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 …
When the dust settles after the Cancun climate change conference of the United Nations, a careful analysis will find that the adoption of the “Cancun Agreements” may have given the multilateral climate system a shot in the arm, but that the meeting also failed to save the planet from climate …
It was inevitable that the commercial model of microfinance in India, with its minimalist and standardised model of lending, would grow into a bubble and run into trouble. Many microfinance commercial organisations have entered the market in search of profits and are competing to lend to the poor. In the …
With high Andean peaks and a humid tropical forest, Bolivia is a country of ecological extremes. But the unusually low winter temperatures experienced by the country's tropical region in July and August hit freshwater species hard, killing an estimated 6 million fish and thousands of alligators, turtles and river dolphins.
NEW DELHI: Naveen Jindal-owned Jindal Steel, Bolivia, a subsidiary of Jindal Steel and Power, on Friday announced that it had got 3,000 acres additionally to flag off its $2.1-billion steel and power plant in Santa Cruz area of Bolivia. This would trigger activity by the company to resume activities to …
The World Bank has released the Synthesis Report of the study titled "The Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change," which estimates the costs of adaptation between US$70-100 billion per year between now and 2050. Among the lessons from seven case studies and a global study, the report highlights that eliminating …
Two payment for environmental services programs in the Amazon, namely, Noel Kempff Mercado Climate Action Project in Bolivia and Bolsa Floresta Program in Brazil, have been pioneering initiatives to demonstrate the ability to encourage forest conservation through market mechanisms involving direct payments for avoiding deforestation. This article argues that (a) …
Over 40 per cent of the Bolivian territory is affected by desertification caused by climate change, population increase and indiscriminate forest felling, the Science and Technology Ministry said recently. The ministry said in a statement that the problem is becoming more serious each year, which puts at risk the food …
The Andes have daily (rather than seasonal) temperature extremes, unpre- dictable weather from one year to the next, and a myriad of environmental niches scattered across the elevations. To survive in such an adverse environment, highland farming evolved to be robust, with complex soil and water management, a rich diversity …
Benefits to people from water ecosystems like rivers, swamps, floodplains and groundwater systems are central to human well-being. But ecosystems are in trouble and the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have each shown that freshwater ecosystem services …
Doubt has been cast on a much-lauded method of disinfecting water using only sunlight, after a study found that it doesn't reduce diarrhoea among children in families using the technique. Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS), a low-cost water purification method that uses only sunlight to disinfect water, is currently used by …
In Ecuador, Bolivia and Peru, initiatives have been taken recently that raise hopes that mechanisms might be created to stop the further privatisation of knowledge and life. So far, progress has been disappointing, with fundamental problems remaining unsolved. Once again, it is up to local people to defend knowledge and …
The objective of this report is to explore the topic of carbon sinks in forest ecosystems, focusing on the issue of REDD. The report covers different angles: an overview of existing financial and methodological initiatives that currently invest in preparation and capacity building of potential REDD host countries, but also …
Paying people to protect forests can be an effective way to tackle deforestation and climate change, but only if there is good governance of natural resources, says a study conducted by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). The study funded by the Norway's Government and published yesterday, however, …
Effective planning for climate change adaptation programming in developing countries requires a finegrained assessment of local vulnerabilities, practices and adaptation options and preferences. While global models can project climate impacts and estimate costs of expected investments, developing country decision-makers also require national assessments that take a bottom-up, pro-poor perspective, integrate …
Effective planning for climate change adaptation programming in developing countries requires a finegrained assessment of local vulnerabilities, practices and adaptation options and preferences. While global models can project climate impacts and estimate costs of expected investments, developing country decision-makers also require national assessments that take a bottom-up, pro-poor perspective, integrate …
