Island countries in the Pacific face very specific challenges when it comes to energy security. With a limited supply of domestic fossil fuels, they have historically depended on imported fuels like diesel
Eleven years ago, Pathampara, a 90-minute drive from Kannur, made headlines when it stopped petitioning the government for electricity and instead began generating its own power from a very small facility using the flow of a local stream to run a turbine.
Waste abatement measures can go a long way in controlling pollution and increasing efficiency, prove several surveys. Access to right technology is needed.
Supply of clean fresh water, already threatened by soaring pollution levels, is depleting at such a rate in some regions that within 30 years two-thirds of humanity will suffer "moderate to severe
The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Industrial Deve lopment Organisa tion (UNIDO) have launched a new website on the cost-effective means of phasing out the extremely toxic and ozone
The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) has planned to launch 49 projects to phase out 5,000 metric tonne of ozone depleting substances (ODS) in 27 developing countries,
Add value to your agricultural produce if you want to survive in the globalised market. Countries with inefficient agro-industries are likely to be left behind those with modern and efficient agroindustries. While high-income countries add, on an average, $180 of value by processing one tonne of agricultural products, developing countries generate only $40 of value per tonne. This is the starting theme of a global conference to be held in India in April. India will host the first global conference on agro-industries, to be held in New Delhi from April 8 to April 11. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the forum along with director-general of UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), Jacques Diouf, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) director-general, Kandeh K. Yumkella and Inter national Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), president, Lennart Bage on April 9. The conference is jointly organised by the FAO, the UNIDO and the IFAD, in close collaboration with the government of India. The Global Agro-Industries Forum will promote the importance of agro-industries for economic development and poverty reduction. Around 500 senior representatives from the agro-industry, governments, technical and financing institutions, civil society and United Nations agencies will discuss the potential of agro-industries and the challenges they are facing. Increasing the market opportunities, particularly for smallscale producers in rural areas, by improving their production, processing and marketing capabilities, will be one of the main issues of the conference. Delivering better products at lower prices could be beneficial for poor consumers and could also create employment opportunities. The Forum will also encourage dialogue between the private and public sector in order to foster partnerships for developing competitive agroindustries. Rapid globalisation, market liberalisation, and urbanisation have created new opportunities for countries to trade agricultural and food products. However, they have also created challenges and increased risks.
