforts of participating countries to meet their commitments to mitigate climate change. Too often overlooked is the crucial role the…
A state-powered green revolution
Mariana Mazzucato London – Discussions about building a green future tend to focus on the need to improve the generation of energy from renewable sources. But that is just the first step. Better mechanisms for storing and releasing that energy…
Green Climate Fund adopts information disclosure policy
New Delhi (Indrajit Bose) — The Green Climate Fund’s Board adopted a comprehensive Information Disclosure Policy at the 12th Board meeting in Songdo, South Korea, held from 8-10 March. This included the decision to webcast live the Board’s meetings until…
Green buildings top in next episode of Construction Climate Talks series
In the second episode of the Construction Climate Talks series released today, European Commission Policy Adviser Josefina Lindblom, elaborates about the question ‘what is a green building?’ See the episode on link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sy9Di33ThP0
Intense discussion over GCF project preparation facility
Kuala Lumpur (Hilary Chiew) – The Board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) approved its first grant of US$1.5million under its Project Preparation Facility (PPF) at its 12th meeting held in Songdo, South Korea from 8-10 March. The funding is…
Has air pollution made Kathmandu unliveable?
With smog five times worse than the levels which prompted Paris to ban cars, the capital of the supposedly pristine mountain nation of Nepal is choking. Hospital doctor Andrew Lodge reports jay’s 63-year-old frame strains with each breath. He is…
Prospects of organic farming in Bangladesh
Rasha Binte Mohiuddin With radically increased population rapid economic growth, expansion of urbanization and industrialization, mega cities of Bangladesh are facing a lot of challenges and food security is one of them. Bangladesh is one of the top 10 food…
Will we soon be riding on solar roads? The idea gains traction
“In theory, solar PV roadways sound great. The issue is cost.” says Mark Jacobson, an engineering professor at Stanford University who has promoted a plan for powering the U.S. solely with renewable energy. (Read about his blueprint for a carbon-free…
Leonardo DiCaprio, the Oscars and climate change
S Gopikrishna Warrier Leonardo DiCaprio packs energy into his acting. Remember him as he runs to catch the Titanic, or as the ambitious young stockbroker Jordan Belfort in The wolf of Wall Street. When DiCaprio spoke after receiving his Oscar…
How journalists cover ISIS and its vast propaganda machine
by Sharon Moshavi, Vice President, New Initiatives News organizations are struggling to cover ISIS, constrained by a lack of on-the-ground presence in the wake of its brutal murders of journalists, according to an International Center for Journalists’ panel of media…
Infrastructure for a Sustainable Future
by Zia Qureshi WASHINGTON, DC – Infrastructure is a powerful driver of economic growth and inclusive development, capable of boosting aggregate demand today and laying the foundations for future growth. It is also a key element of the climate-change agenda.…
A Year of Ocean Regeneration
by Isabella Lövin,Ratu Inoke Kubuabola,Trevor Manuel Oxford – The importance of the world’s ocean cannot be overstated. They supply 50% of the oxygen we breathe, feed billions of people, and provide livelihoods for millions more. They are the great biological…
Trisha recalls her step father
Trisha Ahmed, stepdaughter of slain writer-blogger Avijit Roy, remembers him as a fun dad who taught her to be informed, bold, and unafraid.And by dying for his cause, her father gained worldwide attention to the oppression and murder of scientific…
PBI asks to re investigate new year sexual assaults
A court has ordered a reinvestigation of a series of sexual assaults on women at Dhaka University during Bengali New Year celebrations. Accepting a prosecution plea on Tuesday, Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal judge Jayasree Samaddar ordered the Police…
Bangladesh loses its way: Kuldip Nayar
Veteran Indian journalist Kuldip Nayar has expressed doubts about possibility of holding free and fair elections that can change the regime in Bangladesh in the near future.In an article published in The Statesman on 11 February, he also tacitly blamed…