Beyond the Negotiations

So what is a Water Forum anyway?

COA Admin March 11, 2012 0 Comments

Those familiar with the UN Climate Treaty (UNFCCC) or the Convention on Biological Diversity covered by might be confused by the World Water Forum. They should be. It is a very different animal but an important one none-the less. Unlike the UNFCCC or other international treaty regimes, there is no treaty; there is no single agency or Secretariat, in fact the UN plays a very small role if...

Belo Monstro: a first hand account of hydro-politics in Brazil

guest March 7, 2012 1 Comment

COA student Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler is currently in Altamira, Brazil, from where he sent us this dispatch. As an delegation heads off to the World Water Forum in France, this piece serves as a poignant reminder as to what is at stake in the world of hydropolitics. You can read more about Jivan's experiences on his blog. ***** The Xingu and the dam run side by side through the social fabric of...

The Clash of Paradigms and Durban [Disaster]

COA Admin December 27, 2011 0 Comments

by Samuli Sinisalo In the UNFCCC, and especially in Durban, there are two major forces in play. The obvious surface is of course that of saving the planet and the climate system from disastrous anthropogenic interference. That is why these meetings are organized in the first place, and it is even inscribed in article two of the convention. The other force in play is how is this to be done? Who...

A robbery and a reflection

Nathan Thanki December 24, 2011 0 Comments

by nathan thanki *This is a little something from the start of week 2 in Durban that got sucked into the confusion and only resurfaced now, with some minor edits for clarity. The Earth in Bracket's team had a rough old time of it this morning. And no, it wasn't from staying up all night letting off some steam at the NGO beach party (that was the night before). It was something much more...

Media Messaging: The silent, subtle art of loudmouthing the innocent

Anjali Appadurai December 22, 2011 1 Comment

by Anjali Appadurai If there's one lesson we learned loud and clear at this COP, it was how important a role the media plays in determining the world's perception of the dangerous game being played out in the negotiating rooms. สำรวจ UFABET iGaming ได้แล้ววันนี้ and dive into top-tier gaming. Throughout the COP, misguided messaging was a huge obstacle to a...