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
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
Sustainable Land Management in Sub-Saharan Africa
Helping small farmers protect their land by William Critchley, VU University. Amsterdam, The Netherlands Failed soil conservation schemes, based on ‘command … Continued
The World We Want: Governing & Managing Water Resources for Sustainable Development
posted by Joakim Harlin, UNDP February 11, 2013 The pressures on water resources that more and more countries are experiencing … Continued
Moon Water
posted by Frank van Steenbergen February 4, 2013 In the nineteenth century, as white farmers moved up north in what … Continued
Use of rock dust in bio- fertilizers.
posted by Ruben Borge January 28, 2013 The Usambara Cooperative Union (UCU) in Tanzania is proud of their fair trade … Continued
The Power of Dew
posted by Frank van Steenbergen January 21, 2013 Even as surface water is overcommitted and even new groundwater resources get … Continued
Managing Mega Irrigation
posted by Frank van Steenbergen January 15, 2013 It is the world’s largest irrigation system, also called ‘the Indus … Continued
Managing Mega Irrigation
by Frank van Steenbergen January 15, 2013 It is the world’s largest irrigation system, also called ‘the Indus Food Machine’- … Continued
The Origin of Measuring Time
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 31, 2012 Several sociologists such as Johan Goudsbloem have chronicled the fascinating story of time – … Continued
Good Neighbours
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 24, 2012 The coming year will be the International Year of Water Cooperation. While there … Continued
Mekong: A River, its people and Big Dams
posted by Michael Victor, CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (m.victor@cgiar.org) December 18, 2012 Dam building is a complicated … Continued
Seeding Clouds, Harvesting Rain: Beware of the Hype
posted December 16, 2012 In public imagination, cloud-seeding has only recently crossed over from the realm of science fiction to … Continued
How the British did it better
by Usman Qazi In a relentless pursuit of growth and development, the Pakistani state has ignored colonial-era strategies—that took natural risks, … Continued
Controlling the micro-environment
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 13, 2012 Whereas pressurized irrigation systems- such as drip and sprinklers- are widely promoted … Continued
A Shuimu, or How A River Came About
posted by Frank van Steenbergen December 03, 2012 In the Jinci temple near Taiyuan (China), amid an amazing variety of … Continued
Eye on the Nile
posted by Frank van Steenbergen November 28, 2012 Early 2011, the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia surprised everybody … Continued
Cold weather irrigation
{jcomments on}posted by Frank van Steenbergen November 22, 2012 With demand for fruit and vegetables increasing all over China, greenhouses … Continued
Prosopis: The Green Scourge
posted by Frank van Steenbergen, Abraham Mehari Haile, Abebe Demissie and Francesco Sambalino November 12, 2012 It has turned large … Continued
Himalayan Glaciers: Transboundary tensions set to rise even as climate fears dial down
{jcomments on} Himalayas as seen from Garhwal, northern India. (Image courtesy: GoGarhwal) The Himalayan mountain range is also referred to … Continued
Groundwater under the West Bank: more than H2O
posted by Rozemarijn ter HoorstOctober 29, 2012 Groundwater in the West Bank is much more than just H20. It is … Continued