SciDev update June 3 2013

Traditional knowledge trumps expensive technology Precision farming uses high-tech methods to maximise crop yields, but farmers in developing countries can use traditional knowledge to a similar effect News Japanese fund to tackle infectious diseases in 'historic' agreement  Through a new US$100 million research fund, Japan will help finance the search for drugs to target the world's deadliest diseases.  EN  Traditional knowledge 'can enable precision farming'  Farmers in developing countries could replicate costly high-tech precision farming techniques with traditional knowledge, an expert suggests.  EN | ES  Experts push ethical case for climate adaptation policies  Helping the world's poorest communities adapt to climate change threats is a major ethical concern as well as a practical one, says a UN body.  EN  Pooling diverse development experience 'reaps rewards'  Enabling collaboration between different development sectors and science disciplines leads to stronger research, a meeting hears.  EN  Disaster risk reduction science urged to show its worth  Scientists must do more to show policymakers how research can help to minimise the risk of disasters, says a report.  EN Other News India’s neutrino project sparks fresh debate  EN  Video survey assesses East Africa's coral reef fish  EN  South Asia on the clean brick road  EN  Parasite-resistant maize developed by Kenyan scientist  EN  Climate change ‘will affect number of common species’  ES  Agricultural expansion in Amazonia could lead to crop losses  ES  Honduras receives funds to deal with natural disasters  ES More NEWS  Opinions Focus on Gender: Moving on from top-down gender policies  The process of creating new global development goals offers a chance to move away from top-down gender policies, says Henrietta Miers.  EN  Asia–Pacific Analysis: Rain harvesting can avert crisis  To ensure South-East Asia's growing population has enough water to drink, we need to collect more rain, says Crispin Maslog.  EN More OPINIONS  Science meets NGO practice SciDev.Net puts the Spotlight where the 'worlds' of science and NGO practice overlap, asking what can get them past barriers and closer to partnership for development. Creating space for collaboration Interactions within science and development can be driven by dialogue and collaboration between global development sectors and academic disciplines