15.05.2008
The clearing of mangroves along Myanmar’s coast exposed communities to greater risks during cyclone Nargis, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Intact and dense coastal vegetation can reduce impacts of stormy waves and act as windbreaks in reducing devastation.
more...Related topics/regions: [South Asia] [Myanmar] [Oceans] [Conservation] [Environment]
Image: Cyclone aftermath /Photo credit: BBC
28.04.2008
Helena Norberg Hodge first visited Ladakh in northern India in 1973 to study its culture and language. Fascinated by its gentle people and their earth-based way of life, she kept returning every year since then. In a freewheeling interview, she discusses how annihilation of the local culture can be stopped.
more...Related topics/regions: [South Asia] [Environmental activism] [Conservation] [Climate change] [Environment] [Economy]
Image: Helena Norberg Hodge / Photo credit: Infochange
While deforestation leads to a range of problems such as desertification, climate change etc., biodiversity has a bearing on the availability of all natural resources and their implications for livelihoods, living conditions and values.
The sustained access of populations to improved water sources and an adequate supply of safe water and to improved sanitation in terms of hygienic facilities to dispose of human waste are directly addressed by the MDGs, and are also associated with problems of human settlement.
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Pollution and non-biodegradable waste, while not explicitly addressed by the MDG framework, contribute greatly to environmental degradation and thus are important concerns towards ensuring environmental sustainability.
The limited availability of conventional energy resources and the looming threat of an energy crisis have made it important to conserve non-renewable energy resources and at the same time seek alternative, non conventional sources for energy generation.
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The series of natural disasters that have best the South Asia region and their enormous and far-reaching consequences have rendered it imperative to work towards prevention and also for minimising the impact through engaging in disaster prevention, preparedness, and management and mitigation efforts.
The environment is a cross-cutting concern across various sectors, and interest groups, and the goal of ensuring environmental sustainability can be best pursued through the concerted efforts of the different stakeholders.
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The growing relevant of information and communication technologies towards promoting sustainable development and ensuring environmental sustainability is evident through the range of initiatives by various agencies in the field.
Institutional structures and policy and implementation mechanisms provide a framework for governance towards ensuring environmental sustainability.
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