Drought Threatens Water-Truck Lifeline in Parched Northeast Brazil

By Nadia Pontes | IDN-InDepthNews Feature

This story is the first in a series of news features related to the 21st UN Climate Conference (COP21) from November 30 to December 11. It was sourced through the Voices2Paris UNDP storytelling contest on climate change and developed thanks to Megan Rowling and @alertnetclimate.

Pesqueira / Pernambuco, Brazil (IDN) – For the rural community of Pacheco in northeastern Brazil, the local school has never been so important. It is now the only place in the drought-stricken area that has water on tap.

Climate Marches Planned in 150 Countries Ahead of Paris Summit

By J Nastranis | IDN-InDepthNews Report


A thousand students from Rizal High School, in Pasig City, Philippines form a human banner that reads: “Act for our Future,” to call for a strong and fair global climate agreement ahead of the international climate talks in Paris. Credit: 350.org

NEW YORK (IDN) – In run-up to the start of the COP21 climate summit in Paris on November 30, hundreds of thousands of people will be taking to the streets in over 2,000 events spread across 150 countries to demand that negotiating parties keep fossil fuels in the ground and finance a just transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

HIV/AIDS Killed 40 Million People, And Continues To Kill 4000 A Day

By Somar Wijayadasa* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis


Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali (third from right) meets with the keynote speakers at an event on the occasion of the World AIDS Day, with the theme “One world. One hope” on December 2, 1996 at the UN Headquarters. From left to right: Martina Clark; Marina Mahathir; Cristina Saralegui; Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali; Elizabeth Taylor and Noerine Kaleeba. | Credit: United Nations, New York – Photo # 158026

NEW YORK (IDN) – The World AIDS Day, observed on December 1 every year, inspires me to recall how the United Nations acted – hesitantly but resolutely – when the AIDS pandemic killed millions of people around the world causing a substantial impact on the health and economy of many nations.

Since the first identification of HIV/AIDS among gay men in the United States of America, in 1981, approximately 76 million people have been infected with HIV, and 39.6 million people have died of AIDS – the highest global death toll of all time, and also the most politicized, feared and controversial disease in the history of modern medicine.

The Syrian War is Not Triggered by Syrians Alone

By Roberto Savio* | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis


ROME (IDN | Other News) – The U.S. Congress, under the valiant leadership of Republicans, has vetoed the entry of Syrian refugees, including women and children, into the United States against Obama’s intention to accept 10,000 – a symbolic amount in a country, which accepts over 50.000 refugees every year – while Germany is accepting at least 800,000 Syrians.

What is frightening is the total ignorance of the world behind that veto.

Global Report Calls for End to ‘Media Sexism’

By Jutta Wolf | IDN-InDepthNews Report

BERLIN | BRUSSELS (IDN) – A new report finds that progress towards equality of women and men in the news media has virtually ground to a halt over the past five years. In fact, “progress towards news representation that acknowledges women’s participation in economic life remains elusive”. The report calls for “an end to media sexism by 2020”.

According to the findings of the Global Media Monitoring Project (GMMP), released on November 23, worldwide, women make up only 24% of the people heard, read about or seen in newspaper, television and radio news, exactly the same level found in 2010.

Costa Rica Aims at Being the World’s First Decarbonised Economy

The Central American country of Costa Rica is a model state that embodies the concept of global citizenship by pursuing a culture of peace and aspiring to achieve complete carbon-neutrality.

By Fabíola Ortiz | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis

SAN JOSE (IDN) – With less than five million inhabitants, Costa Rica became famous for abolishing its army in the late 1940’s, when its Central American neighbours were involved in armed conflicts. After becoming a model of peace in the region, the country now wants to be known as a laboratory for a deep decarbonisation process of the world economy.

Gender Mainstreaming Essential to Combat Climate Change

By Ana Maria Currea* | IDN-InDepthNews Viewpoint

NEW YORK (IDN | UNDP) – It is well established that the poor are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, and that women, who account for the majority of the world’s poor, are disproportionately impacted.

Why is this fact so important? And what are we doing to address it?

Women farmers account for 45 to 80 percent of all food production in developing countries. This means that any changes in climate – such as droughts and floods –affect their livelihoods, incomes and food security more than they do men.

Renewable Energy Can Sustain Growth in ‘Emerging Asia’

By Krishan Dutt | IDN-InDepthNews Analysis


KUALA LUMPUR (IDN) – The need for sustainable development, aligning multiple economic and environmental priorities, stressed by the leaders of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, in their Manila declaration on November 19, has been reiterated in a new report that forecasts a robust growth for ‘Emerging Asia’ in 2015 and in the next five years.

Renewable Energy Can Sustain Growth in ‘Emerging Asia’

KUALA LUMPUR (IDN) – The need for sustainable development, aligning multiple economic and environmental priorities, stressed by the leaders of the 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member economies, in their Manila declaration on November 19, has been reiterated in a new report that forecasts a robust growth for ‘Emerging Asia’ in 2015 and in the next five years. SPANISH | GERMANHINDI | JAPANESE

Paris: Nach den Terroranschlägen – Fronten erhärten sich

Ein Gastbeitrag von Roberto Savio*

ROM (IDN) – Nach den Terroranschlägen in Paris am 13. November ist der Ruf nach einer gemeinsamen Front des Westens gegen den Islamischen Staat (IS) lauter geworden. Auch in westlichen Medien wird eine Intensivierung der militärischen Intervention gegen Kämpfer der radikalen islamischen Fundamentalisten gefordert. Das überrascht nicht. Die Blutbäder von Paris können nur Trauer auf der einen Seite und weiteren Horror auf der anderen nach sich ziehen.

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