International

Afghanistan/Pakistan: Afghan Nomads Trapped, Hungry as Pakistan Blocks Access to Grazing Land

Feb 19, 2018 | Jared Ferrie, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Donors have refused to support 200,000 nomadic herders in Afghanistan who are running out of food and stranded with their dying animals after Pakistan closed…

Myanmar: Abnormally Low Chindwin River Flows Plays Havoc with River Traffic

Feb 19, 2018 | Aung Thu Tun, Eleven

A decrease in the flow of the Chindwin River has caused ships to be unable to dock at Mawleik jetty, while locals are concerned that…

Colombia: Colombia’s GDP Grew 1.8% in 2017, Slowest in 8 Years

Feb 16, 2018 | Reuters

Colombia’s economy expanded more than the market expected in 2017 compared with the previous year, even as growth remains tepid in Latin America’s fourth largest…

Kyrgyzstan/Tajikistan: Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan Border Impasse: Finding a Way Out of a Tight Spot

Feb 15, 2018 | Nurjamal Djanibekova, Eurasianet

The districts of Batken and Lelik are tucked away in a southwest corner of Kyrgyzstan with the northern part of Tajikistan on either side. On…

Afghanistan: Afghan Province Declared Landmine-Free after 10-Year Clearance Drive

Feb 15, 2018 | Jared Ferrie, Reuters

Afghanistan’s deadliest province for landmines has been declared free of the explosive devices after a decade-long clearance effort, the demining group HALO Trust said on…

Jordan: Water Closely Linked to World’s Refugee Crisis

Feb 15, 2018 | Circle of Blue

Behind barbed-wire fences at this camp in northern Jordan, about 33,000 Syrians—half of them children—exist uneasily, housed in rows of rudimentary shelters that barely protect…

Myanmar: The Search for More Responsible Rubies

Feb 14, 2018 | Joshua Carroll, Frontier

Amber Cernov's jewellery store, Mia Ruby, aims to show that the blood-red gems can be traded in a “responsible” way. That involves avoiding military-run mines…

Myanmar: Illegal Drinking Water Plants Choking Mandalay Bottlers

Feb 14, 2018 | Khin Su Wai, Myanmar Times

Illegal bottled water manufacturers are giving legitimate bottlers in Mandalay Region unfair competition, said Ma Su, chair of the Myanmar Drinking Water Entrepreneurs Association. Ma Su…

Iraq: Iraq Could Save $5.2bn in Four Years from Flared Gas Reduction, Says Siemens

Feb 14, 2018 | Jennifer Gnana, National

Iraq could save about US$5.2 billion over the next four years by reducing gas flared from its fields in addition to other power generation efficiency…

Liberia: Liberia's New President Orders Review of Concession Agreements

Feb 14, 2018 | Reuters

Liberia’s new President George Weah has ordered a review of concessions entered into by previous administrations, the presidency said in a statement on Wednesday. Concessions…

Nigeria: Herdsmen Attacks: Ogun to Invoke Anti-Land Grabbing Law on Herdsmen

Feb 14, 2018 | Kunle Olayeni, Abeokuta

The Ogun State government has vowed to invoke its recent anti-land grabbing law as part of measures to stem the menace of herdsmen/farmers clashes in…

Afghanistan: Managing Wastewater to Help Improve Living Conditions

Feb 14, 2018 | International Committee of the Red Cross

Almost 3,000 people, living side by side, in a confined environment, pose major challenges in maintaining good sanitary and hygiene conditions. In Herat city, for…

Colombia: Massive Loss of Colombia’s Forests Due to Cattle Farming

Feb 14, 2018 | teleSUR

A report published by the Antioquia Forest Observatory revealed the Colombian Department of Antioquia has lost 19,700 hectares of forest, and 21.200 of Andean forest…

Afghanistan: Community Unites to Resolve Long Standing Tribal Conflict in Surobi District

Feb 13, 2018 | UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan

Community members from two tribes locked in a longstanding conflict in the Uzbin valley of central Afghanistan came together recently to resolve their differences. Led…

Liberia: Liberia Looks to Women for Equal Distribution of Forest Resources

Feb 12, 2018 | FrontPage Africa

An eight-bedroom guesthouse, a five-classroom school and a palaver hut are major achievements of a community forest development committee (CFDC) of a community affected by…

Myanmar: Myanmar Road Corridors Threaten Land and Livelihoods

Feb 12, 2018 | Kayleigh Long, China Dialogue

Up to half of Myanmar’s population live in areas that could suffer environmental damage from two giant highways unless the ecological risks are considered, according…

Afghanistan: Drought and Climate Change Effects

Feb 12, 2018 | Daily Outlook Afghanistan

As the water sources are heavily dependent on annual rainfall and snowfall but lack of snowfall in the winter season has intensified concerns over increase…

Nile Basin: How Big Land Deals Add Stress to the River Nile

Feb 11, 2018 | The Conversation

One of the major scenes of a potential water crisis and conflict is the Nile, the longest in the world. It flows 11 countries -…

Liberia: House Draws up Citizenship, Land Ownership Amendments for Referendum

Feb 9, 2018 | Leroy M. Sonpon, III, Daily Observer

The House of Representatives has begun reviewing four resolutions amending certain provisions of the Liberian Constitution, including citizenship and land ownership but uncertainty hovers over…

DRC: Rangold, Other Big Miners Battle Proposed Mineral Tax in DR Congo

Feb 9, 2018 | Wachira Kigotho, Bloomberg

Randgold Resources, Glencore Plc, and other mining companies are fighting a new mining bill in the Democratic Republic of Congo that would raise taxes and…

Colombia: Scorched Earth: Colombia’s ‘Refugee Farmers’ Returning to Land

Feb 9, 2018 | Maximo Anderson, Mongabay

After five decades of civil war, Colombia is holding more than seven million displaced people, second only to Syria worldwide, according to the Internal Displacement…

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…