The global cost of disasters is growing: The economic burden of disasters is intensifying. While the direct costs of disasters averaged $70–80 billion a year between 1970 and 2000, between 2001 and 2020 these annual costs grew significantly to $180–200 billion. But the real cost is far higher. Disaster costs …
India will host the second International Rice Congress from October 9-13 in New Delhi. This is the most important event in the calendar of rice research since the International Year of Rice in 2004. But in this short span, the field of rice science has registered phenomenal growth and probably …
Big hydropower projects are poised to re-enter the good books of the World Bank (wb) and the Asian Development Bank (adb). In the early 1990s, the wb had stopped funding the Sardar Sarovar Project under pressure from the Narmada Bachao Andolan. That marked the beginning of a phase during which …
The early civilisations have conventionally been regarded as products of human ingenuity. Of course, favourable geographical conditions also made a difference. But they just might be fortuitous by-products of climate change, according to a recent University of East Anglia study. The findings were presented on September 7, 2006, during the …
The recovery of the depleted ozone layer may take 5-15 years more than that estimated earlier, says a recent study. It found that the regeneration of the protective layer will be pushed back from 2044 to 2049 over the mid-latitudes (30 0 -60 0 North and South) and from 2050 …
Just imagine: floods in dry Rajasthan; drought in wet Assam. In both cases, devastation has been deadly, with people struggling to cope. But are these natural disasters or human-made disasters signs of change of the world's climate systems? Or are these simply the result of mismanagement so that people already …
tiny particles called aerosols found in smoke and most types of air pollution can increase or decrease the cloud cover, claims a study conducted in the us. Whether aerosols stop or assist cloud formation depends on their capacity to absorb sun's heat, adds the study conducted by a team of …
rapid atmospheric warming is causing a widening of the tropical region, according to a team of researchers led by the University of Washington in the us . The scientists analysed satellite data from 1979 to 2005 on temperature over subtropical areas (between 23.5
the European Space Agency (esa) has come out with a world fire atlas based on satellite data on forest fires collected over a decade. The maps are available to users online in near-real time (within six hours of a fire). The data was taken from instruments called Along Track Scanning …
climate change is forcing plants and animals away from their native habitats to more congenial ones. A recent survey of plants in the uk found that species favouring higher temperature like orchids and ferns that used to be found in southern parts of the country are now flourishing in the …
Statistical report on spices - provides analysis of the spice trade, detailed statistics of major importers worldwide; includes additional information on world unit prices, product reviews, market shares of major suppliers and importing countries/areas; export data are also available for few selected counties with significant re-exports; gives product description of …
a new global agreement to protect people and the environment from hazardous chemicals was reached at an international conference in Dubai. Called the Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (saicm), the voluntary agreement was reached with participation from governments, the chemicals industry, business, trade unions and a few other civil …
Ensuring food safety to protect public health and promote economic development remains a significant challenge in both developing and developed countries. Considerable progress to strengthen food safety systems has been achieved in many countries, highlighting the opportunities to reduce and prevent food-borne disease. However, unacceptable rates of foodborne illness still …
Forest resources assessment 2005 examines current status and recent trends for about 40 variables, covering the extent, condition, uses and values of forests and other wooded land, with the aim of assessing all benefits from forest resources. In the main section of this report, results are presented according to six …
Water resources are vital to all human activities from basic survival to the most complex industrial production. In recent years, a broad set of national and international water issues has begun to receive significant attention. This paper provides a snapshot of current global water issues, assesses the water-related risks and …
