Issues & Trends
To Seriously Improve Global Health, Reinvent the Toilet The toilet is a magnificent thing. Invented at the turn of the 19th century, the flush version has vastly improved human life. The toilet has been credited with adding a decade to our longevity. The sanitation system to which it is attached was voted the greatest medical advance in 150 years by readers of the British Medical Journal. |
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Report says women’s lagging political, economic status in Asia a liability for future growth SHANGHAI — The 2 billion women in Asia are still paid less than men for similar work and are extremely underrepresented in top leadership positions, according to a report that estimates limits on female employment cost the region $89 billion a year in lost productivity. |
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'Huge' water resource exists under Africa Scientists say the notoriously dry continent of Africa is sitting on a vast reservoir of groundwater. They argue that the total volume of water in aquifers underground is 100 times the amount found on the surface. The team have produced the most detailed map yet of the scale and potential of this hidden resource. |
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Starving in India: The Forgotten Problem These days, Indian policymakers are debating how to create a vast new food entitlement program. There is talk of poor households struggling to cope with high food prices and malnourishment among their children. |
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Study Indicates a Greater Threat of Extreme Weather New research suggests that global warming is causing the cycle of evaporation and rainfall over the oceans to intensify more than scientists had expected, an ominous finding that may indicate a higher potential for extreme weather in coming decades. |
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Health and Science - UNDP, Global Fund gain ground on malaria in Liberia and Tajikistan New York— The theme of this year’s World Malaria Day is “Sustain Gains, Save Lives: Invest in Malaria,” and the organizers carefully selected this theme to remind us that we must sustain progress against malaria to save lives. |
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Amazon rainforest mapped in unprecedented detail Five thousand metres above the most biodiverse corner of the Amazon, tropical ecologist Greg Asner and his team see a kaleidoscope of colours among a mass of green. |
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World's giant trees are dying off rapidly, studies show Ecological 'kings of the jungle' being toppled by forest fragmentation, severe drought and new pests and diseases |
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"Monster" rules Nepal village on climate frontline BARAHBISE, Nepal, Looking at the swirling grey waters of the Bhote Koshi River, Ratna Kaji remembers when it turned into a "monster," leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. |
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In Mackerel's Plunder, Hints of Epic Fish Collapse TALCAHUANO, Chile — Eric Pineda, a dock agent in this old port south of Santiago, peered deep into the Achernar’s hold at a measly 10 tons of jack mackerel — the catch after four days in waters once so rich they filled the 17-meter fishing boat in a few hours. |