Environment

The making of the Hyogo2 disaster prevention treaty

JOHANNESBURG, 17 May 2013 (IRIN Global) - 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). full report

Pastoralism’s economic contributions are significant but overlooked

 NAIROBI, 16 May 2013 (IRIN Africa) - 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. full report

Beating wild weather in Sri Lanka

 COLOMBO, 9 May 2013 (IRIN Asia) - 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. full report

“Super-fly” threatens “Rambo” cassava, food security

 JOHANNESBURG, 7 May 2013 (IRIN Global) - A tiny, rapidly breeding cyanide-munching insect, dubbed a “super-fly” by scientists, is threatening the food security of millions of Africans. full report

Zimbabwe short on climate change funds

 HARARE, 7 May 2013 (IRIN Africa) - 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. full report

Aiming for climate change-resilient coffee in Uganda

 KAMPALA, 3 May 2013 (IRIN Africa) - 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. full report

A unified approach to climate change and hunger

 JOHANNESBURG, 24 April 2013 (IRIN Global) - 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. full report

Iraq 10 years on: the humanitarian impact

 BAGHDAD/DUBAI, 23 April 2013 (IRIN Middle East) - 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. full report

Java residents protest iron mine

 KULON PROGO, 18 April 2013 (IRIN Asia) - “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. full report

Lifeline to “climate refugees”?

 JOHANNESBURG, 17 April 2013 (IRIN Global) - 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. full report

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