Soil Salinity in Harran Plain, Turkey
by Şükrü Esin Soil salinity is a serious environmental problem affecting 20% of total irrigated land across the globe. Harran Plain … Continued
The WaterBlog
No stings attached: bee biodiversity in the Amazon
by Pablo Fajardo and Frank van Steenbergen The biodiversity epicenter that is the Amazon is reflected in the almost endless number of species of bees. They play a major role in the cross pollination of the Amazon’s diversity of trees species, with several bee species uniquely specializing in specific trees. Most of the bees in the Amazon belong to families of stingless bees, such as Melipona, Trigona sp, Tetragonisca angustula. The latter are lovingly called angel bees – for all the goodness they bring. The honey of the angel bees is high in nourishment but also very high in anti-inflammatory properties, comparable to the famous Manuka honey from New Zealand that has many medical applications. The medicinal properties of all the different species of Amazon bees need to be further documented, but traditional knowledge has it that certain honeys are very effective for certain ailments, such as eye diseases and respiratory defects. The working is said to come from resin of… Continued
Previous posts
Water War Games
Posted by Frank van Steenbergen August 14, 2013 Using water as defense, drowning the land of 400,000 people, destroying villages … Continued
Sand Mining in India: Greed, Corruption and Plunder
Posted by Abraham Abhishek August 06, 2013 Sand is key to maintaining the delicate ecological balance. Sand is a key … Continued
Salty Potatoes
Posted by Frank van Steenbergen and Martin van Beusekom July 30, 2013 With a billion hectares of saline land and … Continued
Out to 2040: Multiple Stress Release
Posted by Likimyelesh Nigussie and Frank van Steenbergen July 17, 2013 Feeding the growing population is one of the biggest … Continued
In praise of mechanization
Posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 04, 2013 This may not be the first thing that comes to mind, but … Continued
Turnaround City
Posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 04, 2013 It had the distinction of being ‘the worlds most polluted city’ ten … Continued
The Men in the Boat
Posted by Frank va Steenbergen and Martin van Beusekom June 26, 2013 This is a man in a boat on … Continued
Rooftop Rainwater Harvesting in Arid Urban Areas: The Case of Sana’a, Yemen
Posted by Martin van Beusekom and Linda Navis June 18, 2013 Water shortage is key problem for the citizens … Continued
Turning Farm Waste into Food: The Hi-tech and the Low-tech
Posted by Ruben Borge, MetaMeta Circular Economy / Rockin SoilsJune 03, 2013 Famers knowing how to make compost is key … Continued
Farmer-smart ICT?
Posted by Likimyelesh Nigussie June 03, 2013 One of the big challenges in achieving global food security is ‘closing the … Continued
One house, one buffer
Posted by Francesco Sambalino May 23, 2013 Djerba from the plane appears as a vast and flat island dotted with … Continued
To start to exist
posted by Allah Baksh and Frank van Steenbergen May 10, 2013 Postcard from Tharparkar, the desert on the border of Pakistan … Continued
Open Letter to UNICEF
posted by Frank van Steenbergen April 29, 2013 If you would head an organization whose mandate is to protect of the … Continued
Good Grab, Bad Grab
posted by Frank van Steenbergen April 22, 2013 With the large and sometimes overexposed attention for land grabbing in Africa, good … Continued
Pocket paradises
posted by Frank van Steenbergen April 01, 2013 Cities grow and there is nothing stopping them. In 2050 not half but … Continued
The Coming Plastic Revolution
posted by Frank van Steenbergen March 04, 2013 Is this the next revolution in agriculture and water management: plastic mulch? In … Continued
Towards a Lighter Burden: A Small Step
March 09, 2013 Square, unwieldy and (often) yellow, jerry cans are a common sight in rural areas across the world. … Continued
Freak Climate Changes
posted by Frank van Steenbergen March 04, 2013 While we ponder on long term climate change, and on what the middle … Continued
On Water User Associations (WUAs)
{jcomments on}posted by Frank van Steenbergen, courtesy Rajeshwar Mishra February 25, 2013 They were sometimes created by the stroke of a … Continued