Forests sustain and protect us in a myriad of ways. They absorb carbon dioxide and provide us with oxygen, they harbour more than three quarters of terrestrial biodiversity, and they support the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. But the world has lost 420 million hectares of forest since 1990. …
the vicuna, a delicate high-altitude cousin of the llama which inhabits the Peruvian hills of the Andes, is on the comeback trail. Its numbers have now reached 149,000
a child's height may not be entirely governed by his/her genes. The quality of water the child drinks is also a deciding factor. As per a study by researchers from the us-based Johns Hopkins University, children from the poor communities of Peru are nearly one centimetre shorter than kids having …
The greens have scored a major point with regard to the Camisea natural gas project, to be sited in the pristine forests of Peru. Environmental objections have led the us Export-Import Bank to reject us $213.6 million in loan guarantees for the venture. Conservationists have long contended that the gas …
negotiations on the crucial issue of agriculture intensified in the build-up to the Fifth World Trade Organization (wto) Ministerial Conference in Cancun, Mexico, with several developing countries joining hands to take on the formidable eu-us combine. The latter presented a joint paper on August 13 at the wto general council …
An unstable glacier in Peru has raised fears of flooding. A huge lump of the glacier, which feeds Palcacocha lake in the Andes, is threatening to crack and drop into the lake below. Peruvian authorities are using satellite images from the us -based National Aeronautics and Space Administration (nasa) to …
dispute settlement under the World Trade Organisation (wto) rules has been fraught with disagreements. The us has now put forth a proposal to grant countries that are parties to the dispute more control over such proceedings. The plan was announced at the three-day meeting of the wto dispute settlement body …
as many as half the world's plant species may qualify as threatened with extinction under the World Conservation Union (iucn) classification scheme, indicates a new study. Conducted by Nigel Pitman of us-based Duke University and Peter Jorgensen of the Missouri Botanical Garden, the study indicates that the iucn Red List …
Farmers in Alto Incariado, central Peru, are hoping that the fair trade label on their coffee crops will fetch them decent wages and give them the right to unionise. For this reason alone they have joined hands with the local La Florida Cooperative that sells coffee carrying the label. The …
scientists from the Dhaka-based International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research (icddr,b) have recently initiated clinical trials to study the efficacy of an oral diarrhoea vaccine in Bangladesh. The vaccine is being manufactured by the international pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline. It has been developed by Baltimore-based John Hopkins University. The vaccine would …
Peruvian local communities are on the warpath. They are accusing mining companies of not only causing contamination in the region, but also holding them responsible for the seizure of their land. More than 1,000 of these community members marched to the nation's capital, Lima, and demanded action against the big …
peruvian farmers and indigenous peoples' organisations are up in arms against two us patents on maca ( Lepidium meyenii ), a plant related to the mustard family, cultivated for centuries in the Puna highlands of Peru. Maca is a staple food crop of Peru and is widely marketed in the …
Seeking nirvana Rich, restless and willing to pay Babu Vargese was thrown out of college because he insisted on wearing his hair long. Vargese likes to do things differently. Like running TourIndia, a Kerala based travel agency he founded 20 years ago. His keen interest in nature and people, coupled …
USA: Domestic and international travellers made nearly 287 million visits to the 378 parks under the US National Park Service in 1998 compared to the 275 million visits in 1997. This travel generated US $14.2 billion and supported almost 300,000 tourist-related jobs during 1996. Nepal: The Annapurna area is the …
If there is an ideal ecotourism destination in India, it is Sikkim. This eastern Himalayan state of India with its pristine mountains, crystal clear lakes and rich cultural and natural diversity, is fast gaining popularity. Attracting some two lakh tourists a year, of which 12,000 are foreigners, it has witnessed …
Not everyone is thrilled with ecotourism. Many believe that the big business of tourism people is only using the people in destinations, who offer their natural, social and cultural resources to make the
If tourism revenues are generated by the quality of natural goods like a healthy tiger habitat or an excellent coral reef, then should tourists not be asked to pay an ecotax to conserve them? This year the socialist-green regional government of the Balearic Islands in Spain has attempted to do …
Down with mining. This is the verdict that has been given by the residents of Tambogrande, a northern farming district in Peru. The people rejected a Canadian company's plans to develop a rich mineral deposit that lies beneath this district. Of the 19,996 people who voted, 98.6 per cent said …
Going Green Pays The us has agreed to cancel a portion of Peruvian debt following the government's commitment to conserve and maintain its biodiversity and forest areas. The visiting us President George Bush recently signed a pact to this effect with Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo. Under the deal, organisations Conservation …
