SciDev.Net – the Science and Development Network – is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing reliable and authoritative information about science and technology for the developing world. Through our website www.scidev.net we give policymakers, researchers, the media and civil society information and a platform to explore how science and technology can reduce poverty, improve health and raise standards of living around the world.
Hydroelectric dams are the quintessential expression of human control of nature. As well as power, they create reservoirs of clean water, which to some are…
Spending on renewable energy is undergoing a geographic shift, with developing countries investing more last year despite an overall 12 per cent drop in global…
Despite concern over adverse impacts, deep marine mineral exploration is set to become a global industry, says geologist Chris Yeats.Global demand for metals continues to…
Tackling the global climate crisis could reap significant economic benefits for both developed and developing countries, according to a new report.The impacts of climate change…
Pakistan is pushing ahead with a controversial plan to produce synthetic diesel through underground gasification of its vast coal deposits in the Thar desert in…
Large-scale cultivation of Jatropha – known as a potential source of biofuel – can improve the soil quality of degraded lands and address climate change,…
Jordan's ambitions to become a regional nuclear research hub have encountered setbacks following a parliamentary suspension, on 30 May, of the country's nuclear programme and…
Pakistan's 44 per cent hike in outlay for atomic energy in its 2012–2013 budget contrasts with a massive drop in funds for crop research and…
Pakistan's vast renewable energy potential remains largely untapped for a mix of reasons, twin analyses show.The analyses, to be published in the June 2012 issue…
Countries in the Asia-Pacific region need a new 'industrial revolution' based on green technologies to provide food, water, energy and housing while cutting down their…
Desertec is the largest solar power project ever conceived. It is designed to provide a significant portion of the electricity needs of participating countries in…
A "nuclear Davos", convening the nations and industries that are involved in nuclear power, could be the way to deal with problems arising from the…
There are 440 nuclear reactors operating around the world, providing about 14 per cent of the world's electricity supply. Most were installed 30–40 years ago,…
Nuclear power is no magic solution, argues Pervez Hoodbhoy — it's not safe, or cheap, and it leads to weapons programmes. A string of energy-starved…
A belief that 'small' hydropower systems are a source of clean energy with little or no environmental problems is driving the growing interest in mini,…
A plan to turn the desert sunshine of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) into electricity, both for the region and for export to…
Renewable energy could meet almost 80 per cent of the world's energy supply by 2050, and the developing world is home to more than 50…
The World Still Needs Nuclear Power — But it Must be Safer and More Transparent Earlier this month, an explosion in the energy sector caused…
Four of the reactors at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan seem to be steadily moving towards progressive core melting. If sizeable core melt…
As Japan's nuclear accidents send shockwaves round the world, Alex Abutu explores whether Africa is ready to provide safe nuclear power. The disasters that struck…