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The Environment is a major concern in many Asian countries. ResearchSEA is launching Focus on The Environment to highlight the experts and research related to the Environment.

View article 'The Environment'

Rising demand for the dominant form of renewable energy worldwide – wood – could drive yet more acquisitions of land in developing countries where food insecurity is rising and land rights are weak, say researchers at the International Institute for Environment and Development.

View article 'Rising demand for renewable energy could drive more land grabs, warn researchers '

The global biofuels market is worth US$240B by 2020 according to Pike Research Cleantech Market Intelligence (2009). The conference is a platform to discuss the next generation of biofuels, algal biofuels and cover opportunities and challenges of building a biofuels industry.

View article 'LEADING EXPERTS TO MEET IN SINGAPORE FOR CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE BIOFUELS'

Summaries of newsworthy papers - Chemical Biology: Biofuels by bugs; Geoscience: Weakness in the San Andreas Fault

View article 'Neuroscience: I’m a quitter '

“Reefs at Risk Revisited” report presents comprehensive analysis threats to coral reefs.

View article '75% of World’s Coral Reefs Currently Under Threat, New Analysis Finds'

Researchers at the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute are harnessing new physical principles in their search for the breakthroughs that will drive the next technological revolution.

View article 'The physics of a sustainable society revolution'

Summaries of newsworthy papers: Why benzodiazepines can be addictive, A framework for future research and assessment, Gas-rich early galaxies, Protein link to insulin production, Grass genome sequenced, Ferroelectricity in a simple molecular crystal, Zonal flow in the Earth’s core and Direct mass measurements beyond uranium

View article 'IPCC: Cherish it, tweak it or scrap it?'

Nature's News Feature's this week highlights uncertainties in four key areas of climate science: precipitation, regional climate predictions, palaeoclimate data and aerosols and takes a look at five of the technical challenges involved in blending the sciences of engineering and biology.

View article 'Features: The real holes in climate science; Five challenges for synthetic biology '

WMO Secretary General, ICTP Director to sign agreement on Thursday 6 August, 9 am, ICTP Adriatico Guesthouse, Trieste*

View article 'ICTP, World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to launch South Asian Climate Outlook Forum'

Summaries of newsworthy paper include They know where you are, Sealing the past, Bright skies spell bad news?, Sniffing out sickness, Shake, rattle, control, Dengue virus host factors identified, Probing enormous exotic molecules and Don’t judge an asteroid by its colour

View article 'Carbon cycle: China’s terrestrial carbon balance '

Additions to the genome map yield important clues on how plants respond and adapt to adverse environmental conditions

View article 'Making sense of the antisense'

Fed up of years of arguments about the pros and cons of GM crops, the African Union brought together key individuals and institutions to discuss the issue ; A new generation of lithium-ion batteries, coupled with rising oil prices and the need to address climate change, has sparked a global race to electrify transportation.

View article 'A fruitless campaign ; The future is Lithium'

In a press conference on Thursday, 20 November, Prof. Darah Ibrahim from Universiti Sains Malaysia a new chemical free paper recycling technology which uses sugar cane and palm oil waste to absorb ink from the paper to be recycled.

View article 'Press conference - ‘New Dimension in Paper Recycling Technology: Bioenzymatic Deinking’ '

Japanese plant biologists have provided the first molecular evidence that when plants are in combat with environmental stressors they are less able to battle invading pathogens.

View article 'Crosstalk in plant resistance'

As part of its participation in the awareness campaign on the global issue of climate change, the U.P. College of Law conducted an experts dialogue to enlighten people about climate change in general and to update them on the steps the local and international leaders are doing to prevent its damaging effects to people and the environment.

View article 'The Philippines’ Response to Climate Change'

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is produced whenever fossil fuels are burned. RIKEN chemists have developed a catalyst that should allow carbon dioxide to be used as a versatile synthetic chemical.

View article 'Copper catalyst recycles carbon dioxide'

In Jakarta, Indonesia, a program to convert sediment from gutters into bricks is transforming a public health hazard into a resource that fills a social purpose while generating income for the community.

View article 'Breaking the Cycle of Urban Poverty'

A special issue of Nature this week tackles science in the US election, exploring how John McCain and Barack Obama developed their stances on science; who is advising them on technical issues; and where they might take the country if elected.

View article 'US election special '

Last week, at the CopenMind exhibition in Copenhagen, the latest research into Clean Technology was exhibited. Some of the research from Asia included using waste produced by the electronics industry to convert wasted heat into electricity, using hydrogen energy in agriculture, plans for cheap solar energy and more.

View article 'Latest research into Clean Technologies'

This paper focuses on the adaptation strategies of developing countries and the possible adaptation options available for Southeast Asia.

View article 'Adaptation to Climate Change: Needs and Opportunities in Southeast Asia'

The greatest challenge in paper recycling is removal of polymeric ink and coating; and the most difficult paper is mixed office wastepaper. Traditional deinking processes involve large quantities of chemicals which are expensive and unfriendly to the environment. A better alternative would be a technology that involves biological intervention.

View article 'Environmental friendly technology to remove ink stain in paper recycling '

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Practical cloaking devices, Biofuels: A genomic approach, Key receptor identified for HCMV infection, A two-faced drug, A trick to conjure with, Solid at the core, Changing cycles and Spooky speed limit

View article ' 'Hidden' cholera much more widespread than thought'

UPM researchers have found a process to use the nutrient rich aquaculture sediment waste to produce microalgal biomass, which can be harvested for health and functional foods, feed additives and soil conditioner while reducing environmental pollution from aquaculture waste.

View article 'Natural Booster Kit for High Quality Microalgal Production'

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Immunology: Avoiding attack when not stressed and Methods: Sex in bacteria for genome-wide interaction screens

View article 'Timing rapid climate change '

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Ecology: The unrealized power of parasites, Materials: Flexible electronic networks of carbon nanotubes and Astrophysics: Accretion disks show their true colours

View article 'China’s Challenges and Understanding arsenic cycles in Southeast Asia'

This research from USM enables valuable carotenes to be recovered from polluting palm oil mill effluent, thus creating a cheap source of carotenes. The global market for carotenoids is at USD 1 billion, rising by 2.9 per cent annually.

View article 'Recovery of Green and Healthy Antioxidant from Palm Oil Mill Waste'

In the future, we hope to use advanced multi-core processor to create high-performance cell phones driven by solar batteries, safer, comfortable and energy-saving automobiles, small, quiet desktop super-computers and small food generating robots driven by sunlight.

View article 'ECO Computer by Solar Battery– Leading edge multicore technology –'

WHILE the G8 continues to make more promises on how to save the world, a Malaysian is putting his money where his mouth is. Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal of the well-known EmKay group took the initiative to launch the Belum Rainforest Research Centre last week.

View article '130 million years of Belum, let's keep it around longer'

Brunei: The Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre was set up by Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) deep in the country's unspoiled jungle as an international focus for research into the threatened rainforests of Borneo.

View article 'The Kuala Belalong Field Studies Centre'

In a press conference today, USM unveiled their new product made from starch, rubber and plastic waste which will degrade in just 3 - 6 months when exposed to microbes, air and sunlight and costs only RM5 (USD1.50) per kg

View article 'USM produces low cost environmentally-friendly plastic'

On July 21, RIKEN will host a science session entitled “Drought-tolerant plants: helping the world to cope with global warming” at EuroScience Open Forum 2008 (ESOF2008) held in Barcelona, Spain.

View article 'Media Invitation - Drought-tolerant plants: helping the world to cope with global warming'

Malaysia produce 70 million tons of organic wastes annually. Most of these are either incinerated or dumped in landfill and both of which have serious impact on the environment. A research is conducted at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak to reutilise the wastes and explore their potential as energy sources.

View article 'Microwaving Waste Goodbye'

Borneo's Dolphins are finally getting the attention they needed. On 15 May 2008, a collaborative effort for the conservation of these animals was forged between Sarawak Shell Berhad, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Sarawak Forestry Corporation.

View article 'Sarawak Dolphin Conservation Project'

The belief that we can find a way to fully avoid all the serious threats of climate change pervades the political arenas of the G8 summit and UN climate meetings. This is false optimism, and it is obscuring reality, says a Commentary in Nature Reports Climate Change this week.

View article 'Climate policy: Squaring up to reality'

Peatlands are the most extensive natural wetland ecosystems in South East Asia. They play an important role in climate regulation. Peatland reclamation for agriculture disrupts this role. UNIMAS is currently working on a sustainable management of the peatlands in Sarawak that would benefit the ecosystem and its dependent communities.

View article 'Sustainable Management of Tropical Peatland'

Pampanga River is the 4th largest basin in the Philippines and is susceptible to ecological imbalance due to pollution and natural changes. Scientists at UP Diliman used the IBI method and concluded the river has fair to excellent water quality for aquatic life though dominated by fish that can endure extreme changes in water condition.

View article 'The Philippines Pampanga River Scores well in IBI ecological test'

This new publication by the NAM S&T Centre exposes the difficulties of agricultural output, faced by mostly dry and saline parts of the world due to scarcity of clean water and fertile land for crop production.

View article 'Crop and Forage Production Using Saline Waters'

The Group of 77 (G-77) have approved a multi-lateral collaborative project on ‘Sustainable Rainwater Harvesting and Ground Water Recharge in Developing Countries - HRD and Technology Transfer’ for implementation by the NAM S&T Centre

View article 'Sustainable Rain Water Harvesting and Ground Water Recharge: New Multilateral Collaborative Project approved by G-77'

Urban areas of Indonesia generate about 55,000 tons of solid waste every day. Only about 50 to 60 percent of the waste is collected, and landfill sites are mostly open dumps. The IDRC-backed initiatives are looking at new ways of managing solid waste in slums, through innovative collection, separation, and disposal mechanisms.

View article 'Community Solutions for Indonesia's Waste'

Spectacular rice terraces, some of which are thought to be more than 1,000 years old, are the landscape signature of Ifugao Province in the northern Philippines. The new issue of Rice Today combines anthropology and photography to explore the cultural and scientific significance of rice farming in this fascinating place.

View article 'Bird’s-eye views of an enduring rice culture: stunning photography sheds light on an age-old way of life'

Local governments should start taking action now and begin implementing climate change adaptation and mitigation policies to cushion the impact of climate change, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Chair of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said during a video-conference held on November 2, 2007 at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT).

View article 'IPCC Calls on Governments to Address Climate Change'

Ottawa, Canada, December 10, 2007 – Recognizing the serious consequences of climate change for development, the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) is helping developing countries adapt by supporting research and strengthening local institutions so they can better prepare for an uncertain future.

View article 'Adapting to Climate Change: IDRC at COP 13 in Bali '

The political impact of climate change in Australia and the United States is the focus of a collection of News Features in Nature this week.

View article 'Climate and politics in the spotlight'

Yongxuan from Guangzhou in southern China told the meeting that pollution-control regulations appeared to be doing little to clean up her country’s severely degraded rivers, while Gerald from Accra pointed out that much of the Ghanaian capital’s wastewater is dumped directly into the ocean.

View article 'Farmers Have Their Say “Where the Water World Meets”'

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Moonlets create waves around Saturn, Neuroscience: The future’s bright, Cancer: Host of new genes spotted, Explosive spectrometry, Developmental biology: The eyes have it, Physics: See how they run, Auxin’s roots, Nuclear physics: Extending the drip line and Lévy flights called into question

View article 'Climate policy: Time to ditch Kyoto '

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam – The world’s major rice-producing nations – including China and India – are calling for closer collaboration in efforts to feed Asia’s billions of rice consumers in the face of unprecedented new challenges.

View article 'Rice-producing nations call for increased focus on production'

Hydrogen ions produced in very hot water are used in the eco-friendly hydrolysis of cellulose. Other research highlights from Nature China include Gadd45a regulation, Stem-cell transplantation: Cut risks to the bone, Asian dust: Where the dust settles, Quantum dots: Two is not a crowd, Thin films: The stress test

View article 'Biomass conversion: A hot-water treatment'

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Killer asteroid shower identified, Protein duo make up tip links, Clue to HIV vaccine success, Materials: Tickle me!, SYNERGY sheds light on gene evolution, Symbiotic evolution: Host genes incorporated and finally… Jaws II

View article 'Potential tsunami risk in the Bay of Bengal'

As the economical and technological growth of China increases exponentially, the country has a great opportunity to become an environmentally clean society.

View article 'A clean future for China'

Asian Institute of Technology aims to focus its work on six areas : information and communications technology for development; food and aquatic systems (bio-resources); urban and rural sustainability (climate change); the Asian model of management; water; and robotic and sensor networks for an intelligent environment.

View article 'A bio-driven future'

Determination of the diet composition of 15 fish species in the Visayan Sea reveals unlimited food resources and a wide range of habitats available to fish communities.

View article 'Plenty of food in the sea'

Researchers at the University of the Philippines have found that mass or individual selection may not be the best method for improving the traits for sea urchin populations. Genetic improvement of performance traits is important for growth, survival and economic gains to the fish farmer.

View article 'Improving genetic traits of sea urchin populations'

Three management schemes were applied to mangrove forests in five municipalities in Lingayen Gulf. The schemes were successful in improving the mangrove forest conditions but encountered setbacks due to financial limitations and minimal community participation.

View article 'Mangrove rehabilitation in the Philippines'

Researchers in Universiti Sains Malaysia developed Bio-Coat from oil palm empty fruit bunches as an alternative to commercial geosynthetic and geotextile materials for slope protection, reinforced earth wall and other soil improvement uses.

View article 'Bio-Coat for Reinforced Earth Material'

A new kabuli chickpea variety, Gokce, developed by the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA), in collaboration with Turkish national scientists, has withstood severe drought in Turkey and produced an impressive yield in adverse weather conditions.

View article 'New Chickpea Variety Survives Drought in Turkey'

The haze of air pollution over the Indian Ocean may be causing as much lower atmospheric warming as the recent increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gases, a Nature study suggests. Summaries of newsworthy papers include Earthquakes: Love and stress, Deep brain stimulation in a minimally conscious state and Tunable light sources lose their mirrors

View article 'Climate change: Brown haze spells bad news'

Summaries of newsworthy papers include Climate change: Don’t blame the weatherman, Pressure in the Amazon, Tectonics: Rift of difference, Materials: Graphene oxide ‘paper’ is super strong and Quantum physics: Entangling atom pairs

View article 'Climate: A bigger picture'

Universiti Putra Malaysia's researchers have produced MBSofax, an array of newly synthesized ‘fine organics’ originated from palm oil and its fractions. It is suitable for use in the cosmetics, food, drugs, pharmaceuticals and other chemical industries.

View article 'Green Palm-Based Fine Organics for Industry'

The latest from Rice Today, the magazine of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

View article 'Coping with climate change—the continuing battle to feed the world’s rice consumers. '

They are unlikely heroes — poor families who eke out a living fishing by lantern-light. Yet, they have been recognized internationally for their efforts to conserve the marine environment on the Danajon Bank in the Central Philippines.

View article 'Heroes of Danajon Bank'

Tobacco is a crop as addictive to growers in the developing world as it is to any user. For them, dependency is economic rather than physical or psychological – but while ready cash is attractive, farmers are beginning to realize that growing tobacco is threatening the health of their families, their land, and their local ecosystems.

View article 'Cutting Down Tobacco'

NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) scientists have identified a major new source of wheat germplasm tolerant of aluminium toxicity, paving the way for the breeding of new bread wheat varieties able to grow in acid soils.

View article 'Scientists identify wheat germplasm suitable for acid soils'

A ‘dig’ at a former rubbish tip in Sydney is providing scientists with the clues needed to determine the level of greenhouse emissions from wood products in landfills.

View article 'Sydney ‘dig’ to determine greenhouse emissions from landfills'

Mary Robinson, a former President of Ireland and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, will call today for policymakers to adopt an approach to climate change that is rooted in the international human rights framework.

View article 'Former Irish President Mary Robinson calls for human-rights approach to climate change policy'

The focus of this paper is on two activities that are related to the management of international river basins. The first of these is a scientific report, which is now more than five years old and focuses on the management of the waters of this region of the Middle East. The second is the Rosenberg International Forum on water policy

View article 'MANAGING INTERNATIONAL RIVER BASINS PRINCIPLES AND CRITERIA'

Nuclear forensics, Global cooling preceded life on Earth, DNA degradation link to rheumatoid arthritis, Lampreys, the supreme survival specialists, The conductivity of mantle minerals, Largest avian skull runs rings around agility theory

View article 'Honeybee genome sequenced'

Los Baños, Philippines – The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) continues to repair extensive damage caused last Thursday (September 28) by the worst typhoon in more than a decade to hit the world-famous agricultural research center.

View article 'Typhoon Blasts Rice Research Institute'

New Delhi, India – More income for the world’s millions of poor rice farmers and consumers is the first goal of a major new revamp to the agenda of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) – the largest and most successful international agricultural research institute in Asia.

View article 'A New Vision for International Rice Research Attacks the Roots of Poverty '

Being the world largest producer of palm oil, Malaysia generates a huge quantities of oil palm biomass. This research project aims to develop a technology to convert palm oil biomass to green fuel using supercritical water technology.

View article 'GREEN FUEL FROM PALM OIL BIOMASS'

Oil constitutes more than 90 percent of all transport fuels and 35 percent of the world’s primary energy demand – no doubt, the world economy is addicted to oil and the Gulf countries have what everybody is longing for: They possess a breathtaking 61 percent of worldwide reserves and contribute 30 percent of production.

View article 'Geostrategic Oil Interests and the Gulf'

Cell biology: Understanding ageing, Planetary science: Asteroids show signs of ageing, Volcanology: The heat is on explosive eruptions, Cancer: Two faces of p53, Synthetic chemistry: Special protection, Fluid dynamics: Flows stay smooth, Bottom-dwellers use nitrate to survive in mud

View article 'Earth sciences: Strange brew'

Some three million people die from water-related diseases each year. This research from the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) in Argentina is beneficial to millions. On sunny days, the SOLWATER reactor is able to disinfect about 20 litres of water in four to six hours.

View article 'Solar-treated water '

Richard Mukabana has collected empirical data that dispels the myth that bush clearing can control mosquitoes and has assembled crucial evidence that provides a basis for amending a policy that is not practical or effective in tropical Africa.

View article 'Mosquitoes and malaria in Africa'

In Vietnam, there is a saying “Forest is gold”, sadly, this treasury is being illegally looted. Yet, for thousands of years, every group of people have accumulated experiences of using plants as medicines. The knowledge which is not yet recorded in any books, is at the most serious risk of loss.

View article 'Forest is Gold'

Say goodbye to shiny noses and acne. This new invention by Malaysian scientists allows you to get rid of unwanted facial oil without damaging the environment - the world’s first biodegradable facial oil blotting film.

View article 'Biodegradable Cosmetics'

Landslides and erosion bring much grief and suffering to people in many parts of the world. To alleviate this problem, researchers have developed a cheap and practical solution which uses palm oil and rubber wastes to control the top soil and slope stability.

View article 'Palm oil and rubber wastes to stop landslides'

Researchers in Australia are developing a non-invasive way of telling how old a whale is, by scooping up the skin flakes it sheds into the sea, according to a News Exclusive in Nature this week. If they succeed, then one of the key arguments in favour of killing whales for scientific research will be dead in the water.

View article 'Could dandruff save the whales?'

The recent fish kill that wiped out 80% of the fish cages in Lake Taal, Batangas with an estimated loss of P50 million was caused by a phenomenon known as lake overturn, according to specialists of the Los Baños-based PCAMRD

View article 'Science Council Explains "Fish Kill" Phenomenon in the Philippines'

One of the most controversial chemicals on the planet is set to make a comeback as a prime weapon in the fight against malaria in Africa, reports a special News Feature in the August issue of Nature Medicine.

View article 'The return of DDT'

Summaries of newsworthy papers for Nature VOL.442 NO.7100 including Astrophysics: Nova again, Geology: How the Red Sea is parting again, Biology: Unexpected inheritance, Materials chemistry: Graphite unpeeled and finally... Pack it in!

View article 'Top predators are crucial for binding ecosystems together'

Tiger conservationists are trying a more business-like approach to saving the threatened species. In a “faking it” style test, a social scientist has fooled a panel of physicist judges into believing that he is an experienced gravitational wave physicist. Weblogs written by scientists are relatively rare, but some of them are proving popular.

View article 'Conservation by numbers, Faking it for physicists, Top five scientists’ blogs'

Universiti Sains Malaysia researchers have invented a unique and novel system that can produce hydrogen inside a car using waste aluminium metal and sodium hydroxide.

View article 'Cheap and safe production of hydrogen fuel '

Summaries of newsworthy papers in Nature: Thymus bipotent precursor cells found, Cell regeneration in mammalian inner ear, Eavesdropping yields benefits, T-cell link to cancer, The hole story, Cellular spaces fuse into blood vessels, Pump up the bandwidth

View article 'Earthquakes: When is the next big one on the southern San Andreas fault?'

A circular phase separation tank/system, with inclined coalescence frustums for efficient removal of oil and grease and suspended solids from wastewaters, has been developed and tested.

View article 'New invention for removal of oil and grease from wastewaters'

This paper examines the potential for improved water productivity in rainfed and irrigated agriculture as well as in the marginal drylands, with examples of on-farm water management, germplasm improvement and agronomic practices within an integrated natural resource management framework.

View article 'Opportunites for producing more food with less water in dry areas'

Case studies in Iran shows that all agriculture management cases based on sustainable development, resulted in increased yield. Researchers in India show the integrated use of geophysical techniques for sustainable management of ground water

View article 'Sustainable development: agricultural management and groundwater recharge'

Summaries of newsworthy papers from Nature Vol 441, No 7093 including Virology: Hide-and-seek, Protein engineering: OK Computer, Ecology: Grasses grow better in a mix, Organic chemistry: Giving life a hand?

View article 'Climate science: From greenhouse to icehouse, Planetary science: Explaining the hot pole of Enceladus, Palaeontology: Flores tools bear hallmarks of 'Hobbit' lineage, Maps: New subsidence map of New Orleans'

Economic growth of a nation is closely related to its availability of energy. However, development of the Indian energy sector has been constrained by capital, technology, environment, and security issues arising from internal and external circumstances.

View article 'Coal and gas consumption with economic growth: co-integration and causality evidences from India '

Dust and sandstorm (DSS) is the generic term for a phenomenon in Northeast Asia by which strong winds blow a large quantity of dust and fine sand particles away from the ground and carry them over a long distance with severe environmental impacts along the way. This article reviews some of the measures and outlines a strategy to combat DSS.

View article 'Dust and sandstorms in NE Asia: a transboundary environmental problem'

The borehole started to operate in November 2002. Results of the medical examination in Iransha Village settlement showed that human health improved considerably because of the use of fresh water.

View article 'Using underground water in desert region'

The unsaturated zone records shows, compared with the ice core records, that a large-scale climate difference took place between mountain regions and the desert during the 20th century.

View article 'China - Records show large scale climate change'

Land degradation (including desertification in drylands) is estimated to affect at least one-third of the 328 mha geographical area in India.

View article 'Desertification and its control in India'

This study focuses on understanding the oasis desertification process over the last 2000 years, using multi-methods such as historical document, archaeology, remote sensing and GIS. The result shows that the human activities in Minqin Basin can be dated back to the Shajing Culture, a Neolithic culture at around 2600 years ago.

View article 'Development of dryland China from historical view'

In the arid and semi-arid regions, particularly on the degraded lands and lands affected by moving sands, Jatropha curcas L. has proved to be a promising oil-bearing tree. The seeds of this Euphorbiaceae tree contain more than 30 % oil, which can be used for making bio-diesel.

View article 'Jatropha curcas L., an excellent source of renewable energy in the dry areas'

The use of climatic data could help in providing tools for proper pest management through the possibility of forecasting the incidence of pests and diseases, and hence reduce the risk in plant production and help to minimize the amounts of chemicals used to control pests.

View article 'The use of spatial data for integrated agricultural planning and management'

Aeolian desertification is land degradation characterized by wind erosion mainly resulting from the excessive human activities in arid, semiarid and part of sub-humid regions in North China. The research on aeolian desertification has been underway for more than 5 decades leading to the establishment and development of China’s desert science.

View article 'Progress in aeolian desertification in China'

Since 1993 FEDA has worked in Rosetta (coastal area), Wadi Natroun (desert area) and Gamalia district (historic part of Cairo). These fragile ecosystems are well known for their cultural heritage. Both Gamalia and Rosetta have some of the most important Islamic monuments, while Wadi Natroun is known for its famous Coptic Christian monasteries.

View article 'Sustainable development for fragile ecosystems '

Nearly 50% of the arid regions globally, including one-quarter of the irrigated land, one-half of the rainfed cropland and three-quarters of the rangeland, are estimated to be degraded. Unless this trend is checked, the food security of the people in the dry areas will continue to be under threat.

View article 'Future challenges to the sustainable use of natural resources in the dry areas '

Researchers studying the Malaysian Short-Nosed Fruit Bat found that their body size and genetic makeup is determined by where they live.

View article 'Fruit Bats in Borneo: Size matters (picture attached)'

This technology from Universiti Sains Malaysia won a Gold Award at the recent Malaysian Technology Expo (MTE 2006). For example 74.2 ppm copper in an industrial wastewater sample is reduced to less than 1.0 ppm and more than 95% gold can be recovered from an initial concentration of 500 ppm in 3 hours

View article 'New process to remove metals from wastewater'

The tree frogs of the genera Polypedates and Rhacophorus are new to science and were discovered by researchers on two mountains in Borneo (Gunung Murud and Gunung Gading) (Pictures attached)

View article 'Two new species of tree frogs found in Borneo'

The crossbred cattle are unable to adjust to the harsh climate and are more prone to many diseases thus making the cross breeding program a failure. As a result some of the best breeds of Rajasthan like, Tharparkar, Rathi, Nagori have declined significantly in number.

View article 'Conservation and improvement of indigenous cattle in Rajasthan state'

Madagascar has just added 1 million hectares to its protected area network, helping to protect the island's forests and the animals that live there (lemurs, geckos, etc.). This is part of the country's larger goal to set aside more than 10 percent of the Madagascar's wild lands in protected areas.

View article 'New Protected Areas Keep Madagascar’s Conservation Vision On Track'

This paper reflects upon the recent vigorous empirical and policy debate about whether significant mineral endowments are a blessing or a curse for the large number of developing nations that possess them.

View article 'Are minerals a blessing or a curse? '

India is the third-largest coal miner after China and the US. This paper examines the illegal coal economy, attempts to explain it, provides some policy suggestions and an estimate of the amount of coal supplied in this manner throughout the eastern Indian coalfields of Jharkhand and West Bengal.

View article 'The coal cycle: small-scale illegal coal supply in eastern India '

The concept of organic farming seeks to re-establish the balance of energy in Nature without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides. This is mainly based upon traditional methods derived on sound ecological principles. In the present paper, such methods were reviewed in the Jammu and Kashmir area.

View article 'Organic farming: Concept and its prospective in Jammu and Kashmir '

The Indus river, Pakistan's major river, supplied water to one of the earliest of all human civilizations, and gave its name to India. But according to a paper in this week's Nature, it was once fed by a source different from today's.

View article 'Hydrogeology: When rivers ran backwards'

Why do power sector problems persist in Bangladesh? What can be done to solve them? This report assesses the barriers to accelerated electrification - in particular the barriers to rural electrification – and puts forward practical recommendations.

View article 'Electricity for All - Access to power in Bangladesh'

This is the first research in Malaysia and in the world that uses oil palm biomass as an ash glaze. Aside from being cost efficient, this glaze is also aesthetically pleasing compared to the usual commercial glazes.

View article 'Eco Oil Palm Ash Glaze - An economical glaze from oil palm biomass for ceramics productions.'

This paper highlights a new method to detect damage of buildings after a severe natural disaster using middle resolution images resulting in wider coverage and lower cost.

View article 'Natural disaster damage maps can help bring aid to victims'

Compared to conventional systems, this hybrid system provides superior comfort conditions because of substantial radiant heat transfer, low air draft and low humidity level

View article 'New economical, alternative air conditioning system for humid tropical climates'

A solid acid catalyst that can convert vegetable oils into 'biodiesel' fuel could replace the expensive and inefficient process used today, according to a Brief Communication in this week's Nature.

View article 'Green chemistry: Efficient catalyst for making 'biodiesel''

Voltage fluctuations have been minimized, greater supply made available, and costs reduced. All this was achieved through the ABT (availability-based tariff) introduced in 2000.

View article 'How price reform revolutionized the operational discipline of India's power sector'

Mining is carried out in India in different geological, topographical, and climatological settings. As a result, a variety of environmental management practices, suitable for individual mineral deposits and locations have been developed.

View article 'A review of the environmental management practices in the Indian mining sector'

Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is the most important water-soluble cellulose derivative with many application in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, detergent, textile, paper and many other industries.

View article 'Waste to Gold – From Oil Palm Biomass to EcoPalm CMC'

In the scenario of imminent energy crises fuelled by huge import bills and rising prices of petro-based products, biofuels seem to be options of the future.

View article 'Scope of biofuel plantation as a livelihood option: case study from Jharkhand and Orissa in India'

The agreement set a target of 2010 for “securing a constant and significant reduction in the current rate of loss of great ape populations and their habitats; and, by 2015, securing the future of all species and subspecies of great apes in the wild.”

View article 'Wildlife Conservation Society applauds new international agreement to save great apes'

The cyclone which struck Bangladesh on the night of 29-30, April, 1991 was particularly severe causing widespread damage, killing 138,882 people.Total loss has been estimated at US$2.07 billion dollars for all sectors.

View article 'Cyclone In Bangladesh: Response and Preparedness '

Dioxin levels in chicken eggs from Peshawar was almost 3-times higher than the background levels and levels of DDT was more than four and a half times higher than the EU limit

View article 'Contamination of Chicken Eggs Near the Dump Site on The Edge of Peshawar, Pakistan by dioxins, PCBs and Hexachlorobenzene'

The low-lying coastal areas are particularly vulnerable, thus placing these population, infrastructure, agriculture, livestock and economic development in a high-risk situation.

View article 'CYCLONE DISASTER MITIGATION IN BANGLADESH'

Many observers have attempted to persuade Bangladesh that there exist multiple energy sources available at reasonable cost and that, accordingly, the government should approve the export of natural gas. That is not our conclusion.

View article 'Energy Policy for Bangladesh'

The possibility of higher concentration of contaminants in buses and air-conditioned buildings pose potential health problems to users and occupants.

View article 'Assessment of Air Quality in Air-conditioned Buildings and Urban Buses'

Palm oil and kitchen wastes used as raw materials for the production of biodegradable plastics.

View article 'Wealth From Waste - Biogas and Biomass From Oil Palm for New Bio products'

An array of newly synthesized 'fine organics' originated from palm oil and its fractions for the chemical industry.

View article 'New 'Green' Palm-Based Fine Organics for Industry'

Internet-based ecotourism site rating expert system

View article 'Adaptation of Econet: Internet Based Malaysian Ecotourism Network & Site Rating Expert System'