New data published by the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) reveals that the overall 2023 air pollution levels in Jakarta were arguably the worst since 2019. Despite improvements between 2020 and 2022, the rise of pollution in 2023 is a notable setback. Over 29 million people …
The un climate change conference, which began on December 3 in Bali, Indonesia, is conducting several discussions, including the adaptation fund, reducing emissions from deforestation and technology transfer under the clean development mechanism. A development that also fuelled much discussion on the sidelines was Australia's decision to ratify the Kyoto …
Indonesia's Anak Krakatoa volcano rumbled early on November 2, emitting red-hot stones and lava. Two other volcanoes in the island nation are also spewing plumes of hot ash and gases. Authorities, however, say there will be no major eruption from Anak Krakatoa. They are, however, worried about Mount Kelud on …
On July 1, England joins the growing list of countries that have introduced laws to protect the public and employees from the harmful eff ects of passive smoking. From July 1, smoking in almost all enclosed public or work places will be illegal, with fines for smokers who break the …
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 …
>> In the latest plan to stem the flow of the mud volcano that erupted last year in East Java, Indonesia, a US $69 million-proposal has been chalked out. A concrete dam will be built to check the mud flow, which has already displaced around 15,000 people (see
Tigers and Asian big cats were at the centre stage of an important debate at the 14th meeting of the Conference of Parties of the CITES at the Hague, The Netherlands. Led by India and other range states like Nepal, China, Bhutan and Russia, the 14th CoP was able to …
indonesia has agreed to share h5n1 avian influenza virus samples with who. This step comes after a high-level technical meeting was conducted in Jakarta on March 26-27, which discussed responsible practices for sharing avian influenza viruses for research and their benefits. This issue will be further discussed at the forthcoming …
After struggling for nine months with hot torrents of mud, Indonesian officials are now experimenting with a new strategy to contain the noxious matter. In the last week of February, they dropped 300-400 kg concrete balls into the crater of the mud volcano. Over the next few weeks, they plan …
indonesia recently put forward a proposal asking rich countries to pay developing nations for preserving forests. The country plans to table the proposal at the next un climate change conference, which is scheduled for December this year in Bali. In a statement, Indonesian environment minister Rachmat Witoelar said, "Preserving our …
A proposed biofuel project in two remote provinces of Indonesia is drawing much controversy, as environmentalists contend that the project would destroy some of the world's most biodiverse and threatened ecosystems. The us $5.5 billion
In a bid to contain the rising number of human bird flu deaths, Indonesian government has banned all backyard poultry in its capital Jakarta. Four Indonesians died from the disease in the first week of January and another was confirmed as infected. This makes Indonesia's human death toll from bird …
goa town planning minister resigns: Embroiled in a controversy over the Goa State Regional Plan 2011, the state's town and country planning minister, Atanasio Monserrate, resigned from the cabinet on January 3, 2006. In less than a week, the Goa chief minister, Pratapsinh Rane, sworn in BJP legisator Manohar Azgaokar …
This Borneo tree frog, Rhacophorus gadingensis, is one of 52 new species scientists have discovered on the Indonesian island of Borneo, between July 2005 and September 2006. The list includes 30 fish, two tree frogs, 16 ginger plants, three trees and a large-leafed plant. Among the most interesting are a …
• China has successfully launched its second geostationary orbit meteorological satellite, Fengyun-2D (FY-2D), to provide better weather forecasting services for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The satellite will monitor weather changes at the games venues to help weather forecasts during the games. • More than 1,000 mallard ducks recently died …
Illegal logging is massively widespread - more than 50 per cent of all timber in some countries - and hugely damaging, yet how can it be tackled without causing poverty in local communities? Written by the world's foremost experts, this book examines the key issues including law and enforcement, supply …
As an animal high on popularity charts, the tiger has fascinated and awed generations for centuries. However, with its range confined to 14 Asian countries today, its distribution has more than halved and so have its numbers. With the tiger facing a serious challenge in its entire distribution range, the …
This paper discusses recent trends in poverty concepts and suggest a locally adapted multidimensional model for measuring and monitoring poverty. The model comprises nested layers with subjective wellbeing in the centre surrounded by a core of health, wealth and knowledge, and a context that includes natural, economic, social and political …
• Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo has reinstated three senior civil servants, suspended for their involvement in the dumping of toxic wastes around the capital city of Abidjan, in September 2006. • Borneo island in Indonesia is being plagued by mud flows, containing toxic substances like nitrogen oxide and methane. …
Five southeast Asian countries have recently endorsed a joint plan of action to fight the haze caused by Indonesian forest fires. The haze was at its worse this season, leading to the closure of airports, offices and schools. It affected much of the southeast Asia for months until rains a …
In a 1995 article in The New Statesman, the anthropologist Jonathan Benthall wrote, "Clifford Geertz disappoints some colleagues because he comes up with no overarching theories.' Benthall was right or at least partly so: Geertz deliberately chose not to expound universal theories, seeking instead to find meaning in small-scale observations …