International


Nigeria: Cattle Colonies Will Deny Farmers Access to Arable Land – Bassey

Feb 9, 2018 | Oluseyi Taiwo-Oguntuase, Independent

Nnimmo Bassey, an environmental activist, is the Executive Director of Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF). He spoke with Seyi Taiwo-Oguntuase on the uncontrolled killings…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Baghdad Won't Honor KRG Payment Deals with Int'l Oil Companies: Report

Feb 9, 2018 | Rudaw

The Iraqi government will not cover the gross payments due to oil companies that have signed agreements with the Kurdistan Region, but will require new…


Myanmar: Wetlands Status Sought for All of Mottama

Feb 8, 2018 | Myat Moe Aung, Myanmar Times

One year after part of the Mottama Gulf was declared a wetland site of international importance under UNESCO’s Ramsar Convention, the Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association…


Myanmar: Drones to Aid Mangrove Rehabilitation

Feb 8, 2018 | Myat Moe Aung and Aye Sapay Phyu, Myanmar Times

Worldview International Foundation is testing a project aimed at speeding up the rehabilitation of mangrove forests in Yangon Region using drones to replant the shrubs,…


Iraq/Kurdistan: Iraq Signs Agreement to Build Oil Refinery Near Kirkuk

Feb 8, 2018 | Reuters

Iraq has signed an agreement to build a 70,000-barrels-per-day oil refinery near the northern city of Kirkuk, the oil ministry said on Thursday. The agreement…


Department of Defense, U.S. National Security Community Caught off Guard by Growing Illegal Fishing Threat

Feb 6, 2018 | Stimson Center

The Department of Defense and U.S. national security community have not appropriately prioritized addressing the growing threat posed by illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing, according…


Myanmar: Myanmar to Adopt Genomic Rice Breeding Practices with JICA Support

Feb 6, 2018 | Thompson Chau, Myanmar Times

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Myanmar’s agricultural research department are set to implement a genomic rice breeding initiative.


Myanmar: Parliament Warns Urban Planners to Follow the Law

Feb 6, 2018 | Nyein Zaw Lin, Myanmar TImes

A legislator has asked parliament to conduct a systematic review of all urban planning projects to determine if they are following the law. Urban planning inconsistent…


Philippines: Mindanao Tribes Oppose Plan to Develop Ancestral Lands

Feb 6, 2018 | Jigger Jerusalem and Cagayan de Oro, Union of Catholic Asian News

Tribal leaders in the southern Philippine region of Mindanao are opposing a government plan to bring in investors to develop indigenous peoples' lands. President Rodrigo…


Iraq: Iraq Plans Military Operation to Secure Oil Route to Iran: Security Sources

Feb 5, 2018 | Reuters

Iraqi forces are preparing an operation to consolidate control of an area near the Iran border to be used for the transit of Iraqi oil,…


Myanmar: Illegal Gold Mining Destroys Farmland in Homelin

Feb 5, 2018 | Ma Pe Nyein, Eleven

More than 100 acres of farmlands have been being damaged in Homelin Township, Sagaing Region due to illegal gold mining, according to farmer Aung Myint…


Climate Change: UN Security Council Notes Climate-Conflict Link in West Africa, Sahel

Feb 5, 2018 | Africa Times

Protesters are marching for change in Togo, where President Faure Gnassingbé has held office since 2005 after following a father who had been in office…


DRC: DRC Mining Code Shake up Draws Criticism from International Mining Community

Feb 5, 2018 | Nicholas Say, Cambridge House International

The last week as seen a number of concerned comments from the highest levels of the mining world, and some serious selling pressure on the…


Iraq: Iraq Plans Military Operation to Secure Oil Route to Iran: Security Sources

Feb 5, 2018 | Reuters

Iraqi forces are preparing an operation to consolidate control of an area near the Iran border to be used for the transit of Iraqi oil,…


Afghanistan: MAIL to Construct Another 12 Cold Storage Facilities

Feb 5, 2018 | Daily Outlook Afghanistan

The ministry has announced it will start construction on another 12 cold storage facilities in the country at a total cost of $36 million USD.…


DRC: DRC Mining Code Shake up Draws Criticism from International Mining Community

Feb 5, 2018 | Nicholas Say, Cambridge House

The last week as seen a number of concerned comments from the highest levels of the mining world, and some serious selling pressure on the…


Myanmar: Is the Burmese Ruby the New Blood Diamond?

Feb 4, 2018 | Panna Munyal, National

A piece by SumOfUS argues that luxury brands must stop dealing in gems from Myanmar – the Southeast Asian country known for its high-quality rubies.…


Iraq/Islamic State: The Islamic State’s Toxic Farewell: Environmental Sabotage and Chronic Disease

Feb 4, 2018 | Tamer El-Ghobashy and Joby Warrick, Washington Post

Militants detonated 25 oil wells in a desperate and ultimately unsuccessful effort to defend their terrain against Iraqi security forces in 2016 and wreck a…


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…