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Loading ...A Loan to Improve Colombia’s Water and Sanitation Services
Thursday, July 2nd, 2009From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): Colombia will improve its water and sanitation services with assistance from the IDB Program will help to reduce costs and expand service in poor areas The Inter-American Development Bank will support Colombian government efforts to improve water and sanitation services, reduce costs and rates, and expanding coverage, particularly to […]
The Status of Global Renewables
Saturday, May 16th, 2009The Vienna, Austria-based Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century (REN21) has just released its latest review of the global state of adoption of renewable energy sources — solar (both photovoltaics and passive systems, such as solar water heaters), wind, geothermal, wave, biofuels and small hydro (REN21 excludes large hydropower projects from its review). […]
LAC Projects Receive 2009 SEED Award
Wednesday, May 13th, 2009This year’s recipients of the SEED Awards were announced yesterday by the SEED Initiative at a reception linked to this year’s session of the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), and several of the recipients were from Latin America. What is the SEED Award and who is the SEED Initiative? you ask. The Initiative was […]
FONTAGRO to Fund IDB Studies on Climate Change Impact on Agriculture
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB): FONTAGRO extends agreement with IDB The Bank will manage the Fund until 2011 and finance climate change impact studies The Inter-American Development Bank and the Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO, for its initials in Spanish) have extended until 2011 their agreement whereby the IDB will continue to manage […]
Eye on Ads: Promoting Handwashing
Thursday, April 30th, 2009It’s a relatively simple thing that it’s too often overlooked by local sanitary authorities and technical assistance programs, but soooooo important in improving public health and hygiene: getting everyone in the habit of regularly (and properly) washing their hands with soap. Below are two public service ads (PSAs) sponsored by Colombia’s Environment Ministry (MAVDT), originally […]
Culmina armonización andina de requisitos para productos de higiene doméstica y absorbentes de higiene personal
Monday, April 20th, 2009Synopsis in English: The Andean Community (CAN) is putting the finishing touches on the new Community norm to harmonize member states’ (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) sanitary control regimes regarding household and personal hygiene products, such as soaps, detergents, fabric softeners, surface cleansers, stain removers, bleaches, air fresheners, sanitary towels, disposable diapers, tampons, towelettes, etc. To […]
An E-Waste Bill for Colombia
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009After months of rumbling on the issue (here and here), Colombia finally has its first formal proposal to regulate waste electronic and electrical equipment (WEEE or “e-waste” or “e-scrap”) — in this case, in the form of a bill introduced in the Colombian Senate. Whether or not the bill manages to pass before the 2010 […]
An Andean Medicines Policy
Sunday, March 29th, 2009Last Friday the 30th Meeting of the Health Ministers of the Andean Area (RMSAA) agreed on other important health measures — a coordinated epidemiological surveillance system, joint plans to combat HIV/AIDS, protect health in border areas and to combat child malnutrition — but the one that caught my eye was the new Andean Medicines Policy. […]
Air Travelers Can Help Mitigate Climate Change and Reforest Colombia
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009Synopsis in English: Colombians can voluntarily purchase “green shares” for flights on a national air carrier, Aero República, through the offices of the airline and Aviatur offices. The minimum purchase is 5,000 pesos. The money collected through the sale of “green shares” will be used to mitigate climate change through reforestation program for Colombian ecosystems such […]
Protecting Andean High Plateaus from Mining
Friday, March 13th, 2009Should mining be banned from, or severely restricted in, the Andean high plateaus? Most national environment agencies, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), scientists and academic experts in the Andean Community (CAN) nations (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) seem to think so. They argue that without strong restrictions and supervision, mining in the highlands may seriously harm the role the plateaus play […]