Rio Tinto’s biodiversity accounting comes up short in Madagascar

Rio Tinto says that it will have a net positive impact on biodiversity wherever it does business. In Madagascar — one of the world’s 34 biodiversity hotspots — Rio Tinto’s net positive impact strategy relies on a series of assumptions that are increasingly being questioned. Through local subsidiary Qit Minerals Madagascar (QMM), it operates the world’s largest ilmenite mine along the island’s southeastern coast, in a unique and fragile ecosystem comprised of littoral forest and wetlands. Post by Amy Glass, MAAPD student in madagascar.

Why do some projects work?

“Projects” are not very fashionable in development circles these days – least of all simple projects that do simple, practical things like fixing and building. It seems that for many people practical projects are more important, or perhaps just more real, than abstract ideas like governance, policy, gender equity, participation and empowerment. Post by Graeme MacRae, an New Zealand anthropologist who does research in Bali, Java and South India.

Climate change and development

The issue of climate change and development is starting to come together quite sharply. Two recent reports by Oxfam and CARE bring out the problem in its starkest reality. The reports look at the effects of climate change on human migration, and the difficulty of equitably achieving a sufficient cut in greenhouse gas emissions.

Gender and accountability is important – but don’t mention the war

UNIFEM have put out two reports in the last few weeks. The first is 'Voicing the needs of Women and Men in Gaza', the gender needs survey for the Gaza strip, and the second is 'Who Answers to Women?: Gender and Accountability'. These two reports highlight the problems that a UN agency has in dealing with contentious issues which involve member governments: that is, they cannot be criticised even obliquely.

UN Agency for Women – Bargaining with Patriarchy

The idea of a multi-tasking UN women’s agency that is long in teeth (being able to push for women’s rights and gender equality effectively) and well-sourced to deliver programs has been much discussed under the rubric of UN reform. The UN Reform itself came into being after years of the UN system being charged by critics as overly bureaucratic and inefficient. Listed along with sustainable development and human rights, gender was identified as one of those cross-cutting issues which must be an integral part of the UN system.

Upcoming seminars and news

• Great TED.com talk by William Kamkwamba from Malawi on building a windmill for his family when he was 14. Wired article here and William's blog here. #
• Interesting opinion piece in the New York Times about Obama's mother's (Ann Dunham Soetoro) work as an anthropologist in Central Java. #
• Joyce Wu presents "The Roar on the Other Side of Silence: A pre-fieldwork presentation for a multi-country research on sexual violence in conflict/post-conflict situation". Centre for International Governance & Justice (CIGJ), Regulatory Institutes Network, the Australian National University. At Coombs Extension Lecture Theatre, Bldg 8, Room 1.04. Tuesday 11 August 2009, 12.30pm - 1.30pm. #
• Check out this TED talk by engineer Michael Pritchard, who invented a portable water filter that filters down to 15 nanometers. While the initial cost looks high (over $100), running costs are only .5c per day. The comments and discussion that follow the video are interesting. #
• If you haven't heard of peepoo bags, check it out now!! Promises to revolutionise sanitation, and potentially offers a real solution for the 2.6 billion people without access to hygienic toilets. They've thought of everything: biodegradable, cheap, breaks down fast, turns into fertiliser, light, and can be used anywhere ... #
• RegNet Seminar: 'Addressing Gender Health Inequalities in Timor-Leste: Governance Reform and The Right to Health'. Ms Clíonadh O'Keeffe, PhD Candidate, Global Women's Studies, School of Political Science and Sociology, National University of Ireland, Galway. Coombs Extension Lecture Theatre (Building 8, room 1.04), 12.30pm - 1.30pm, Tuesday, 28 July 2009. #
• Seminar, Bob Douglas Lecture Theatre, NCEPH (entrance via Eggleston Road). Kizzy Gandy, PhD student. The political economy of foreign aid: the ‘why’ and the ‘how’. 21 April 2009, 12.30pm – 1.30pm. #