http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/world_development/ Summaries of recent scientific research on world development, and related topics. en-us Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:05:01 EST Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/science_society/world_development/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091125081622.htm Six new international studies show that cutting greenhouse gases, in particular ozone and black carbon, can quickly save millions of lives worldwide in addition to slowing climate change. Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091125081622.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123212542.htm Typically conducted in richer, developed countries but now increasingly done in the developing world, genome wide association studies raise a host of ethical issues that must be addressed, experts argue. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123212542.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123152224.htm Using historical data on the relationship between temperature and conflict in Africa, researchers have estimated the effect of rising temperatures due to global warming. They concluded that the incidence of African civil war could increase 55 percent by 2030, resulting in an additional 390,000 battle deaths if future wars are as deadly as recent ones. Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123152224.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123212549.htm In this week's PLoS Medicine, the journal's editors call for concerted international action to address the crisis of malaria drug shortages across Africa. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091123212549.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111114910.htm Fossil carbon dioxide emissions increased by 40 percent from 1990 to 2008, according to new findings. Coal has bypassed oil as the largest source of CO2 emissions. Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111114910.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085045.htm A new report warns basic life-saving solutions such as hygiene, adequate nutrition, bed nets and skilled birth attendants "not a priority" for too many leaders. Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091116085045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201443.htm Researchers have found that the discrepancy in media reporting of casualty numbers in the Iraq conflict can potentially misinform the public and contribute to distorted perceptions and gross underestimates of the number of civilians killed in the armed conflict. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105201443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095642.htm Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide. During a summit held this week in Washington, D.C., President Obama and Prime Minister Reinfeldt joined forces to address the urgency of the problem and the need for solutions by signing an international agreement that seeks cooperative ways in which the United States and EU countries can help combat the global health crisis. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091106095642.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121547.htm Fair Trade labeling can work on a small scale, as a niche market. On the other hand, Fair Trade labels are not the right way to change the situation for the great majority of poor farmers. This is shown in the report What Does Fair Trade Labeling Achieve? from AgriFood Economics Centre, Lund University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091111121547.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026161840.htm Jewish survivors of World War II who were potentially exposed to the Holocaust are at a higher risk for cancer occurrence, according to a new study. Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026161840.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100504.htm The State of the World's Vaccines and Immunization reports that more infants are being immunized today than ever before -- a record 106 million in 2008, according to new data. At the same time, its authors are calling on donor nations to address a funding gap that leaves millions of children still at risk, particularly in the poorest nations and communities, where preventable diseases take their deadliest toll. Wed, 21 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091021100504.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006155858.htm Water scarcity as a result of climate change will create far-reaching global security concerns, says Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, chair of the intergovernmental panel on climate change, at the 2009 Nobel Conference at Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., on Oct. 6, 2009. Tue, 06 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006155858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134704.htm Financial crises place significant strain on banks, causing them to behave more opportunistically than clients are accustomed to. Business clients should count on this, according to one business economist, who has studied the topic of contractual relationships between banks and corporate clients during the 1990s financial crisis in Sweden. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921134704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091833.htm A new report by leading food and sustainability scientists calls for Europe to take a new approach on food security, prioritizing health and sustainability in research and using a holistic view when making policy. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921091833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915192232.htm Health experts warn that failure to agree radical cuts in carbon dioxide emissions at the UN climate change conference in Copenhagen this December spells a global health catastrophe. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090915192232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916153149.htm Older Americans have weathered the financial crisis relatively well, although many now expect to work longer than they did just a year ago, according to a new study. Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090916153149.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911191721.htm Scientists have warned that UN negotiations aimed at tackling climate change are based on substantial underestimates of what it will cost to adapt to its impacts. The real costs of adaptation to climate change are likely to be two-to-three times greater than estimates made by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the researchers say. Tue, 15 Sep 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911191721.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908193528.htm The Society of Nuclear Medicine recently conducted a survey of nuclear pharmacies -- pharmacies that supply the critical radioisotope Technetium-99m, which is used in more than 16 million nuclear medicine tests each year in the United States -- to assess, anecdotally, the impact of the worldwide medical isotope shortage. Wed, 09 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908193528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907142345.htm There is more to life satisfaction than money, and public policy programs aiming to tackle poverty need to move beyond simply raising people’s income to also improving their quality of life in other areas, according to a new study. Tue, 08 Sep 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090907142345.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130045.htm Paradoxically, mortality rates during economic recessions in developed countries decline rather than increase, according to a new analysis. Mon, 31 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831130045.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820082101.htm Urban workers could suffer most from climate change as the cost of food drives them into poverty, according to a new study that quantifies the effects of climate on the world's poor populations. Researchers examined the potential economic influence of adverse climate events, such as heat waves, drought and heavy rains, on those in 16 developing countries. Urban workers in Bangladesh, Mexico and Zambia were found to be the most at risk. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090820082101.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812143938.htm Using satellite data, hydrologists have found that groundwater beneath northern India has been receding by as much as 1 foot per year over the past decade -- and they believe human consumption is almost entirely to blame. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090812143938.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182018.htm The nation's home foreclosure epidemic may be taking its toll on Americans' health as well as their wallets. Nearly half of people studied while undergoing foreclosure reported depressive symptoms, and 37 percent met screening criteria for major depression, according to new research. Many also reported an inability to afford prescription drugs, and skipping meals. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818182018.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141741.htm Hiring the workers needed to eliminate the staggering shortage of health care professionals in sub-Saharan Africa by 2015 will cost $2.6 billion a year, or 2.5 times the annual funds currently allocated for health worker wages in the region, according to a new study. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806141741.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720202601.htm A new subsidy designed to increase access to life-saving antiretrovirals must remain focused on quality patient care if it is to succeed, argues an expert. The subsidy, called the Affordable Medicines Facility-malaria, will be rolled out in 2009 and is designed to address concerns of poor access to artemisinin combination therapies for malaria, and fears about growing resistance to the drugs. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720202601.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706171505.htm Just months before world leaders are scheduled to meet to devise a new international treaty on climate change, scientists have developed a new way of dividing responsibility for carbon emissions among countries. The approach is so fair, according to its creators, that they are hoping it will win the support of both developed and developing nations, whose leaders have been at odds for years over perceived inequalities in previous proposals. Wed, 15 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706171505.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625113857.htm New articles document some of the multiple causes of food insecurity. Topics include desertification, flooding, adaptation of remote communities to modern technology, seasonality of food crops and the corresponding dearth between harvests, lack of iron in traditionally consumed food, resulting in anaemia, and taboos that inhibit people from supplementing their diets with nutritious wild fruits that are readily available. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090625113857.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090710092232.htm For two days, 350 researchers, research funders, business people and politicians have been gathered to discuss the future development of European research. The Conference participants have agreed on a document – the Lund Declaration – that was handed over to the Swedish Minister for Higher Education and Research Tobias Krantz. Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090710092232.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201211.htm Market crashes could lead to rises in homicides and suicides, unless governments invest in labor market protections, according to a new study. Wed, 08 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707201211.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629211809.htm Experts argue that -- despite recent international objections -- access to clean water should be recognized as a human right. At the March 2009 United Nations meetings, coinciding with the World Water Forum, Canada, Russia and the United States refused to support a declaration that would recognize water as a basic human right. But this flies in the face of considerable evidence that access to water, which is essential for health, is under threat, argue the editors of PLoS Medicine. Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090629211809.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619121443.htm World hunger is projected to reach a historic high in 2009 with 1,020 million people going hungry every day, according to new estimates published by the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organization. Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090619121443.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618200935.htm Well-heeled donors, private corporations and average citizens sending money to their favorite charities are changing the landscape of global health funding, according to a new study. The study, which provides the first comprehensive picture of the total funding amount going to global health projects, shows that funding for health in developing countries has quadrupled over the past two decades. Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618200935.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612122449.htm A Warwick Business School professor and one of the founders of global risks specialist, Maplecroft, has released maps and indices revealing the countries most at risk from an influenza pandemic. The map of Risk of Spread shows the UK most at risk to the spread of an influenza pandemic. Wed, 17 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090612122449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608204051.htm Low income, conflict-affected countries such as Afghanistan, Sudan and Somalia receive less development money for reproductive health than countries that are not experiencing conflict, according to a new study. Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090608204051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204259.htm A new study has found that by 2050, hotter conditions, coupled with shifting rainfall patterns, could make anywhere from 500,000 to one million square kilometers of marginal African farmland no longer able to support even a subsistence level of food crops. However, the land, on which some 20 to 35 million people currently live, may still support livestock. Fri, 05 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090602204259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102019.htm The income gap between the "haves" and the "have-nots" must be taken into account when considering the issue of food security across Asia, according to a report to be published in the International Journal of Agricultural Resources, Governance and Ecology. Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601102019.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525105429.htm The Climate Disclosure Standards Board has proposed a global framework to guide corporations on which climate change-related data to include in annual reports. Unveiled at the World Business Summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen, proponents say the standardized inclusion of such data in annual reports will enhance corporate transparency for the benefit of shareholders and prospective investors alike. Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090525105429.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520140412.htm To fulfill America's humanitarian obligations as a member of the international community and to invest in the nation's long-term health, economic interests, and national security, the United States should reaffirm and increase its commitment to improving the health of developing nations, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine. Wed, 20 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090520140412.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130953.htm Coral reefs could disappear entirely from the Coral Triangle region of the Pacific Ocean by the end of the century, threatening the food supply and livelihoods for about 100 million people, according to a new study. Averting catastrophe will depend on quick and effective global action on climate change coupled with the implementation of regional solutions to problems of over-fishing and pollution. Thu, 14 May 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090513130953.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505061838.htm If the overall water resources in river basins were acknowledged and managed better, future food crises could be significantly reduced. Tue, 05 May 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/05/090505061838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420182203.htm Researchers have found that currently scheduled water deliveries from the Colorado River are unlikely to be met if human-caused climate change reduces runoff in the region. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090420182203.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073734.htm Countries and policy leaders have new guidance on how and when to eliminate malaria, paving the way for the potential global eradication of the deadly disease. Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090424073734.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418083952.htm Initiatives aimed at cutting emissions while encouraging economic development are failing the world's poorest countries, leading scientists from Oxford University are warning. Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418083952.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm Overpopulation is the world's top environmental issue, followed closely by climate change and the need to develop renewable energy resources to replace fossil fuels, according to a survey of the faculty at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. Mon, 20 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090418075752.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417183528.htm After a thorough scientific review ordered in 2007 by the U.S. Supreme Court, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a proposed finding that greenhouse gases contribute to air pollution that may endanger public health or welfare. The proposed finding identified six greenhouse gases that pose a potential threat. Sat, 18 Apr 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090417183528.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406192336.htm The President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the ambitious US government program begun in 2003, has cut the death toll from HIV/AIDS through 2007 by more than 10 percent in targeted countries in Africa, though it has had no appreciable effect on prevalence of the disease in those nations, according to a new study. Wed, 08 Apr 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090406192336.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408140248.htm The prairies offer opportunities for capitalizing on environmentally friendly farming practices and potentially useful agricultural waste to produce jobs, economic growth, commercial opportunities, and renewable energy sources, according to a law expert. Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090408140248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323211913.htm The most detailed map ever created of malaria risk worldwide has been published by an international team of researchers. The Malaria Atlas Project will be a powerful tool for helping target malaria control programs and suggests that elimination of malaria in three-quarters of the world's at-risk areas might be less difficult than previously thought. Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323211913.htm