In 2024, the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) recorded 393 natural hazard-related disasters. These events caused 16,753 fatalities and affected 167.2 million people. Economic losses totaled US$241.95 billion. The year 2024 was marked by extreme temperature events in Asia that caused thousands of deaths, severe droughts in Africa affecting over 25 …
W hales and dolphins of St Lucia island are being killed in large numbers, according to the International Whaling Commission ( iwc ). At least 96 dolphins and 65 whales were killed on the island during 1999. "These numbers amount to one of the largest officially recorded inten-tional mammal kills …
an international team looked at the seasonal growth rings in 28 specimens of 500 centuries old Fitzroya cupressoides , a conifer found in South America to trace a picture of the world's climate 50,000 years ago. The scientists were able to study the trees as a result of two natural …
it is time to take out sun creams, ultraviolet protective sunglasses, wide brimmed hats and clothing with long sleeves because the largest ever ozone hole over Antarctica has just been detected by the us National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( nasa) . The ozone hole over the Antarctic is the …
The administration of Brazil's southern-most state has planned a crackdown on illegal cultivation of soyabean from genetically modified ( gm ) seeds smuggled from neighbouring Argentina. Adopting a firm stance against the growing demand for gm seeds, the Rio Grande do Sul State has launched a blistering attack on the …
the iceberg that took down the Titanic in 1912 looks like a mere ice cube compared to the one that has drifted into the Drake Passage between Antarctica and South America. In 1992, a giant iceberg that broke off from Antarctica floated free and split into two. The larger chunk …
sixty-eight million people from nine Latin American cities have urged governments and businesses to work together to combat pollution. In a statement called the "Declaration of Mexico', nine cities and one of Mexico's most populous states, the state of Mexico, have urged other nations to punish car exporters while also …
mexico City, the most polluted city on the planet, is considering radical methods to clean up its act. Travellers to Mexico's capital city often fail to see it from air as it is usually shrouded by smog throughout the year. This has cost the city dearly, with many of its …
I t was too good to last. The honeymoon between the us -based Shaman Pharmaceuticals and 30 ethnic communities across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia seems to be over. In February 1998, Provir, a promising anti-diarrhoeal drug based on ethnic medicinal knowledge, which Shaman was trying to develop for …
The us National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( nasa) and Central American Commission on the Environment and Development ( ccad ) will use existing satellite data to develop land-use maps of Central America. nasa and ccad recently signed a memorandum of understanding at the nasa headquarters in Washington , usa. …
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has called upon various governments to closely work with the Convention to Combat Desertification, a body fighting for reversal of dryland degradation. "The most effective actions for preventing dryland degradation are often the same actions needed to protect biological diversity or minimise the risk …
Greenpeace and wind energy experts have said that concerted action by the governments could see close to a million megawatt of wind powered-systems installed worldwide within next 20 years. This will be enough for powering 500 million typical European households with renewable energy. They were presenting an international study at …
Chagas' disease kills nearly 50,000 people in Latin America every year. It is caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which can permanently damage heart and nervous system. Till now, all the treatment attempted to cure the disease have been unsuccessful. Recently, the doctors at the University of California, San Francisco, …
MYTH: The only way you can make money out of a forest is by exploiting its biodiversity, cutting and logging the trees. Fact: there is more to the story than just that. And this is a point that the Iwokrama International Rain Forest Programme, the world's largest project in sustainable …
SCIENTISTS in Bolivia have found the world's largest group of dinosaur foot-prints. The footprints up to one metre long were found near the town of Sucre, 700 kilometre southeast of the capital La Paz. Christian Meyer, a Swiss palaeontologist and his colleagues have studied the site and analysed the prints …
Pernon Indians and environmentalists are battling against mining companies and government officials who want to exploit the gold-rich deposits in Venezuela's Imataca rain forest reserve. The latter wants to build towns and tourist hotels in the wilderness. However, the Indians feel that development could mean death of the jungles and …
Latin American countries are planning to end the plunder of their genetic sources by the North. At present, Latin America has about 60 per cent of the world's plant species. Coloured cotton from Peru is about to be patented in the US, where it is already being produced and the …
Standard Fruit Company, Costa Rica's biggest banana producer, has made history by becoming the first food-growing company in the world to receive the "green seal" of the prestigious International Standards Organisation (ISO). The ISO 14001 certificate is given in recognition of exemplary environmental management and worker safety standards. Unfortunately, the …
among the most tragic consequences of the drug war in South America is the destruction of the Andean jungle. A recent move to use a granular herbicide, called tebuthiuron or "spike', to put an end to coca cultivation has ignited a degree of opposition from environmental groups. us activists point …
Shrimp farms in Latin America produce a quarter of the three million tonnes of shrimp consumed worldwide each year. Consequently, shrimp farmers are destroying the mangrove forests to make shrimp ponds. Mangroves nurture a very delicate ecosystem and serve as important nurseries for many species of fish. They also protect …
