Tiempo Climate Newswatch

Progress in implementing the Barbados Programme of Action for the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States is reviewed this week at an International Meeting in Port Louis, Mauritius. "Small Island Developing States are extremely vulnerable to all kinds of natural disasters and in view of the enormous damage caused by the tsunami disaster, naturally the Mauritius conference will have that kind of special focus," said Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, the conference's Executive Secretary.

Prior to the International Meeting, the United Nations Environment Programme released a series of reports on the environmental issues facing small island states. The studies highlighted the need to protect coral reefs and limit over-fishing, improve water supplies, reduce waste and pollution, and deal with the threat of climate change. Population growth has led to fears that the number of people has "exceeded the carrying capacity of some islands."

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From the conference

• Press release and regional reports, UNEP
• Altantic and Indian Ocean, UNEP
• Pacific, UNEP
• Caribbean, UNEP

• Press releases, UN-OHRLLS
• Backgrounder, UN-OHRLLS
• Webcast, UN
• Daily reports, ENB

Klaus Toepfer, director of the United Nations Environment Programme, insists that the world must guard against both natural catastrophes and long-term climate change. "We have not and will not play one threat against another," he said, arguing that it would be a huge mistake to focus attention on the threat of tsunamis whilst neglecting the long-term problem of climate change.

Toepfer noted that poor people were suffering twice-over as a result of the tsunami as many were not insured. "We can only praise the solidarity of people worldwide and join in their sorrow those who have lost loved ones. We want to do our utmost," he continued. We have to be aware of the actions of nature which we can't predict. Taking precautions against them is now on the highest agenda." A commitment has now been made to develop a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean, such as already exists for the Pacific Ocean.

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• BBC

• BBC

A new railroad being constructed across the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau is using a novel method of strengthening frozen soils affected by global warming. To keep the track straight and the foundation stable, engineers are using crushed rock to both insulate and cool the permafrost. "The permafrost presents a challenge, because the climate of the area is predicted to become warmer during the next 50 to 100 years, and construction and train activity on the surface can also create heat and cause melting," said Tingjun Zhang of the National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado.

Engineers have determined that a 2- to 3-foot layer of loose, medium-sized rocks minimizes heat intake to the soil during warmer months and promotes heat loss in winter. "The rock layer is so effective that it actually helps create a net cooling effect over time," according to Zhang. This is the first time that a large-scale project has used the technique as a primary solution. Shading, insulation and passive heat pumps are also being used to protect the soil. Zhang is working with scientists at the Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute in Lanzhou, China.

More information

• Science Daily
• Press release