Eye on the oceans

AID POLICY: Humanitarianism in a changing world*

DUBAI, 4 April 2012 (IRIN Global) - There is “worrying evidence” that the scale and scope of disasters will increase significantly in coming years and “the international community is not prepared,” says Ross Mountain, director-general of Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA), a Madrid-based think-tank which advocates better humanitarian policies. full report

CLIMATE CHANGE: Understanding Rio+20

JOHANNESBURG, 3 April 2012 (IRIN Global) - A Nobel laureate, a Swedish environmentalist’s idea, the “doughnut” concept, Scandinavia’s sense of social capital, measuring the quality of life, and valuing the oceans are just some of the things trending in the run-up to the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development due to be held on 20-22 June 2012. full report

CLIMATE CHANGE: Farmers and forecasts

BINGERVILLE/DAKAR, 2 April 2012 (IRIN Global) - Unpredictable rainfall in parts of Côte d’Ivoire cost some farmers over half of their harvest in 2011 producers told IRIN, but, armed with more knowledge about how to get weather reports and interpret them, they might still have been able to boost their output, say agricultural specialists. full report

CLIMATE CHANGE: Coping versus adapting

JOHANNESBURG, 2 April 2012 (IRIN Global) - People often use “coping” and “adapting” interchangeably in the context of disaster response - an issue the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) seeks to address in its new report. full report

ISRAEL: Deportation looms for South Sudan migrants

TEL AVIV, 27 March 2012 (IRIN Global) - Asylum-seekers from South Sudan living in Israel have until 31 March to return “home” or face deportation, but some have asked to stay, saying conditions are not yet conducive for their safe return. full report

CLIMATE CHANGE: A three-degree warmer world by 2050?

JOHANNESBURG, 27 March 2012 (IRIN Global) - The apocalyptic vision presented on cinema screens of a world devoid of food (Hunger Games) or with too much water (Waterworld) as a result of climate change, is not as far-fetched as some may think. full report

AID POLICY: Will pressure make Chinese aid more transparent?

LONDON, 26 March 2012 (IRIN Global) - Critics have long characterized China as a secretive donor in economically poor but resource-rich countries, funding infrastructure construction in an unspoken bid for business deals and access to natural wealth and land. While China disburses aid with a scant paper trail, analysts say strong-arming its government to boost transparency - and aid efficacy - may hurt countries in need. full report

MIGRATION: Australia to enact uniform asylum process

BANGKOK, 20 March 2012 (IRIN Global) - Rights groups have welcomed a decisionby the Australian government to process all asylum-seekers in the same way, regardless of how they arrived in the country. full report

GLOBAL: Joined-up thinking on water, energy and food

JOHANNESBURG, 15 March 2012 (IRIN Global) - Africa’s third longest river, the Niger, is a source of water, food and energy for nine West African countries. But frequent droughts induced by a changing climate, and exacerbated by rapidly growing demand, pose a threat to water availability and livelihoods. full report