Cobertura total: Sur de Asia

16.05.2008 Floods in Bihar, a state in eastern India, have devastating impact on women, children, the landless and dalits. Waters Of Despair, a documentary film dives deep to reveal how administrative negligence is an even bigger culprit. It finds holes in disaster preparedness, relief distribution and beneficiary identification.

16.05.2008 South Asia has been a hotspot of the most stubborn conflicts. While many other societies have managed to resolve their discords, the conflicts in this region remain unresolved because of the inflexibility and dogmatism of the contending parties, says historian and columnist Ramachandra Guha.

16.05.2008 Cyclone Nargis that wrecked Burma brought back horror memories to the villagers of Southkhali in Bangladesh. People here continue to live in makeshift shelters with little protection from wind and rain. Last year’s cyclone Sidr had killed thousands of people and left millions homeless in Bangladesh.

16.05.2008 Lacking support from the government, a group of tribal women from a remote district in Orissa in eastern India, devised a unique way to get rid of water scarcity. By using bamboo pipes to carry stream water to the villages, these women have benefited hundreds of people.

16.05.2008 Low levels of literacy make it difficult for families in Pakistan to access information on post-natal care, contraception and medical attention. With only two percent of its GDP allocated to education, the country risks achieving the Millennium Development Goals, says UNESCO.

15.05.2008 The clearing of mangroves along Myanmar’s coast exposed communities to greater risks during cyclone Nargis, says the UN Food and Agriculture Organization. Intact and dense coastal vegetation can reduce impacts of stormy waves and act as windbreaks in reducing devastation.

15.05.2008 An ICT project in Sri Lanka is enabling people with disabilities to avail opportunities and live in an inclusive society. The eNABLE project – with Braille-equipped computers, a software to convert text into speech, a group hearing system and host of other facilities – links them with others at global and national levels.

15.05.2008 Indian Committee of Youth Organisations will be holding a national convention in partnership with UNICEF from May 28-30, 2008 in Bangalore, India. The event will provide a platform for various youth groups and networks across the country to take up issues concerning the fight against AIDS.

15.05.2008 The European Union’s plan for 'carbon equalisation' by imposing carbon tax on all imported items from countries not bound by Kyoto Protocol has not gone down well with countries like India. They see it as a new tariff barrier that will severely hamper international trade.

15.05.2008 Ever since it was first introduced in 1984 by the Australian government, the concept of gender-sensitive budget has spread far and wide with more than 50 countries embracing it, including India and Bangladesh. Women’s groups now want it to be extended to more countries.

15.05.2008 At a recent review meeting of the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights held in Geneva after 17 years, India was adjudged a poor performer. A panel of observers found the progress in critical human development areas such as food, health, housing and education as ‘unsatisfactory’.

14.05.2008 A photoessay including award-winning photographs depicts the lives of girls in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, and Nepal who marry as children.

14.05.2008 Lack of jobs and unpaid debts have led to a spate of suicides among traditional goldsmiths in southern India. The mechanised jewellery making industry has ruined practitioners of this traditional craft, leading to hundreds of thousands living in penury.

14.05.2008 The global food price rise is leading to further malnourishment among Indian children, UNICEF warns, as families reduce the number of meals in a day. India already has the worst indicators of child malnutrition in South Asia, along with 40% of the world’s underweight newborns.

14.05.2008 Recent military operations by US and NATO forces have displaced thousands of families in Helmand Province in southern Afghanistan, forcing them to live without shelter, food and medical assistance. UN agencies and other international aid groups have been asked to provide humanitarian relief to the unfortunate victims.

14.05.2008 With a view to reach out to the ‘unbanked’ people and to improve overall financial services, major Indian banks are likely to introduce M-banking in a huge way. The only concern delaying the project is the security aspect.

14.05.2008 A documentary film titled My Daughter the Terrorist chronicles the lives of two female Tamil Tigers, taking a close look at war and its tragic consequences. The film has been acclaimed globally but the Sri Lankan government is upset saying it glorifies the act.

13.05.2008 Across Bangladesh, poor rural women are building up their country's fragile democracy by methodically and discreetly eliminating the small inequities of their daily lives.
From: Ms. Magazine

13.05.2008 Allaying the fears of adverse environmental impact, Tata Power says its proposed 1,000 MW thermal power unit in eastern India will use the latest technology to keep the air, water and noise pollution well below the statutory limits. The company also intends to offer fair price to landowners.

13.05.2008 David Dickson, Director, SciDev.Net, presents the critique of a recent report on the future of modern agriculture. Even as we fight the current needs of a hungry world in an environmentally sustainable way, the contributions of science and technology deserve recognition and not merely blame, he asserts.