BLADE

Norwegian development policy to focus on climate, conflict and capital

 

(Photo credit: Amila de Saram Larssen)

 

Amila de Saram Larssen

 

White Paper (#13) on Norwegian development policy was presented by Minister of Development and the Environment, Erik Solheim, in Oslo today.  

The title of the paper loosely translates as, “Climate, conflict and capital: Norwegian development policy in a new environment.”

 

The document seeks to address the new challenges facing the world today such as climate change, conflict and capital. Minister Solheim underscored the fact that the White Paper was not about development aid, but rather about forces driving development in general.  The paper addresses the important role of private investment, remittances, economic crises, etc. in addition to development aid, in bringing about development.

The policy paper has been approved by the government and will be up for debate in parliament at a later date.

The document is not available in English for the moment. 

 

You can watch a webcast of the launch here.

Water rich Nepal plagued by poor power supply

Navin Singh Khadka 

Hydropower development has always been a favourite slogan of Nepalese politicians.

For years they have cited the country’s more than 6,000 gushing rivers and rivulets and sold the Nepalese people the dream of becoming rich by exporting hydroelectricity to power starved India, its neighbor to the South.

Nepal’s water resources indeed have the estimated potential of generating more than 80,000 megawatt of power.

Guyana offers a model for forest preservation for development

(Poul Engberg-Pedersen, Director, NORAD (left) greets President Jagdeo of Guyana (right))

Amila de Saram Larssen

President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana is currently in Norway promoting a national forest initiative to mitigate the ill effects of climate change.

President Jagdeo presented Guyana as a national-scale pilot and put forward a strong economic case for preserving the world’s forests. 

President Jagdeo sees the preservation of the world’s forests as an opportunity for low-carbon sustainable development for his country, and countries like his.  He intends to use money generated from a proposed carbon trading mechanism to finance hydro power initiatives, education, healthcare and income generating activities for the poor and in particular the indigenous, forest dwelling communities of Guyana.

Interview with Justin Lin, World Bank Chief Economist

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Per-Ivar Nikolaisen of Bistandsaktelt interviews Justin Lin on the the World Bank's response to the current financial crisis, the role of China in the mitigation of the crisis and Lin's personal experience as the first non-European chief economist of the World Bank.  The interview took place at Litteraturhuset in Oslo on January 12, 2009.

Climate change: what’s all the fuss about?

 

(Photo credit: G.M.B. Akash)

Alex Kirby, of Panos London provides a good introduction to the issue of climate change.  He looks at the causes of climate change, the likely effects, and various mitigation strategies.  

According to Kirby,  "a serious response to the threat of climate change will need policy choices by and between governments, on both mitigation and adaptation. Preventing climate change is impossible, because the amount of long-lasting greenhouse gases already in the atmosphere means it would continue warming for 30 years or more even if emissions stopped overnight."

Click here to read the full article.

Norway outlines Africa Policy

The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently released a document entitled, “The Platform for an Integrated Africa Policy”.  The document presents an overview of Norwegian cooperation with Africa, and provides a basis for implementing concrete measures.

The Platform underscores Norway’s desire to develop its foreign policy dialogue with African countries on issues such as climate change, conflict resolution, human rights and health.

Coping with climate change in Nyimba, Zambia

Newton Sibanda, Lusaka, Zambia

The people of Nyimba, a remote district about 300km east of the capital Lusaka, are innocent victims of the impact of climate change, a phenomenon they know or understand little about.

Close to 600 families in the district have been hit by hunger following the floods of the last rainy season which destroyed crops, thereby affecting their food security.

Brazil’s Oil Rush

James Onnig Tamdjian

SÃO PAULO – Brazil is poised to take its place among the world’s petro-powers. Estimates of its newfound oil reserves place it in eighth place among oil-producing nations, ahead of Nigeria as well as Brazil’s rival for influence in Latin America,Venezuela. Such newfound wealth is normally a source of celebration. But Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, perhaps fearing the infamous “resource curse” that has blighted the development of so many countries blessed with mineral wealth, is determined that the new oil wealth not be turned into “nonsense.” 

In 2007, huge oil deposits were discovered off Brazil’s coast. Modest estimates put these reserves at around 30 billion barrels. Crédit Suisse and other investment banks say that 50 billion barrels are available. 

The Reality of Aid 2008 report launched in Oslo

(From left to right: Stiaan van der Merwe, Beverly Keene and John Jones)

 

Amila de Saram Larssen

 

The Reality of Aid 2008 Report was presented in Oslo this morning as part of the annual RORG conference 2008.  The report is critical of current development policies and presents the issue of aid effectiveness from a civil society perspective.  

 

The introduction to the report states that, "the reality of aid in 2008 is that it continues to fail to promote human development for the eradication of poverty based on the core values of human rights, democracy, gender equality and environmental sustainability."

 

Testimonies of Living with Poverty

Amila de Saram Larssen

Panos London is known for the innovative ways in which it promotes the participation of poor and marginalized people in national and international development debates through media and communication projects. 

For the Living in Poverty project, Panos London along with local partners, collected a series of oral testimonies from communities in Pakistan, Zambia, Kenya and Mozambique.