Kerala's backwaters are one of its most prized possessions. But they are fighting for survival today, with reclamation for the purposes of development and commerce increasingly choking them off

Kuttanad in Malayalam means 'small town'. But the ecological devastation which human hands have wrought here is in no way small or insignificant

Pesticides

Robert Repetto and Sanjay Baliga quote a number of studies carried out by Indians in India and abroad on the impact of pesticides on the immune system

Built around white blood cells and certain molecules in the blood, the immune system helps an organism defend itself against life-threatening foreign invaders. It not only tries to kill external

Wildlife studies provide extensive evidence of immunosuppressive effects of pesticides

Pesticide exposure can cause the human body to produce antibodies directed against itself

Pesticide application in Moldova has been higher than the world average, leading to increased rates of infectious diseases among the people

Critics question the degree of democracy and transparency involved in the Global Environment Facility’s horsetrading of power between the North and the South

The GEF (Global Environmental Facility) operates under the framework of conventions and rules established by a governing council consisting of 32 country representatives