International
Myanmar: Myanmar to Re-Assess 21-Year Old Forest Policy
Nov 9, 2016
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Xinhua
Myanmar will re-assess the country's forest policy which was drafted in 1995 in order to adapt to the current situation, local authorities said Wednesday. The…
Myanmar: KNU Signs Forestry Memorandum with WWF
Nov 9, 2016
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Saw Yan Naing, Irrawaddy
Burma’s oldest ethnic armed group, the Karen National Union (KNU), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Wide Fund for Nature Myanmar (WWF)…
Myanmar: Cautionary Tails: Learning from Neighbours to Counter Species Loss in Myanmar
Nov 8, 2016
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Kyi Kyi Sway, Myanmar Times
Myanmar is presented with a unique window of opportunity to combat species loss and habitat destruction, says a new report from the World Wildlife Federation.…
Liberia: Palm Oil Tipped to Oust Iron Ore as Liberia’s Leading Export
Nov 8, 2016
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Global News Network
Palm oil is forecast to replace iron ore as Liberia’s leading export and employ more than 100,000 people in an economy that was ravaged by…
Sierra Leone: EU Issues Warning about Fake Sierra Leone Kimberley Certificates
Nov 8, 2016
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Israeli Diamond Industry
The European Union has broadcasted a warning about the production of fake Kimberley Process diamond certificates from Sierra Leone and Central African Republic (CAR), after…
Afghanistan: Farmers See Pay Off in Adopting Modern Methods in Herat Province
Nov 8, 2016
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World Bank
Nangabad village lies in Enjil district, 25 kilometers from Herat city, the provincial capital. Agriculture is the village’s primary source of income and livelihood, and…
Afghanistan: Illegal Mining, Weak Government Help Taliban Expand in Afghan North
Nov 6, 2016
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Jawad Kakar, Reuters
Afghan Taliban militants have strengthened their grip on lucrative illegal mining operations in the north of the country, as security forces focus most of their…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Document Obtained by NRT Reveals KRG Corruption over Oil Sector
Nov 6, 2016
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NRT
NRT is revealing a secret document, which was obtained from a foreign source, for the first time. The document includes new and secret information as…
Iraq: ISIL's Scorched Earth Policy is Wrecking Iraq's Environment and Creating a Public Health Nightmare
Nov 6, 2016
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Alternet
Civilians in Northern Iraq are suffering suffocation and respiratory illnesses due to what appears to be a scorched-earth policy employed by retreating ISIL militants following…
Conflict Minerals: Conflict Diamonds May Not Be on the Radar, but They're Still a Worry for Some
Nov 6, 2016
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Natalia Wojcik, CNBC
More than a decade ago, the illicit diamond trade was among the most urgent of humanitarian causes, with governments and celebrities rallying around efforts to…
Myanmar: Logging Exposé Leads to Threats against Fishermen
Nov 4, 2016
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Nang Mya Nadi, Democratic Voice of Burma
Fishermen in Tenasserim Division’s Dawei District have been receiving death threats from a gang of illegal loggers who have accused them of exposing their activities.…
Myanmar: Kayin Farmers Criminalised for Fighting Land Grabs: HRW Report
Nov 4, 2016
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Su Phyo Win and Myat Nyein Aye, Myanmar Times
Kayin State villagers are losing their land and are routinely persecuted through threats, arson and arbitrary arrest if they attempt to fight the unlawful seizures,…
Top UN Official: Environmental Protection in War More Urgent Than Ever
Nov 3, 2016
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UNEP
In a year dominated by the tragedy of war, there is no more urgent time to address the need to protect the environment in armed…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Mosul Battle Triggers Environmental Damage
Nov 3, 2016
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Environment News Service
Civilians in Northern Iraq are suffering suffocation and respiratory illnesses due to what appears to be a scorched-earth policy employed by retreating ISIL militants following…
Conflict Minerals: RSN Reveals Annual Conflict Minerals Rankings in Highly Anticipated Webinar Hosted by Source Intelligence & Ropes & Gray
Nov 3, 2016
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JustMeans
While leading brands proactively monitor and mitigate risk, laggards provide little evidence of good faith efforts. Berkshire Hathaway faulted suppliers for weak reporting and declined…
Myanmar: Myanmar's Farmers Face Criminal Charges over Land Rights
Nov 3, 2016
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Associated Press
Despite the process of democratic transition, farmers in Myanmar's Karen state are being pushed off their land and face arrest and prison for standing up…
Conflict Minerals: US Trade Body Calls for Reexamination of Conflict Mineral Reporting
Nov 3, 2016
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Chemical Watch
The National Association of Manufacturers (Nam) has called for the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Congress to reexamine conflict mineral reporting requirements. Its…
Colombia: Colombia Court Orders Top Companies to Return Stolen Lands
Nov 3, 2016
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teleSUR
A Colombian court has ordered 19 companies, including the country’s largest bank, Bancolombia, to return land that was stolen and ended up in private hands…
Myanmar: Pyin Oo Lwin Farmers Ask Government about Arrested Protesters
Nov 2, 2016
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Htay Hla Aung, Eleven
Farmers in Pyin Oo Lwin Township, Mandalay Region, asked government about the prosecution of farmers who staged a ploughing protest on their seized farmland. Pyin…
Colombia: Analysis of the Conflict and Impact of the Referendum on Agriculture
Nov 2, 2016
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Luis Alfonso Moreno Ayala, Government of Colombia
The Colombian Government, in its efforts to achieve a ceasefire and lasting peace, managed to reach an agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia…
South Sudan: South Sudan Directs Oil Companies to Reinstate Former Employees
Nov 1, 2016
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Sudan Tribune
South Sudan’s ministry of Petroleum has directed the Joint Operating Companies, a consortium of oil companies operating in the oil sector in the country, to…
China/India: China and India's Slow-Moving Path to 'Water Wars'
Nov 1, 2016
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Satu Limaye, Joel Wuthnow, and Nilanthi Samaranayake, National Interest
China’s September 30 announcement that it would temporarily divert the Xiabuqu—a domestic river that feeds into the mighty Brahmaputra running from Tibet through Northeast India…
Myanmar: Myanmar Seizes over 27,000 Tons Illegal Timber in 7 Months
Oct 31, 2016
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Xinhua
Myanmar authorities seized over 27,000 tons of illegal logs and timber in the first seven months of the 2016-17 fiscal year, the the Ministry of…
Afghanistan: How Opium Fuels the Taliban’s War Machine in Afghanistan
Oct 28, 2016
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Hashim Wahdatyar, Diplomat
The nexus between the Taliban and opium cultivation stems from the establishment of its regime. In 1997, only Pakistan and Saudi Arabia recognized the Taliban…
Myanmar: From Secret Meetings to Public Exhibitions: A New Era of Environmental Activism
Oct 28, 2016
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Samuel Schlaefli, Myanmar Times
Environmental activists have enjoyed more freedom since the “opening up” of the country five years ago, but challenges remain – especially regarding access to information.…
Colombia: Colombia’s Coca Growers Fear New Peace Accord
Oct 27, 2016
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Erika Piñeros, IRIN
In the wake of the shock referendum result earlier this month that derailed the peace agreement between the government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Mosul Battle Shows Link between War and Environmental Degradation, Says UN agency
Oct 27, 2016
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Chris Mooney, Washington Post
The United Nations Environment Programme is highlighting the battle by Iraqi forces to reclaim Mosul from the Islamic State as the latest instance in the complex but very…
South Sudan: Following the Herd: How Cows Fuelled the War in South Sudan, and How They Can Consolidate the Peace
Oct 27, 2016
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Simon Allison, Daily Maverick
As South Sudan struggles with the aftermath of its bloody civil war, the fate of its estimated 12-million cattle will be crucial in helping the…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Sulfur Dioxide Plume Moving Across Iraq, Satellite Images Show
Oct 27, 2016
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Elizabeth McLaughlin, ABC News
New images released by NASA show a dangerous sulfur plume moving across northern Iraq in the wake of the battle to retake Mosul. As the…
Iraq/Kurdistan: Mosul Battle Brings Environmental Damage, with Serious Impacts on Health, Prospects of Recovery
Oct 27, 2016
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UNEP
Civilians in Northern Iraq are falling victim to additional suffering - including near suffocation and respiratory illnesses - due to what appears to be a…