World

This  brings together the results of formal research on SRI in a number of countries (Part I) and also reports on initiatives by government agencies, NGOs, universities, or the private sector, bringing knowledge of SRI to farmers in a wide range of agroecological circumstances (Part II). It has six articles and nine technical reports from Afghanistan, China, the Gambia, Kenya, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Mali,  Pakistan, Panama, and Thailand as well as several review articles.

The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), developed in Madagascar almost 30 years ago, modifies certain practices for managing plants, soil, water, and nutrients with the effect of raising the productivity of the land, labor, and capital devoted to rice production. Certain production inputs are reduced—seeds, inorganic fertilizer, water, and fuel where water is pumped—with increased yield as a result.

Flooding forced millions of Pakistanis to flee their homes in July and August 2010.

The summer of 2010 was different. In July and August, rain fell over most of Pakistan and persisted in some places for weeks.

A combination of factors, including La Niña and a strange jet stream pattern, caused devastating floods. The Indus River rapidly rose, and a dam failure in Sindh Province sent part of the river down an alternate channel. The resulting floodwater lake lingered for months, leaving crops, roads, airports, even entire communities underwater.

This paper discusses the need to shift from chemical intensive agriculture to organic farming. The authors in their vision for a chemical-free agriculture also stress that organic agriculture is a way to achieve food security.

The authors begin with the current crisis in Indian agriculture. Stating that though the Green Revolution made India self-sufficient in food production in the shortest time it also resulted in a host of problems. The indiscriminate use of fertilizers, insecticides, fungicides and herbicides has created problems of decline in the soil fertility, pollution of water resources, and chemical contamination of food grains, amongst the many similar issues now linked to the Green Revolution.

Organizers:

• Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (Adaptation Knowledge Platform)
• The Asia Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN)
• The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
• The Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN)

Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) is aimed at helping to inform policies and practices that reduce the negative impacts of climate change for people who depend on agriculture as a source of their livelihoods, without jeopardizing food security.

Pollution is a serious and neglected aspect of water resources management, having multiple health and environmental consequences and effectively reducing water resource availability by making it unfit for use. The situation is by no means unique and repeats itself in many countries where a focus on development, a lack of capacity, funds or willingness to apply the regulations results in widespread water quality issues.

The focus on water quality of both the 2010 World Water Day and World Water Week suggests that a change is taking place. Cap-Net, UNEP, UNEP-DHI Centre for Water and Environment and capacity building networks Nile IWRM Net and Cap-Net Lanka have developed this course as part of a collaborative programme addressing pollution management. Water managers and capacity builders working on pollution management are invited to apply.

The carnage and devastation in the aftermath of a tsun

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