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Sunday, November 15, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Environment
Can ‘Blue Forests’ Mitigate Climate Change?
Fifty-five percent of global atmospheric carbon captured by living organisms happens in the ocean.
Action Needed Now to Prepare for Severe Drought Conditions in the Future
Numerous scientific studies predict severe and permanent drought conditions in large parts of Mexico, the United States and Central America.Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: Decline in Renewable Energy
The generation of energy from renewable sources in Latin America dropped from 25 percent of total output in 1990 to 23 percent in 2009, according to the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).Ecobreves – BRAZIL: Greenhouse Effect of Amazon Hydro Dams Revealed
The planned construction of 22 hydroelectric power plants in the Amazon region over the next eight years will cause the emission of 153 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, a new study reveals.Ecobreves – LATIN AMERICA: Mega Cities in Search of Climate Leadership
Representatives of civil society, political organizations and the private sector from Buenos Aires, Mexico City and São Paulo, the three most populous cities in Latin America, met in the Argentine capital to promote leadership around the climate change issue.
Jakarta Poaches on Farmland Waters
The 18,000 litres of clean water that Jakarta consumes per second are expected to hit 26,000 litres by 2015. The solution? A 54-km stretch of toll road cut through prime paddy land to access the water resources of this salubrious hill district.
Funding Dries Up Even as Rains Worsen Cholera Deaths
As predicted, the beginning of the rainy season in Haiti brought exponential increases in the numbers of people sickened and killed by cholera.Industrialised Countries Under Critical Spotlight at U.N. Meet
The latest session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), taking place May 15-25 in the former German capital Bonn, is the perfect opportunity to reaffirm the enormous and growing body of scientific expertise on policies to tackle global warming.
Brazil Drives Energy Integration in South America
Energy integration in South America will be a reality "in the medium to long term," driven by hydropower and drawing on Brazil’s experience, predicts Altino Ventura Filho, secretary of planning in this country’s Ministry of Mines and Energy.
Caught Between Diarrhoea Bugs and Arsenic
Achieving the Millennium Development Goal of providing access to safe drinking water for its 160 million people by 2015 is a tough call for Bangladesh, which is caught between arsenic contaminated groundwater and diarrhoea-causing microbes in its ponds and rivers.
‘Leave Nothing But Footprints’ on Philippine Beaches
Seashells and corals are competing with styrofoam packs, food wrappers, cigarette butts, and plastic bottles for space on some of the Philippines’ most scenic beaches. Graffiti mars tourist spots like lighthouses and caves, proclaiming the names of recent visitors.Rio+20: European Parliament Absent in Sustainability Summit
The decision by the European Parliament (EP) to renounce its participation in the Rio+20 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development next month on the grounds that hotel costs are exorbitant has provoked sharp criticism from civil society organisations.
Colombian River Basin Passes the Test of El Niño and La Niña
Patricia Gómez, an engineer, is leading a training workshop for a group of 11 men at the fire station in Neiva, the capital of the department of Huila in southwest Colombia.
Adding Rice Farmers to the Rio+20 Agenda
The year 2011 was one of extremes for the small Sri Lankan village of Verugal.
“We Are Living As If We Had One and a Half Planets”
The new WWF Living Planet Report warns of a significant decline in biodiversity, particularly in low-income countries, and a huge increase in the ecological footprint of high-income countries.Public Funds Could Help Provide Water and Electricity, Researchers Say
For several decades, governments around the globe have turned to privatisation as the best option to help relieve the world's destitute by providing them with health care services, water and electricity. By and large, however, this effort has failed.
Brazilian Government Sets Guidelines for Success at Rio+20
As the host of Rio+20, the Brazilian government has defined guidelines for achieving success at the upcoming world summit, whose aim is to assess and strengthen what has been done since the 1992 Earth Summit, the first global meeting on sustainable development.
Argentina Faces the Dilemma of Unconventional Oil and Gas
Vast reserves of natural gas and oil trapped underground, whose exploitation would signify major environmental impacts, will be the greatest challenge facing YPF, the Argentine oil company that recently returned to state control.
French Environmentalists Want ‘Green’ Without the ‘n’
As France’s president-elect Francois Hollande prepares to form a new government, many environmentalists are calling for the appointment of an ecology minister with real power who can deliver on promises to reduce the use of nuclear power as well as cut carbon emissions.Private Sector and Conservationists Meet on a Big Date
As schools of whales move to music undersea at image definitions of 6.54 million pixels on the giant ceiling mounted LED screen, 218 X 30 metres in length and width, expectations run high from the International Exposition Yeosu Korea 2012 at harbour town. The expo showcases 104 participating countries’ visions and achievements on the Expo theme: ‘The Living Ocean and Coast: Diversity of Resources and Sustainable Activities’.
Colombian River Basin Passes the Test of El Niño and La Niña
Risk prevention measures with active community participation have reduced the threat of flooding and water shortages in the Colombian city of Neiva.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Through our global network of local writers, we are continuing our award-winning coverage of global and local environmental challenges, with a focus on the people for whom the ecosphere matters in a direct way: rural dwellers who have little means to protect themselves against adverse conditions; communities that need to switch to sustainable development in order to survive; poor women and children, who are the most vulnerable in natural disasters. Sponsored by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and The World Bank (WB), IPS also maintains the award-winning Tierramérica, a specialised information service on environment and development.
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