17 May 2013
Economic losses from disasters underestimated, ‘out of control’
Economic losses caused by disasters have been underestimated by at least 50 percent, and are “out of control”, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said
Climate & Energy
17 May 2013
Guyana must invest against sea level rise
Guyana must either move its capital inland to higher ground or invest more heavily in coastal infrastructure to withstand future sea level rises, a health and engineering expert says.
17 May 2013
Rebuilding homes is huge challenge in aftermath of Philippines storm
Six months after Typhoon Bopha left more than 1,800 people dead or missing on the southern Philippines island of Mindanao, aid agencies face an uphill battle to rebuild family homes and provide shelter for survivors, the United Nations said on Friday.
16 May 2013
Biologists capture footage for reality TV, bear-style
About 60 hours of footage captured last summer by collar-mounted cameras is showing the inner lives of bears that roam Anchorage in search of food and fun.
16 May 2013
Alarm growing as cassava blight spreads to West Africa
The future of cassava, one of the most climate-resilient crops in Africa, may be under threat because rising temperatures have led to a dramatic increase in the number of whiteflies, tiny insects that spread the deadly cassava brown steak virus.
16 May 2013
Bangladesh orders 1 million evacuated as Cyclone Mahasen nears
Bangladesh is evacuating one million people with Cyclone Mahasen expected to hit its low-lying delta coast on Thursday evening, said the United Nations, which estimated 4.1 million people were at risk due to gale-force winds, heavy rain and flooding.
15 May 2013
Colombia failing to put climate policy into action – scientists
A group of scientists has urged the Colombian government to act faster to protect the country from extreme weather and longer-term climate shifts, saying it is failing to implement climate change policies that already exist.
15 May 2013
China gives environmental approval to country’s biggest hydro dam
China’s environment ministry has given the go-ahead for the construction of what will become the country’s tallest hydroelectric dam despite acknowledging it will have an impact on plants and rare fish.
15 May 2013
Bangladesh’s severe weather hotline faces test as tropical storm approaches
A new telephone hotline in Bangladesh that gives advance warning of bad weather could be put to the test in coming days as a tropical storm threatens to reach hurricane strength over the country.
14 May 2013
Cleanup planned for farthest north U.S. national park
The farthest-north U.S. national park is overdue for a spring cleaning, and managers have released details of a plan to clear away several tons of garbage marring the scenery.
