The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened the debt vulnerabilities of many low- and medium-income sovereigns. Debt levels were already high for many even prior to COVID outbreak, but are now exacerbated because government revenues have declined as a result of limited economic activity – while the timing and the quantum of …
NOVO PROGRESSO, Brazil — This Sept 15, 2009 file photo shows damage done to the Amazon rainforest in a deforested area near Novo Progresso in Brazil’s northern state of Para. (PHOTO: AP) PARIS, France (AFP) — Gold mining has gobbled up some 1,680 square kilometres (650 square miles) of tropical …
It is now widely known that the natural resources and livelihoods of rural poor people are under increasing pressure. Growing demand for natural resources as well as ongoing and projected climatic changes indicate the necessity for developing and discussing adaptation strategies. This context has contributed to locating the topic of …
Oil and gas access roads in western Amazon could open up ‘Pandora’s box’ of environmental impacts Oil and gas roads are encroaching deeper into the western Amazon, one of the world’s last wildernesses and biodiversity hotspots, according to a new study. Roads across Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Brazil …
The western Amazon is one of the world's last high-biodiversity wilderness areas, characterized by extraordinary species richness and large tracts of roadless humid tropical forest. It is also home to an active hydrocarbon (oil and gas) sector, characterized by operations in extremely remote areas that require new access routes. Here, …
LA PAZ, Jan 19 (Bernama-NNN-EFE) -- At least 15 people died and some 10,400 families have suffered property damage as a result of the intense rains and flooding affecting Bolivia, especially six of the country's nine regions, a government official said Sunday. The vice minister for civil defense, Oscar Cabrera, …
Global demand for gold is putting some of the most remote and pristine tropical forests at risk, scientists warn. Some 1,680 sq km of rainforest in South America was lost to gold mining from 2001 to 2013, a study shows. University of Puerto Rico researchers say gold mining has become …
Falling prices and rising debt are driving some Latin American leaders to relax legislation aimed at protecting the environment A commodity boom has helped pull millions out of poverty across South America over the past decade. It has also unleashed a new scramble for oil, minerals and cropland that is …
Recently published prevalence estimates of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in five Latin American countries—Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Venezuela—could suggest a new direction for United States foreign policy in the region. (Editorial)
One in every nine persons in the world goes hungry says this UN State of Food Insecurity Report released on 16 September 2014. It has been jointly drafted by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme …
More than 56 million people have been lifted out of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean in recent years, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). A new UNDP report says poverty levels in the period from 2000-2012 fell from 41.7% to 25.3% of the population. But despite …
Dealing with the uncertainties of changing climates is a challenge faced by farmers around the world. Near Cochabamba in Bolivia’s Andean high plateau, a group of agroecological farmers are leading the way by developing and sharing innovative practices that help their communities break out of the vicious cycle of increased …
Christian Aid publishes a report showing the devastating effects of climate change, with communities worldwide, particularly in worst hit poorer countries, being forced to change their way of life. While record-breaking floods in the UK received massive media coverage, along with broad acceptance that climate change was to blame, the …
Nations have passed almost 500 laws to tackle climate change, with emerging economies led by Mexico and China making the most progress last year, a study by Globe International found. A total of 62 out of the 66 countries examined have passed or are working on “significant” climate or energy-related …
Loss of forest cover increased sharply in Bolivia, Madagascar, and Ecuador during the third quarter of 2013, according to an update from NASA scientists. NASA's Quarterly Indicator of Cover Change (QUICC), a MODIS satellite-based product that underpins Mongabay.com's Global Forest Disturbance Alert System (GloF-DAS), picked up strong deforestation signals in …
Four years of scientific expeditions have found previously unknown animals and plants in world's largest tropical rainforest A purring monkey, a vegetarian piranha and a flame-patterned lizard are among more than 400 new species of animals and plants that have been discovered in the past four years in the Amazon …
UN climate talks have hit a stumbling block that some delegates say poses a serious challenge to their already slow-moving attempt to craft a global response to climate change. As the latest negotiation session ended on Friday in the German city of Bonn, one track of the talks was paralysed …
UNFPA-IPPF initiative to fill gap in health care infrastructure. A new initiative to boost family planning services in 13 countries including India, focussing on vulnerable groups, particularly in areas affected by natural disasters and conflict, was launched on the concluding day on Thursday of the Women Deliver conference. The initiative …
Bangladesh has been identified as one of the ‘star performers’ in the poverty reduction initiative globally as the world poverty is coming down rapidly. Some of the poorest people in the world are becoming significantly less poor, according to a groundbreaking academic study which has taken a new approach to …
14th Among 100 Countries: Survey Mumbai: India enjoys a high rating when it comes to budget transparency practices. It ranks 14th among the 100 countries that were surveyed. Its open budget index score of 68 out of 100 is much higher than the average score of 43 for all countries …
Accurate cost benefit analysis of climate change adaptation actions is not only critical in designing effective local-level adaptation strategies, but also for generating information that feeds into national and global climate policy agreements. One of the main challenges of this type of CBA is accommodating the wide-ranging impacts of climate …
