"The death toll from a massive cyclone in Myanmar could top 100,000, according to a diplomat, as people fought for food in the devastated country. Only a handful of U.N. aid workers had been let into the impoverished country. Entire villages in the Irrawaddy delta were still submerged from Saturday's storm, and bloated corpses could be seen stuck in the mangroves.

Some survivors stripped clothes off the dead. People wailed as they described the horror of the torrent swept ashore by the cyclone. 'I don't know what happened to my wife and young children,' said Phan Maung, 55, who held onto a coconut tree until the water level dropped. By then his family was gone. A few shops reopened in the Irrawaddy delta, but they were quickly overwhelmed by desperate people."

"If the backbone of any economy is small business, Indonesia is hurting. About 17 million people, owners of small and micro business, including their spouses and grown-up children, would like a loan for the purpose of expanding their current family business. For the country's banks, the news is as good as any they could wish for. The key question, however, is how many of these aspirations will materialize into actual loans or credit facilities.

Most banks, with the exception of the central bank, are loath to entertain the aspirations of 'micro' business owners who could collectively power a mighty punch for the economy. While local regulations must be adhered to, universal guidelines may warrant some rethinking if the country's banks are to contribute toward nation-building."

"The Thai government plans to build a 2,600-kilometer dual-track rail network that would help the country cut logistics costs amid high oil prices. The investment in the infrastructure should be prioritized, starting with the routes from Bangkok to the North, Northeast and South where demand for goods transport was substantial.

Road transport dominates more than 80 percent of all transport in Thailand, with less than 2% of cargo moved by rail. The dramatic rise in global oil prices has pushed Thailand's logistics costs as a share of GDP to almost 24% from 19% in 2006. Thailand has lost its competitive advantage because of high logistics costs, especially for inland transport."

"Some 206,000 people in the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, northwestern PRC, will be resettled in irrigated areas and suburban areas of cities in the coming five years, bringing the relocated total to 576,000. The central and regional governments will invest $406 million in the next five years to move the people in 185 villages from six counties to 42 new settlements along the Yellow River.

Each farmer will get 0.16 acres of land. Drought is the main cause of poverty in central Ningxia as the area receives less than 200 mm of rainfall each year, and 40,000 people in the area cannot feed themselves. Harsh natural conditions, meager resources and over-population have made those areas the most unlivable places."

"Cambodia's agricultural turnaround showcases the power -- and the limits -- of rice research, experts say. After years of starvation, Cambodia now produces enough rice to be self-sufficient for the first time in 25 years by using new rice varieties, improved irrigation, and better fertilizer.

Still, as Cambodia also illustrates, scientific advances will only take rice production so far. Although Cambodia's yields have doubled in the last 30 years, they are only almost half that of Thailand and Lao PDR, where better soil conditions, seed varieties, climate and management make for higher outputs."

"Although the idea of a gas pipeline running from Turkmenistan to India has been revived in a new round of negotiations, experts say the project continues to look highly unlikely, not least because the route would run through conflict-ridden Afghanistan. Other obstacles include uncertainty over whether Turkmenistan has enough natural gas to make the pipeline commercially viable, and funding for the high-risk project.

The preliminary agreement says construction should start as soon as 2010. By 2016, Turkmenistan should be pumping 60 million cubic meters of gas a day to India and Pakistan with another five million cubic meters destined for Afghanistan. Supply levels would increase subsequently. India currently needs about 140 million cubic meters of gas a day, and according to some estimates, demand will grow to reach 220 million cubic meters by 2010."

"More low-income people in Vietnam will soon be able to access microfinance insurance. The project will enable people to buy microinsurance through insurance brokers and agents who have strong ties to the low-income market.

While government offices made and supervised regulations, supporting organizations, such as schools and farmers' associations, have helped raise awareness of micro insurance in the community. A lack of understanding and dissatisfaction with types of life insurance had limited the development of low-income insurance in Viet Nam."

"Economic growth is the main vehicle for reducing and eradicating poverty. Although Sri Lanka has maintained a steady economic growth of about 6-7 percent during the past decade, pockets of poverty have also increased during this period. Economic growth can reduce and eradicate poverty only when the poor take an active role in the economic growth. The richest two million people had an average per capita income which was 36 times that of the poorest.

Economic growth in Sri Lanka has been mainly confined to the Western province and a few urban centers. Agriculture has been ignored, despite its historic role in economic development. Rapid transition out of poverty should link the poor to economic growth. This can only be achieved by developing agriculture, which is the only major economic activity in areas where poverty is high."

"The prevalence of chronic malnutrition in Central Asian countries among children under five is the highest in Tajikistan at 27 percent. A large proportion of the population in the region is affected by micronutrient deficiencies which are not easily seen, for example anemia. It happens largely among children under two because of lack of exclusive breast feeding. According to the World Health Organization, the Kyrgyz Republic is in the severe category with regard to anemia.

Another specific micronutrient issue for children in Central Asia is iodine deficiency because there is no longer any iodine in the soil. Iodine deficiency increased after the collapse of the Soviet Union as iodized salt was no longer produced. The impact of the lack of iodine on brain development is quite severe, particularly during pregnancy when the brain cells of children are formed."

"The dramatic surge in food prices has plunged millions of poor into a crisis and has also put at risk their chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015. The prolonged neglect of investing in sectors that employ large sections of the poor such as agriculture and off-farm livelihoods has to be reversed.

While pursuing better technology for high yielding inputs to improve agricultural productivity, there is no substitute for land, soil and water management approaches that are sustainable and respect the rights and aspirations of poor and indigenous communities. The impact of the one-size-fits-all dismantling of all forms of agricultural support and social protection is now coming to haunt the poor."

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