http://www.irinnews.org/Updated everydayen-gbSat, 18 May 2013 07:33:54 GMTFri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 17 May 2013 (IRIN) - A month after the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in December 2004, affecting millions, 168 countries signed on to a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. Yet the plan, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, focused primarily on “what to do to prevent disasters, but not enough on how to implement it,” says Neil McFarlane, chief coordinator and head of all regional programmes at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98058/The-making-of-the-Hyogo2-disaster-prevention-treatyJOHANNESBURG 17 May 2013 (IRIN) - A month after the Indian Ocean tsunami struck in December 2004, affecting millions, 168 countries signed on to a 10-year plan to make the world safer from natural hazards. Yet the plan, the Hyogo Framework for Action (HFA) 2005-2015, focused primarily on “what to do to prevent disasters, but not enough on how to implement it,” says Neil McFarlane, chief coordinator and head of all regional programmes at the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).]]>Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Pastoralism is often regarded as an antiquated practice ill-suited to the modern economy, yet trade between pastoral communities in Africa - much of it informal and illegal - generates an estimated US$1 billion each year, according to a new book published by the Futures Agriculture Consortium.Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98052/Pastoralism-s-economic-contributions-are-significant-but-overlookedNAIROBI 16 May 2013 (IRIN) - Pastoralism is often regarded as an antiquated practice ill-suited to the modern economy, yet trade between pastoral communities in Africa - much of it informal and illegal - generates an estimated US$1 billion each year, according to a new book published by the Futures Agriculture Consortium.]]>Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>COLOMBO 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - Planners in Sri Lanka should do more to mitigate the effects of extreme weather in order to help those most likely to be affected, experts say.Thu, 09 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/98008/Beating-wild-weather-in-Sri-LankaCOLOMBO 09 May 2013 (IRIN) - Planners in Sri Lanka should do more to mitigate the effects of extreme weather in order to help those most likely to be affected, experts say.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>HARARE 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - Inadequate funding and limited resources are frustrating Zimbabwe’s efforts to develop plans to deal with the impact of climate change, says a government progress report.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97994/Zimbabwe-short-on-climate-change-fundsHARARE 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - Inadequate funding and limited resources are frustrating Zimbabwe’s efforts to develop plans to deal with the impact of climate change, says a government progress report.]]>Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - A tiny, rapidly breeding cyanide-munching insect, dubbed a “super-fly” by scientists, is threatening the food security of millions of Africans.Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97986/Super-fly-threatens-Rambo-cassava-food-securityJOHANNESBURG 07 May 2013 (IRIN) - A tiny, rapidly breeding cyanide-munching insect, dubbed a “super-fly” by scientists, is threatening the food security of millions of Africans.]]>Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KAMPALA 03 May 2013 (IRIN) - In Uganda, a new pilot project seeks to understand the threat climate change poses to coffee, which will enable growers to enhance the crop's resilience to extreme weather events.Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97971/Aiming-for-climate-change-resilient-coffee-in-UgandaKAMPALA 03 May 2013 (IRIN) - In Uganda, a new pilot project seeks to understand the threat climate change poses to coffee, which will enable growers to enhance the crop's resilience to extreme weather events.]]>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Studies out of Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Niger show that children born during natural hazards, like droughts or floods, are more likely to be malnourished. Yet as the climate changes, it is poor countries - already struggling with hunger and food insecurity - that are increasingly likely to face these natural hazards.Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97913/A-unified-approach-to-climate-change-and-hungerJOHANNESBURG 24 April 2013 (IRIN) - Studies out of Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Niger show that children born during natural hazards, like droughts or floods, are more likely to be malnourished. Yet as the climate changes, it is poor countries - already struggling with hunger and food insecurity - that are increasingly likely to face these natural hazards.]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAGHDAD/DUBAI 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ten years after the toppling of Iraq’s former leader Saddam Hussein, human development statistics – flawed as they are – paint a complex portrait of a country that has seen improvement over the last decade, but is still largely struggling.Tue, 23 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97897/Iraq-10-years-on-the-humanitarian-impactBAGHDAD/DUBAI 23 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ten years after the toppling of Iraq’s former leader Saddam Hussein, human development statistics – flawed as they are – paint a complex portrait of a country that has seen improvement over the last decade, but is still largely struggling.]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KULON PROGO 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - “I want to return to being a farmer and to feeding my family, but I will continue to oppose the mine project,” said Tukijo, 47, speaking to IRIN from the main prison in Yogyakarta City, in central Java, Indonesia.Thu, 18 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97869/Java-residents-protest-iron-mineKULON PROGO 18 April 2013 (IRIN) - “I want to return to being a farmer and to feeding my family, but I will continue to oppose the mine project,” said Tukijo, 47, speaking to IRIN from the main prison in Yogyakarta City, in central Java, Indonesia.]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 17 April 2013 (IRIN) - The international community has steadfastly dodged the issue of recognition and protection for “climate refugees” - people forced to relocate to another country as a result of the risks and hazards of a changing climate. Now, the first global initiative to address humanitarian options is underway, with discussions focusing on the Pacific Ocean states to take place soon.Wed, 17 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97862/Lifeline-to-climate-refugeesJOHANNESBURG 17 April 2013 (IRIN) - The international community has steadfastly dodged the issue of recognition and protection for “climate refugees” - people forced to relocate to another country as a result of the risks and hazards of a changing climate. Now, the first global initiative to address humanitarian options is underway, with discussions focusing on the Pacific Ocean states to take place soon.]]>Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>BAMAKO/SÉVARÉ 12 April 2013 (IRIN) - Hunger in Mali has reached crisis levels in the northern Kidal Region and has reached critical levels in Gao and Timbuktu regions, according to food security agencies and the government’s early warning body.Fri, 12 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97834/Hunger-at-crisis-levels-in-northern-MaliBAMAKO/SÉVARÉ 12 April 2013 (IRIN) - Hunger in Mali has reached crisis levels in the northern Kidal Region and has reached critical levels in Gao and Timbuktu regions, according to food security agencies and the government’s early warning body.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - In a major development, President Barack Obama has proposed an end to the sale of US food aid in developing countries, with options for buying food locally and cash transfers, among other radical reforms to the system. USAID has accounted for more than half of the world's food aid every year for decades.Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97833/Obama-proposes-end-of-monetized-food-aidJOHANNESBURG 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - In a major development, President Barack Obama has proposed an end to the sale of US food aid in developing countries, with options for buying food locally and cash transfers, among other radical reforms to the system. USAID has accounted for more than half of the world's food aid every year for decades.]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Unusually heavy rains have caused havoc across much of east Africa, displacing thousands of people and damaging important infrastructure.75mm) were again observed over central and southern Somalia,” states an Africa Hazards Outlook report for 11-17 April [ http://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/afr_Apr11_2013.pdf ]. “Many local areas have already experienced more than three times their normal rainfall accumulation since the beginning of April, sustaining the risk for localized flash flooding and downstream river inundation over the Jubba and Shabelle River basins in eastern Ethiopia and southern Somalia.” The Shabelle has already burst its banks in some places, according to a 10 April Shabelle River flood update by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization [ http://reliefweb.int/report/somalia/flood-update-shabelle-river-10042013 ]. “SWALIM [Somalia Water and Land Information Management] field reports in the last two days indicate river breakages at Hurway (about 8m wide), Eji (about 6m wide) and Maadheere (about 14m wide) villages all in Middle Shabelle Region. This has led to inundation of large areas, causing destruction of cropped area[s] of unconfirmed acreage, and displacement of several families.” Ethiopia The southern and eastern regions of Ethiopia have also received “heavy and well-distributed precipitation totals”, according to the Africa Hazards Outlook, “with lesser amounts observed in the west and higher elevations of the country.” “This has already negatively affected cropping activities, with a reduction of planting over many local Belg [February-May rains]-producing areas of Ethiopia,” it says. With the rains expected to continue, efforts are underway to mitigate their adverse effects. Uganda According to Uganda’s chief weather forecaster, Deus Bamanya, there is an increased likelihood of near-normal to above-normal rainfall over most parts of Uganda, with the rains peaking between mid-April and early-May. Flash flooding could also occur in areas expected to receive below-normal rainfall due to sporadic heavy downpours. “The expected impacts include increased lightning, hailstorms, floods and landslides,” Bamanya told IRIN. The government plans to relocate vulnerable populations living in the eastern Mount Elgon region, which is prone to flooding and landslides [ http://www.irinnews.org/Report/88283/UGANDA-300-feared-dead-as-landslides-bury-villages-in-the-east ]. “We are worried [about] landslides, mudslides and flooding. There are already signs in the low-lying and hilly and mountainous areas,” Musa Ecweru, Uganda’s state minister for relief, disaster preparedness and refugees, told IRIN. “The effects of the heavy rains last year were very devastating. We don’t want [a]repeat. We are going to relocate people in these vulnerable areas. We are only waiting for resources from our development partners to start the relocation exercise,” said Ecweru. The Ugandan government requires some 35 billion shillings (about US$13.5 million) for the exercise. “We are going to de-gazette some government land to relocate these vulnerable populations. We are negotiating with [the] Uganda Wildlife Authority to have this done immediately. We must [re]settle these people as quick[ly] as possible,” he added. The districts of Mbale, Tororo, Kalangala, Bundibugyo and Masaka are among those most affected by hailstorms, according to Catherine Ntabadde-Makumbi, the Uganda Red Cross Society assistant communications director, who added that at least 8,362 people remain without assistance, with 5,681 of them displaced. The displaced are in urgent need of shelter kits, household items and water purifying tablets. Burundi In Burundi, flood-affected areas include the northwestern region of Bubanza, Bujumbura City and the plains of Imbo along the shores of Lake Tanganyika. "We have a problem with rain in the town of Gihanga [in Bubanza]. Houses and plantations were destroyed, causing the displacement of people and stopping work in the fields," Anselme Wakana, governor of Bubanza Province, told IRIN. At least 1,000 hectares of rice has been damaged there, raising food security fears. "We are harvesting rice that was not yet mature due to fear of flooding," said farmer Olive Ngayimpenda. Several homes have been destroyed in the areas of Gihanga. According to Mbonerane Albert, the president of the local NGO Green Belt Action, the situation could worsen due to environmental degradation: deforestation in Bubanza has increased surface runoff, increasing the risk of flooding. Rwanda In neighbouring Rwanda, authorities have issued disaster warnings to those living in risk-prone areas. "High-risk-zone dwellers have [been] given [a] new eviction ultimatum to relocate since we noticed that expected heavy rainfall could affect the vulnerable populations," Antoine Ruvebana, the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Refugees Affairs and Disaster Management, told IRIN. Rwanda, due its hilly terrain, is susceptible to erosion, flooding and landslides. According to the Rwandan meteorological services department, several western parts of the country could get ''above-normal rainfall'' during the mid-April to May 2013 period. rk-mh-dn-at-so/aw/rz ]]>Thu, 11 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97830/In-East-Africa-heavy-rains-test-emergency-preparednessNAIROBI 11 April 2013 (IRIN) - Unusually heavy rains have caused havoc across much of east Africa, displacing thousands of people and damaging important infrastructure.]]>Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 09 April 2013 (IRIN) - Food has become expensive and seems set to stay that way, so growing more of it has become both a necessity and an attractive investment. But the trend has also put contentious issues like agricultural subsidies and genetically modified (GM) crops on the menu once again.Tue, 09 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97809/Subsidies-and-GM-crops-back-on-food-policy-menuJOHANNESBURG 09 April 2013 (IRIN) - Food has become expensive and seems set to stay that way, so growing more of it has become both a necessity and an attractive investment. But the trend has also put contentious issues like agricultural subsidies and genetically modified (GM) crops on the menu once again.]]>Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>MOPTI/BAMAKO 08 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ongoing fighting and the fear of reprisal killings has severely disrupted normal migration patterns for pastoralists in northern Mali, putting them and their families in danger of severe food insecurity and poverty as the lean season approaches.Mon, 08 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97799/Mounting-crisis-for-conflict-hit-northern-Mali-pastoralistsMOPTI/BAMAKO 08 April 2013 (IRIN) - Ongoing fighting and the fear of reprisal killings has severely disrupted normal migration patterns for pastoralists in northern Mali, putting them and their families in danger of severe food insecurity and poverty as the lean season approaches.]]>Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>KATHMANDU 05 April 2013 (IRIN) - Nepal’s recently adopted policy of subsidizing renewable energy is the latest of many attempts to electrify long-deprived areas, but much more is needed, say experts.Fri, 05 Apr 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97789/Nepal-turns-to-renewable-energyKATHMANDU 05 April 2013 (IRIN) - Nepal’s recently adopted policy of subsidizing renewable energy is the latest of many attempts to electrify long-deprived areas, but much more is needed, say experts.]]>Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 25 March 2013 (IRIN) - A changing climate will inevitably have an impact on gender relations in conservative rural communities, but not enough is being done to boost the resilience of women - already disadvantaged by traditions of inequality.Mon, 25 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97727/Gender-relations-are-changing-along-with-climateJOHANNESBURG 25 March 2013 (IRIN) - A changing climate will inevitably have an impact on gender relations in conservative rural communities, but not enough is being done to boost the resilience of women - already disadvantaged by traditions of inequality.]]>Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>JOHANNESBURG 21 March 2013 (IRIN) - Development can no longer focus exclusively on improving people’s lives. Countries must now link poverty eradication to protection of the atmosphere, oceans and land, said a group of international scientists in a comment piece published today in the journal Nature. They propose six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that do just that.Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97700/Scientists-call-for-development-goals-to-protect-EarthJOHANNESBURG 21 March 2013 (IRIN) - Development can no longer focus exclusively on improving people’s lives. Countries must now link poverty eradication to protection of the atmosphere, oceans and land, said a group of international scientists in a comment piece published today in the journal Nature. They propose six Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that do just that.]]>Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>AQABA 20 March 2013 (IRIN) - Nearly 300 government officials, scientists, aid workers and activists from across the Arab world are working together in Jordan to draw up the first joint regional platform for disaster risk reduction (DRR).Wed, 20 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97685/Disaster-Risk-Reduction-in-the-Arab-worldAQABA 20 March 2013 (IRIN) - Nearly 300 government officials, scientists, aid workers and activists from across the Arab world are working together in Jordan to draw up the first joint regional platform for disaster risk reduction (DRR).]]>Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>HARGEISA 19 March 2013 (IRIN) - Hundreds of households in the disputed Sool area of the self-declared republic of Somaliland are facing a water shortage following poor rains, say officials.Tue, 19 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97678/Water-scarcity-affects-Somaliland-householdsHARGEISA 19 March 2013 (IRIN) - Hundreds of households in the disputed Sool area of the self-declared republic of Somaliland are facing a water shortage following poor rains, say officials.]]>Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GENEVA 18 March 2013 (IRIN) - There is quite a leap to be made between a country’s declared intent to draw up a drought policy and actually making it happen on the ground. This was the view of several participants at the recent High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy in Geneva.Mon, 18 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97673/From-drought-policy-to-realityGENEVA 18 March 2013 (IRIN) - There is quite a leap to be made between a country’s declared intent to draw up a drought policy and actually making it happen on the ground. This was the view of several participants at the recent High-Level Meeting on National Drought Policy in Geneva.]]>Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>ADDIS ABABA 15 March 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of children in the pastoral regions of Ethiopia are dropping out of school despite government and donor efforts to bring schools closer to them. Recurrent natural disasters such as drought and flooding, as well as inter-ethnic clashes, are major factors in school dropouts.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97662/Keeping-pastoralist-children-in-school-in-EthiopiaADDIS ABABA 15 March 2013 (IRIN) - Thousands of children in the pastoral regions of Ethiopia are dropping out of school despite government and donor efforts to bring schools closer to them. Recurrent natural disasters such as drought and flooding, as well as inter-ethnic clashes, are major factors in school dropouts.]]>Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GENEVA 15 March 2013 (IRIN) - For three consecutive years, natural hazards have cost the world more than US$100 billion a year, according to new data from the Brussels-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), released in Geneva on 14 March. But even this high figure only takes into account primarily insured losses in rich countries, and does not reflect losses in the developing world, said CRED Director Debby Guha-Sapir.Fri, 15 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97655/Tallying-natural-disaster-related-lossesGENEVA 15 March 2013 (IRIN) - For three consecutive years, natural hazards have cost the world more than US$100 billion a year, according to new data from the Brussels-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED), released in Geneva on 14 March. But even this high figure only takes into account primarily insured losses in rich countries, and does not reflect losses in the developing world, said CRED Director Debby Guha-Sapir.]]>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>GENEVA 14 March 2013 (IRIN) - It takes more than weathermen and agriculture experts to design an effective drought response policy.Thu, 14 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97647/Drought-response-requires-getting-development-rightGENEVA 14 March 2013 (IRIN) - It takes more than weathermen and agriculture experts to design an effective drought response policy.]]>Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMT]]>NAIROBI 13 March 2013 (IRIN) - As the urban population in Nairobi and elsewhere in East Africa grows, so does the solid waste management burden - a situation worsened by poor funding for urban sanitation departments and a lack of enforcement of sanitation regulations.Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 GMThttp://www.irinnews.org/Report/97638/Kenya-s-waste-management-challengeNAIROBI 13 March 2013 (IRIN) - As the urban population in Nairobi and elsewhere in East Africa grows, so does the solid waste management burden - a situation worsened by poor funding for urban sanitation departments and a lack of enforcement of sanitation regulations.]]>