International
Philippines: From a Philippine Conflict Hotspot, a New Insect-Eating Plant Emerges
Jun 17, 2020
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Elizabeth Fitt, Mongabay
Scientists have discovered a new insect-eating pitcher plant, Nepenthes cabanae, in the Philippines’ southern Mindanao region. Thriving in a small area within a known conflict…
Myanmar: Myanmar Govt Issues over 16,000 Land Grants in Four Years
Jun 17, 2020
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Htoo Thant, Myanmar Times
The government had issued more than 16,000 land grants in the past four years, a senior official said. He apparently made the statement in response…
Myanmar: Myanmar Solar Tender Conditions Knock out Foreign Bidders
Jun 17, 2020
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Thompson Chau, Myanmar Times
Myanmar has effectively excluded potential foreign bidders from a major solar farm tender by imposing tough conditions, including a refusal to accept online submissions even…
Mali: With Climate Change, Conflict and COVID, Stresses Grow for Malian Villagers
Jun 17, 2020
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Laurie Goering, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Nearly four decades ago, farmers in the small central Malian village of Dlonguebougou grew their millet crops with little more than hoes, and local mud-hut…
South Sudan: South Sudan’s Desertification Affects Lives, Ecosystem
Jun 17, 2020
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Benjamin Takpiny, Anadolu Agency
Trees are cut down in South Sudan and burned for charcoal, with many villagers turning to the illegal activity to earn a living. As thousands…
Myanmar: Towards Innovative, Conflict-Sensitive and Human Rights-Based Approaches to Forest Monitoring
Jun 16, 2020
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Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
The Governments of Myanmar and Finland today launched a trailblazing project designed to allow for monitoring of forests in a manner that is sensitive to…
Myanmar: Towards Innovative, Conflict-Sensitive and Human Rights-Based Approaches to Forest Monitoring
Jun 16, 2020
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Food and Agriculture Organziation of the UN
The Governments of Myanmar and Finland today launched a trailblazing project designed to allow for monitoring of forests in a manner that is sensitive to…
South Sudan: Oil Spills in South Sudan Prompt Move to Block China's Exports
Jun 16, 2020
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Okech Francis, Bloomberg News
A human-rights group in South Sudan is seeking an injunction to stop companies including China Petroleum Corp. and Petroliam Nasional Bhd. exporting oil -- the…
Conflict Minerals: Tesla Secures New Cobalt Deal as It Phases out the Controversial Mineral
Jun 16, 2020
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Fred Lambert, Electrek
Tesla has secured a new cobalt supply deal with mining giant Glencore as it phases out the controversial battery material. Cobalt is a controversial mineral…
Conflict Minerals: Forget Diamonds, the New Conflict Commodity Is Gold
Jun 16, 2020
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Tim Treadgold, Forbes
If Leonardo DiCaprio is available, he would be perfect for a starring role in a sequel to his 2006 Oscar-nominated performance in Blood Diamond with…
Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Environmental Programming
Jun 16, 2020
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Chelsea Keyser, Resonance
The World Bank estimates that one in three women and girls will experience gender-based violence during her lifetime. In communities that experience severe environmental stress and degradation,…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan Hires Lockdown Jobless to Boost Kabul's Water and Trees
Jun 15, 2020
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Shadi Khan Saif, Reuters
As lockdown measures imposed in March take their toll on Afghanistan’s workforce, the government is employing more than 40,000 jobless workers to rehabilitate groundwater supplies…
South Sudan: Covid-19 Pandemic and the Future of South Sudan’s Economy
Jun 14, 2020
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Daniel Athior’o Atem, PaanLuel Wël
The Covid-19 epidemic casts doubt on South Sudan’s economic growth. Currently, almost all efforts are geared towards efforts to combat the virus. Oil is the…
Colombia: To Save a Nearly Extinct Bird, Colombians Are Rethinking One of Their Biggest Economic Engines
Jun 13, 2020
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Alexandra Ossola, Quartz
Birders aren’t just interested in the brushfinch because it’s rare. They know that the species is an indicator for the overall environmental health of Antioquia,…
COVID-19 Pandemic Compounding Grave Security, Development Challenges in Central Africa, Special Representative Tells Security Council, Pointing to 22,000 Confirmed Cases
Jun 12, 2020
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UN Security Council
Persistent terrorist attacks, maritime insecurity and rising political tension are just some of the backdrops against which countries of Central Africa are now battling the…
Conflict Minerals: Perth Mint to Review Audit Processes after Conflict Gold Reports
Jun 12, 2020
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Hamish Hastie, Sydney Morning Herald
The Perth Mint will review its audit process after allegations emerged it had purchased hundreds of millions of dollars worth of 'conflict gold' earlier this…
Syria: Conflict over Syria’s Wheat Crops
Jun 12, 2020
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Ibrahim Hamidi, Asharq Al-Awsat
Ravaged by nine years of war, Syria’s wheat production has been nearly halved. Despite that, rivals are vying to gain access to remaining crops, fighting…
Colombia: Colombian Farmers, Ranchers Join Businesses to Turn the Tide on Amazon Deforestation
Jun 12, 2020
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Dimitri Selibas, Mongabay
Putumayo department along with neighboring Caquetá department have witnessed some of the highest levels of deforestation in Colombia, in part driven by the coca trade.…
Myanmar: Fisheries Sector Calls for Government Rescue amid COVID-19 Fallout
Jun 12, 2020
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Kyaw Lin Htoon, Frontier
Myanmar had its sights set on a record-breaking year for fishery exports until the coronavirus pandemic swept away orders, closed factories and jeopardised millions of…
Women Integral to Battling Coronavirus and Pushing for Lasting Peace and Security
Jun 11, 2020
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UN Women
The coronavirus pandemic has brought into sharp focus the differentiated impacts that COVID-19 is having on women, including new obstacles to their meaningful participation in…
Israel/Palestine: West Bank's Ancient Terraces Threatened by Settlers' Plan to Build Business Park on Unesco Site
Jun 11, 2020
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James Rothwell, Telegraph
A Unesco World Heritage site in the West Bank that dates back to the rule of King Herod could soon be “destroyed” by ultra-orthodox Jewish…
Cyprus: Revealed: Baby Animals Knowingly Killed by British Military
Jun 10, 2020
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Phil Miller, Daily Maverick
Britain’s military is paying compensation on an almost daily basis to farmers in Cyprus whose animals, including unborn goats, are routinely killed by UK troops…
UN Urges Need for Gender Lens to Address Climate Change and other Security Crises in the Time of This Pandemic
Jun 10, 2020
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Kathmandu Post
Gender inequality is not only shaping the experience of the crisis, but also prospects for resilience and recovery of countries around the world, as they…
Afghanistan: 20 Workers Dead in Afghanistan Mine Collapse
Jun 10, 2020
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Shadi Khan Saif, Anadolu Agency
All 20 miners trapped in a coal mine that collapsed in Afghanistan’s northern Samangan province a day earlier have died, officials confirmed on Wednesday. The…
Climate Change: Greta Thunberg Looks to UN Security Council Election for Leverage on Climate
Jun 10, 2020
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Megan Darby, Climate Change News
Greta Thunberg is urging small island diplomats to put Canada and Norway’s oil interests in the spotlight as the two countries seek election to the…
Myanmar: Charity Points to Myanmar Jade Mine Abuses
Jun 9, 2020
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Matt Blomberg, Australian Associated Press
Caterpillar Inc, Komatsu Ltd and Volvo AB - leading providers of machinery to Myanmar's jade mines - have done little to address warnings about rampant…
Israel/Palestine: Israel's High Court Strikes Down West Bank Land-Grab Law as 'Unconstitutional'
Jun 9, 2020
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Hagar Shezaf, Haaretz
Israel's High Court of Justice ordered on Tuesday to nullify a law that would legalize the status of settlements partially built on privately owned Palestinian…
Afghanistan: Water Politics Heat up under Worsening Climate in Afghanistan
Jun 9, 2020
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Stefanie Glinski, Thomson Reuters Foundation
Over the past two decades weather patterns have become more extreme with flooding and dry spells devastating farms in central Afghanistan’s Bamiyan province that rely…
Afghanistan: Afghanistan Declares 4 More Sites as National Parks
Jun 9, 2020
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Xinhua
Four scenic areas have been declared as protected sites and national parks in Afghanistan, according to the Afghan Presidential Palace. The palace said in a…
For People on the Front Lines of Climate Change and Conflict, COVID-19 Is a New Challenge
Jun 9, 2020
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UN Environment
Al Rahad is one of many communities where the combined effects of climate change, conflict, gender inequality, and now the COVID-19 pandemic are posing grave…