Green corner

Sudhirendar Sharma Sultry weather made me realize that soaking dress in sweat alone should suffice, why either of the hapless inner wears face the same ordeal. It occurred to me later that I was being water wise, letting one apparel less into the washing machine. Sharing my newfound wisdom with friends revealed that there were handful of others who were ... Read More »

Rangamati, Sep 11 (UNB) – The seven-megawatt Kaptai solar power plant is scheduled to be opened Wednesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate it via a videoconference. Electricity produced at the plant will be fed into the national grid. The Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources (MPEMR) took initiative to set up the plant. The project, costing Tk 111.2 ... Read More »

Muslims around the world mourn the assassination of Imam Husayn, the second grandson of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) on the Holy Ashura, 10th of Muharram (Al-Hijra month). Ancient River, Euphrates which cradled the world’s earliest civilizations, still flows down the Karbala. It was on the back of this river that Imam Husayn was assassinated by the forces of Yazid in the ... Read More »

The trail of devastation left by Cyclone Dorian in Bahamas is beyond description. People are yet to be sure how many are dead, because thousands have been listed as missing. Exactly the same situation was noticed when a furious cyclone hit the Chittagong-Cox’s Bazar coasts on April 29, 1991. Rural government institutions (Union Parishads) were telling members of the Bangladesh ... Read More »

by Carlos Lopes Cape Town – Earlier this year, Tropical Cyclone Idai tore through southern Africa, killing hundreds, injuring thousands, and displacing even more. In Mozambique, as much as half of all annual crops and critical infrastructure were destroyed. In total, over three million people in the region were affected. It was a stark reminder of Africa’s vulnerability to the ... Read More »

By Govind Kelkar and Sudeshna Sengupta PWESCR is happy to present BRICS Feminist Watch’s position paper, Women and the Green Economy: Engaging with New Development Bank. The concept of Green Economy has been operationalized for the last 10 years. Politically, the concept became prevalent from the negotiation in Environmental Summit of 1992. Rio 20 became the platform where the idea ... Read More »

For the first time in many years, the Eid Day rawhide and skin market in Dhaka fluctuated so sharply on Monday that enthusiastic small purchasers had to stop the collection of hides late in the afternoon as the tanners offered them nearly half the price they were given in the morning. Read More »

by Frances O’Grady on 25th July 2019 As the workforce is feminised and women come to predominate among union members, the next step is assuming leadership roles in the trade-union movement. Read More »

By Isaiah Esipisu Dodoma, Tanzania, Jul 11 2019 (IPS) – Research scientists are studying groundwater resources in three African countries in order to understand the renewability of the source and how people can use it sustainably towards a green revolution in Africa. Read More »

By Dr Natalia Kanem UN, Jul 11 2019 (IPS) – Every year on World Population Day (July 11), UNFPA receives queries from journalists about the total number of people around the world. Numbers are indeed important because they help governments develop policies that respond to evolving needs for services such as education and health. Read More »

Songdo, 11 July (Indrajit Bose) — The Board of the UNFCCC’s Green Climate Fund (GCF) adopted a key decision on how the Board will make decisions in the event consensus could not be reached at its 23rd meeting in Songdo, South Korea from 6-8 July. In what several Board members termed as a “historic” decision, the Board adopted the decision ... Read More »

New York, 8 July 2019: “The world is off-track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Most governments have failed to turn the transformational vision of the 2030 Agenda into real transformational policies. Even worse, xenophobia and authoritarianism are on the rise in a growing number of countries.” “The implementation of the 2030 Agenda is not just a matter of ... Read More »

by Christian Schweiger In our ‘Europe2025’ series, Christian Schweiger argues the EU will only survive long-term if it builds its future agenda on broad public support through open dialogue and innovative consultation. Throughout the past decade the European Union has been swept by a growing tide of Euroscepticism, which emerged in the wake of the triple banking, economic and sovereign-debt ... Read More »

By Pedro Conceição UN, Jul 1 2019 (IPS) – “People are the real wealth of nations,” began the first Human Development Report (HDR). That 1990 report marked a turning point in the global development debate. During the second half of the 20th century there were growing concerns about the tyranny of gross domestic product (GDP). Many decision-makers seemed to believe ... Read More »

by Paul Mason Paul Mason continues his sketch of a postcapitalist world by drawing out its implications for something in increasingly short supply—time. If we are lucky, the world stands on the brink of a rapid transition beyond carbon. We know how the post-carbon transition will be measured: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other bodies have created fairly ... Read More »

By Chandra Muzaffar Immediately after Dr Mohammed Morsi’s death on the 17th of June 2019, a number of organisations and individuals had called for a thorough, independent investigation into the cause of his death while on trial in a Cairo court for espionage charges. The United Nations was one of the organisations that demanded an independent investigation. There is no ... Read More »

By Dr Jaspal Kaur Sadhu Singh The correction of this injustice has been achieved through a long drawn fight, somewhat of a David and Goliath contest. The outcome, culminating in a spectacular opinion and vote, has a number of consequences that can impact a rules-based international order, a commitment promoted by the UN Charter which specifically seeks to ‘establish conditions ... Read More »

Dhaka, June 23 – Exercise of integrity is not done properly due to lack of political willingness which creates obstacles to prevent corruption, the establishment of good governance and accountability. Despite hiking allowances and salaries of the public servants—but corruption is not reduced at the expected level. The transparency international Bangladesh (TIB) disclosed this while releasing a research report on ... Read More »

If all youth were to work together with similar mind, similar heart, similar compassion, as the young members of Revolution to Improve Bangladesh are doing, there is no doubt an enormous difference would be made Sir Frank Peters A revolution is taking solid root in a village near Gazipur and it’s one that even Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the ... Read More »

Dhaka, June 19 – UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has laid emphasis on investment in the countries which are hosting refugees despite struggle with their own economic challenges and security concerns. “I want to recognise the humanity of countries that host refugees even as they struggle with their own economic challenges and security concerns. We must match their hospitality with development ... Read More »

by Branko Milanovic Marx once wrote of the temptation, confronted with a new historical situation, to summon up the ‘borrowed language’ of the past. He’s still right, writes Branko Milanovic. Le hasard ne profite qu’aux esprits préparés (Chance favours only those who are primed) Louis Pasteur Several days ago, as I went through my ‘library’, I noticed Georges Sorel’s Reflections ... Read More »

Dhaka, June 12 – Subscribers on Wednesday vented their anger at the poor services provided by different mobile phone companies in the country. At a public hearing arranged by the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) at the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB), they raised various complaints, including weak network, slow internet speed, deception in the name of internet packages, SMS ... Read More »

If 2018 was the year of the reusable coffee cup and paper straws, where next for the ethical high street consumer? BusinessWaste.co.uk research takes a closer look at the areas to watch in 2019 as well as a look back at the progress so far. Packaging-free stores Selling produce without excessive packaging is less a new idea and more a ... Read More »

Dhaka, Jun 10 – Jatiya Oikya Front will forge a greater unity with all the pro-liberation and anti-government political parties to wage a strong movement for the ‘restoration’ of democracy. “We’ll forge greater unity. We’ll continue our movement for the restoration of democracy and free people from the hands of the autocrat by creating a greater unity of all the ... Read More »

by Kris Hartley, Asit K. Biswas Singapore/Hong Kong – The United Nations expects 68% of the world’s population to live in urban areas by 2050. As governments scramble to manage this flood of urban migration, they must address not only basic needs such as housing and employment but also issues impacting liveability and public health – including air pollution. Nowhere ... Read More »

by Jan Erik Saugestad OSLO – Following the abdication of Emperor Akihito, Japan announced that its new imperial era would be called Reiwa (“beautiful harmony”). But if the Reiwa era is to live up to its name, Japan’s government must follow the lead of the country’s energy investors and utilities, and begin to exit coal and move into renewables. The ... Read More »

by Sheri Berman In light of the gains by green parties and right-wing populists in the Euro-elections, Sheri Berman explores how the traditionally dominant parties respond to such challenges. ‘Peak populism’ and the ‘green wave‘ was how many observers summarised the outcome of the recent European Parliament elections. Green parties will have 69 seats in the new parliament, up from ... Read More »

Dhaka, Jun 1 (UNB)— The government has initiated a process to terminate a contract with Beximco Group for its failure to implement a solar power project. Power Division sources said the Power Development Board (PDB) issued an ‘event of default notice’ to Beximco-TBEA Xinjiang SunOasis Co Ltd on May 5 for failing to implement 200MW Gaibandha grid-tied power project as ... Read More »

Ruth Kennedy-Walker I recently returned to work after six months of maternity leave with my second child. Transitioning back to my ‘original’ role as a Water Supply and Sanitation Specialist at the World Bank, alongside my new role as a Mum, has been a challenging but fun experience! And it has really made me think about some of the connections ... Read More »

by Alaa Murabit, Luca Bücken New York – In the years leading up to Syria’s civil war, the country endured three consecutive record-breaking droughts. By forcing internal displacement, the droughts arguably contributed to the social tensions that erupted in popular protests in 2011. But that does not mean that the Syrian conflict is a “climate war.” As extreme weather events ... Read More »