SCI-DEV-NET" weekly update October 14 2013

Latest from global edition     Highlight         Coming soon: Science for sustainable food SciDev.Net puts the Spotlight on agricultural productivity, asking how food needs can be met with limited resources.

Agriculture Analysis blog: 09/10/13 Focus on Disability: Changing agricultural attitudes Low-tech projects are overturning prejudices and leaving disabled people free to farm, says Sue Coe.

Environment News: 12/10/13 Traditional knowledge meets R&D in French Polynesia French Polynesia's special research environment has led to development success stories, a meeting hears. News: 10/10/13 Record temperatures set to reach tropics first Up to five billion people may be living with never-experienced-before temperatures by 2050, a study finds. News: 07/10/13 Better land care may be worth US$1.4 trillion a year Improving how degraded lands are managed could drastically increase crop yields, says a report.

Health Opinion: 10/10/13 Diseases can be tracked better and faster with new tech Detection tools such as crowdsourcing are revamping disease surveillance, say Larry Brilliant and Mark Smolinski. News: 08/10/13 Blood proteins could help monitor malnutrition Simple malnutrition tests could result from newly discovered protein-nutrient link.

Governance Feature: 11/10/13 Q&A: Farida Shaheed on the human right to science The UN Special Rapporteur in the field of cultural rights tells SciDev.Net what the right to science could mean. Multimedia: 10/10/13 Q&A: Taking BBC lifeline programming to conflict zones The BBC's Robert Powell talks to Imogen Mathers about the role of media in humanitarian responses to conflict. News: 09/10/13 Call for an IPCC-like science panel on food security An expert panel such as the one for climate change could get scientists and policymakers engaging on food security. News: 08/10/13 Island states splits may sap their bargaining power Clashes over small island states' priorities could harm their future negotiating position, say delegates.

Enterprise News: 10/10/13 Pakistani quakes leave scientists debating tech's role After a series of lethal tremors over the last weeks, researchers hope that technology can save lives in future. Editorials: 09/10/13 Post-2015: chance for a step change in African science education Those who champion science should start planning how to deliver improvements in African higher education now.

Communication SciDev.Net at large: 07/10/13 Chilean physicist wins inaugural US$100,000 prize Claudio Bunster Weitzman, who won the TWAS-Lenovo Science Prize, promoted science despite political oppression.