CENTRAL AMERICA: Threats Churn in the San Juan River

The San Juan River, centre of discord and diplomatic conflicts between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, is seeing its riverbanks fill up with economic projects that scientists and environmentalists say will irreversibly alter its course.

PERU: Sacrificing the Rainforest on the Altar of Energy

The construction of five hydroelectric dams in Peru as part of an energy deal with Brazil will do considerable damage to the environment, such as the destruction of nearly 1.5 million hectares of jungle over the next 20 years, according to an independent study.

U.S. Finning Ban Caps Busy Year for Shark Conservation

The U.S. Congress banned shark finning in all U.S. waters Tuesday, a victory environmental advocates are hoping sends a message to international regulators.

Big Fleets Resist Pacific Islands’ Plan to Save Fisheries

Eight Pacific island nations that are leveraging their contracts with foreign fishing fleets to save the world's last great stocks of tuna are getting little sympathy from the countries representing those fleets.

OP-ED: The EU Must Start Fishing Responsibly Now

The loss of marine biodiversity is hurtling forward at an unprecedented rate. At present, the FAO calculates that nearly 80 percent of the world's fishery resources are fully exploited, overexploited or depleted. Furthermore, marine scientists have suggested that if the current pace of exploitation continues, all fish stocks will have collapsed or disappeared by 2048.

BRAZIL: Building a “Reforestation Economy” in the Mata Atlantica

In one of the most environmentally damaged areas of Brazil's Mata Atlântica forest, work is under way to reforest a watershed that supplies Rio de Janeiro, while also establishing a "reforestation market" that stimulates local job creation and local consumption.

CLIMATE CHANGE: As Andean Glaciers Recede, Region Steps Forward to Adapt

The mountainous areas of South America's Andean nations supply water to the coastal cities, provide habitat to important biodiversity, and serve as natural barriers, but global warming threatens those regions, which are home to millions of people.

EL SALVADOR: Most Water-Stressed Country in Central America

Every night at 1:00 AM, Julio César Amaya gets up to turn on the faucet, because it is the only time that there is piped water in his neighbourhood - the poor district of San José, in the city of Soyapango, one hour east of the capital of El Salvador.

Walking Precariously on Uncertain Water

Around a billion people already face scarcity of fresh water, and the problem is expected to grow in the future, with pollution, over-population and climate change affecting water supply, experts say.

BRAZIL: Mitigating Impacts of Progress in Amazon Jungle

"We want real compensation," said Luis Nascimento de Freitas, a fisherman from Vila Teotonio, a ramshackle town on the banks of the Madeira River that will be flooded when the Santo Antonio hydroelectric plant is completed.

U.S.-WEST AFRICA: Report Urges Enhanced Maritime Security

The United States and its allies should give much more attention - and resources - to ensuring that weak West African governments along the oil- and gas-rich Gulf of Guinea can protect their territory and coastal regions from terrorists, drug and human traffickers, and other threats, according to new report by an influential think tank released here this week.

PERU: Mineral-Rich Highlands Lack Legal Protection

More than 11 percent of Peruvian territory is distributed among mining concessions. Those mining blocks can include moors, river sources, and even protected natural areas.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Water as a ‘Divine Gift’

"Many people still believe that water is a gift from God." This statement from a Guatemalan scientist alludes to Central America's neglect of its water resources - - and the subsequent impact on agriculture.

U.S. Regulators Omit Wider Implications of GM Salmon

U.S. regulators are poised to decide as early as next week whether to approve a genetically modified salmon for human consumption.

Cracks in Costa Rica’s Green Image

For many, Costa Rica embodies the notion of a country committed to taking care of its natural environment. But Costa Rican activists beg to differ, and have a list of the actions that contradict the country's green "for-export" image.

Mexican Farms Need a Water Revolution

Without financing, many Mexican farmers cannot improve their ageing irrigation systems, which are essential if Mexico is to withstand the effects of climate change and reduce its emissions of greenhouse-effect gases.

Pulling Together To Protect Zambia’s Kafue Flats

Dams, sugarcane plantations and rapidly growing population threatened the health of the Kafue Flats, a richly diverse wetlands in southern Zambia. But growing recognition of more sustainable use of its water and fertile soil are securing the health of the ecosystem.

Free Trade Deals Bait Indian Fishermen

A series of bilateral free trade agreements (FTAs) is threatening the livelihoods of India's fishermen on the 8,000 km peninsular coastline - among the longest in the world - and the diets of millions of Indians for whom fish is a cheap source of protein.

Broad Coalition Rallies for BP Accountability

Gulf coast fishers, conservationists, seafood distributors and oil workers rallied here at Louisiana's capital over the weekend to demand that oil giant BP be held accountable for the "ongoing" use of toxic dispersants in the Gulf of Mexico.

Despite Heavy Oil, Louisiana Keeps Fisheries Open

Massive slicks of weathered oil were clearly visible near Louisiana's fragile marshlands in both the East and West Bays of the Mississippi River Delta during an overflight that included an IPS reporter on Oct. 23. The problem is that, despite this, the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has left much of the area open for fishing.

Brazilian Communities Find Ways to Live in Semiarid Environment

No longer is the image of women trudging through fields carrying heavy water vessels on their heads just a "quaint" scene of Brazil's semiarid northeast, for outsiders.