Three years ago, three colleagues and I were semi-kidnapped by a crowd of irate citizens. During half an hour, they surrounded our vehicle and held us hostage until their demands were heard. Although this was not the first occasion where I found myself in the middle of such a disturbance, it was the first in which we were the focus of the social conflict. This was ironic, … [Read more...] about To Hell With Citizen Consultations
Environmental and Social Safeguards
3 Ways we can do hydropower better
In 2013, hydropower supplied three-quarters of all renewable electricity and nearly one-sixth of the world’s electricity. According to the World Energy Council[1], the total installed global hydropower capacity has grown by 27% since 2004. Because more than half of the hydropower capacity newly commissioned in 2014 is in China, it is no coincidence that the 5th World … [Read more...] about 3 Ways we can do hydropower better
Learning to Listen/ Listening to Learn in Nicaragua
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to carry out a study to understand rural communities in Nicaragua as part of a team of social science and medical researchers. The topic of our study was childbirth – how do men and women decide whether to give birth in a hospital, a clinic, or at home? We made the journey in an ambulance from the hospital in the closest city to a town … [Read more...] about Learning to Listen/ Listening to Learn in Nicaragua
A road through the kingdom of the jaguar
It’s 4 a.m. and I’m sitting in the front seat of a Toyota Hiace passenger van, leaving Guyana’s capital of Georgetown for Lethem, a town on the Brazilian border. My ride may look like just another passenger van, of the sorts used for public transport throughout Asia and Latin America but, the off-road tires, lifted-up suspension, and extra parts in a rooftop basket are all a … [Read more...] about A road through the kingdom of the jaguar
We need more steel. Here’s one way to mine it safely from old ships
Until recently, if I were asked to imagine ship-breaking operations, I would automatically think of one of those documentaries where skinny barefoot children crawl around inside beached and broken ships, pulling and cutting off the salvageable material, including scrap metal for recycling. For their efforts they receive only pennies plus a host of injuries and ailments. The … [Read more...] about We need more steel. Here’s one way to mine it safely from old ships