"In India, farmers pump water from as far as 500 meters underground to irrigate their crops. It's a reflection of the parlous state of India's water infrastructure, which has been allowed to run down over the past few decades. Pumping the water up from the aquifer is highly energy intensive. A new study estimates that by 2030, the world's supply of water will fall 40 percent short of demand.

The study attempts to quantify the scale of the potential water crisis -- and to put costs to potential solutions. In many countries, the water gap could be closed using existing technology, and it needn't cost a lot in the long term -- as long as countries choose an optimal mix of solutions. These would have to include more efficient use of water, by farms, factories, cities and power stations, as well as increased supply through investment in infrastructure."

"Farmers' skills are strongly linked with their level of education and experience. Currently, 70 to 80 percent of farmers in Indonesia only have an elementary education. This is certainly related to the ability of farmers to plan well and to solve problems. Nowadays, the problems facing farmers are more complex than ever, so it follows that the abilities and skills of farmers should also be improved.

Former agriculture minister Anton developed a program to educate farmers' children. Of course this is a part of human investment that is very important in agricultural development. With better competency, young generations of Indonesian farmers can contribute more toward increasing agriculture productivity. Unfortunately, investment in agricultural education does not necessarily correlate to improved agricultural productivity."

"Kazakhstan's decision to withdraw from the Central Asia-wide electricity grid and strong hints by Uzbekistan that it will follow suit have highlighted the fragility of energy arrangements in the region. Electricity generating capacity is distributed unevenly in Central Asia. Mountainous Tajikistan and the Kyrgyz Republic have close to 80 percent of the region's water resources, allowing them to build and benefit from hydroelectric power stations, whereas Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan have substantial oil and gas deposits but depend on their smaller neighbors for water.

Disputes arise whenever Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan store up water for the winter, the time they need it most for electricity production. The three lowland states want the water to flow downstream in spring and summer to provide irrigation during the growing season. The Central Asian network links and regulates supplies from 80-plus power stations across the region, and the departure of even one member could prevent it functioning as a whole."

"There is a need for regional demand to make up for the shortfall in exports in Asia, as upgrading infrastructure assumes greater importance now, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). It estimated that Asian governments need to spend $8 trillion at the national level between 2010 and 2020 as well as $290 billion on cross-border projects to knit the economies of the region together.

With studies from around the world showing returns from spending on telecommunications, energy and transportation far exceeding those from other forms of investment, the ADB said the outlays it recommended could generate $13 trillion in real income gains for developing Asian countries."

"When the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami devastated India's Andaman Islands, some 4,000 prefabricated bamboo houses provided a quick and effective way to give shelter to thousands made homeless by the disaster. Bamboo provides structures that are durable, cost-efficient and easy to construct and transport and could revolutionize the provision of shelter for millions of people displaced by natural disasters and conflict, manufacturers say.

A basic bamboo house made out of prefabricated plywood, which can accommodate about 10 people, will take about six hours to construct. Due to the plants' strength and flexibility, bamboo houses can withstand earthquakes of up to 6 on the richter scale, and if a building does collapse, it will cause minimal injury due to its light weight and elastic properties unlike concrete structures."

"One of the most visible effects of depression in Tajikistan is the sight of men hanging around in groups, hoping someone will take them on for a day's work. Many of them used to have decent-paying work in Russia, but the economic crisis there has led to job cuts and forced them to return home. The day laborers gather at informal labor markets, but because they are part of the grey economy they are vulnerable to being cheated by employers.

Anticipating the migrants' return, the national government has created over 35,000 jobs this year. But surprisingly, less than half have been filled, because job-hunters feel the wages on offer are not enough to make ends meet. Women in search of work are even worse off, as it is not considered right for them to stand around in the street asking for a job."

"The Philippines could import as much as three million tons of rice next year as the world's largest buyer of the grain, worried about a potential spike in prices, moves quickly to secure supplies. The government's call for a fourth import tender would bring in a total 2.05 million tons of milled rice until May -- already above the 1.8 million tons secured for the whole of 2009 and near the record 2.3 million tons bought in 2008.

The government has already scheduled three tenders for next month happening a week apart. The Philippines, which lost the equivalent of around 845,000 tons of milled rice when storms hit key rice-growing areas in the main Luzon island from late September, has options for purchases thanks to high rice stocks in producing countries."

"Communities in South Asia are benefiting from several e-learning packages, resource centers and mobile and Internet access facilities. A series of programs and doorstep services are contributing toward education and overall rural development in Sri Lanka and India. Telecenters in Sri Lanka fulfill many roles: some provide connection to the web, but also offer fax, photocopying and printing services. They make money from phone calls and provide a bill-payment service. They are also places, the government hopes, where other ICT projects can bloom.

Indian Tobacco Company, one of India's largest exporters, created eChoupal, a series of rural information centers where farmers can communicate directly to other farmers, different markets and experts through the Internet. These village Internet kiosks were first installed for farmers to learn in local languages the latest information regarding national and international prices in soy, wheat, tobacco and shrimp."

"PRC's banking regulator has asked the country's commercial banks to better manage risks and avoid year-end volatility in lending. Commercial banks should ensure that any increases in lending were kept at a stable and sustainable pace, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) said.

Financial institutions with a low capital adequacy ratio and no practical remedy plans would face restrictions in various sectors such as overseas investment, increasing branches and business expansion, it said. The CBRC called for enhanced inspections in the financial system to detect problems after surging loan extensions between the fourth quarter last year and the second quarter this year."

"Indian women continue to lag behind on almost all crucial developmental parameters like education, health and economic participation despite political empowerment. Due to lopsided development, women are also losing economic power that affects their social standing. So why isn't women's political empowerment translating into better living conditions for Indian women?

After all, they constitute half the country's 1.2 billion population and make up a whopping 340 million voters out of a total electorate of 710 million. Experts point out that while the importance of political empowerment cannot be undermined in a patriarchal society like India's, that alone cannot guarantee parity for women. An equitable share of educational opportunities, health benefits and literacy is vital too."

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