South Asia News in brief: 6–19 August 2009

Below is a round up of news from or about South Asia for the period 6–19 August.

Flying frog among 350 new Himalayan new species
A flying frog, the world’s oldest mushroom and smallest deer, and a blue flower that changes its colour according to the temperature are among 350 new species discovered in the eastern Himalayas, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. But this treasure trove of biodiversity is under threat, warns the World Wildlife Fund. More>>

Bangladesh on verge of earthquake disaster
Bangladesh could be teetering on the verge of an earthquake disaster, with two adjacent tectonic plates heading for a clash, and in "high risk" too of being inundated by a tidal wave, warns a geology professor from Dhaka University. The country lies in an earthquake-prone area, perched on three fault lines and a seismic gap. More>>

Insights into drug-resistant leishmanisis
Scientists have gained insights into the differences between normal and drug-resistant Leishmania donovani, the parasite that causes leishmaniasis — a fatal disease that mostly affects poor countries. They have tracked differences in the protein profiles of resistant parasites that could hold the key for understanding the mechanism of resistance. More>>

Garlic, pepper to combat liver flukes
Essential oils from garlic and Indian long pepper could offer a potential herbal remedy to combat liver flukes — parasites that infect herbivores and often spread to humans. Human infections are found in areas where sheep and cattle are raised, across Asia, Africa and the Middle East. More>>

India emissions a quarter of China’s
A new government report says India’s carbon dioxide emissions are five per cent of the world’s total, and a quarter of China’s. A second report estimates that Indian forests absorb around 11 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions every year, or 24 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide. More>>

Pakistan makes own industrial enzymes, wins patents
Pakistan’s Karachi University has won international patents for five key industrial enzymes used widely in food, cosmetics, mining and oil drilling industries. The indigenous technology will save the country US$10 million spent each year on their import. More>>

Novel carbon nanotube hybrids
An Indo-French team of scientists have developed single-walled carbon nanotube hybrids containing adenine, which could coordinate well with metal ions. The new hybrids could be used to make novel electronic devices and support catalyst-induced changes. More>>

Aid for Bangladesh reforestation project
Bangladesh will get US$19 million from Germany and the United States for the reforestation of a wildlife sanctuary, as part of climate change mitigation efforts. The Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary is a major corridor for movement of elephants between Bangladesh and Myanmar and home to valuable timber species under threat. More>>

Bangladesh’s first IT park
Bangladesh will get its first information technology park in September to attract investors to its nascent IT industry. The US$3.5 million park at Kaliakoir is part of the government’s "Digital Bangladesh" initiative. More>>

Compiled by T. V. Padma. Additional reporting by Papri Sri Raman and Suhail Yusuf.

If you would like to suggest a story for this news in brief, please contact the South Asia Regional Coordinator T. V. Padma ([email protected]).