The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
Rats eat our crops, contaminate our stored food, damage our buildings and possessions and spread dangerous diseases to people and livestock. Compared to insect pests, controlling rats and mice can seem difficult. Experience has shown, however, that armed with the right knowledge and tools it is possible to sustainably reduce …
For drylands with low inherent levels of biological productivity, coping with climate change presents particular problems. The world’s drylands cover over 40 % of the global terrestrial area and house more than 2 billion inhabitants MEA, (2005). The world’s poorest people live in these areas and they will be hit …
The .asia regional Internet domain has officially opened for business. The domain comes after the launch of the European-based .eu name last year and aims to join .com and .net as a widely used website suffix. Businesses with trademarks, governments and official bodies will be allowed to register website addresses …
This document is the Inception Report of the Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities (CAI-Asia) Center for the implementation of the Sustainable Urban Mobility in Asia (SUMA) Program under the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Regional Technical Assistance (RETA) 6291: Rolling Out Air Quality Management and Sustainable Urban Transportation in Asia …
This Synthesis Report is based on the assessment carried out by the three Working Groups of the IPCC. It provides an integrated view of climate change as the final part of the IPCC's Fourth Assessment Report.
public anger over lack of regulations to improve fuel efficiency of vehicles has finally set off official action. The Petroleum Conservation and Research Association, an autonomous research body under the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas, has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Bureau of Energy Efficiency to …
diplomatic roadshow: Bangladesh and Myanmar recently signed a deal to construct the first major road between the two countries. The 25-km road is part of an Asian super highway to boost bilateral trade. It is hoped it will eventually connect India, Thailand and China. In another development, India plans to …
saving maize: Scientists have developed an effective form of biological control for a toxin-producing fungus that plagues crops in sub-Saharan Africa and poses serious health risks to people. The method uses a component of the fungus Aspergillus to control itself. Scientists from Germany, the us and Nigeria have carried out …
Meinhard Von Gerkan, a partner in the German architectural firm GMP, was in Delhi recently to prospect for ventures in India, particularly in light of the upcoming Commonwealth Games 2010 in New Delhi. He speaks to Kaushik Das Gupta On architecture Architecture, like all arts, originates from the human desire …
A UN Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) regional workshop on street food in Asia, held in Djakarta, Indonesia, in 1986, tried to define street food. It described a wide range of ready-to-eat food and beverages sold and sometimes prepared in public places, notably by the roadside. It stated that like …
If the Doha Round of negotiations of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is stalemated, a great part of it is because of the resistance of small farmers, including those in Asia. One of the terrible truths of the 20th century is that it was a blight on small farmers or …
scientists now have firm genetic evidence that early Austro-Asiatic settlers in India, believed to be the oldest, migrated from here to south-east Asian countries and populated them. These early tribes migrated out of the country through the north-eastern states, a study published in BMC Evolutionary Biology (March 27 issue), says. …
The wrongs and rights of ivory sales FOR anybody who cares about animals, the biggest fixture on the diplomatic calendar is a bunfight that happens every three years to review the working of a convention on the international trade in endangered species, known as cites. At the current gathering, now …
Low-elevation coastal zones (leczs) are areas at an elevation of 10 metres or less above sea level. Although leczs account for just 2 per cent of the world's total land area, they contain about 634 million people: 10 per cent of the global population. About 75 per cent of people …
The drive to the Chittagong shipbreaking yards betrays the character of the destination. The road is dotted with shops selling remnants of once-floating behemoths. Timber, torn out of ships, and wood in all shapes and sizes being sold are the most common sight. This is scrap wood and will be …
Developing country producers face several constraints related to food safety standards imposed by developed countries. The purpose of this study is to identify factors affecting export flows with respect to food safety standards; and to measure the effects of food safety standards on exports. This study incorporates a food safety …
Decisions that affect how people use land are among the most fraught that any enlightened society has to grapple with. Two claims that typically come out on the short end of the land-use debate are the claims of indigenous people and claims for non-human species. Sometimes claims for indigenous people …
