An inside look on Eskom’s work with wetlands in South Africa

Wetlands play a crucial role in making cities liveable and sustainable and their effective management need to be a part of planning and development projects. That is exactly the approach taken by Eskom’s Research, Testing and Development Department. Eskom is the powerhouse electricity supplier in South Africa and their consideration of wetlands in development projects, sets… Continue reading An inside look on Eskom’s work with wetlands in South Africa

The new UN deal on aviation emissions leaves much to be desired

David Hodgkinson and Rebecca Johnston International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) chose a global carbon offset scheme to deal with international aviation emissions Emissions fron international flights – a bugbear of efforts to combat climate change – will finally be regulated under a scheme agreed by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) on Thursday last week. It’s a problem that… Continue reading The new UN deal on aviation emissions leaves much to be desired

Nanotech bandage heals wounds in days

Hazem Badr Egyptian researchers have developed a bandage embedded with nanoparticles for the treatment of wounds using the anti-epilepsy drug Phenytoin, known for its capacity to treat skin injuries. The bandage can heal wounds in a few days, after just one application to soft tissue. Wounds normally take several days to a few weeks to… Continue reading Nanotech bandage heals wounds in days

UNHCR reports crisis in refugee education

The UN Refugee Agency says more than half of the 6 million school-age children under its mandate have no school to go to Some 1.75 million refugee children are not in primary school and 1.95 million refugee adolescents are not in secondary school, the report found. Refugees are five times more likely to be out… Continue reading UNHCR reports crisis in refugee education

China’s ‘new Silk Road’ could expand Asia’s deserts

Liu Qin China’s massive Asian infrastructure network of proposed new roads and railways, new ports and airports, linking 65 countries to itself must grapple with the same problem as the ancient Silk Road it has been named after. Sand. Deserts present as big a problem along the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the shores of… Continue reading China’s ‘new Silk Road’ could expand Asia’s deserts

This Man Turned an Opium Field into a Sustainable Coffee Farm in Thailand

Todd Reubold Somsak Sriphumthong is on a caffeine-fueled mission. After years living and working abroad, the organic farmer and community leader returned to his native Thailand several years ago — during a time when the forests were being cleared for opium fields and rice plantations. Seeking a sustainable alternative, he started growing and selling organic… Continue reading This Man Turned an Opium Field into a Sustainable Coffee Farm in Thailand

Welcome SDGs: Harnessing the opportunity to reform India’s social policy landscape

Public Health in India/Flickr Photos/Trinity Care Foundation/Creative Commons

Oommen Kurian The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare of India came out with ‘The Delhi Commitment on Sustainable Development Goal for Health’ that promises to build upon the achievements of the Millennium Development Goals and finish the unfinished agenda Earlier in May, reports indicated that the National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) is changing… Continue reading Welcome SDGs: Harnessing the opportunity to reform India’s social policy landscape

Clean Solar energy, brings light to Kenya’s villages

Marianne de Nazareth Head quartered in Nairobi,  M-KOPA Solar has connected over 375,000 low-income homes  to affordable , safe and clean energy in Africa – with 550 new homes being added every day making them the world’s leading ‘pay-as-you-go’ energy provider to off grid homes Rural Africa is very similar to India. Most villages have no… Continue reading Clean Solar energy, brings light to Kenya’s villages

What Africa’s drought responses teach us about climate change hotspots

  Gina Ziervogel, Margaret Angula, Salma Hegga The world may still argue about whether or not climate change is for real. But in vast expanses of arid southern Africa, the daily struggle to cope with a changed climate is well under way. The lessons being learnt here on a small scale could prove vital in the fight… Continue reading What Africa’s drought responses teach us about climate change hotspots

The Global Economy is Failing 35% of the World’s Talent

The Human Capital Report 2016 finds that globally only 65% of the world’s talent is being optimized through education, skills development and deployment during people’s lifetimes Finland, Norway and Switzerland hold the top spots, utilizing around 85% of their human capital. Japan leads when it comes to 55 year-olds and over Rich and poor countries… Continue reading The Global Economy is Failing 35% of the World’s Talent