WEEKLY UPDATE SCI-DEV

Women farmers take to the stage for policy change Community theatre provides a platform for African women farmers to influence policy, carrying their voices from the village to government, say Lindiwe Majele Sibanda and Sithembile Mwamakamba. News Dislike of multidisciplinary work 'limits development'  Scientists' dislike of multi-stakeholder projects is limiting the impact of agricultural development, an expert has warned.  EN  Disaster prevention needs far more investment, say experts  International aid agency Islamic Relief has called on the UN to create a global fund to finance disaster prevention projects.  EN  Study detects new forestry trends in Latin America  A study of woody vegetation in Latin America finds that parts of the region have experienced significant reforestation, despite general deforestation trends.  EN | ES  Indigenous agroforestry 'may improve livelihoods'  A three-step guide to agroforestry could boost farmers' incomes, drive local development and generate small-scale industries, says a book.  EN | ES  Network for African agriculture professionals in Europe set to launch  Plans are coming together for a new network to harness the expertise of African agricultural professionals living in Europe.  EN Other News Global debate grows over arsenic levels in rice  EN  Pakistan set to produce diesel from coal  EN  Ghana opens space research centre  EN  Ivorian researchers and government unite to fortify R&D  EN  Global warming can trigger extreme Pacific weather, says study  EN  Zimbabwe to allocate US$1.5 million annually to R&D  EN  World citizens worry about biodiversity loss  EN | ES  Jatropha can revive degraded land, says study  EN  Argentina to fund new programme on R&D and innovation  ES More NEWS  Opinions Women farmers can influence policy through theatre  Theatre is a powerful tool to mobilise women farmers in Africa, say agriculture specialists Lindiwe Majele Sibandaand Sithembile Mwamakamba.  EN | ES  Africa Analysis: Uganda must streamline its science  A paralysed science system means that Uganda's desire to fund a landmark project out of its own coffers could backfire, says Linda Nordling.  EN  Let's add climate knowledge to agroforestry plans  EN | ES  Gaps in India’s implementation of biodiversity law  Source: Economic and Political Weekly  EN More OPINIONS  Features Science competes for attention in Myanmar's reforms  Science and education were poorly served by Myanmar's military junta and are still struggling for attention under recent reforms, writes Mike Ives.  EN  More FEATURES  Science and human rights SciDev.Net puts the Spotlight on human rights-based approaches to science, technology and development, and asks how they can be applied to help tackle global challenges. Making the case for science in Myanmar Reforms may be underway in Myanmar but so far science and education are still not high on the agenda — and scientists are frustrated. Mike Ives reports.