The Human Imprint

Flooding in India

I wrote about flooding in Pakistan a few days ago - but India has also been subject to terrible scenes of flooding this week. More than two million people have been affected and 80 people have died. 

Source: BBC News

Ecotourism can play vital role in maintaining healthy forests

The FAO Media Centre reports that the continuing boom in ecotourism has the potential to save endangered forests or destroy them, depending on how effectively tourism expansion is managed.

The Collaborative Partnership on Forests (CPF), comprising 14 international organizations and secretariats, including FAO, issued its view on the relationship between ecotourism and forestry today as the world celebrates the World Tourism Day and the International Year of Forests. Follow the link to find out more.

World Bank increases drought aid to Horn of Africa

BBC News reports that the World Bank has announced it is increasing funding for the drought in the Horn of Africa to nearly $2bn. Follow the link to read more.

Flooding in Pakistan - FAO perspective

The FAO Media Centre reports that heavy monsoon rains that began in mid-August have destroyed or damaged 73 percent of crops and 67 percent of food stocks in affected districts of Sindh province, and have killed nearly 78 000 head of livestock. Millions of people are destitute and face an uncertain and food-insecure future.

Follow the link to read the full report on this dreadful devastation

 

Poverty in America

The Guardian reports that "a record 46 million Americans were living in poverty in 2010, pushing the US poverty rate to its highest level since 1993, according to a government report on the grim effects of stubbornly high unemployment.... the US census bureau said the poverty rate rose for a third consecutive year to hit 15.1% in 2010. The number of people in poverty was the largest since the government first began publishing estimates, in 1959". A sobering thought. I listened to a Radio 4 podcast on food poverty in the UK last week too and the rise of food banks ...

Global warming video

Check out the video on global warming hosted by The Independent.

The fight for India's water

Check out this fascinating article in BBC News.

Hungarian toxic chemical sludge spill firm fined

Last year the videos of the chemical spill in Hungary were just horrendous. 

BBC News reports that the aluminium producer in Hungary has been fined 472m euros (£410m). Ten people died and there was serious damage to the environment as a result of the leak at a MAL Zrt plant in October 2010.  "A government statement said the fine reflected the unprecedented volume of hazardous material released when reservoir walls were breached. Some 700,000 cubic metres (184 million gallons) flooded out. The company has two weeks to pay the fine or appeal". Follow the link to read the full article.

Floods in Pakistan

More than 200 people have died and over a million homes have been destroyed by severe flooding in southern Pakistan. Check out the video on BBC News such devastating pictures of the impact on human lives.

Brazil hit by severe flooding

Check out the video on BBC News.