The World Meteorological Organization’s State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report warns that the region is warming nearly twice as fast as the global average, driving more extreme weather and posing serious threats to lives, ecosystems, and economies. In 2024, Asia experienced its warmest or second warmest year on …
IF AN agricultural idea finds favour with farmers, you scarcely need an extension service to ensure its spread. But if it does not find favour, then you can double the size of the extension service and it still will not work - Confucius. Soil conservation efforts started more than 50 …
IN OCTOBER 1995, a study about the future of the industrialised world created a great deal of interest as well as controversy. The publishers of the book were the church-based relief association, Misereor, and the environment protection group, Bund. These organisations do not normally issue public statements. However, making a …
a quiet serene house, nestling in a green expanse, surrounded by heavily-laden fruit trees. Nothing new at the outset, for acres of the countryside is sprinkled with such picturesque villages and houses. However, village folk move out of these regularly attracted by the glamour of city life. On the other …
nations of the North and the South met at the first-ever assembly of the Global Environment Facility ( gef ) in New Delhi from April 1 to 3 with an ambitious agenda
nobody dares to say that they do not care about the environment any longer, says Steinar Lem, head of information at Future In Our Hands, one of Scandinavia's influential ngo s. He relishes the fact that environmental issues are now firmly placed on the political agenda. The sad point is, …
a cynic would call it an exercise in futility. A workshop on "Assessing Progress Towards Sustainability in the Himalaya' might not sound like the most exciting way to spend a weekend in the mountains. But this was different. A motley crew of 15-20 representatives from non-governmental development agencies working in …
the concept of sustainable development was launched into a sceptical world by the Brundtland Commission in the 80s and endorsed by the Rio Earth Summit. It is commonly said that nobody knows precisely what it means but everyone can grasp what it is about. Where has it got to? Who …
The ABC of cost-cutting Better lighting, heating and refrigeration systems can raise output and lower costs by up to four times visualise a farm in the Rockies in western Colorado, where temperatures above the snow line drop to 44
thomas alva edison would have cause to smile. Lighting is one crucial area which touches our everyday lives. Yet, ever since the electric lamp was invented, there has been very little change in the technology employed. A few techniques can save a great deal of lighting energy cost effectively, enabling …
considering the growing dependence of urban populations on motor vehicles and given the bleak scenario of fast depleting and increasingly expensive oil, the world is desperate for less fuel consuming, more efficient and less polluting cars. From 1973 to 1986, the average American car became twice as efficient, from consuming …
there are several hurdles in the way of the efficiency revolution. Individuals are not easily convinced and governments even less so. The Factor Four concept may also attract many critics. The world of business is governed by the profit motive. These examples may, at face value, run counter to market …
The ancient Anasazis in Southwest America used an ingenious method to irrigate their crops in a water-starved region. They would bury an unglazed earthenware pot up to its neck in the ground, fill it with water, place a lid on it and plant maize and beans around it. Fed by …
Benchmark for success The Songhai Centre in the Republic of Benin is a model for food self-sufficiency and sustainable development photographs: songhai centre Citizens of Benin associate the Songhai Centre with abundance of food supply in a continent plagued by never-ending famine, the Songhai Centre in Porto-Novo, a city in …
the Human Development Index ( hdi) developed by the United Nations Development Program ( undp ) has been widely accepted as a powerful analytical tool by planners, economists, and policy-makers to assess the progress of nations. hdi enables a comparative assessment of the efficiency and effectiveness of development strategies among …
On the major problems besieging the Himalaya: Mountain regions the world over have been neglected. The Himalaya face a major water crisis. In spite of housing the source of three major river systems, the resource is scarce in the hills. The other issue is irrigation. Less than 10 per cent …
Oxfam (India), a relief and development organisation, has launched a massive relief and sustainable development programme in the drought-hit areas of Orissa. The Rs 1.5 crore programme will be implemented in the worst-affected villages of Bolangir, Kalahandi and Nuapara districts, with the help of local NGOs and community-based organisa- tions. …
ERITREA has taken the international community by surprise in its refusal to accept foreign aid. Having broken away from Ethiopia, a country infamous for droughts and famine, it is resolved in avoiding reliance on foreign aid and has adopted a policy of sustainable development. This determination to build on the …
THE United Nations Population Fund's (UNFPA) report on the global populace was released by Wasim Zaman, representative of the UNFPA in India, in New Delhi on May 28. The State of World Population 1997 focuses on the reproductive rights and reproductive health of every man and woman. While the report …
ONE aluminium can of coca cola, if recycled rather than thrown away, saves enough electricity to run a television set for three hours. Need we calculate the magnitude of energy that is consumed by the unending chain of metal clad, steel reinforced artifacts - our buildings? Architecture as a symbiosis …
it was like the Tower of Babel. Environment ministers from all over the world and senior officials were talking at cross-purposes. The occasion: the fifth session of the Commission for Sustainable Development, held between April 5-25 in New York. The South mouthing rhetoric in favour of development and poverty eradication, …
