Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
Minorities and indigenous peoples are under increasing threat from governments and private companies wanting to benefit from the resources found on or under their lands. Despite the growing recognition of their rights in international law, once their land is targeted for development – for mining, oil and gas extraction, dams, …
A number of REDD+ countries have begun to develop their own national safeguard standards, a development that – if carried out in a participatory, transparent manner and in compliance with international obligations – is to be strongly encouraged. While taking into account national circumstances, common ground is needed at international …
Several hundred acres of cultivable land in the district loses fertility every year as brick kilns are collecting huge quantities of earth from the topsoil of agricultural lands for making bricks. Consequently, the affected lands remain uncultivable and fallow for years, affecting overall crop production. The situation sees a worsening …
The Planning Commission hailed it as a future fuel and the industry projected it as a viable biofuel crop. But the Union Rural Development Ministry led by Jairam Ramesh feels otherwise. Citing negative reports, the Ministry has put on hold the Jatropha plantation programme for biofuel purpose. It has thus …
Following three years of negotiations, members of the co-ordinating body for global food security efforts have agreed on a new set of voluntary guidelines aimed at bringing responsible governance to large-scale land acquisitions, which have become increasingly common as a result of the 2007-2008 food crisis. The Rome-based Committee on …
NEW DELHI, May 7 – Contrary to reports about massive erosion of Majuli island, the Centre on Monday claimed that the total land mass of the river island has increased marginally. Based on satellite imagery, the land mass of the island was calculated at 520.26 sq km. The total area …
NEW DELHI: Rapping the rural development ministry's land resources department for the "inordinate delay" in finalising a bio-fuels programme, a parliamentary panel has sought for the matter be placed before the cabinet at the earliest for a decision on its continuance. The Standing Committee on Rural Development, in its report …
NEW DELHI, 29 APRIL: The Union rural development ministry has claimed that the West Bengal government has “not submitted a single project” under the integrated watershed programme in the last three years while a few states have not spent a single penny on the programme in the last financial year. …
New Delhi: Over two years after the environment and forests ministry ordered so, the statutory Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), which gives green nod to divert forests for projects, decided that it would not entertain proposals until resolutions from affected gram sabhas favouring the projects are submitted. The environment ministry had …
At least 141 incidents of forest fires have taken place in Uttarakhand since the beginning of March which has affected about 200 hectares of forest land. However, unofficial sources claim that nearly 1,000 hectares forest land has been affected by forest fires. While Forest Department officials avert that all necessary …
It is probably the most important battle of our times, the battle for natural resources like land, natural gas, telecom spectrum and coal mines. Who owns them-the state, citizens or private players? How to make the best use of them? A series of supreme court judgements on one hand several …
NAVI MUMBAI: An environmentalist from the city has complained to the ministry of environment and forests that the proposed airport at Navi Mumbai received the environment clearance in 2010 as CIDCO, the nodal agency of the project, did not reveal to the authorities the presence of 130 hectares of reserved …
This publication presents a visual synthesis of the major trends and factors shaping the global food and agricultural landscape and their interplay with broader environmental, social and economic dimensions. In doing so, it strives to serve as a unique reference point on the state of world food and agriculture for …
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has not yet issued a no-objection certificate for construction of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) on forest land at Sumari in Srinagar Garhwal. The NIT administration has started to search for land to run the institution temporarily elsewhere outside Garhwal. Meanwhile, …
How much of the benefits of economic growth accrue directly to farmers and workers who lose their livelihoods when agricultural land is taken over for development? If handled properly, the Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill 2011 offers an opportunity for equitably addressing the interests of diverse sections affected …
KOCHI: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has cleared the Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore pipeline project. Though the MoEF has given the ‘go ahead’, the details are yet to be received, a top official with the Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL) said.“The implementation of the project is a joint effort …
This summary of the fifth Global Environment Outlook report released by UNEP focuses on deteriorating state of the global environment and lists priority areas for action and policy recommendations. The UNEP has released the Global Environment Outlook-5 (GEO-5) Summary for Policy Makers, which was negotiated and endorsed by governments on …
Land is more than a production resource. In the rural areas of countries like Nepal it determines an individual’s socio-economic status, and is therefore strongly related to power issues. Landlessness and insecure land ownership are the major causes of poverty, social injustice and food insecurity. Tackling these issues therefore means …
This article highlights the land tenure implications of payment for environmental services (PES) mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions and enhance carbon sequestration, and offers suggestions for incorporating tenure into PES strategies.
Climate change mitigation projects in developing countries have the potential for significant negative impacts on land users. In particular, land users with socially legitimate but informal tenure that is not recorded using a statutory process are at risk of exploitation from the powerful elite. A detailed understanding of de facto …
