Right to water March 17, 2009

The world’s population, currently more than 6.5 billion, is expected to rise to nine billion by mid-century, placing further massive demands on water supplies that are already under strain.

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the number of people living under severe water stress is expected to rise to 3.9 billion by 2030, amounting to nearly half the world’s population. Most of these will live in China and South Asia.

That tally does not include the impacts of climate change. Global warming may already be affecting weather patterns, changing the time and place where rain and snow fall, say some experts.

Around 2.5 billion people today do not have access to decent sanitation, defying one of the targets of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. (AFP)

The challenge of hunger: the 2008 Global Hunger Index March 5, 2009

With high food prices threatening the food security of millions of vulnerable households, hunger and malnutrition are back in the headlines. Some regions have made significant headway in combating hunger and malnutrition, but in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, the Global Hunger Index (GHI) remains high. Food prices appear likely to remain high in the near term, leading to food and nutrition insecurity for poor people. In this risky and changing environment, this paper highlights key trends and the geographic areas of greatest vulnerability.

In order to overcome the crisis, the authors note that specific actors should be assigned to precise responsibilities. In the process, governments and institutions can then be held accountable for their actions. Besides short-term solutions, concerned organisations must also address long-term solutions, such as reforming trade rules and biofuel policies. The paper argues that highlighting the weaknesses of the current world food system would enable the food price crisis to serve as a catalyst for building a more effective food system. Such a system would meet the food and nutrition needs of all people.

For detail read,

The challenge of hunger: the 2008 Global Hunger Index, by Grebmer,K., V.; Fritschel,H.; Nestorova,B