By Vositha Wijenayake
One does not need additional explanations to highlight the importance of water for every human’s survival. In addition to being a basis for our survival, it is also at the core of sustainable development.

By Harjeet Singh
Many of you who were in the Japanese city of Sendai this week must be suffering like me from the post-conference blues. After the intense negotiations in the final days, it is time to take stock of what we have achieved by developing the 15-year Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR).

By Harjeet Singh
Tropical cyclone Pam, one of the most powerful cyclones ever, devastated the Pacific island of Vanuatu exactly at a time when over 180 governments in Sendai, Japan are negotiating hard to reach an agreement to prepare for and reduce the impact of disasters.

By Vositha Wijenayake
Following a successful visit to China in November that resulted in the US-China joint statement on climate change, last week President Obama concluded negotiations on a five-year MoU on energy security, clean energy and climate change and an agreement to this effect expected as early as possible at a mutually agreed date.

By Vositha Wijenayake
Maldives was appointed the Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) on December 11, 2014. Speaking to CANSA, Head of Delegation for the country Ambassador Ahmed Sareeer, Permanent Representative to UN for Maldives said that it was a great honour for his country to have the opportunity to chair the alliance on an issue such as climate change which is vital for the survival of its people.

By Vositha Wijenayake and Vidya Nathaniel
Despite both mitigation and adaptation efforts, it is now widely recognised that residual negative climate change impacts, or loss and damage, cannot be fully avoided[1]  increasing the need to focus on addressing climate change.

By Sudhir Sharma and Rixa Schwarz
The recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit of 10 -12November 2014 in China, held a surprise for the climate scene: The USA and China announcement on their intentions for their INDCs. President Obama announced a GHG emission reduction of 26 to 28% by 2025 below 2005 levels.

By Anju Sharma
The “post-2015 sustainable development agenda” involves two separate processes – development and climate change – under the UN aegis. No wonder then, that both processes share similar obstacles. A particularly contentious, is the Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR) principle.

By Anam Zeb
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s fifth assessment report (AR5) produced a powerful warning to the world: “If we continue to emit CO2 at the rate at which we are doing, mean global surface temperatures are likely to exceed 2⁰ Celsius.

By Raman Mehta and Sudhir Sharma
South Asia, which is the most densely populated region in the world, is home to 1.7 billion people, or around 23% of the global population.  The region contributes around 6% of the GHG emissions, the bulk of which emanate from India, which is home to 1.2 billion people.