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Global Warming in Madagascar

Alice Backer · 22:59

Lakes Region, Madagascar. Photo by Claude Springer.

After seeing Al Gore's film on global warming, Malagasy blogger Aiky from group blog Madagascar Croissance, reflected this week on the effects of global warming in his country, stirring up debate among commentators to the blog.

Rainfall, Hurricane and Letchi Harvest

Dans l'état actuel des choses, il a été constaté diverses anomalies qui semblent être liées à ce phénomène. Tout d'abord, au niveau de la pluviométrie, ceux qui ont eu l'opportunité de visiter la Grande île l'année dernière ont pu constater que pour une fois depuis des années il n'y avait pas eu de passage de cyclone comme on peut s'y attendre tous les ans.

Pire, il n'a pratiquement pas plu!

In the current state of things, many anomalies have been observed that seem to be linked to this phenomenon. First of all, when it comes to rainfall, those who visited the Big Island last year were able to notice that for once in years there was no hurricane as expected each year.

Worse, it almost didn't rain!

Cette année, la saison de pluie tarde encore à venir. Ceci a un impact assez déplaisant au niveau de la campagne de letchis par exemple ou encore à d'autres cultures qui nécessitent une pluviométrie assez élevée. On s'attend déjà à ce que la récolte sera moins bonne cette année (2006) et on essaie d'anticiper en conséquence.

This year, the rainy season is late in coming. This has a negative effect on the letchi harvest for example or on other crops that need high amounts of rainfall. There are already expectations that harvest will not as good this year (2006) and we are trying to anticipate the consequences.

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What Salvadoran bloggers are saying — about the armed forces

Tim Muth · 15:20

Salvadoran bloggers on the left are writing posts questioning El Salvador's level of military spending, particularly where there are pressing social problems in the country including crime, sanitation, and poverty. This small Central American country of six million people had a military budget in 2005 of $162 million (source: CIA World Fact Book).

The blogger Hunnapuh looks at the level of spending(es) on the armed forces. He performs some basic math to show that persons in the armed forces above the lowest ranks are earning more per month than a teacher or a doctor. This disparity has lead Hunnapuh to campaign on his blog for the abolition of the army.

El Visitador disagrees, calling the army a necessary insurance policy(es). Without an army, he asserts, El Salvador would look like Cuba and Mexico would be ruled by Commandante Marcos, as armed rebel movements take control of Latin American countries.

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The Week That Was in Bahrain

Amira Al Hussaini · 13:49

It has been yet another busy week on the Bahraini blogsophere, with some bloggers rallying behind an anti-sectarianism campaign, Just Bahraini; others just back home from a long holiday; and one celebrating his/her (?) birthday!

In local politics, Mahmood Al Yousif is keeping us abreast with all that's happening on the ground.
He doesn't seem too happy that the first Bahraini woman to win a seat in Parliament, was elected by default and doesn't mince his words about it.

She somehow changed her residence to the islands of Hawar, those strips of land rich in bird life (it’s supposed to be a natural reserve with even osprey nesting there habitually) and very rich sea life around it too with the dugong making their home in the deep water channels around the islands. But in that constituency there are only 1,000 voters, and I’m not sure if the dugong and the shags are actually counted too, but I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt and say she won fair and square. However, before doing that completely, I must confess my confusion that in an election that every single seat is fought and every single constituency fielding at least 2 candidates, how come the political societies didn’t wake up to the fact that Hawar was up for the taking?

With local elections slated for November 25, Mahmood is also unhappy that the former Speaker is running again - despite announcing earlier that he wouldn't.

The last minute entrance, although he would like to think is being dramatic, the fact of the matter Harry is much better at it. Nevertheless, his excuse is that he was in conference with God, as he does every Ramadhan in the last 10 days. Don’t know what they were talking about (I think it really was just a single-sided conversation if you ask me, and Dhahrani has the hammer) but I guess he interpreted the conversation that he has to do his public duty and place his posterior on an already reserved Speaker of the House leather seat.

In the infectious world of blogging, Mahmood even passed the bug to his brother, Hani, who lives in the UK.

This week Hani tells us about the new craze - iphones (more…)

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Links

Americas

On October 21, Convention Pour Une Guadeloupe Nouvelle commemorated a historical moment (October 21, 1801) it identifies as the birth of the Guadeloupean nation and added: “Nation without state, Guadeloupe is eternal and no one can destroy it. Our national rights must be respected by the French authorities that govern us today.” On October 21, 1801 the Guadeloupean army temporarily defeated troops sent by Napoleon to reestablish slavery.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Looking to upcoming elections in Senegal, Blog Politique du Senegal writes (Fr): “May [Idrissa] Seck bleed the PDS [Senegalese Democratic Party] to death. I certainly won't be complaining. … Wade did not have the political finesse to create an efficient party. His authoritarianism … made him build a monster with a thousand unsynchronized arms. His fear of internal competition caused him to develop a strategy close to Stalin's.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

France-based Togolese blogger Kangni Alem reposts (Fr) an email allegedly authored by Kabiona-Kaseke, a Congolese lamenting the failures of the African diaspora. Says the email: “Diaspora, we have failed in our dreams. Dreams of succeeding in our native countries after studying in the West. … Diaspora, we've failed in our relationships. Failed at having balanced lives as men, African-style. … Failed at educating our children.” The blogger wonders whether the author is depressed but concedes: “What exile or immigrant hasn't asked those questions?”

Sub-Saharan Africa

Madagascar Croissance says (Fr) real estate and rentals are promising investment sectors in his country right now.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Mangaliso's World writes about innovative use of SMS applications in Malawi, “Observing carefully at the market cellular phone operators Telekom Networks Malawi is leading the way on added sms services initiatives. Theservices span from agriculture sector to your personal convinience.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

You Missed This writes about the Presidential race in Kenya, “Somebody somewhere is very determined to push forward Kalonzo Musyoka's candidature for President. Poll after poll has put him way ahead of all other candidates. The strange thing about these polls is that they contradict what we all know about Kenyan politics.”

Sub-Saharan Africa

Diary of a Mad Kenyan Woman has a Madonna opinion,”And wouldn’t you be disappointed if I didn’t? As you can probably imagine, the whole set-up is ridiculous and absurd as per maoni yangu. The boy has a father. He may not be a celebrity, a star or white, but he is this boy’s family. He gives him up to Madonna on the clear and stated grounds that he hopes for a better life for his son, which he, the father, himself cannot afford to give him.”