International


Liberia: Liberia's New President Orders Review of Concession Agreements

Feb 14, 2018 | Reuters

Liberia’s new President George Weah has ordered a review of concessions entered into by previous administrations, the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. Concessions…


Nigeria: Herdsmen Attacks: Ogun to Invoke Anti-Land Grabbing Law on Herdsmen

Feb 14, 2018 | Kunle Olayeni, Abeokuta

The Ogun State government has vowed to invoke its recent anti-land grabbing law as part of measures to stem the menace of herdsmen/farmers clashes in…


Afghanistan: Managing Wastewater to Help Improve Living Conditions

Feb 14, 2018 | International Committee of the Red Cross

Almost 3,000 people, living side by side, in a confined environment, pose major challenges in maintaining good sanitary and hygiene conditions. In Herat city, for…


Colombia: Massive Loss of Colombia’s Forests Due to Cattle Farming

Feb 14, 2018 | teleSUR

A report published by the Antioquia Forest Observatory revealed the Colombian Department of Antioquia has lost 19,700 hectares of forest, and 21.200 of Andean forest…


Afghanistan: Community Unites to Resolve Long Standing Tribal Conflict in Surobi District

Feb 13, 2018 | UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

Community members from two tribes locked in a longstanding conflict in the Uzbin valley of central Afghanistan came together recently to resolve their differences. Led…


Liberia: Liberia Looks to Women for Equal Distribution of Forest Resources

Feb 12, 2018 | FrontPage Africa

An eight-bedroom guesthouse, a five-classroom school and a palaver hut are major achievements of a community forest development committee (CFDC) of a community affected by…


Myanmar: Myanmar Road Corridors Threaten Land and Livelihoods

Feb 12, 2018 | Kayleigh Long, China Dialogue

Up to half of Myanmar’s population live in areas that could suffer environmental damage from two giant highways unless the ecological risks are considered, according…


Afghanistan: Drought and Climate Change Effects

Feb 12, 2018 | Daily Outlook Afghanistan

As the water sources are heavily dependent on annual rainfall and snowfall but lack of snowfall in the winter season has intensified concerns over increase…


Nile Basin: How Big Land Deals Add Stress to the River Nile

Feb 11, 2018 | The Conversation

One of the major scenes of a potential water crisis and conflict is the Nile, the longest in the world. It flows 11 countries -…


Liberia: House Draws up Citizenship, Land Ownership Amendments for Referendum

Feb 9, 2018 | Leroy M. Sonpon, III, Daily Observer

The House of Representatives has begun reviewing four resolutions amending certain provisions of the Liberian Constitution, including citizenship and land ownership but uncertainty hovers over…


DRC: Rangold, Other Big Miners Battle Proposed Mineral Tax in DR Congo

Feb 9, 2018 | Wachira Kigotho, Bloomberg

Randgold Resources, Glencore Plc, and other mining companies are fighting a new mining bill in the Democratic Republic of Congo that would raise taxes and…


Colombia: Scorched Earth: Colombia’s ‘Refugee Farmers’ Returning to Land

Feb 9, 2018 | Maximo Anderson, Mongabay

After five decades of civil war, Colombia is holding more than seven million displaced people, second only to Syria worldwide, according to the Internal Displacement…


Nigeria: Cattle Colonies Will Deny Farmers Access to Arable Land – Bassey

Feb 9, 2018 | Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase, Independent

Nnimmo Bassey, an environmental activist, is the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). He spoke with Seyi Taiwo-Oguntuase on the uncontrolled killings…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Baghdad Won't Honor KRG Payment Deals with Int'l Oil Companies: Report

Feb 9, 2018 | Rudaw

The Iraqi government will not cover the gross payments due to oil companies that have signed agreements with the Kurdistan Region, but will require new…


Myanmar: Wetlands Status Sought for All of Mottama

Feb 8, 2018 | Myat Moe Aung, Myanmar Times

One year after part of the Mottama Gulf was declared a wetland site of international importance under UNESCO’s Ramsar Convention, the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association…


Myanmar: Drones to Aid Mangrove Rehabilitation

Feb 8, 2018 | Myat Moe Aung and Aye Sapay Phyu, Myanmar Times

Worldview International Foundation is testing a project aimed at speeding up the rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Yangon Region using drones to replant the shrubs,…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Signs Agreement to Build Oil Refinery Near Kirkuk

Feb 8, 2018 | Reuters

Iraq has signed an agreement to build a 70,000-barrels-per-day oil refinery near the northern city of Kirkuk, the oil ministry said on Thursday. The agreement…


Department of Defense, U.S. National Security Community Caught off Guard by Growing Illegal Fishing Threat

Feb 6, 2018 | Stimson Center

The Department of Defense and U.S. national security community have not appropriately prioritized addressing the growing threat posed by illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing, according…


Myanmar: Myanmar to Adopt Genomic Rice Breeding Practices with JICA Support

Feb 6, 2018 | Thompson Chau, Myanmar Times

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Myanmar’s agricultural research department are set to implement a genomic rice breeding initiative.


Myanmar: Parliament Warns Urban Planners to Follow the Law

Feb 6, 2018 | Nyein Zaw Lin, Myanmar TImes

A legislator has asked parliament to conduct a systematic review of all urban planning projects to determine if they are following the law. Urban planning inconsistent…


Philippines: Mindanao Tribes Oppose Plan to Develop Ancestral Lands

Feb 6, 2018 | Jigger Jerusalem and Cagayan de Oro, Union of Catholic Asian News

Tribal leaders in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao are opposing a government plan to bring in investors to develop indigenous peoples' lands. President Rodrigo…


Iraq: Iraq Plans Military Operation to Secure Oil Route to Iran: Security Sources

Feb 5, 2018 | Reuters

Iraqi forces are preparing an operation to consolidate control of an area near the Iran border to be used for the transit of Iraqi oil,…


Myanmar: Illegal Gold Mining Destroys Farmland in Homelin

Feb 5, 2018 | Ma Pe Nyein, Eleven

More than 100 acres of farmlands have been being damaged in Homelin Township, Sagaing Region due to illegal gold mining, according to farmer Aung Myint…


Climate Change: UN Security Council Notes Climate-Conflict Link in West Africa, Sahel

Feb 5, 2018 | Africa Times

Protesters are marching for change in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbé has held office since 2005 after following a father who had been in office…


DRC: DRC Mining Code Shake up Draws Criticism from International Mining Community

Feb 5, 2018 | Nicholas Say, Cambridge House International

The last week as seen a number of concerned comments from the highest levels of the mining world, and some serious selling pressure on the…


Iraq: Iraq Plans Military Operation to Secure Oil Route to Iran: Security Sources

Feb 5, 2018 | Reuters

Iraqi forces are preparing an operation to consolidate control of an area near the Iran border to be used for the transit of Iraqi oil,…


Afghanistan: MAIL to Construct Another 12 Cold Storage Facilities

Feb 5, 2018 | Daily Outlook Afghanistan

The ministry has announced it will start construction on another 12 cold storage facilities in the country at a total cost of $36 million USD.…


DRC: DRC Mining Code Shake up Draws Criticism from International Mining Community

Feb 5, 2018 | Nicholas Say, Cambridge House

The last week as seen a number of concerned comments from the highest levels of the mining world, and some serious selling pressure on the…


Myanmar: Is the Burmese Ruby the New Blood Diamond?

Feb 4, 2018 | Panna Munyal, National

A piece by SumOfUS argues that luxury brands must stop dealing in gems from Myanmar – the Southeast Asian country known for its high-quality rubies.…


Iraq/Islamic State: The Islamic State’s Toxic Farewell: Environmental Sabotage and Chronic Disease

Feb 4, 2018 | Tamer El-Ghobashy and Joby Warrick, Washington Post

Militants detonated 25 oil wells in a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful effort to defend their terrain against Iraqi security forces in 2016 and wreck a…