News headlines in 2016, page 24

JOHANNESBURG, Oct 04 (IPS) - The dam supplying Johannesburg's water sits less than 30 percent full. Water restrictions have been in place since November and taxes on high water use since August. Food prices across South Africa have risen about 10 percent from last year, in large part due to water shortages.

ROME, Oct 04 (IPS) - When the United Nations elaborated its latest report on the impact of what it calls "the dramatic shift towards urban life," it tried to draw a balanced portrait of both the opportunities and the challenges of the fact that 1 in 2 world inhabitant already lives in urban areas and what this implies.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct 03 (IPS) - Given the enormity of the challenges confronting humanity, the world's investment in science, technology and innovation is woefully inadequate.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 03 (IPS) - As the world struggles to respond to conflicts and the people fleeing them, UN insiders are also struggling to advance a ‘shift in mindset' to help prevent these crises from happening in the first place.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 03 (IPS) - The Perez-Guerrero Trust Fund for South-South Cooperation (PGTF), described as one of the most successful ventures of the Group of 77, has provided $13.2 million in "seed money" for 278 small-scale projects in developing countries.

UNITED NATIONS, Oct 01 (IPS) - The International Criminal Court (ICC) will pay more attention to crimes of environmental destruction and land-grabs, according to a new policy paper published by the court.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 30 (IPS) - From electrifying hospitals in Somalia to providing waste management services in Sri Lanka, the UN Office for Project Services works in over 80 countries to provide practical support to help meet the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 30 (IPS) - The UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) advanced its commitment to the safety of journalists after adopting a groundbreaking resolution with measures for states to ensure journalist protection. But this is only the first step, many note.

VIENNA, Sep 30 (IPS) - World leaders are recognizing the crucial role of industrialization in eliminating absolute poverty and promoting sustainable development. This was especially evident at the recent G20 Summit in Hangzhou, China, which I attended as a member of the delegation of the United Nations Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon. The gathering demonstrated the growing consensus on the need for renewed efforts to facilitate inclusive and sustainable industrialization as one of the main drivers of economic growth and structural transformation in Africa, and especially the least developed countries (LDCs).

ATLANTA, Georgia, Sep 30 (IPS) - London's Waterloo Bridge over the River Thames is famously known as the "Ladies Bridge," for it was built largely by women during the height of World War II.  On another continent, women fighting a different war have built an equally remarkable structure: a 3,300-meter anti-salt dyke constructed by a women's association in Senegal to reclaim land affected by rising levels of salt water.