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16 years since conflict ended, Nepal not serious in investigating wartime crimes, abuses

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Kathmandu: The government of Nepal has yet to pursue justice for conflict-era rights abuses or continuing abuses by security forces, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday. 

According to its World Report 2023, the government has not investigated cases of torture, enforced disappearance, or extrajudicial killing; has blocked conflict-related cases from proceeding in the regular courts; and has failed to credibly investigate or prosecute continuing allegations of abuse by the security forces. 

“Lack of justice for conflict-era violations has contributed to a general state of impunity in post-conflict Nepal, undermining respect for human rights and governance across the board,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. 

“The newly-elected government should amend the transitional justice bill to address its shortcomings, bring it back to parliament, and finally move forward with delivering truth, reparations, justice, and guarantees that the abuse will not recur.”

“A new transitional justice bill, to address abuses committed during Nepal’s 1996-2006 civil war, was presented to parliament in August 2022. It raised some hopes among victims and families who have waited over 16 years for justice, but it had significant flaws. These include wording that makes it possible to grant an amnesty for certain gross violations of human rights, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. In addition, verdicts from a new special court would not be subject to judicial appeal, in violation of international fair trial guarantees. The bill was neither amended nor brought to a vote before parliament was dissolved ahead of November elections.”

According to the report, the continuing impunity for conflict-era violations is matched by impunity for ongoing abuses by law enforcement and security forces. “Deaths caused by the use of excessive or unnecessary force while policing protests, as well as deaths in custody allegedly as a result of torture, are rarely if ever credibly investigated.”

On May 18, a 20-year-old Dalit man, Sundar Harijan, died in Rolpa jail in suspicious circumstances while serving another person’s sentence in an apparent case of corruption by prison officials. On June 6, police killed an 18-year-old woman, Nabina Tharu, in Bardiya district, when they opened fire on protesters who were blocking a road using live ammunition.

A series of high-profile rape allegations led to repeated protests and calls to address widespread sexual violence in Nepal. Official statistics show that the number of recorded rapes has risen in recent years. A statute of limitations was extended from one year to two (or three years if the victim is a child), but the limitation remains an obstacle to justice. Victims of conflict-related sexual violence are among those affected.

The rate of child labor increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and UNICEF found that one in five families struggles to feed their children. These problems could be eased if the government fulfilled a commitment to extend the Child Grant social protection program to all districts.

Parliament passed a new citizenship act, but President Bidya Bhandari refused to sign it. If it becomes the law, the act could provide citizenship documents to thousands of people who were excluded under the previous law. However, it still contains provisions that discriminate against women, making it harder for them than for Nepali men to pass Nepali citizenship to their children, leaving millions of people effectively stateless.

( From : Nepal Live Today)

Scholars discuss Conflict, Education and Peace in Nepal during a book launch

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London – A book entitled ‘Conflict, Education and Peace in Nepal: Rebuilding Education for Peace and Development’ has been launched amidst a talk programme at the University College London on Tuesday.

Author of the book, Prof Dr Tejendra Pherali at the Institute of Education, University College London, said that in the book, he has attempted to analyse the impact of the decade-long Maoist insurgency (1996-2006) in Nepal on education sector.

“Many marginalised groups were not able to benefit from the education and narrative of grievances fuelled the ideology of conflict,” said Prof Pherali, adding that promotion of one language and one culture led to the resistance against the hegemony of dominant Nepali language and high caste people.

Drawing upon the example of attacks on educational institutions by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria, Prof Pherali said that teachers have enormous responsibility of child protection in conflict settings. “Where risks are high, temporary closure of schools should be considered. Like in the Covid, alternative education provision is better than continuation of mass education,” he said.

In Nepal, schools served as significant spaces of political-socialisation for the Maoists while students and teachers were victims as well as well-informed active agents of the movement.

The Maoist insurgency and subsequent Madhes uprisings have ruptured the hill-high caste-male dominated social/political system- the voices of the historically maginalised are stronger, said Dr Pherali adding, “equity and justice must be at the centre of educational provisions – yet, in post conflict Nepal, education system largely operates as business as usual.” He called for a systemic change in education in Nepal to ensure sustainable peace and justice.

Commeting upon the book, Dr Uma Pradhan, a faculty member at  the Institute of Education at the University College London said that the  book has brought broader socio political context of Nepal in understanding the education study. During Maoist conflict, schools were major targets of violence. “State schools were seen as symbol of the state while private schools were seen as class enemies by Maoists” said Dr Pradhan adding, “There were extortions and pressure to close down schools. There are several examples in the book  how students were victims and also chose to participate as Maoist cadres. War provided some sort of opportunity to these children.” 

 Professor of Nepal and Himalayan Studies at SOAS, London, Prof Michael Hutt recalled that his Department organised a conference on Nepal in November 2001 to understand the Maoist rebellion. “The rebellion was the product of a particular moment in Nepali history amid frustration among people of marginal communities. Chances of another rebellion do not look likely now though marginalisation of these communities is still there,” he added.

Professor Mario Novelli from University of Sussex said that the book was part personal and part intellectual in nature. “Challenges in Nepal are also challenges in different countries of the world. Conflict doesn’t begin and end within the geography of a particular country. In Sri Lanka, the solution was military one but that would add inequality,” he added.

Ambassador of Nepal to the UK, Gyan Chandra Acharya, said that in his book, Prof Pherali not only looks into the history of conflict, but also looks into the dimension of education and conflict and causes of conflict. Saying that human development and economic progress are mutually reinforcing., Ambassador Acharya said that Nepal is committed to right to education. “We have made progress in terms of net enrolment and gender partiy index but there are huge challenges at secondary, tertiary and inter provincial parity as well as in providing support to ethnic communities,” said Ambassador Acharya adding,” Nepal has made very good progress during post conflict period over the last decade on several fronts. We have come this far thanks to the participation and support of all stakeholders  including international community. Our aim is to promote peaceful and just society which can take everybody on board in terms of prosperity.”

 Professor Brad Blitz, Head of Department, Department of Education, Practice and Society, delivered welcome remarks on behalf of the UCL while co-director of the Centre for Education and International Development, UCL, Professor Elaine Unterhalter, chaired the interaction.

The interaction was followed by Q and A and Nepali supper.

New PM of Nepal secured a decisive vote of confidence

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Kathmandu — Nepal’s newly appointed prime minister secured a decisive vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday with support from both his seven-party coalition and the opposition.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal received the support of 268 of the 270 members who were present in the House of Representatives, the lower house of parliament, in the voting Tuesday.

House Speaker Pashupati Rana announced that Dahal had secured the backing of a majority of lawmakers needed to win the vote of confidence
Dahal was able to convince the opposition Nepali Congress party, once his coalition partner and now the largest political party, to support him in the voting. He held marathon negotiations with leaders of opposition parties prior to the voting.

Dahal, who has named only three deputies and four Cabinet ministers since his appointment, is expected now to expand his government to include more members of the seven coalition parties. (AP)

Delhi air quality remains in ‘severe’ category with an overall AQI at 421

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New Delhi, ANI — Delhi air quality of the national capital continued to be “severe” on Wednesday with an overall Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 421.

Already reeling under a cold wave since the beginning of the New Year, residents in the national capital on Wednesday woke up to another chilly and polluted morning.

According to the System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting And Research (SAFAR), the AQI recorded in the Lodhi Road area on Wednesday morning was 410. At Mathura Road, the AQI was 488 while at Pusa, it was recorded at 425. Air quality in Delhi University area was also in the “Severe” category with AQI at 410.

The AQI around Delhi airport was 434 on Wednesday morning.

Safdarjung base station in the national capital recorded a minimum temperature of 5.9 degrees Celsius this morning. According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the visibility in the Palam area was recorded at 100 metres.

According to the weather forecaster IMD, Delhi experienced the third worst cold spell in the last 23 years and warned that from January 14 there will be a second spell of cold in the national capital.

Speaking to ANI, IMD scientist RK Jenamani said, “A cold spell means the number of days we experienced which is in the range of 5 to 6 days. A similar situation was there in the year 2006 when we had the lowest temperature of 1.9 degrees Celsius. In 2013 also, we had a similar cold spell, and January 3-9 was the third worst cold spell in the last 23 years.”

IMD has also predicted rain, drizzle and snowfall on January 12, and a second spell of cold spell on January 14.

Jenamani said that there will be light rain or drizzle in states like Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Western UP and North Rajasthan.

“For the Himalayan states like Jammu and Kashmir mainly Kashmir, we expect heavy rain or snow on January 12. We expect rain or snowfall in Himachal and Uttarakhand between January 11-14,” he added.

Meanwhile, 10 flights scheduled to depart from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), were delayed today because of reduced visibility due to fog, according to airport sources.Among the flight routes affected by the severe fog were Delhi-Shimla, Delhi-Kathmandu, Delhi-Chennai, Delhi-Jaisalmer, Delhi-Bareilly, Delhi-Mumbai, Delhi-Varanasi, Delhi-Srinagar, Delhi-Jaipur, and Delhi-Guwahati, the sources said.

South Asia remains worse in terms of child mortality in 2021 – UN report

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ISLAMABAD — South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa remained the two worst regions in terms of child mortality in 2021, a new UN report has said.

The report released on Tuesday estimated that around five million children died before the age of five while another 2.1 million children and youth between five and 24 years lost their lives in 2021.

Children continue to face wildly differentiating chances of survival based on where they are born, with sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia shouldering the heaviest burden, the reports show, the report added.

Though sub-Saharan Africa had just 29 per cent of global live births, the region accounted for 56pc of all under-five deaths in 2021, and Southern Asia for 26pc of the total deaths, DAWN writes.

In total, more than 5.0 million children under age 5, including 2.3 million newborns, along with 2.1 million children and youth aged 5 to 24 years – 43 per cent of whom are adolescents – died in 2021. This tragic and massive loss of life, most of which was due to preventable or treatable causes, is a stark reminder of the urgent need to end preventable deaths of children and young people. Sadly, these deaths were mostly preventable with widespread and effective interventions like improved care around the time of birth, vaccination, nutritional supplementation and water and sanitation programmes.

Timely, high-quality and disaggregated data – which allow the most vulnerable children to be identified – are critical to achieving the goal of ending preventable deaths of children. Yet as the COVID-19 pandemic has put into stark light, data of this nature are more the exception than the rule: Just 36 countries have high-quality nationally representative data on under-five mortality for 2021, while about half the world’s countries have no data on child mortality in the last five years. These substantial data gaps pose enormous challenges to policy- and decision-making and prolong the need for modelling mortality from what little data are available. To improve the availability, quality and timeliness of data for monitoring the health and survival situation of children and youth, much greater investments must be made to strengthen data systems.

Holy Cow group opens its ninth branch at Canary Wharf, London

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London – Lord Karan Bilimoria and Ambassador of Nepal to the UK, Gyan Chandra Acharya, have jointly opened the fine dine restaurant  of the Holy Cow Group at Canary Wharf on Monday.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Lord Bilimoria, who is also the President of Confederation of British Industry (CBI), said that it was an occasion to celebrate the entrepreneurial journey and power of integration in the UK.

“It’s also an opportunity to celebrate migration without which the UK won’t have been the sixth largest economy in the world,” said Lord Bilimoria adding,” British Asians value hard work and discipline and have become successful in their chosen area. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is one of them.”

Ambassador Acharya highlighted the role Nepalese immigrant community and Gurkhas are playing in the British society and congratulated them for succeeding in business. “The success of the Holy Cow Group has encouraged and motivated a new breed of Nepali entrepreneurs in the UK,” he added. He urged Nepali businesses to promote Nepali culture, heritage and tourism in the UK.

Business Relations Director of the Barclays Bank, Uzma Shabbir, said that the Bank was there to support entrepreneurs from all backgrounds and communities. She extended best wishes to the Holy Cow group in its future endeavours.

Chairman of Holy Cow Group, Kul Acharya, said that his company was supporting local charities and creating value to the local community. Acharya, who is also President of Non Resident Nepali Association International Coordination Council, lauded British society for providing level playing field for immigrant communities. He also thanked his customers and business partners for their continuous support.

Photo : Shiva Bhandari

The guests were treated with complimentary food and drinks while a former Gurkha played Bagpiper. The Holy Cow Group runs seven take aways in different parts of London and two fine dine restaurants – one in Putney and the newest one in Canary Wharf.

Nepal makes COVID-19 negative report mandatory for all international arrivals

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KATHMANDU : Nepal again has made the COVID-19 negative reports mandatory for all international passengers, the country’s national flag carrier announced on Sunday.

Issuing a notice to all the passengers, the national flag carrier Nepal Airlines said that passengers arriving from the international sector mandatorily must present COVID-19 international certificate or COVID-19 PCR negative report.

“We have come to this decision in wake of the rising COVID-19 cases worldwide,” Ganesh Kumar Ghimire, joint spokesperson at Nepal Airlines told ANI.

According to the official, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) made this decision earlier on December 23, 2022.

“CAAN made the decision to mandatorily present the Covid-19 international certificate or PCR negative report. We have issued the notice as per the decision of the regulatory body,” Ghimire added.

Closed since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020, Nepal from March 10 last year had opened the door for tourists removing all pre-arrival testing requirements for fully vaxxed travelers in a bid to recharge its moribund tourism industry.

The latest decision comes in height of rising cases of COVID-19 cases in China. The northern neighbor of the Himalayan nation has also curbed all the restrictions which is slowly but rapidly spreading the contagion globally. (ANI)

Nepalis and American soldiers’ joint exercise starts

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Kathmandu : The joint exercise conducted between Nepali Army and the US Army has begun at Chhauni in Kathmandu.

The 12th edition of joint exercise has participation of 35 army personnel from the Nepali Army and 19 from the US Army, according to the Nepali Army.

The exercise will go through February 3 this year and will be held in Nagarkot as well, according to the Nepali Army. The joint exercise will focus on search and rescue operation during disaster.
Meanwhile, in view of the early preparedness for the untoward incidents relating to cable car, the Nepali Army recently practiced rescue operation.

The Nepali Army, in collaboration with the Chandragiri Hills Limited, conducted the rescue operation in cable car in Chandragiri of Kathmandu on last Monday, said the Nepali Army’s Directorate of Public Relations and Information.

Participants in the rescue simulation included military officers from Shree No 1 Disaster Management Battalion and Yuddha Bhairav Battalion, according to Brigadier General and Director of the Disaster Management Dr Padam Bahadur Buda. (RSS)

Indian capital puts curbs on vehicles amid severe air pollution

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NEW DELHI — The air pollution level in the Indian capital territory New Delhi on Monday became severe, prompting local authorities to put curbs on some vehicles until Friday, local media reported.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall air quality index (AQI) turned severe at 444.

“The AQI in Delhi at 8:00 p.m. (local time) today was recorded at 444,” data released by CPCB said. “The air quality is very poor and prominent pollutants are PM 2.5 and PM 10.”

Experts say PM 2.5 are fine particles that are 2.5 microns or less in diameter and can travel deep into the respiratory tract, reaching the lungs and entering the bloodstream.

Meanwhile, the local government in view of the worsening air quality in Delhi has decided to impose a temporary ban on plying of BS-III petrol and BS-IV diesel vehicles in the national capital from Tuesday.

The BS is the short form of Bharat Stage, a government-instituted emission standard for four-wheelers.

Keeping in view the severe category of Delhi’s AQI, health experts have advised residents to stop outdoor activity in the early morning and after sunset times, besides avoiding prolonged or heavy exertion.

As per CPCB, AQI between 0 – 50 is considered “good”, between 51 – 100 “satisfactory”, between 101 – 200 “moderate”, between 201 – 300 “poor”, between 301 – 400 “very poor”, and between 401 – 500 “severe” and beyond 500 is severe plus emergency.

Air pollution continues to worsen in New Delhi and it gets aggravated during winter months. The deterioration in air quality is attributed to slow wind speed and stubble burning (farm fires) in the neighboring states. (Xinhua)

China will support safeguarding sovereignty and national dignity of Nepal, says new Chinese ambassador to Nepal

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Nepal Live Today , Kathmandu: Chen Song, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday to serve as the 22nd ambassador of China to Nepal, has said that China will always support Nepal in safeguarding sovereignty and national dignity. Delivering a speech at Tribhuvan International Airport, he thanked friends from all walks of life who have cared about and supported the development of China-Nepal relations for a long time.

Recalling historical ties built more than 1,600 years ago, he said since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1955, China and Nepal have always been respecting, trusting and supporting each other. “In the critical moments of responding to the 2015 Nepal earthquake and fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have lent mutual support to each other, setting an example of equal treatment, friendly cooperation, and mutual benefit between neighboring countries,” he said.

According to him, under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative and Global Development Initiative, China-Nepal practical cooperation in various fields has been improved both in quality and efficiency, and the trans-Himalayan Multi-Dimensional Connectivity Network has gradually taken shape.

“Changes of the world, of our times and of history are unfolding today in ways like never before. In the face of new situations, new opportunities and new challenges, China will, as always, firmly support Nepal in safeguarding state sovereignty and national dignity, exploring a development path suited its national conditions, and pursuing independent domestic and foreign policies,” the ambassador said.

According to him, China is willing to work with Nepal to stay true to original aspirations, inherit friendship, join forces to seek common development, and build a closer China-Nepal community with a shared future in the new era.

He has said that he will follow the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Nepali leaders, stay devoted and dedicated to outline their freehand brushwork of bilateral relations into a meticulous painting. “I stand ready to work closely with Nepali friends from all walks of life, gather wisdom and pool strength to bring more benefits to the two peoples, and jointly write a new chapter of the China-Nepal Strategic Partnership of Cooperation Featuring Ever-lasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity,” the new Chinese envoy has said.

India to host ‘Voice of Global South Summit’ on January 12-13

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NEW DELHI: India has announced to host a special virtual Summit on 12-13 January.

At a media briefing in New Delhi on Friday, India’s Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra announced the Indian government’s plan to host the special virtual summit.

According to Foreign Secretary Kwatra, the theme of the summit to be organized next week would be ‘Unity of Voice, Unity of Purpose.’

”The summit envisages bringing together countries of the Global South and sharing their perspectives and priorities on a common platform across a whole range of issues,” he said.

This initiative was inspired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ”Sabka Saath, Sabha Vikas, Sabka Vishwas Aur Sabka Prayas” and India’s principle of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.

More than 120 countries are being invited to this summit.

Kwatra said that as the recent global developments like the COVID pandemic and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine have severely impacted the developing world across many domains; a consultative and outcome-oriented conversation focused on the most pressing concerns, interests and priorities of the developing countries was the need of the hour.

He said that the summit was India’s endeavor to provide a common platform to deliberate on the concerns of the developing nations.

The Indian Foreign Secretary added that India would work to ensure that the valuable inputs generated from partner countries in the Voice of Global South deliberations receive due cognizance globally. (ANI)

India condemns vandalism of Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela’s statues in Seychelles

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Victoria : The Indian mission in Seychelles has condemned the vandalism of the statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela located at the Peace Park in the capital city of Victoria.
“The High Commission of India condemns the mindless act of vandalism of statues of Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela located at the Peace Park in Victoria,” the Indian mission said in a statement on January 6.
The statue of Mahatma Gandhi was unveiled at Peace Park, Victoria in June, 2022, according to the Indian mission.
The statue was placed next to one of Sir James Macham, the founding President of Seychelles, and Nelson Mandela, the anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader who served as the first president of South Africa.

The Indian mission said Mahatma Gandhi’s message of humanity and peaceful struggle against colonialism is universally relevant and has inspired non-violent struggle worldwide.
“His statue at the Peace Park is also symbolic of the historic, warm and cordial ties between India and Seychelles,” the statement added.
The High Commission thanked the Seychelles authorities for their action and expressed hope that the perpetrators would be apprehended expeditiously.
There have been other incidents of vandalism of Bapu’s statue in other parts of the world. In August last year, a handcrafted statue of Mahatma Gandhi was destroyed by six men in New York City. Before that in February 2022, Gandhi’s life-sized statue at Union Square near Manhattan was vandalised.
Both acts were strongly condemned by the Indian mission, triggering shock and disappointment among the Indian-American community. (ANI)

India launches national green hydrogen mission

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NEW DELHI — India will launch the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM) for which a budget of 197.44 billion Indian rupees (2.38 billion U.S. dollars) has been allocated, the government said on Wednesday.

The mission will facilitate demand creation, production, utilization and export of green hydrogen. It encompasses the Strategic Interventions for Green Hydrogen Transition Program (SIGHT), for which 174.90 billion Indian rupees (2.11 billion U.S. dollars) has been earmarked out of the total outlay.

The NGHM was approved at a meeting of the cabinet of ministers chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

It will lead to the development of green hydrogen production capacity of at least 5 MMT (million metric tons) per annum with an associated renewable energy capacity addition of about 125 GW in the country, creation of over 600,000 jobs, cumulative reduction in fossil fuel imports of over 1 trillion Indian rupees (12 billion U.S. dollars), and abatement of nearly 50 MMT of annual greenhouse gas emissions, said a statement issued by the government.

It added that the mission will have wide ranging benefits, like creation of export opportunities for green hydrogen and its derivatives, decarbonization of industrial, mobility and energy sectors, reduction in dependence on imported fossil fuels and feedstock, development of indigenous manufacturing capabilities, creation of employment opportunities, and development of cutting-edge technologies.

Under the SIGHT program, two distinct financial incentive mechanisms targeting domestic manufacturing of electrolysers and production of green hydrogen will be provided.

The mission will also support pilot projects in emerging end-use sectors and production pathways. Regions capable of supporting large scale production or utilization of hydrogen will be identified and developed as green hydrogen hubs. (Xinhua)

Sri Lankan election commission ready for local elections

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COLOMBO — Sri Lankan’s Election Commission said on Wednesday that applications for postal voting from eligible voters for the 2023 local elections would be accepted on Jan. 5-23.

Chairman of the Election Commission Nimal Punchihewa told reporters that nominations from candidates contesting the local government elections would be accepted on Jan. 18-21.

Accepting election deposits from candidates would begin on Jan. 4 and continue until Jan. 20, he said.

Polls will be held in 340 local government bodies and 14,000 polling centers will be established for the voting, according to the election commission chief.

A petition was filed earlier to the Supreme Court by a retired military official seeking an order suspending the elections over Sri Lanka’s economic crisis. The date of the upcoming elections has not yet been announced.(Xinhua)

Cities look for new ways to survive heatwaves

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James Goldie
Cities across Southeast Asia are turning to cooler rooftops, green spaces and other innovative solutions in the face of record heatwaves over 2022

As the year closes, 2022 is expected to be the equal fourth warmest year on record, despite natural climate drivers like La Niña dragging global temperatures down.

With over 15,000 dead from heat this year in Europe alone, cities are now grappling with an uncomfortable truth: hotter and longer heatwaves are now a fact of life.

“Extreme heat takes more lives in Australia than any other natural hazard,” Lauren Rickards from RMIT and Nigel Tapper from Monash University say. “Because of the high level of urbanization, most of those deaths are in cities.”

Cities aren’t entirely at the mercy of the climate, though. Evidence shows that a variety of urban planning interventions can not only reduce the impact of extreme heat but benefit cities in other ways.
Switch air conditioning for fans

Air conditioning, the weapon of choice in developed nations, is getting complicated. “In face of urban warming, air conditioning remains almost the standard response in more developed nations, whatever the weather,” says Wanyu Shih, a researcher from the Ming-Chuan University.

Air conditioners and fans today account “for nearly 20 percent of the total electricity used in buildings around the world,” according to a report by the International Energy Agency. But that figure is set to explode in the coming decades as more people in India, China and Indonesia are able to buy air conditioners.

One way to contain that energy use is to focus on making air conditioners more efficient. But fans could replace air conditioning up to 19 out of 20 hot days in the countries where cooling is needed most.
Replace roofs to protect homes

Homes in developed nations might decide between fans and air conditioning in a heatwave, but for many people they aren’t even options.

Hot metal roofing amplifies heatwaves in slums, and residents escape by spending more time outside. They also take more baths and showers, placing further stress on drinking water supplies.

Authorities in the Indian city of Ahmedabad are trialing a program to replace these hot roofs in the slums with cooler alternatives, lowering indoor temperatures by 2–5 degrees Celsius.
Cool cities down with plants

Cities are reaching for another solution beyond the home: plants. Although high-rise ‘sky gardens’ dominate public attention, parks and gardens at ground level also play a massive role in cooling cities.

It takes more than planting a few trees to protect cities, though. Green spaces can’t protect us from extreme heat unless they are resilient to heat themselves, and they need to be sited carefully to have the right effect.

“The trees left to protect the hotter cities of the future will depend on the planning actions we make today,” said Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez and Sally Power of Western Sydney University.
Take advantage of other green space benefits

Climate change is a famously wicked problem beset with cascading failures, but the solutions can also help us in unexpected ways.

Focusing on plants has reduced crime and supported local crafts in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, while Danish researchers have found access to green space improves kids’ mental health later in life.

But green space needs to be within a short walk in order for people to use and benefit from it, cautioned Kristine Engemann, a researcher at Aarhus University. “Sometimes we’re not so good at doing the things that are actually good for us.”

The co-benefits of green space aren’t just limited to social benefits: they can also help to protect us from other aspects of climate change.

China’s sponge cities, built from porous materials, combat flood risk and urban heat at the same time.

Describing one of these sponge cities, Bao-Jie He of Chongqing University said, “Zhuhai has constructed more than 115 square kilometers of sponge city infrastructure since 2016… The green-blue infrastructure development has been no impediment to the city’s continued growth.”

Options like these are attractive to cities looking to protect residents and take ownership of climate change adaptation. But they only work for so long, Elspeth Oppermann from Ludwid-Maximilians University and Jamie Cross from the University of Edinburgh report.

​​”The shade of a tree, appropriate use of fans, or improved ventilation of homes only works as long as outdoor conditions remain survivable. This might not be the case in many regions by 2050.”

For many cities, the race to keep cities cool will come as the world attempts to keep global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius of warming.

Basmati rice: the new authenticity rules aiming to remove sub-standard varieties from the market

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 Katherine Steele, Bangor University

Basmati is the most popular speciality rice in the UK, adding extra flavour and subtlety to everything from curries to pilafs to kedgerees. Nearly three-quarters of the world’s basmati is produced in India, and the UK buys 3% of it – plus substantial amounts from the second-largest producer, Pakistan. 

All has not been well with this delicious staple, however. A huge number of newly cultivated varieties have been permitted in the UK and EU since 2017, and some have turned out to be sub-standard, lacking the unique popcorn-like fragrance that helps to make this rice so sought after. 

New rules are being introduced at the beginning of 2023 that aim to take these lesser varieties of basmati off the market. So will this solve the problem?

Basmati and the code of practice

Basmati rice has been cultivated for thousands of years in the fertile alluvial plains between the Indus and Ganges rivers. To qualify as basmati, grains must meet certain standards related to things like fragrance, grain length and width, as well as cooked texture. They must also have a mid-range level of amylose, a part of the starch in rice. 

Fraudsters nevertheless became notorious for cutting basmati with lesser rice grains, drawn by the fact that it is up to 50% more expensive per kilo. Several decades ago, it wasn’t uncommon for imported basmati to be more than 50% impure. 

To get around this problem, the UK Rice Associationintroduced a code of practice in 2005. Also followed across the EU, the code specified that basmati could be no more than 7% impure, as well as introducing a list of 15 permitted varieties: nine traditional ones that could be imported duty free and a further six that were modern cultivars. We at Bangor University devised the system of DNA fingerprinting that is used to enforce the code and has sometimes led to prosecutions for infringements.

The system worked well until 2017, when the code was updated to add 25 new modern cultivars. This followed an explosion in new breeding in the 2000s and 2010s to address the problem that traditional basmati varieties are tall, low-yielding plants which fall over if they are fed with too much fertiliser. Breeders overcame this by using crossing and selection to add the so-called “green revolution” semi-dwarfing gene, which is also bred into most other modern rice varieties. 

India and Pakistan had successfully persuaded the UK and EU that these 25 new varieties were as high in quality as the existing 16, but several years later we were able to show that this wasn’t entirely right. 

By developing alternative DNA markers for fingerprinting, we showed that six of the new varieties – five from India and one from Pakistan – had not been properly bred for fragrance. Some did not even contain the version of the BADH2 gene that makes basmati fragrance possible in the first place. Although India and Pakistan have rigorous systems for testing rice quality, they don’t necessarily do the gene testing that would have picked up the problem. 

The future

The Rice Association has responded to this discovery by publishing a new code of practice that removes the six varieties from the permitted list. Coming into force on January 1, the code also adds five new varieties that do pass muster. As a result, consumers should once again be able to buy basmati rice in the knowledge that it is of the highest possible quality. 

But this isn’t the end of the story. For one thing, the 7% impurity rule remains. I have long argued that the Rice Association should adopt the same 1% rule that applies in many products – non-GM foods, for example. There’s no real reason for the basmati exception, and it is also arguably easier to enforce a 1% rule because of the way that DNA testing works.

Secondly, rice breeding is not standing still. Breeders have started focusing on making crosses to allow basmati varieties to inherit genes that will mean they need less fertiliser, resist disease so they need fewer or no pesticides, and even withstand drier growing conditions or salt-contaminated soils. 

These varieties aren’t quite ready to hit the market but are urgently needed to increase the sustainability of rice production. But if such varieties are to be sold labelled “basmati”, they too will have to be monitored to ensure they meet the same high standards that consumers expect. The same goes for varieties created by gene editing, which have not yet started emerging but probably will do over the next couple of decades. 

If we don’t maintain today’s standards, it may harm the industry – and crucially the farmers who work so hard to produce this beautiful rice in the first place. It’s an interesting case study in how cutting edge technology and the right regulation can ensure that an ancient industry remains fit for purpose in the 21st century.

From – The Conversation