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Kisan Divas By Dr Arvind Kumar Plight of farmers in India has become very critical in recent decades. Small farmers are reeling under appalling debt and many of them commit suicide for being not able to repay the debt. 23 December is celebrated as Kisan Divas or Farmers’ Day to commemorate the memory of Chaudhary Charan Singh, whose life reflected his peasantry background and he understood problems of the farmer and did his best to help them. The plight of farmers in India has been very miserable in present-day India and they have always been at the receiving end since Independence. Their hard toil fetches them nothing except fake assurances from the dispensations at the helm. It’s sad and unfortunate that people who are indispensable for the growth of nation have been left to their fate. This is quite evident from the suicide cases in Maharashtra, Andhra and other parts of the country including West Bengal. In state like UP middlemen and Mandi officials ensure that the farmer

Letting the Planet Doom! By Dr Arvind Kumar It is a historical irony that in the wake of global financial crises agreements to bail out banks happened in days – but even deciding to bail out the planet is taking decades T hey bailed out the banks in days. Nicholas Stern estimated that capping climate change would cost around 1% of global GDP, while sitting back and letting it hit us would cost between 5 and 20%. One per cent of GDP is, at the moment, $630bn. It was revealed by Bloomberg that by March 2009, the US Federal Reserve had committed $7.77 trillion to the banks. That is just one government's contribution: yet it amounts to 12 times the annual global climate change bill. Add the bailouts in other countries, and it rises several more times.This support was issued on demand: as soon as the banks said they wanted help, they got it. On just one day the Federal Reserve made $1.2tr available – more than the world has committed to tackling climate change in two decades.

Misperceptions of Migration By Dr Arvind Kumar The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its World Migration Report 2011, states that about 214 million people were living and working outside their home country in 2010, and international migration has continued to grow despite the global economic crisis, but in many countries negative attitudes towards migrants are also rising. While focusing on the importance of communicating more effectively about migration, the Report notes that such attitudes stem in part from misinformation and misperceptions about migration that have been fuelled by opportunistic politicians and poor media reporting. It further observes: "Few areas of public policy are subject to greater misrepresentation... yet more influenced by public opinion, than international migration," write the report's authors. "Accurately informing relevant stakeholders and the wider public about migration may be the single most important policy

Human Rights Day By Dr Arvind Kumar In order to safeguard human rights and make people aware of their rights world wide, 10th December is observed annually to mark the United Nations' (UN) Human Rights Day anniversary of the presentation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Events focused on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on and around December 10 are held worldwide. Most of these events aim at educating people, especially children and teenagers, on their human rights and the importance of upholding these in their own communities and further afield. The ocassion may also include protests to alert people of circumstances in parts of the world where the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is not recognized or respected, or where the significance of these rights are not considered to be important. Cultural events are also organized to celebrate the importance of human rights through music, dance, drama or fine art. Having been drafted between January 1

International Anti-Corruption Day By Dr Arvind Kumar Rampant corruption afflicts almost all societies. 9th December is desgnated as International Anti-Corruption Day by the United Nations. The avowed objective of this decision is to raise people’s awareness of corruption and of the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in combating and preventing it. All the member-states of the UN and competent regional economic integration organizations are urged to sign and ratify the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) to ensure its rapid entry into force. UNCAC is the first legally binding, international anti-corruption instrument that provides a chance to mount a global response to corruption. International Anti-Corruption Day is a time for political leaders, governments, legal bodies and lobby groups to work together against corruption work by promoting the day and the issues that surround this event. On this day anti-corruption advocates organize eve

Explosions at Munitions Dumps According to media reports, the rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles. As per data available with the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed violence, "During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has incr eased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year. It is unclear whether the problem is getting worse or reporting of incidents is improving. What is clear is that the number of explosions is not decreasing despite efforts to address their causes." Almost all countries have one or more facilities for the storage of weapons and ammunition, which require constant surveillance by a technically skilled workforce, careful monitoring of the humidity and temperature levels of the stockp

Need for New Ways to Grow Food By Dr Arvind Kumar According to a recent report released by the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and reported by IRIN News agency, in coming four decades many parts of the world will have run out of water for farming and people will probably need to have enough money to buy food. The report that is said to be the first-ever authoritative analysis of the state of the world's land and water resources, looks at land and water from a food security perspective. Considering 75 percent of the population in developing countries is poor, lives in rural areas and depends on agriculture for income and food, the report states that it is now estimated that more than 40 percent of the world's rural population lives in river basins that are physically water scarce. To feed a burgeoning global population, estimated to hit nine billion by 2050, we will have to produce another one billion tonnes of cereals and 200 million extra tonnes of livesto

Bleak Prospects at Durban By Dr Arvind Kumar The 17th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP17) opened in Durban, South Africa, on 28 November this year without much fanfare. About 195 countries, including India, are taking part in it. The focus of discussions is on what to do after the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the only binding climate agreement at present, expires at the end of 2012. The Kyoto treaty imposes greenhouse gas emission cuts on developed countries, with the commitment period set from 2008 to 2012, among other provisions. Undoubtedly, the COP-17 continues through Dec. 9, but it is not expected to produce a long-term comprehensive framework requiring both developed and developing countries to cut emissions. Among the developing countries, however, there are calls for revising the protocol to create a second commitment period for reduction efforts by developed countries that are party to it. While opposing such a revision

Building Flood-Resilient Cities According to a news report recently released by IRIN news agency, there are about 3,000 low-lying cities vulnerable to frequent floods in the world. Asia accounts for more than half of the developing world's cities most vulnerable to flooding, according to UN-HABITAT. Nine of the top 10 coastal flood-prone cities by 2070, including Bangkok, are in Asia, according to a recent World Bank report. As per UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR), since the 1980s, the risk of economic loss due to floods in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development countries has increased by more than 160 percent, outstripping the growth of GDP per capita. Adri Verwey, an urban flood expert at Deltares, a Netherlands-based water management think-tank, has opined: “A master plan capturing the city's development visions, priorities and vulnerability is the first step. Cities need to decide the levels of security that they want and which a

Achim Steiner on Climate Change Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program, spoke to Christian Schwägerl of SPIEGEL about the current state of global climate negotiations ahead of the UN conference in Durban, South Africa. Achim Steiner’s views are summed up below. If emissions aren't soon uncoupled from economic growth, the earth will warm to a state that will threaten our prosperity. That's exactly why climate policy is neither futile nor defeated. On the contrary, it's obviously just at the beginning. Flood disasters like the one that recently occurred in Thailand must not become routine. Anyone who dismisses the risk of climate change today does so out of deficient scientific understanding or very shortsighted economic interests. New findings show that climate researchers have more likely underestimated than overestimated the speed and magnitude of the changes. It's not true that climate protection measures would make energy

FDI in Retail The UPA Government’s decision to throw open the huge Indian market to multinational companies, which had been lobbying for years for entry into multi-brand retail has evoked mixed reactions. The government claims that this move will culminate in creating about 10 million jobs. The protagonists of this policy claim that apart from helping calm inflation, it will spur improvement of supply chains because half of the investment will go for that. The opening of Mega Stores will be limited to cities with population of over one million and retailers are required to source 30 per cent material from small and medium enterprises. Those who are opposed to FDI in retail in India have argued that livelihood of about 40 million shopkeepers and vendors will be at stake. Besides, the farmers will be left at the mercy of foreign multinational companies. It is also argued that predatory pricing is likely to affect small vendors and it will ultimately culminate in encouraging mo

Asian Cities Food Resilience By Dr Arvind Kumar Experts at a recently held UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) workshop in Bangkok on resilient food systems in Asia said that Asia’s largest cities will need to maximize every bit of space, from rooftops to railroad tracks, to feed one of the world's fastest-growing populations. Although fewer people live in cities than in Asia's rural areas - approximately 43 percent - the UN projects an 89 percent increase in the region's urban population (1.6 billion people) by 2050. According to the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Asia had 12 megacities of more than 10 million people each, half the world's population and the second-fastest rate of urbanization worldwide as of 2010. Brian Roberts, an Australia-based urban management specialist, has opined that feeding this expanding urban population will be a ‘challenge’ due to the widespread lack of land tenure and access to cash and

Regional disaster response in Asia By Dr Arvind Kumar Recent media reports indicate that the ASEAN Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on disaster management (AHA Center) was formally endorsed and signed at the association's summit on 17 November in Bali (Indonesia), signalling a greater role for regional mechanisms. Oliver Lacey-Hall, regional head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Bangkok said: "That's the goal. That's the way forward." When disaster strikes, national capacities are often not enough; with regional mechanisms such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Secretariat of the Pacific offering a second line of response. The UN and international community would form a third tier - ready to assist national and regional efforts. Establishing order in times of crisis is one of the goals for the AHA Center, active

Weather Disasters & Climate Change By Dr Arvind Kumar According to a UN science report released on 18 November the link between climate change and extreme weather events, including punishing heat waves, droughts, and torrential rains and resulting floods is confirmed. The report warns that the U.S. will suffer heat waves, droughts, and more powerful hurricanes like Irene, with vulnerable people and places likely to suffer most from extreme weather, including low-lying island States facing sea level rise and stronger storm surges, and drought-prone countries in Africa. New York released its own climate study in mid-November, predicting that with expected sea level rise and stronger storms, future hurricanes could flood the tunnels into Manhattan within an hour and put one-third of the city underwater, with climate induced impacts beginning within a decade. The cost of US weather disasters in 2011 is already approaching $50 billion, according to the National Climate Dat

Cooking Stoves Linked to Pneumonia By Dr Arvind Kumar According to a recent study published in Lancet journal and reported by the media, in many developing nations around the world, cooking is primarily done over a wood-burning fire pit. It is estimated that this is the primary cooking and heating source for 43% of the global population, about 3 billion people. A team of international researchers have found that pneumonia is linked with young children who are continuously exposed to the smoke from cooking fires. They found that if smoke-reducing chimneys are used on the cooking stoves, cases of severe pneumonia can be reduced by one-third. Cooking fires are perhaps the type of air pollution that directly impacts human health, because its emissions take place right next to people’s breathing zones. The fires used in developing countries are almost always open flames with no real chimney. The researchers found that children, who are exposed every day to the smoke, inhaled the equ

Global Fund in limbo By Dr Arvind Kumar Media reports show that international assistance to the Global Fund to fight HIV, TB and Malaria has more than halved the estimated amount of money available in its next round of funding, the disbursement of which has been delayed until 2013, due to the world economic crisis. The delay in Round 11 funding was announced at the Fund's latest board meeting on 26 September, the second such delay, which has pushed the application deadline back to at least 1 March 2012. According to Christoph Benn, director of the Fund's external relations and partnerships, the size of the pot has also shrunk - to US$800 million, less than half of the $1.5 billion projected for the round as of mid-2011. According to Mario Raviglione, director of Stop TB, more than 70 percent of antiretroviral drugs in the developing world are funded by the Global Fund and in Africa; it finances about 85 percent of TB programming. Mario further cautioned that reduc

Climate Change & Rivers By Dr Arvind Kumar According to a recent study, soaring temperatures and erratic rains brought on by a changing climate may radically alter water flows in the world’s major river basins, forcing people to give up farming in some areas. The study – part of a five-year research project on four continents, the first to take a close look at 10 river basins - is based on data from 17 climate models used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to examine the potential effect of changing temperatures and rainfall patterns on the water flows in rivers from now until 2050. Mark Mulligan, a leading author of the study, has opined that climate models cannot predict how rainfall patterns will behave in future with a high degree of certainty: “What we do know is that we cannot be confident about hydrological stability. Some rivers could become wetter and then drier, or vice versa. The key message to countries is: ‘Become more adaptable’.” Th

26th October 2011 Morning: Dr. Arvind Kumar at United Nations office to attend First International Environment Forum for Basin Organizations, Bangkok, 26-28 October 2011

Children’s Day By Dr Arvind Kumar Today is 14th November; the birth anniversary of India’s first Prime Minister, late Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, and this day is celebrated as Children’s Day throughout the nation. However, the plight of children in India is deplorable as can be judged from following facts: Ø One third of the world’s children living in poverty are in India; Ø Every 6th girl-child’s death is due to gender discrimination, also known as female infanticide; Ø Over 10 million children go to sleep on the pavement each night hungry and unprotected; Ø Over 40% of children live in poverty and extreme hardship Ø Nearly half of India’s children are deprived of their fundamental right to education each day; Ø A startling two-thirds of girl-children cannot read or write; Ø An estimated 111 million children struggling as child labourers - most often working in hazardous and degrading conditions; Ø The third largest crime in India after drugs and gun smuggling

International Meet on Water Use Efficiency By Dr Arvind Kumar An international conference on water use efficiency in the industrial sector was jointly organized by India Water Foundation and Rajasthan Industrial Development & Investment Corporation (RIICO) at Jaipur recently. With the prime focus on making the judicious and wise usage of water resources in Indian industries, the conference brought together representatives from government, industry, civil society and academia on the same platform to discuss various issues pertaining to water conservation, water and climate change, industrial water laws and regulation and institutional challenges. The conference witnessed the participation of the who's who of the decision makers from the government, public and private Sectors. Some of those who were there at the conference included the Central Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources, Shri Pawan Bansal, Shri. Rajendra Pareek, Minister of Water Resource &a

Downturn & Social Unrest By Dr Arvind Kumar A report released on 31 october 2011 by International Labour Organization, points to a disastrous global jobs situation and a “vicious cycle” sending the world economy into a new downturn. The report further warns, “The next few months will be crucial for avoiding a dramatic downturn in employment and a further significant aggravation of social unrest.” Three years after the crash of 2008, “economic growth in major advanced economies has come to a halt and some countries have re-entered recession, notably in Europe,” the ILO notes. “Growth has also slowed down in large emerging and developing countries.” The advanced economies have 13 million fewer jobs today than in 2007, with the United States (6.7 million) and Spain (2.3 million) accounting for more than half of this figure. Due to the growth in the labor force, to restore pre-crisis employment rates, 27 million jobs would have to be added in advanced countries, and 80 milli