(March 4, 2010) Millions of dollars of international aid for victims of the mid-1980s famine in Ethiopia was diverted to rebels to buy weapons in the African country, a BBC investigation reported Wednesday.
Three Gorges reservoir plagued by hazards
(March 6, 2010) The fragile hilly ecosystem near the Three Gorges Reservoir has suffered a series of plights including geologic hazards, stone desertification and water pollution, said a vice-mayor of Chongqing municipality, the Beijing Times reported on Saturday.
Billions for Haiti, a criticism for every dollar
(March 5, 2010) The world’s bill for the Haitian earthquake is large and growing — now $2.2 billion — and so is the criticism about how the money is being spent.
The NS Interview: Dambisa Moyo, economist
(March 5, 2010) Interview with Dambisa Moyo from The New Statesman.com.
BECOL’s mindless meeting
(March 5, 2010) When it comes to the Chalillo Dam, it appears that we are supposed to accept all the outrageous and misleading things we are told and not question the logic or the contradictions of what they say.
Foreign aid that hurts rather than helps
(March 4, 2010) When it comes to giving aid to places like Haiti and Chile, sometimes a helping hand can have unintended consequences. Sabri Ben-Achour reports on the economics of disaster relief.
Beijing’s mirage: A water park in a water-starved city
(March 4, 2010) As Beijing’s water crisis continues to worsen, government officials say they intend to transform the city’s famed Olympic Water Cube into a massive water park, featuring seven-story water slides and a wave machine. Operators of the stadium say the project will cost 200-million yuan ($29-million).
China villagers moved to quench the urban thirst
(March 3, 2010) About 330,000 people are relocating as part of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, which will eventually see water transferred from the wet south to the dry north, where it is desperately needed. It is the biggest mass migration in China since the Three Gorges Dam project, under which some 1.5 million people have been relocated.
Foreign aid takes another blow–this time in Australia
(March 3, 2010) Criticism of the high salaries being offered to contractors working with AusAID, Austrialia’s national aid agency, is the latest example of the increased scrutiny facing aid agencies around the world. The criticism comes after a recent audit showed that a number of aid workers are earning more money than the country’s Prime Minister. And they’re doing so tax-free.
Asia Water Project launches investor report and unveils information portal on China water crisis
(March 1, 2010) Water in China: Issues for Responsible Investors, authored by the independent research company Responsible Research and commissioned by the Asia Water Project (AWP), reveals that at the national level, China’s water shortages are thought to be responsible for direct economic losses of US$35 billion every year. This is 2.5 times the average annual losses due to floods.
Marshall Plan to Haiti? Not so fast.
(March 2, 2010) As calls for a “Marshall Plan for Haiti” continue to make headlines, an increasing number of reports are beginning to ask: is aid the answer? A recent report from PBS interviews a number of aid supporters and critics, asking them if a massive aid program to Haiti is the best option.
China: Dam plans open gates to tough choices ahead
(February 25, 2010) The Nu River flows from the Tibetan highlands through China’s western Yunnan province, cutting between two mountain ranges before rushing through Burma into the Andaman Sea. It is home to a third of the country’s ethnic groups and a diverse ecosystem of 7,000 species of plants and 80 rare or endangered animals and fish. It’s also one of only two major rivers in China yet to be dammed.
Chinese investment good for Africans? Depends on who you ask.
(March 1, 2010) Soaring Chinese investment in Africa has placed the international aid community on high alert. While policymakers around the world debate whether China’s no-strings-attached approach to African investment is good for the continent’s economic development, many onlookers have failed to ask: how do Africans feel about it? A recent poll, "How do Africans see China after all?" by academic Loro Horta, suggests opinion is strongly divided.
Ecuador’s Sovereign Default: A Pyrrhic Victory for Odious Debt?
(February 28, 2010) Ecuador’s strategic default on some of its external debt last year has drawn much commentary and generated passionate reactions. Some commentators who advocate creating a mechanism for addressing odious or illegitimate debt encouraged Ecuador to repudiate its obligations and have generally applauded its decision to do so. For those who are sympathetic to efforts to create such a mechanism, however, this enthusiasm may be misplaced.
Ecuador’s Sovereign Default: A Pyrrhic Victory for Odious Debt?
(February 28, 2010) Ecuador’s strategic default on some of its external debt last year has drawn much commentary and generated passionate reactions. Some commentators who advocate creating a mechanism for addressing odious or illegitimate debt encouraged Ecuador to repudiate its obligations and have generally applauded its decision to do so. For those who are sympathetic to efforts to create such a mechanism, however, this enthusiasm may be misplaced.
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