International


Afghanistan: Water Scarcity Sparks Fears of Decline in Wheat Yield

Feb 3, 2018 | Zabihullah Ihsas, Pajhwok Afghan News

Farmers in northern Balkh province are concerned at inadequate snowfall this year, fearing that continued drought will damage their crops. In most parts of northern…


Afghanistan: Burberry Foundation Launches Afghan Sustainable Cashmere Initiative

Feb 2, 2018 | Luke Andrews, Business Green

The Burberry Foundation has begun working in Northern Afghanistan in a bid to help cashmere farmers embrace environmental best practices.


Sudan: 17 Killed in Gold Mine Collapse in Northeastern Sudan

Feb 2, 2018 | Xinhua

At least 17 people have been killed after a gold mine collapsed in northeastern Sudan, Sudan Tribune reported Thursday. Two others were injured in the…


Liberia: Local NGOs to Strengthen Advocacy for Equitable Distribution of Oil Palm Wealth

Feb 2, 2018 | Joaquin M. Sendolo, Observer

A group of ten Liberian civil society organizations has agreed to a new course of action in their advocacy for equitable distribution of wealth generated…


Iraq: Iraq’s Toxic Conflict

Feb 2, 2018 | Will Higginbotham, Inter Press Service

In Iraq, thirty years of armed conflict has killed hundreds of thousands of people, wounded countless more, displaced millions and laid cities and towns to…


Iraq: Iraq Arrests ISIS Oil Chief Near Syrian Border

Feb 2, 2018 | Tsvetana Paraskova, OilPrice

Iraqi security forces have arrested Islamic State’s top oil chief while he was trying to cross the border into Syria, Tehran-based Fars News Agency reported…


Afghanistan: Afghanistan, US Companies Working on Afghan Coal Deal

Feb 2, 2018 | William Gallo, Voice of America

Afghanistan's government is in advanced stages of negotiations with several U.S. companies interested in becoming involved with the country's coal industry, a first step toward…


Climate Change: California Military Bases Report Damage from Extreme Climate, Weather Events

Feb 1, 2018 | Libby Denkmann, Southern California Public Radio

The Department of Defense has been proceeding with climate change research and preparing for its possible effects, despite ongoing political battles over the issue. On…


Iraq: World Bank: $210mn Project to Improve Baghdad Water Quality

Feb 1, 2018 | Rudaw

A new World Bank project will allocate $210 million to rehabilitate key infrastructure needed to improve the quality of drinking water and wastewater services that…


South Sudan: South Sudan Launches Ambitious Agriculture Reform Agenda

Feb 1, 2018 | Xinhua

South Sudan's agriculture ministry has announced numerous ambitious agricultural development strategies seeking to enhance food production and curb severe food insecurity in the world's youngest…


Climate Change: Climate Change Affecting Stability across West Africa and Sahel: UN Security Council

Jan 31, 2018 | Megan Darby, Climate Change News

The UN Security Council has identified climate change as a driver of conflict across West Africa and the Sahel, in a statement published on Tuesday. It…


Myanmar: Resource Management Must Be a Part of Peace Talks: Report

Jan 30, 2018 | Myat Moe Aung, Myanmar Times

The management of natural resources needs to be prioritised in the ongoing peace negotiations to ensure their sustainable use and allocation, an international environment and natural…


Somalia: Mapping the Devastation of Somalia’s Drought

Jan 30, 2018 | UN Environment

To identify the causes of the drought, assess its impact and damage, and develop a recovery strategy, the Federal Government of Somalia requested a Drought…


Myanmar: Government Orders Cut in Teak Production, Bans Private Timber Operations

Jan 29, 2018 | Thazin Hlaing, Irrawaddy

The government has ordered timber production be reduced by 40 percent in the 2017-18 fiscal year, while banning private timber operations altogether, according to the…


Food Security: Hunger Continues to Intensify in Conflict Zones, UN Agencies Report to Security Council

Jan 29, 2018 | UN

Food insecurity – or lack of access to enough food – continues to worsen in places torn by conflict, United Nations agencies reported Monday, listing…


Egypt/Ethiopia/Sudan: Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan Hope to Break Nile Dam Talks Deadlock in One Month

Jan 29, 2018 | Aaron Maasho, Reuters

The leaders of Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan on Monday set a one-month deadline for laying out the ways to break a deadlock in talks over…


Climate Change: 50 Percent of US Military Bases Report Climate Extremes, New Pentagon Study Says

Jan 29, 2018 | Travis J. Tritten, Washington Examiner

About half of U.S. military facilities around the world have experienced climate extremes and threatening weather, according to a new Pentagon survey obtained and published…


Climate Change: Conflict, Climate Change Major Challenges behind Africa's Hunger, Poverty: UN

Jan 28, 2018 | Xinhua

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Saturday that conflict and climate change are the major reasons behind Africa's highest rate of poverty and hunger. Guterres,…


Afghanistan: Afghanistan Saffron Cultivation Hits Record, 10.6 Tons Saffron Produced This Year

Jan 28, 2018 | Afghanistan Times

Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) on Sunday said that Afghanistan saffron or so called ‘red gold’ cultivation and production has increased unprecedentedly that…


Myanmar: Myanmar Plans to Plant Protective Mangrove Forest along Southern Coast against Natural Disasters

Jan 28, 2018 | Xinhua

Myanmar is planning to plant a mangrove forest along the Gulf of Mottma in the southern coast of the country, aimed at protecting people from…


India: Forest Dept Taking Help from Security Forces to Check Timber Smuggling: Shyamkumar

Jan 27, 2018 | Imphal Times

Forest and Environment Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar said the department is taking help from security forces including Army and Paramilitary in the State to help the…


Afghanistan: Above 14,000 Acres of Land Usurped in Baghlan

Jan 27, 2018 | Pajhwok Afghan Times

Above 14,000 acres of state and private land has been usurped by powerful individuals and government officials in northern Baghlan province, Pajhwok Afghan News has…


Afghanistan: Cochranite Nears Retirement after Years of Conservation Work in Afghanistan

Jan 26, 2018 | David Feil, Cochrane Times

Canadians often take for granted the fact that we have national and provincial parks that are available for our enjoyment and to preserve nature, thinking…


Iraq/Kurdistan: War in Iraq and the Plunder of Kurdish Oil

Jan 26, 2018 | Erin Banco, Newsweek

Iraqi Kurdistan seems to be a classic example of the resource curse. Oil is found, pumped, shipped and sold (and sometimes stolen). Regimes, politicians, ministers and companies…


Angola/Namibia: No Namibia-Angola Conflict over Water

Jan 25, 2018 | Albertina Nakale, New Era

The Minister of Agriculture, Water and Forestry John Mutorwa has dismissed media reports implying Angolan authorities want Namibia to start paying for the water that…


Egypt/Ethiopia: Nile Dispute May not Derail Ethiopia-Egypt Cooperation

Jan 25, 2018 | Mu Xuequan, Xinhua

Disagreement over the Nile, one of the world's largest river systems, could turn into win-win cooperation instead of fueling conflict, experts have said. For the…


Afghanistan: Cotton Instead of Poppy?

Jan 25, 2018 | Gul Ahmad Ehsan, Institute for War and Peace Reporting

Activists in Helmand are calling for Kabul to push through a promised financial rescue package to enable a major state-run cotton factory to re-open in…


Colombia: Colombian Soldiers Lead Ecological Mission in High-Altitude Wetlands

Jan 25, 2018 | Forest Ray, Earth Island Journal

The soldiers in the Páramo de Sumapaz belong to Colombia’s First High Mountain Battalion (BAM, for its Spanish name). Trained to hunt their opponents over…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Oil Spills from Tanker Accidents Killing off Sirwan River Fish: Reports

Jan 24, 2018 | Rudaw

Pollution in the Sirwan River, a critical water source, has built up due to repeated oil spills from tankers having accidents on the narrow, hilly…


Papua New Guinea: PNG Group Criticises Govt for Organising 'Land Grabs'

Jan 24, 2018 | Radio New Zealand

ACT NOW!'s Eddie Tanago said government minister Justin Tkatchenko planned to allow commercial banks to take customary land as security for loans. Mr Tanago said…