Yemen’s ‘Magic Soil’
posted by Taha Alwashali and Frank van SteenbergenSeptember 03, 2012 The ancient name of Yemen is ‘Arabia Felix’ – the … Continued
The WaterBlog
A Village Hero: Tinku's Efforts to Sustain Kumarpara's Biodiversity
By Ilja Keukenkamp; Meghna Mukherjee Let’s meet Tinku Karjee- a resident of the Kumarpara village, who has been working as a forest guide for the past 10 years. The Kumarpara region in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal is surrounded by protected forest area and is known for its beauty, serenity and calmness. As a result, it has become a major tourist attraction. Tinku Karjee saw this as an opportunity and took training as a forest guide. In the training, “I learned a lot about the region and its flora and fauna”. During his work as a forest guide, he met a PhD candidate from Germany who had come to the Kumarpara region to study butterflies in the forest. Tinku became his personal guide for the study, and through him, got passionate and gained knowledge about butterflies and birds. Even after the student left, Tinku continued his work to protect butterflies and has dedicated his life to the well-being of the insect/butterfly population… Continued
Previous posts
Changemakers: Future of Irrigation in Africa
posted by Frank van Steenbergen August 27, 2012 Much hope is pinned on the development of small-holder irrigation in Africa. … Continued
Financial Crisis and Water Utilities
posted by Frank van Steenbergen August 21, 2012 Over the past three-four years, the financial crisis has dominated the headlines– … Continued
Weapons of Mass Destruction
posted by Frank van Steenbergen August 13, 2012 What is more important – public health, or security and deterrence? … Continued
Meeting Flood-time Water & Sanitation Needs in Bihar, India
Bihar in eastern India is the country’s most flood-prone state. Every year, about 76% of the population and 73% of … Continued
The Inca Vessel
Posted by Frank van Steenbergen August 06, 2012 One of the most beautiful objects in the National Museum of the … Continued
Fluorosis: The Value of Norms (?)
posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 30, 2012 In the Habala district of Southern Ethiopia, fluoride levels are high – … Continued
As Bad as it Gets
posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 24, 2012 Imagine water being so scarce that you have to compete with bees … Continued
Water Refugees: Coastal Groundwater in Yemen
posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 16, 2012 The dramatic story of Al Mujelis goes like this: In the past, … Continued
Gearing Up for Floods: Combating and Embracing Waters on the Rise
Geographical Incidence of Floods, 1985-2010 As this map suggests, floods are possibly the most common form of natural disaster. If … Continued
The Weight of the Soul, Measured in Water
posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 9, 2012 We are always in search of the ‘essence.’ Even though we do … Continued
MDG 7 and the Moment of Truth
posted by Frank van Steenbergen July 2, 2012 It is two years to go to the day of reckoning. By … Continued
Social Protection and Agriculture: Safety Nets or Safety Traps?
Earlier this year there were riots in … Continued
Resistant, Efficient, Nutritious Rice for a Food-secure Future
Importance of Rice Rice is a very important food crop, 50% of the total world population consumes rice. 90% of … Continued
Water & Light: Visual Experiments
by Dr. Helmut Eigenmann, Thin Waters/ Laboratory and Design My experiments with thin water layers and light are the base for … Continued
Pastoralism, Land, Water and Climate Change
Securing the Future of a Culture of Resilience by Ilse Köhler-Rollefson, League for Pastoral Peoples and Endogenous Livestock development (LPP) Nature’s … Continued
The World of Pastoralists (Lest We Forget)
Who are pastoralists? Pastoralists are people who depend for their living primarily on livestock. They inhabit those parts of the … Continued
Video, Agriculture and Food Security: Innovations that link
The use of video in agriculture and rural development is not new. Anyone with any interest in the sector would … Continued
Remineralize now!
Production of chemical fertilizers used in agricuture is highly energy-intensive. The lowest estimate is that at least 1% of all … Continued
What is this?
This is a mousetrap (and a mouse in it, if you look closely) being used in Tigray, Ethiopia. The trap … Continued