Top stories from DAWNS Digest
Hints of Progress at Iran Nuke Talks
Things are looking up. “‘I’ve been doing this now for about two years,’ the [US] official said on condition of anonymity. ‘And I have never had such intense, detailed, straightforward, candid conversations with the Iranian delegation before.’ The White House spokesman, Jay Carney, echoed the remarks, saying Iran’s proposal showed ‘a level of seriousness and substance that we had not seen before’. But he cautioned that ‘no one should expect a breakthrough overnight.’” (Reuters http://reut.rs/173uOqr)
New Report: The Nexus Between Geography, Poverty and Climate Extremes
A new report from our friends at ODI says hundreds of millions of extremely poor people could be at the mercy of natural disasters in the coming years. “Extreme weather linked to climate change is increasing and will likely cause more disasters. Such disasters, especially those linked to drought, can be the most important cause of impoverishment, cancelling progress on poverty reduction. Up to 325 million extremely poor people will be living in the 49 most hazard-prone countries in 2030, the majority in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The 11 countries most at risk of disaster induced poverty are Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda.” (ODI http://bit.ly/173v8FK)