Monday, May 23, 2022
News and Views from the Global South
Natural Resources
Caring for Water Where Mining Leads to Wealth and Tragedies in Brazil
The southeastern Brazilian state of Minas Gerais owes its name to the main economic activity throughout its history: mining – of gold since the 17th century and later iron ore, which took on an industrial scale with massive exports in the 20th century.
Oil Business Burns Enough Gas to Power the Whole Sub-Sahara or Two Thirds of Europe
While the attention of mostly Western media and politicians is quasi exclusively hoarded up by the proxy war in Ukraine and its consequences on the energy sector, the world’s big oil business continues to burn Planet Earth with its underreported though highly polluting, wasteful practice of gas flaring.
Massive Deforestation in the Congo Basin Will Lead to Poverty
Growing up amid under the leafy canopy of the Congo Basin rainforest, the woodland was more than our home. It was our playground, our medicine cabinet, our teacher, our therapist. And it was a source of livelihood with its rich biodiversity and helped shield us from the effects of climate change.
Mining Destroys the Lives of Indigenous People in Venezuela
The voracious search for gold in southern Venezuela, practiced by thousands of illegal miners under the protection of various armed groups, represents the greatest threat today to the lives of indigenous peoples, their habitat and their cultures, according to their organizations and human rights defenders.
Opacity Surrounds Fossil Fuels in Mexico
In the northern Mexican state of Coahuila the current situation of coal, used mainly to generate electricity, is opaque.
Give Edible Insects a Chance as an Alternative High-Quality Protein Source, say Scientists
Growing up in Samoya Village of Bungoma County in the Western part of Kenya, Elvis Wanjala has fond childhood memories of the rainy season, chasing and catching black-bellied winged termites in the rain.
Out of Africa: Rich Continent, Poor People
Capital flight from the global South is immense, with widespread adverse effects. A new book proposes measures to curb, even reverse capital flight from Africa. It also offers pragmatic lessons for many developing countries.
English and Dutch Caribbean Rally Around UN Sustainable Development Framework
When Dominica signed on to the United Nations Multicountry Sustainable Development Framework for the English and Dutch Speaking Caribbean (MSDCF) in March, the country joined others like Saint Lucia, St. Vincent, and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Aruba as part of a 5-year framework to plan and implement UN development initiatives.
Landmark UN Report Issues Stark call for Sustainable Land Management to Save Human Health
With 50% of humanity affected by land degradation, the world must move to a ‘crisis footing’ to conserve, restore and use land resources sustainably, a major UN report has said.
The World Can Stop Capital Flight Now
Curbing capital flight from developing countries is long overdue. New sanctions against Russian oligarchs show this can be done with the requisite political will. Recent research also shows how to more effectively stop capital flight.
Poor Water Distribution Infrastructure Gives Jamaica a ‘Water Scarce’ Label
It will take billions of dollars and many years to fix a growing problem that has placed Jamaica into the unlikely bracket of being among the world's most water-scarce countries due to the unavailability of potable water.
Kenyan Community Project Saving Forests, Saving Livelihoods
Despite an abundance of fisheries reserves along Kwale County’s lush coastline located on the south coast of Kenya, fishers can no longer cast a net just past the coral reef and expect an abundant crab or prawn harvest.
Oil Crisis Offers Opportunities to the South and for the Green Energy Transition
The oil and gas supply crisis unleashed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine represents new business opportunities for the oil-producing countries of the developing South, both traditional and emerging, and also for accelerating the global transition to green forms of energy.
Traditional, Time-Tested Methods and a Modern App Helps Beat Climate Change
Even as erratic weather and extremely high temperatures increase pest infestation and affect harvests, a combination of traditional methods, integrated pest management through intercropping and multilayering is helping farmers in Ahmednagar and Aurangabad districts of Maharashtra, India.
Indian Agriculture Towards 2030
India began its journey as an independent nation in 1947 with fresh memory of the Bengal Famine of 1943 which claimed 1.5 to 3 million lives. Against this backdrop, the First Five Year Plan (1951-56) prioritized agriculture which, however, shifted to heavily industrialization in the second Plan.
South Sudan: Oil Underground, Blood on the Surface
While several politicians -and media– have been viewing the ongoing armed conflict in South Sudan as a “civil war” between rival ethnic groups, so nothing to worry about, there are some key facts that should be considered for the sake of having a wider, more accurate panorama. One of them is that this country is rich in oil.
Desalination Plants, Solution and Environmental Challenge for Chile
The Pacific Ocean could quench the thirst caused by 10 years of drought in Chile, but the operation of desalination plants of various sizes has a long way to go to become sustainable and to serve society as a whole rather than just corporations.
Shall the Arctic Burn?
Climate change and land-use change are projected to make wildfires more frequent and intense, with a global increase of extreme fires of up to 14 percent by 2030, 30 percent by the end of 2050 and 50 percent by the end of the century, according to a new report by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal, a non-profit environmental communications centre based in Norway.
Mexico Needs a Mining Industry Model for the Energy Transition
The debate in Mexico and at an international level is focused on certain minerals that are fundamental to the energy transition, such as cobalt, lithium and nickel. But there are other indispensable minerals that remain in the background.
Struggle in Guatemala Offers Hope for Latin America’s Indigenous People
A struggle for the defense of their territories waged by indigenous Maya Q'eqchi' communities in eastern Guatemala could set a historic precedent for Latin America's native peoples because it would ensure not only their right to control their lands but also their natural resources, denied for centuries.
Speed Dating with the Future, a Romance with Science and Biodiversity
In a busy world where love is a complicated affair, speed dating is one way to connect, but can it work to ignite more sustainable relationships with nature? Are we open to a romance with science and evidence?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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