Book review: why are we waiting?: the logic, urgency and promise of tackling climate change by Nicholas Stern

In Why Are We Waiting?: The Logic, Urgency and Promise of Tackling Climate Change, Nicholas Stern expands upon the 2006 Stern Review to offer a timely argument in favour of global action on climate change. As Stern goes beyond economic analysis to discuss the scientific, political, ethical and practical aspects of forging pathways to international cooperation, Chandni Singh welcomes the book as a valuable contribution to the task of tackling the twin challenges of this century: global poverty and climate change

Researcher’s social capital: Liaising with local actors for effective ethnographic research

“I have started going with SK to have tea at the local dhaba (roadside eatery) every morning. Today Mr LP mentioned that he spent the whole of yesterday waiting for subsidised fertiliser in Pratapgarh. Finally, he bought it for a higher price, because he had ‘no other option’. This perceived (and therefore real?) lack of alternatives, especially when it comes to timely agricultural inputs is a major constraint to farmers in Pratpgarh. But LP is a relatively affluent farmer (he mentioned he carried the fertiliser back on his motorbike) belonging to the Paatidaar caste – it made me wonder how poorer tribal farmers manage. LP becomes overfriendly with me at times, so it is good to have SK from the NGO as a buffer” (Field notes, 4 October 2011

Book review: Food security and sociopolitical stability edited by Christopher B. Barrett

"Food Security and Sociopolitical Stability." Christopher B. Barrett (ed). Oxford University Press. September 2013. --- Global food price spikes in 2008 and again in 2011 coincided with a surge of political unrest in low- and middle-income countries. In some places, food riots turned violent, pressuring governments and in a few cases contributed to their overthrow. Foreign investors sparked a new global land rush, adding a different set of pressures, and the spectre of widespread food insecurity and sociopolitical instability weighs on policymakers worldwide. Chandni Singh finds that this book represents a critical and timely contribution to food policy and global security discourses and a launch pad for political action

Rethinking post-disaster relocation in urban India

"After natural disasters, governments often relocate vulnerable urban communities in the name of humanitarian relief. But urban communities rarely welcome such relocation, since it frequently exacerbates their daily challenges or creates new risks. Indeed, resettlement after a disaster is often another form of eviction. This briefing discusses the situation in Chennai, where state and local authorities have been building resettlement tenements on inland marsh areas using centrally sponsored schemes for affordable housing. These have been used as a ‘quick fix’ after disasters, but without addressing communities’ underlying needs and inequalities. Their siting has also increased flood risk across the urban area, creating new risks. Instead, India should develop participatory and risk-reducing plans and policies for relocation, and also help vulnerable communities address the risks where they currently live. This briefing is part of the project ‘Longterm implications of humanitarian responses: a case of Chennai’. The research was conducted in 2016 by the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) and Madras Institute for Development Studies (MIDS).

Long-term implications of humanitarian responses: the case of Chennai

"Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Tamil Nadu lost about 8,000 people and the lives and livelihoods of over 897,000 families were affected. In 2015, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, was brought to a standstill by floods which killed 289 people, left 1,000 injured, and damaged property and livelihoods worth US$2.2 billion. These extreme events and others, such as the 2003–04 drought and the 2016 cyclones, mobilised humanitarian action from a range of actors in Chennai. This study examines how humanitarian responses and post-disaster relocations fit into the wider development vision of large and fast-growing metropolises such as Chennai.

Long-term implications of humanitarian responses: the case of Chennai

"Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Tamil Nadu lost about 8,000 people and the lives and livelihoods of over 897,000 families were affected. In 2015, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, was brought to a standstill by floods which killed 289 people, left 1,000 injured, and damaged property and livelihoods worth US$2.2 billion. These extreme events and others, such as the 2003–04 drought and the 2016 cyclones, mobilised humanitarian action from a range of actors in Chennai. This study examines how humanitarian responses and post-disaster relocations fit into the wider development vision of large and fast-growing metropolises such as Chennai.

Long-term implications of humanitarian responses: the case of Chennai

"Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Tamil Nadu lost about 8,000 people and the lives and livelihoods of over 897,000 families were affected. In 2015, Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu, was brought to a standstill by floods which killed 289 people, left 1,000 injured, and damaged property and livelihoods worth US$2.2 billion. These extreme events and others, such as the 2003–04 drought and the 2016 cyclones, mobilised humanitarian action from a range of actors in Chennai. This study examines how humanitarian responses and post-disaster relocations fit into the wider development vision of large and fast-growing metropolises such as Chennai.

Neutral Zone approach for severely atrophic ridges; Avenues beyond implants and surgeries – A Case Report

One of the most common problems encountered among long term denture wearers is the reduction in the denture foundation. Prosthodontic Rehabilitation of a patient with severely resorbed ridge is the most challenging therapy a prosthodontist can undertake. In order to have a favourable prognosis for the denture therapy, impression technique selected should be based on the present state of the basal tissue support. This article presents the application of neutral zone (NZ) concept being incorporated in to impression making procedure in an effort to achieve successful complete denture therapy

Exploring methodological approaches to assess climate change vulnerability and adaptation: reflections from using life history approaches

People in developing countries face multiple risks, and their response decisions sit at the complex and often opaque interface of climatic stressors, constrained resource access, and changing livelihoods, social structures, and personal aspirations. Many risk management studies use a well-established toolkit of methodologies—household surveys, focus group discussions, and semi-structured interviews. We argue that such methodological conservatism tends to neglect the dynamic and differentiated nature of livelihood decisions. Since different methodologies privilege different portrayals of risk and response, we highlight how plural methodological approaches can capture a broader range of perspectives and problematisations. In this paper, we draw on life history (LH) interviews across four countries (Kenya, Namibia, Ghana, and India) to offer one way of expanding current methodological approaches on vulnerability and adaptation. We argue that LHs offer four key ‘value additions’. First, LHs give insights into the multiple and interacting nature of drivers of response behaviour. Second, they highlight intra-household dynamics to demonstrate how people with differential power shape risk management decisions. Third, LHs support explorations of past decisions, present situations, and future aspirations, thus producing temporally nuanced enquiries. Fourth, they provide a powerful analytical lens to capture the interplay of motivations, aspirations, and values on livelihood choices and adaptation outcomes. By adding value in these four ways, LHs challenge assumptions about how and why people respond to multiple risks and offer a nuanced understanding of adaptation processes

CARIAA Working Paper no. 3

Includes abstract in FrenchTransitioning from climate information services (CIS) pilot programmes to scaled up systems is possible when scaling up is mainstreamed in the project design stage, along with a clear financial model for sustainability, and includes multiple stakeholders who identify and engage with pilot-project champions and intermediaries. New communication mechanisms such as information and communication technologies (ICTs) help to create and support effective partnerships that enable knowledge co-production. This paper explores the key constraints to, and enablers of, scaling up CIS by drawing on case studies from research, policy and practice in Africa and South Asia