Cactus, the Arid Miracle
posted by Ahmed Albakri, Bothinah Albakri, Sharafuddin A. Saleh and Frank van Steenbergen February 18, 2013 Cactus is a miracle plant. … Continued
Frank van Steenbergen & Femke van Woesik Language matters a lot. It is not only the words themselves but who controls their usage, who decides how to communicate, and whether to do this on equal terms. This control shapes the conversation, often leading to an uneven playing field where some voices are amplified while others are silenced. Those who steer language influence how ideas are framed and perceived, making certain concepts seem universally accepted or unavoidable. Nearly 30 years ago, Robert Chambers, in his work ‘Whose Reality Counts?’ highlighted this power dynamic and his insights remain powerful today. He argued that language plays a crucial role in shaping development outcomes. He contends that those in positions of power often dictate the terms and concepts used in development discourse. Imposed standards, such as "income poverty" or "employment," frequently fail to capture the complex realities on the ground. Chambers emphasized that this control over language often leads to policies that miss the… Continued
posted by Ahmed Albakri, Bothinah Albakri, Sharafuddin A. Saleh and Frank van Steenbergen February 18, 2013 Cactus is a miracle plant. … Continued
Helping small farmers protect their land by William Critchley, VU University. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Failed soil conservation schemes, based on ‘command … Continued
posted by Joakim Harlin, UNDP February 11, 2013 The pressures on water resources that more and more countries are experiencing … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen February 4, 2013 In the nineteenth century, as white farmers moved up north in what … Continued
posted by Ruben Borge January 28, 2013 The Usambara Cooperative Union (UCU) in Tanzania is proud of their fair trade … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen January 21, 2013 Even as surface water is overcommitted and even new groundwater resources get … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen January 15, 2013 It is the world’s largest irrigation system, also called ‘the Indus … Continued
Blog: Managing Mega Irrigation posted by Frank van Steenbergen January 15, 2013 It is the world’s largest irrigation system, also … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 31, 2012 Several sociologists such as Johan Goudsbloem have chronicled the fascinating story of time – … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 24, 2012 The coming year will be the International Year of Water Cooperation. While there … Continued
posted by Michael Victor, CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (m.victor@cgiar.org) December 18, 2012 Dam building is a complicated … Continued
posted December 16, 2012 In public imagination, cloud-seeding has only recently crossed over from the realm of science fiction to … Continued
by Usman Qazi In a relentless pursuit of growth and development, the Pakistani state has ignored colonial-era strategies—that took natural risks, … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 13, 2012 Whereas pressurized irrigation systems- such as drip and sprinklers- are widely promoted … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 03, 2012 In the Jinci temple near Taiyuan (China), amid an amazing variety of … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen November 28, 2012 Early 2011, the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia surprised everybody … Continued
{jcomments on}posted by Frank van Steenbergen November 22, 2012 With demand for fruit and vegetables increasing all over China, greenhouses … Continued
posted by Frank van Steenbergen, Abraham Mehari Haile, Abebe Demissie and Francesco Sambalino November 12, 2012 It has turned large … Continued
{jcomments on} Himalayas as seen from Garhwal, northern India. (Image courtesy: GoGarhwal) The Himalayan mountain range is also referred to … Continued
posted by Rozemarijn ter Hoorst October 29, 2012 Groundwater in the West Bank is much more than just H20. It … Continued