Last month the World Health Organization (WHO) released, without much fanfare, Safer Water, Better Health, its estimate of how many deaths or how much "disease burden" can be attributed to deficiencies in water, sanitation and hygiene (WSH). Access to safe drinking water and proper sanitation is key to improving health conditions in developing countries. Water-related diseases [...]...

Recently Costa Rica was presented its long-awaited Solid Waste Plan (PRESOL) by the entities belonging to the Inter-Institutional Platform of the Competitiveness and Environment Program (CYMA): the Health Ministry (MinSalud), the Planning Ministry (Mideplan), the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), the Institute for Municipal Development and Advice (Instituto de Fomento y Asesoria Municipal...

From the World Bank: Brazil: Improved Living Conditions and Employment Generation for over 40,000 Poor Urban Families in São Luís Project to promote city competitiveness and upgrade housing and sanitation in one of the Brazil's poorest states The World Bank approved yesterday a loan of US$ 35.6 million for the São Luis Enhancing Municipal Governance and Quality of [...]...

From the World Bank: Haiti: World Bank Approves US$1.6 Million Grant to Prevent Avian Flu The World Bank Board of Directors approved a US$1.6 million grant for the Republic of Haiti to respond to the risk of Avian Influenza infection by engaging in prevention, surveillance, reporting, mitigation and response measures. "This project aims to confront the threat posed [...]...

Last week the group representing Colombia's palm oil business, the National Federation of Palm Oil Growers (Federación Nacional de Cultivadores de Palma de Aceite - Fedepalma), announced their adherence to the Principles and Criteria of the Zurich-based Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO arose from a concept first proposed by WWF in 2001. [...]...