Tuesday, October 17, 2017
News and Views from the Global South
Natural Resources
Africa Could Help Feed the World – If Its Fertile Land Doesn’t Vanish
The 23rd World Day to Combat Desertification was celebrated in Burkina Faso’s capital of Ouagadougou on June 15 with a call to create two million jobs and restore 10 million hectares of degraded land.
Global Coalition Calls for Withdrawal of SDGs Progress Report
A report on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fails to capture the the true picture of water challenges and the UN must withdraw it, said a global civil society coalition.
More Plastic than Fish or How Politicians Help Ocean Destruction
World’s oceans are dangerously exposed to at least three major threats: climate change; the sharp degradation of marine biodiversity, and politicians. These simply encourage the destruction of oceans by subsidising over-fishing and turning a blind eye on illegal captures. See what happens.
Saving the Oceans, Saving the Future: Officials Tackle Marine Pollution
The oceans’ health is only getting worse and the cycle of decline must be reversed, said representatives at the opening of a high-level UN conference.
Charting a Course to a Blue Commonwealth
The United Nations Ocean Conference offers an historic opportunity to safeguard the ocean environment and support small island and vulnerable developing coastal states, who depend on the seas for national economic growth and sustainable development.
Business Unusual: Valuing Water for a Sustainable Future
Valuing water is more than simply assigning costs to a scare resource - it is an essential step for transforming water governance to meet the needs of a prosperous future.
Valuing Water Beyond the Money
Amid the worst drought in a century, South Africans are kick-starting a global consultative process to agree on the values of water in a bid to ensure more equitable use of the finite resource.
Gateway Portals and the Quest for Sustainable Urbanization
On a busy Friday afternoon, the number 1 subway train heading north through Manhattan’s Westside comes out of a dark tunnel --and if one takes a minute to release oneself from communication devices—one can catch sight of the approaching 125th street in the distance, the crosswalk buzzing with yellow cabs.
Community Seed Banks: Securing Diversity for Climate Change Adaptation
For thousands of years, farmers have used genetic diversity to cope with weather variability and changing climate conditions. They have stored, planted, selected and improved seeds to continue producing food in a dynamic environment.
Defence of Right to Water Drives Call for Land Reform in Chile
Water at high prices, sold as a market good, and small farmers almost a species in extinction, replaced by seasonal workers, are the visible effects of the crisis in rural Chile, 50 years after a land reform which postulated that “the land is for those who work it.”
When It Comes to Fracking, Argentina Dreams Big
Since a US Energy Information Administration (EIA) report announced in 2011 that Argentina had some of the world’s biggest shale oil and gas reserves, the dream of prosperity has been on the minds of many people in this South American nation where nearly a third of the population lives in poverty.
Caribbean Rolls Out Plans to Reduce Climate Change Hazards
Climate change remains inextricably linked to the challenges of disaster risk reduction (DRR). And according to the head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Robert Glasser, the reduction of greenhouse gases is “the single most urgent global disaster risk treatment”.
FEATURED VIDEO: Searching for Solutions to Disaster Risk Management
Climate change remains inextricably linked to the challenges of disaster risk reduction (DRR). And according to the head of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), Robert Glasser, the reduction of greenhouse gases is “the single most urgent global disaster risk treatment”.
Caribbean Scientists Work to Limit Climate Impact on Marine Environment
Caribbean scientists say fishermen are already seeing the effects of climate change, so for a dozen or so years they’ve been designing systems and strategies to reduce the impacts on the industry.
Marching for a Green and Just Future
People around the world will be banding together to fight one of the world’s most pressing problems: climate change.
Financing Key to Reaching Everyone, Everywhere with Water & Sanitation
Eighteen months ago, UN member-states pledged a new set of goals on eradicating extreme poverty and creating a fairer, more sustainable planet by 2030. This week, we have alarming evidence that at least one of those goals – Sustainable Development Goal 6, to reach everyone everywhere with access to water and sanitation – is already in peril.
G77 Calls for Access & Benefit-Sharing of Marine Genetic Resources
The Group of 77 has strongly underlined the significance of marine genetic resources (MGRs) to the economies of developing nations.
Fishing Village Fights Iron Mine in Northern Chile
In Punta de Choros, a hidden cove on Chile’s Pacific coast, some 900 fishers do not yet dare celebrate the decision by regional authorities to deny the Dominga port mining project a permit due to environmental reasons.
Developing Nations Call for New Trust Fund on Forest Protection
The Group of 77 is calling for the creation of a new and dedicated Trust Fund for the implementation of the UN’s strategic plan on forests for the period 2017-2030.
Gold Mine Aggravates Tensions in Brazil’s Amazon Region
The decline of this town is seen in the rundown houses and shuttered stores, and the few people along the streets on a Sunday when the scorching sun alternates with frequent rains at this time of year in Brazil’s Amazon region.
Plastic No More… Also in Kenya
Good news: Kenya has just joined the commitment of other 10 countries to address major plastic pollution by decreeing a ban on the use, manufacture and import of all plastic bags, to take effect in six months.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Large reserves of oil, gas and minerals in poor countries generate opulent revenues. They could be used to stimulate economic growth and reduce poverty, but often result in environmental destruction and conflict, benefiting large companies and corrupt governments. IPS covers news about major oil, gas and mining projects, their effects on the environment and local communities, and the ideas and actions of the interest groups involved.
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