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 …
Seahorses will now be protected under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (cites). They are the first commercially valuable genus to be accorded such a status. Countries must now ensure that commercial trade of seahorses is not detrimental to wild populations. "At least 77 countries are involved in …
The 60th anniversary of Washington-based organisations, the World Bank (wb) and International Monetary Fund (imf), was celebrated amidst clamours for reform. Critics distributed
www.globalforestwatch.org How much forest is left in the world? How much forest are we losing? How are forests threatened? For answers to all these questions visit this website run by the World Resources Institute, a Washington-based non-profit organisation. Maps, lively interactive ones, are the website's great strength. Click on Canada, …
Annual economic losses due to natural disasters exacerbated by global warming may double to US $150 billion in a decade. A report brought out by insurance major Swiss Re states that insurers will have to bear claims worth us $30-40 billion over the next 10 years, which is equivalent to …
Royal Dutch/Shell has done it again. For the second time in three months, the Anglo-Dutch energy giant has been compelled to downgrade its reserves estimates. The latest revision saw Shell sliver its estimates of "proven' reserves of oil and gas for 2003 by 220 million barrels and by 250 million …
The World Hunger Task Force, a body set up by the un to come up with proposals to reduce global hunger, presented a draft report at a recent meet in Delhi. It advocates a paradigm shift in eradicating global hunger. And it also dwells upon poverty, food security and gender …
Imagine a dense forest lush with orchids, mosses and ferns on practically every surface, where each tree branch is like a garden, and the air is cool and damp due to perpetually misty conditions. These extraordinary rainforests, known as cloud forests, are under threat from climate change and human activities, …
The European Space Agency (esa) claims that its Mars orbiter has detected direct evidence of water in the form of ice on the planet's surface. According to esa scientists, the discovery is based on water vapour molecules' analysis by an infrared camera aboard the Mars Express spacecraft that is circling …
This paper builds an analytical and practical framework for using resources more effectively by making services work for poor people. It focuses on services that have the most direct link with human development – education, health, water, sanitation and electricity – and uses examples of service delivery from India, elsewhere …
function map() { var popurl="files/images/20040215/37-map.jpg" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=670,height=450,scrollbars=yes") } “It is the market which drives the change,” says Nasir Tyabji, professor for science policy at the Jawarharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. He explains: “The market converts each technology into a commodity. The efficiency of a technology is also reflected in its market …
with efforts to combat global warming doddering, the rising temperatures may lead to the extinction of as many as 380 animal and plant species. These are the findings of an international team of researchers, who used global warming projections for 2050 to assess extinction risk for species found in areas …
Cacti are prickly, and pleasing. Extremely ungainly, they flourish in arid conditions where no plant will survive. Succulent inside, their thick coats and nettles ensure predators cannot get to the sap inside, sap the plants literally collect in drops off the moisture in the air. They are economically useful, and …
the multimillion-dollar trade in herbal medicines is threatening numerous plant species, as per a report of the World Wide Fund for Nature (wwf). "At least 4,000 to 10,000 plants are endangered. With demand increasing drastically, the future of these species is now more uncertain than ever before,' says Alan Hamilton, …
Indian shrimp exports could possibly face anti-dumping duties in the us if the us Department of Commerce and the us International Trading Commission agree with a trade complaint filed by the Southern Shrimp Alliance (ssa), a trade group representing eight us shrimp producing states. The ssa, which is also targeting …
There is never any end to learning. And so, surprises. We have learnt, over 20 years, that environmental governance in India is lackadaisical. Still, the extent of irresponsibility never fails to surprise. Some months ago we did a study on pesticides in bottled water. We were really looking at pesticides …
Let's face it: the global climate change regime is stuck in a rut. It is unlikely that things will change dramatically at the forthcoming conference of the parties (CoP-9) of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC). Of course, it is possible that Russia could surprise everyone by …
It seems that the European Union (EU) has lost the fight with George W. Bush. No, I am not referring to the Transatlantic struggle over the legitimacy of the war in Iraq and over UN supremacy in rebuilding the devastated country. I am talking about the battle over the right …
