From Austria's investigation into Croatian money laundering to Zimbabwe death squads, all the key risk and security news from the past week is summarized in this Newsletter. The threat presented by global climate change is covered in Recommended Reading, with regional summaries from the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Related coverage of the effects and mitigation techniques are found in reports in the sections on emerging threats and critical infrastructure protection. Addressing economic competition, note our 12 April breakfast seminar, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Even if you can't join us for "Islamic Finance: An Introduction", you can still purchase the supplementary reference materials. Email for information and subscriber discounts.

3. AML/CFT Monitor

Anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism is not simply an issue of compliance with local regulations. It is a global crime that can only be understood by crossing national or regional boundaries. Subscribers to the monthly AML/CFT Monitor receive information and analysis of worldwide incidents, trends, legal and regulatory issues, modalities, and related topics such as financial fraud and narcoterrorism.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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AML/CFT Incidents/Cases
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Algeria, Italy, Spain and Switzerland are investigating the relationship between criminal activities and financing of al Qaeda in the Maghreb (formerly the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat - GSPC).
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-terrorcash1apr01,0,224592.story

Austria has launched a money laundering investigation into the business operations of former Croatian Assistant Defense Minister, retired General Vladimir Zagorec, and his Austrian partners. The Hypo Alpe Adria group insists that it was never involved in transactions with Croatian government money or with money that originated from the war, and dismisses claims that the Hypo bank laundered money.
http://www.turkishweekly.net/news.php?id=44001
http://www.javno.com/en/croatia/clanak.php?id=31928

De Beers, the world's largest diamond supplier, is trying to identify money laundering among its clients following raids by Belgian investigators in relation to alleged money laundering practices.
http://www.israelidiamond.co.il/english/News.aspx?boneID=918&objID=1960

A private bank owner in Burma has been charged with drug-related money laundering.
http://english.people.com.cn/200704/02/eng20070402_363047.html

In Canada, New Brunswick's superintendent of credit unions is investigating suspicious deposits in a financially troubled credit union that may have been used to launder money.
http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/070405/t040508A.html

A French terrorist financing investigation has led to the detention of 17 suspected Tamil Tiger rebels, alleged to be involved in extortion, violence and detentions as part of fundraising activities.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1088326

Joyce Bamidele Oyebanjo has been sentenced in UK court to three years in prison for laundering GBP1.4 million (about N180 million) stolen from Plateau State in actions masterminded by its former governor, Joshua Dariye.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200704060155.html
http://www.tribune.com.ng/06042007/news/news2.html

Romanian Conservative Party leader Dan Voiculescu and five others are being investigated for money laundering in connection with national lottery fraud.
http://english.hotnews.ro/Political-leader-Dan-Voiculescu-others-under-criminal-inquiry-for-money-laundering-articol_44648.htm

Russian prosecutors have submitted money laundering charges in court against Yukos acting property manager Alexei Kurtsin, Amalgama DVD Group President Boris Teremenko, and his associates Yelena Vybornova, Alexander Goldman, and Maria Tikhopov. The charges are connected with embezzlement and forgery at the now defunct Yukos oil company.
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11406687&PageNum=0

Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department is investigating several people involved in a phishing syndicate to launder money for an international crime syndicate.
http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_22512-Singaporeans-Investigate-Over-Money-Laundering-For-Foreign-Group.html

James "The Iceman" Stevenson has admitted in Scottish court of laundering more than GBP1 million in drug money. He will be sentenced next week.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/display.var.1313499.0.drugs_cops_snared_iceman_over_1m_money_laundering.php
http://news.scotsman.com/glasgow.cfm?id=530152007

An Arkansas grand jury has indicted tax attorney Barry Jewell on three counts of money laundering and one of income tax evasion, part of a conspiracy with a client.
http://www.wmcstations.com/Global/story.asp?S=6334170

Joel Nathan Ward has been charged in California on five counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and two counts of money laundering connected with fraudulent activities run through his foreign currency exchange company.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/150642.html

Haniffa Bin Osman, of Singapore, pleaded guilty in US court to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization - the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam - and money laundering.
http://baltimore.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel07/ba040507.htm

Zambia's Drug Enforcement Commission arrested six people for money laundering, including five judiciary workers, in connection with false payment vouchers. 19 other people were arrested on drug charges.
http://english.people.com.cn/200704/04/eng20070404_363581.html
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AML/CFT Legislation and Regulation
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The UK will hold the Presidency of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) from this July through June 2008. Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown has appointed James Sassoon as FATF President.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/newsroom_and_speeches/press/2007/press_43_07.cfm

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a working paper on the topic "A Theory of 'Crying Wolf': The Economics of Money Laundering Enforcement". It describes how excessive reporting can dilute the information value. Banks are fined if they fail to report suspicious activities, but excessive fines force banks to report transactions that are less suspicious. They recommend decreasing fines and introducing reporting fees.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/wp/2007/wp0781.pdf

The International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) has accepted FATF guidance but has not attempted to adopt an AML system applicable to the securities sector internationally, where there is a multiplicity of trading and settlement operations.
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Markets/Stocks/Regulators_connect_to_check_money_laundering/articleshow/1862965.cms

The Cook Islands, Samoa, Palau and Vanuatu listing in the US International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for 2007 as "Countries of Concern" increases pressure for them to strengthen money laundering legislation.
http://www.islandsbusiness.com/islands_business/index_dynamic/containerNameToReplace=MiddleMiddle/focusModuleID=17361/overideSkinName=issueArticle-full.tpl
http://www.state.gov/p/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2007/vol2/html/80883.htm

Fiji's interim cabinet approved implementation of financial transaction and other remaining provisions of the Financial Transactions Reporting Act.
http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=59976

India is planning amendments to the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, including bringing casinos under the Act.
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=160149

Japan's AML legislation, in force since 1 April, remains a work in progress.
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20070407TDY04005.htm

Palestine Monetary Authority funds will be unfrozen and it will be able to resume operations following a ruling by the Supreme Court of the state of New York that held it is a separate entity from the Palestinian Authority, and its funds should be released.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L07645260.htm

The Philippine Army is undertaking a large media campaign to counter New People's Army extortion efforts, which they call revolutionary taxes.
http://www.thenewstoday.info/2007/04/03/army.warns.bets.of.npa.extort.scheme.html

The Delhi Declaration of the South Asia Association of Regional Countries (SAARC) Summit included a commitment to prevent and suppress terrorist financing by criminalizing such acts and countering illegal trafficking.
http://www.dailyindia.com/show/130950.php/Least-contentious-Delhi-SAARC-Summit-ends-with-tough-message-on-terror

The British Treasury issued an information notice regarding financial sanctions imposed on Iran.
http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/media/BC8/5B/fin_banksepah040407.pdf

The Serious and Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) chairman Sir Stephen Lander says that growing private sector cooperation is helping to improve the efficiency of the government's money-laundering controls.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/da666fd0-e0b6-11db-8b48-000b5df10621.html

Zimbabwe central banker Gideon Gono said that the cash-strapped country had lost $400 million potential revenue from diamond smuggling.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=303977
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AML/CFT Modalities
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This article describes the methods used in a money laundering operation that involved exchange houses in Chile, Colombia, Peru and the US, where humans and technology both contributed to the route.
http://www.tcgnews.com/santiagotimes/index.php?nav=story&story_id=13427&topic_id=1

Singapore has identified for the first time a money laundering scam involving an international phishing syndicate using remittance firms and overseas banks.
http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_22512-Singaporeans-Investigate-Over-Money-Laundering-For-Foreign-Group.html

4. Emerging Threat Monitor

Climate change, pandemics, and global economic imbalances are just a few of the threats emerging in this 21st century. Subscribers to the Emerging Threat Monitor stay a step ahead with monthly analysis of trends and responses worldwide. It offers executives a heads-up of new risks, and details of the policies and best practices gleaned from every country around the globe.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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ETM Corruption and Transnational Crime
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China's General Administration of Press and Publication (GAPP) has banned journalists and newspapers from accepting or extorting money or other favors, including forced subscriptions or advertising, or paid news, in return for favorable news coverage.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-04/03/content_5930287.htm

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said Anti-Corruption Agency head Zulkipli Mat Noor's contract will not be renewed. His dismissal, after six years in office, comes amid a corruption investigation.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) froze the assets of UK residents Sunil Sehgal And Seema Sehgal accused of insider trading related to the private equity purchase of energy company TXU.
http://www.sec.gov/news/digest/2007/dig033007.txt
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2048158,00.html

The US Integrity Committee that oversees inspectors general, reports that NASA Inspector General Robert Cobb routinely dipped off department officials in investigations and quashed a disaster report to avoid embarrassing NASA.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/04/05/nasa.watchdog.ap/index.html

Former Mississippi attorney Paul Minor has been convicted of bribing judges Walter Teel and John Whitfield to provide favorable rulings. Both judges were also convicted.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/April/07_crm_210.html
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ETM Economies and Financial Systems
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The International Monetary Fund (IMF) looked at the question of when the US sneezes, does the rest of the world catch a cold, and determined that the housing and manufacturing factors slowing the US economy are so specific to the US that they will have limited global impact.
http://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2007/tr070404.htm

IMF also reported that globalization has driven down worker income in advanced economies, but although their share of the economic pie has declined, workers have benefited in other ways.
http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2007/01/pdf/c5.pdf

The UN Economic Commission for Africa released "Economic Report on Africa". The report forecasts average growth of 5.8 percent this year. Improved macroeconomic management and strong global demand for commodities, especially crude oil, metals and minerals supported this growth, but the foundations are very fragile.
http://www.uneca.org/era2007/

An independent panel of eminent persons commissioned by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) completed their 2020 Vision report. It finds that by 2020 Asia will be dramatically transformed. 90 percent of people will be in middle-income countries and extreme poverty conquered. ADB must also transform, to match this new paradigm.
http://www.adb.org/Documents/Reports/EPG-report.pdf

The World Bank's East Asia and Pacific Update warns that economic growth could stall if the growing wealth gap is not addressed. In china, income inequality and large-scale pollution could both slow growth and be a source of social and political unrest.
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:21284107~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html

China has used macroeconomic controls to restrain the economy, including the surging property market, and is adding further restraints now in the form of a crackdown on illegal transactions involving eight ministries.
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2007-04/07/content_845500.htm

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) has lauded a free trade agreement with the US as an engine of growth. This is the largest such agreement the US has signed since the 1992 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The legislatures of both countries must approve the agreement.
http://www.fki.or.kr/en/Message/View.aspx?content_id=dfc02e7b-6d55-4567-98de-12d6c9e456b1
http://www.korea.net/News/News/NewsView.asp?serial_no=20070403014&part=102
http://www.ustr.gov/Trade_Agreements/Bilateral/Republic_of_Korea_FTA/Section_Index.html
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ETM Environment and Climate Change
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See the new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change release in Recommended Reading, below.

The UN International Transaction Log allows industrialized countries that have signed up to the Kyoto Protocol to link their national registries to the central hub of a settlement system that will deliver traded allowances from sellers to buyers. It is in testing, and on track for completion in coming months.
http://unfccc.int/files/press/news_room/press_releases_and_advisories/application/pdf/20070204_itl_on_track_english.pdf

India's spectacular mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles is falling victim to government neglect, industrialization, and illegal trawling.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP80236.htm
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP158924.htm

A BBC news team visited the secretive Siberian city of Norilsk, which is accused of being the world's largest producer of acid rain - through its production of palladium.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6528853.stm

The US Supreme Court ruled that the Bush administration was wrong to say that it did not have the power to regulate vehicle exhaust gases. 12 states, led by Massachusetts, and 13 environmental groups successfully argued that the Clean Air Act requires the Environmental Protection Agency to control greenhouse emissions. Bush said that he took the decision seriously, but said that any steps to comply with it could not slow economic growth or be offset by international events. Such limitations could hinder Congress's ability to deal with global warming.
http://www.ago.state.ma.us/sp.cfm?pageid=986&id=1845
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/06pdf/05-1120.pdf
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/04/20070403.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-warming4apr04,0,6743736.story

Congress moved up daylight-saving time by three weeks this year, but rather than conserving energy, Americans took advantage of extra sunshine by using record amounts of gasoline.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/energy/2007-04-05-daylight-savings-usat_N.htm
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ETM Human Rights
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Stop the Traffik is calling for urgent action to ensure that chocolate is free from trafficked child labor. Ivory Coast, the world's largest cocoa producer, still suffers serious child exploitation.
http://www.stopthetraffik.org/chocolatecampaign/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6517695.stm

Eritrea has banned female circumcision.
http://www.shabait.com/staging/publish/article_006428.html

Bachpan Bachao Andolan (Save the Childhood Movement) reports that traffickers are selling children in India for amounts less than the cost of animals.
http://www.bba.org.in/childtrafficking/index.html

An Indonesian court has found that the editor of Playboy Indonesia is not guilty of indecency and will not be jailed, sparking protests from Islamic groups.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/publish-and-be-damned--but-playboy-lives-to-excite-another-day/2007/04/05/1175366413158.html

Uganda's Constitutional Court has scrapped the adultery law and portions of the Succession Act (on death rights) because of unequal treatment of men and women.
http://www.monitor.co.ug/news/news04061.php

UK Communities Minister Ruth Kelly announced measures to strengthen the Charity Commission's oversight of religious institutions, including a requirement to speak English. Speaking to the Muslim Cultural Heritage Center, she said, "We cannot allow a divide to be drawn in British society between Muslim communities and the rest. Instead we should be optimistic that we can draw the divide between the overwhelming majority and a violent and extreme fringe. We can isolate and push out a tiny minority who spread hatred and intolerance."
http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1509407

A coalition of US civil rights groups have called for an immediate moratorium on foreclosures resulting from sub-prime loans, which are a particular problem in minority communities.
http://www.nclr.org/content/news/detail/45150/
http://www.responsiblelending.org/issues/mortgage/reports/page.jsp?itemID=31217189
http://www.nationalfairhousing.org/
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ETM Infectious Diseases
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Through 2 April, 288 laboratory-confirmed cases of human H5N1 avian influenza infection have been reported to the World Health Organization (WHO). Of these 170 have proven fatal.
http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/country/cases_table_2007_04_02/en/index.html

WHO has released an updated timeline of major H5N1 events.
http://www.who.int/entity/csr/disease/avian_influenza/timeline2007_04_02.pdf

The World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) has launched a new web portal providing key facts and figures about H5N1, together in one place.
http://www.oie.int/AI

Influenza type B is normally a mild flu often treated with antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. There is serious concern following the discovery of signs of resistance among patients in Japan, raising the issue that new drugs may be necessary.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/297/13/1435

Spanish researchers have identified a new protease-inhibitor, Darunavir, as extremely effective in treating HIV when used in conjunction with Ritonavir.
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673607604978/abstract

The Institute of Medicine released an audit of the (US) President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). It finds the $15 billion plan to combat HIV/AIDS worldwide is hampered by administration and congressional restrictions. They recommend:
* A transition from its focus on emergency relief to an emphasis on long-term strategic planning and capacity building for a sustainable response.
* Addressing the long term factors that underlie the epidemics in each country including:
- Emphasizing and enhancing prevention with accumulation of better data to determine the most appropriate interventions needed in the countries.
- Empowering women and girls by increasing focus on the factors that put them at greater risk of HIV/AIDS, and to support improvements in their legal, economic, educational, and social status.
- Building workforce capacity by increasing its support and including the education of new health care workers in addition to AIDS-related training for existing health care workers.
- Expanding the knowledge base by emphasizing evidence-based approaches, learning from experience, and adaptation to new developments; as well as conducting operations research and robust program monitoring and evaluation.
* Improving Harmonization by improving coordination with partner governments and other donors and supporting the WHO Prequalification Process for medications obtained through PEPFAR. In addition, the Committee recommends that Congress remove the budgetary allocations but replace them with alternative mechanisms for accountability to ensure results and to permit Country Teams the maximum flexibility to achieve the 5-year performance targets for supporting prevention of 7 million infection, providing antiretroviral therapy to 2 million people, and care for 10 million people affected by HIV/AIDS including orphans and vulnerable children.
* Expanding, improving, and integrating prevention, treatment, care, and orphan and vulnerable children services; and increasing attention to marginalized populations including commercial sex workers, people who use injecting drugs, prisoner, and men who have sex with men.
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3783/24770.aspx
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ETM Legal Systems
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Suspended Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry's case is being heard at the Supreme Judicial Council, a jury of his peers. They will determine whether President Musharraf's charges against him will stand, or whether he will be reinstated. Mass protests continue outside the court in a show of support for Chaudhry and for an independent judiciary.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/56d56fb6-e19e-11db-bd73-000b5df10621.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pakistan/Story/0,,2049414,00.html
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=50055

Northern Ireland's Maze prison, the notorious high security jail that housed political prisoners and terrorists during the Troubles, is coming down, and a national stadium may be constructed on the site. The falling wall coincides with rising political expectations for the devolved government.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/article2414855.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/northern_ireland/2000/maze_prison/default.stm

US Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's special counsel Monica Goodling has resigned. She had been on leave for several weeks and invoked her fifth amendment right against self-incrimination to avoid testifying before house and senate judiciary committees investigating the dismissals of eight US attorneys. Congress continues to seek her testimony, and there is rampant curiosity over why a senior official of the justice department would fear criminal charges. Senator Patrick Leahy, chair of the Senate judiciary committee, has requested a written account of his role in the dismissals, prior to his scheduled testimony on 17 April.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/04/07/america/web-0407-lawyers~23093.php
http://leahy.senate.gov/press/200704/040507.html
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/benchconference/2007/04/justice_department_a_rudderles.html?hpid=topnews
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ETM Natural Resources
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The Association for Responsible Mining released an updated version of the Standard Zero for Fair Trade Artisanal Gold and Associated Silver and Platinum.
http://www.communitymining.org/pdf/Standard zero fairtrade gold 2007.doc

The Diamond Development Initiative seeks to go beyond the Kimberley Process to ensure miners and their communities attain a fair share of economic benefits.
http://www.madisondialogue.org/SmilieDDI_DifferentKindofDiamondMining.pdf
http://blooddiamond.pacweb.org/ddi/
http://casmsite.org/about.html

The Canadian Government released "National Roundtables on Corporate Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries: Advisory Group Report". It calls for setting a Canadian Corporate Social Responsibility framework based on international standards.
http://geo.international.gc.ca/cip-pic/current_discussions/csr-roundtables-en.asp
http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/cnca_media/963

Democratic Republic of Congo has suspended new mining contracts pending review of prior agreements.
http://www.mineweb.com:8080/mineweb/view/mineweb/en/page54?oid=19008&sn=Detail
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ETM Populations
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Population Action International has released "The Shape of Things to Come". The report highlights Pakistan, Iran, South Korea, Nigeria, Mexico, Germany and Tunisia to show the impact of age structures. Very young populations, as in Afghanistan, Congo, Iraq and Sudan, contribute to conflict.
http://www.populationaction.org/SOTC/
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/04/world/04youth.html

Egypt's statistics agency reports that the population has grown more than 20 percent in the past ten years, reaching 76.5 million last year, and doubled over the past 30. Illiteracy fell from 39 percent to 29 percent over the past decade. Average family size and the birth rate have fallen.
http://www.sis.gov.eg/En/Land&people/Population/030900000000000001.htm

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has called on Peru to quickly act to protect indigenous Amazonian tribes from illegal loggers. If steps are not taken quickly, sanctions could be imposed.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6513117.stm
http://www.survival-international.org/news.php?id=2324
http://www.cidh.org/

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released "OECD Factbook 2007". The section on migration reveals a sharp increase of migration into OECD countries in 2004.
http://titania.sourceoecd.org/vl=17296686/cl=20/nw=1/rpsv/factbook/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6517361.stm

The US Census Bureau reports that the 50 fastest-growing metropolitan areas are concentrated in the west and south. (These areas will be particularly hard hit by climate change - see Recommended Reading, below.) Many US cities, including New York, Los Angeles and Boston, rely on immigrants to maintain their population levels.
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/population/009865.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,2050978,00.html
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ETM Social Responsibility
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A recent International Finance Corporation (IFC) report, "Banking on Sustainability", looks at evidence of the potential benefits of adopting sustainability as a business strategy, and shows a dramatic shift in banks' awareness of these benefits, which range from increased profitability and market value to a stronger reputation and improved image in the community.
http://www.ifc.org/enviropublications

The Canadian Government held a series of four National Roundtables on Corporate Responsibility and the Canadian Extractive Industry in Developing Countries that, with written and oral submissions, were used to generate a report undertaken by an Advisory Group of experts from industry, labor, the socially responsible investment community, civil society and academia. The central recommendation in the report is the development of a Canadian CSR Framework, whose key attributes are:
* The Canadian CSR Standards, for initial application, based on existing international standards that are supported by ongoing multi-stakeholder and multilateral dialogue.
* CSR reporting obligations based on the Global Reporting Initiative, or its equivalent during an initial phase-in period, at a level that reflects the size of the operation. The Global Reporting Initiative relies on an international multi-stakeholder process for its development and continued improvement and applies universally-applicable reporting principles, guidance and indicators for organizations of all sizes and sectors.
* An independent ombudsman office to provide advisory services, fact finding and reporting regarding complaints with respect to the operations in developing countries of Canadian extractive companies.
* A tripartite Compliance Review Committee to determine the nature and degree of company non-compliance with the Canadian CSR Standards, based upon findings of the ombudsman with respect to complaints, and to make recommendations regarding appropriate responses in such cases.
* The development of policies and guidelines for measuring serious failure by a company to meet the Canadian CSR Standards, including findings by the Compliance Review Committee. In the event of a serious failure and when steps to bring the company into compliance have also failed, government support for the company should be withdrawn.
* A multi-stakeholder Canadian Extractive Sector Advisory Group to advise government on the implementation and further development of the Canadian CSR Framework.
http://geo.international.gc.ca/cip-pic/current_discussions/csr-roundtables-en.asp

The Halifax Initiative calls for Canada to promptly adopt the recommendations and implement the framework. Once established, the framework must:
* Be incorporated into binding legislation so that compliance is mandatory as recommended in the SCFAIT report;
* Integrate the internationally-recognized principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent for indigenous peoples;
* Reflect internationally-guaranteed human rights standards and the corresponding obligations of states and non-state actors to respect the human rights of individuals and communities.
http://www.halifaxinitiative.org/index.php/cnca_media/963

Andrew Jack writes of Silicon Valley billionaires backing schemes that blur the line between the non-profit and corporate worlds.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/c8bc4af8-e312-11db-a1c9-000b5df10621.html
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ETM Technology
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The UK Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology published its Report on Government proposals for the regulation of hybrid and chimera embryos. They said that a ban in unnecessary and could potentially harm science, and called instead for regulation of such work.
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmsctech/272/27202.htm

The US Patent and Trademark Office has ruled that primate embryonic stem cell research patents held by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation are not valid because they were based on prior work. This decision supports scientists and consumer groups who argued that the patents excessively limited research.
http://www.the-scientist.com/news/home/53051/
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ETM Weapons (WMD, Proliferation)
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Following the release of 15 British sailors and marines detained for nearly two weeks in Iran, the EU and Iran are turning attention back to Iran's nuclear programs.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/05/europe/EU-GEN-EU-Iran.php

China, North and South Korea, the EU, Russian, the UK and US are considering extending a deadline for North Korea to freeze its nuclear activities.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SEO274919.htm
http://washingtontimes.com/world/200-9544r.htm

The controversy over the polonium-210 death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko heated up this week when his wife and friends accused Russian President Putin and his government of state-sponsored terrorism. These remarks were made at the launch of the Litvinenko Justice Foundation, financed by Russian oligarch Boris Berezovsky.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2049525,00.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/03/world/europe/03cnd-spy.html
http://www.kommersant.com/p-10474/Litvinenko_Foundation_Aid/
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070405/63175922.html

The Health Protection Agency continues to monitor 17 people exposed to polonium-210 associated with the Litvinenko case.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6526993.stm
http://www.hpa.org.uk/hpa/news/articles/press_releases/2007/070327_po210.htm

Uzbekistan has ratified a treaty creating a nuclear weapon free zone in Central Asia.
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070403/62995572.html

Chlorine-laden bombs continue to harm Iraqis, with the ninth chemical attack this week.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/world/middleeast/06cnd-iraq.html

International Mine Awareness Day was marked on 4 April, highlighting challenges and progress to eliminate landmines and explosive remnants of war. Such devices still kill nearly 20,000 people each year.
http://www.mineaction.org/overview.asp?o=974
http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs/2007/070403_Guehenno.doc.htm
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4612324720.html
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=22121&Cr=landmine&Cr1=
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=71187

Parthasarathy Sudarshan and Mythili Gopal have been charged in US court with violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Arms Export Control Act and with acting as illegal agents of a foreign government in connection of supplying the government of India with components for space launch vehicle and ballistic missile programs. The indictment also charges AKN Prasad of Bangalore, India, and Sampath Sundar, of Singapore, for helping mask illegal activities by diverting components through third countries.
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2007/April/07_nsd_217.html
http://iht.com/articles/2007/04/03/asia/web-0403arms.php

The US did not act to prevent North Korea shipping arms to Ethiopia despite indications that it might violate UN restrictions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/world/africa/08ethiopia.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/07/AR2007040701365.html

5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor

The 21st century is the interdependent century. Understanding the implicit and explicit networks on which we rely, and the interdependencies among the sectors of the critical infrastructure is essential for business continuity, economic success, and our very survival. The Critical Infrastructure Monitor, published monthly, analyzes these sectors, regulatory frameworks, and issues of enterprise risk management in global supply chains.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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CIM Agriculture and Food
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Agricultural group Bunge reports that its first quarter profits will be eliminated by distorted crop prices. This is the first company reporting a loss because of the gap between cash and futures markets, where the gap has grown fourfold.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/71ddb330-e249-11db-af9e-000b5df10621.html
http://www.bunge.com/

The UK Food Standards Agency found no evidence that hygiene rules were violated at the Bernard Matthews food processing plant at the center of an H5N1 avian influenza outbreak. Therefore, there will be no prosecution.
http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/apr/bmatthews

The US Department of Agriculture reports that growing ethanol demand means that US farmers will plant 15 percent more acres of corn, the largest area since 1944 and 12.1 million acres more than in 2006. There are decreases in soy, cotton, and rice.
http://www.nass.usda.gov/Newsroom/2007/03_30_2007.asp

The Federal Bank of Kansas looks at ethanol's potential for rural economies, and the risks of price volatility, technology, and policy.
http://www.kansascityfed.org/RegionalAffairs/mainstreet/MSE_0107.pdf
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CIM Banking and Finance
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The first trans-Atlantic stock exchange, NYSE Euronext, has begun trading as the merger of the two exchanges is completed. They are taking steps to prevent a spillover of US rules into European markets.
http://www.euronext.com/fic/000/020/020/200209.pdf
http://www.nyse.com/press/1175665133200.html
http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=allBreakingNews&storyID=2007-04-06T110317Z_01_L06458055_RTRIDST_0_NYSEEURONEXT-FOUNDATION.XML

The UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) published an update on the investment entities listing review. FSA will consult on the introduction of a single listing regime for all UK and overseas closed-ended investment funds.
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/PR/2007/045.shtml
http://www.fsa.gov.uk/pages/Library/Communication/Statements/2007/investment_entities_update.shtml

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) endorsed measures to eliminate waste and duplication under Sarbanes-Oxley.
http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2007/2007-62.htm
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CIM Chemical
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The US Department of Homeland Security released an interim final rule for federal regulations of high-risk chemical facilities. Secretary Chertoff says the regulations "will significantly reduce vulnerability at high-consequence chemical facilities, taking into account important efforts in certain states." Although providing an opening for stricter state rules, DHS retains the right of preemption. Congressional Democrats, state officials, particularly in New Jersey and New York, and environmental groups believe there is too much discretion for the Secretary, the rules undermine state expertise and risks, and do not set requirements for fundamental industry changes.
http://www.dhs.gov/xprevprot/laws/gc_1166796969417.shtm
http://lautenberg.senate.gov/newsroom/record.cfm?id=271743
http://www.npga.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1372
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/03/america/NA-GEN-US-Chemical-Rules.php
http://www.upi.com/SecurityTerrorism/analysis_new_dhs_chem_plant_regulations/200-3764r/
http://www.ombwatch.org/article/articleview/3789/1/1?TopicID=1

The same day these rules were released, the Center for American Progress released "Toxic Trains and the Terrorist Threat: How Water Utilities Can Get Chlorine Gas Off the Rails and Out of American Communities". The report finds that " Each year, thousands of tons of highly toxic chlorine gas travel by rail in the United States to drinking water and wastewater treatment facilities and other industries. These massive railcars traverse some 300,000 miles of freight railways, passing through almost all major American cities and towns. A rupture of one of these railcars could release a dense, lethal plume for miles downwind, potentially killing or injuring thousands of people."
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/chemical_security_report.html
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CIM Cybersecurity
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Microsoft patched the Windows cursor vulnerability, which is being actively exploited, and six other flaws ahead of the scheduled 10 April patch Tuesday.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS07-017.mspx
http://blogs.technet.com/msrc/archive/2007/04/03/ms07-017-released.aspx
http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=9015343

Determina researcher Alexander Sotirov warns that Firefox is also vulnerable to the cursor exploit.
http://determina.blogspot.com/2007/04/exploiting-vista-with-ani.html

The Department of Energy's Inspector General released "Internal Controls Over Computer Property at the Department of Energy's Counterintelligence Directorate". The audit reports that - for the 13th time in four years - desktop computers are missing, including those containing secret details about nuclear weapons. A number of other significant security flaws were also identified.
http://www.ig.energy.gov/documents/IG-0762.pdf

The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released an audit report finding that between 2 January 2003 and 13 June 2006 490 laptops were lost or stolen from the Internal Revenue Service. Nearly half are likely to contain unencrypted sensitive data.
http://www.treas.gov/tigta/auditreports/2007reports/200720048fr.pdf

The Texas Attorney General has taken legal action against RadioShack Corporation for violating a 2005 law that requires businesses protect sensitive consumer records. Instead, company employees dumped records in garbage cans, exposing thousands to potential identity theft, including the individual whose receipt for a paper shredder included his name, address, phone number, credit card number, and expiration date.
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/oagNews/release.php?id=1961
http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/79R/billtext/html/SB00122F.htm
http://www.oag.state.tx.us/newspubs/releases/2007/033007radioshack.pdf

There is a similar case in Canada, where hundreds of cable and internet order forms from Rogers were found in an alleyway in Toronto.
http://www.thestar.com/article/200727

The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken steps to strengthen privacy rules and prevent pretexting. Most importantly, phone companies must obtain customer agreement prior to sharing information. It is unclear that such steps will prevent fraudulent representations.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272008A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-22A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-22A2.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-22A3.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-22A4.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-22A5.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-22A6.pdf

Nigeria's federal government has released funds for the new Directorate for Cybersecurity to respond to fraudulent online activities, particularly 419 advanced fee frauds.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=74876

Saudi advisor Dr Abdul-Rahman al-Hadlaq reports am 80- to 90-percent success rate in their internet counterterrorism campaign, interfering with its potent use as a terrorist recruiting tool.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/saudi/story/0,,2048118,00.html
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article1599712.ece

The UK High Court has rejected Gary McKinnon's appeal against extradition to the US, where he is wanted for hacking into 97 military and NASA computers.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6523549.stm
http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,,2049299,00.html
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CIM Dams and Bridges
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Heavy silting and a sharp fall in the level of water in the Tripura, India Gumti hydroelectric project has stopped electricity production, and led indigenous tribes to attempt to reclaim lands emerging from the reservoir. Police are chasing them away as the government hopes to resume power generation.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6509771.stm

The US Army Corps of Engineers released an updated list of levees that failed maintenance standards. It includes 32 districts in California, where many failed because vegetation for shade and habitat conflicts with a national policy to clear vegetation for capacity and access. The West Sacramento levees, protecting some 40,000 residents from flooding, require $8.5 million in repairs.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/150966.html
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/147485.html
http://www.spk.usace.army.mil/
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CIM Emergency Services
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RAND Corporation experts recommend actions that communities should take to be better prepared to deal with bioterrorist attacks, pandemic flu outbreak and other large-scale public health emergencies. They call for communities to:
* Have a coordinated rapid-response capability. This should include well-defined roles and responsibilities for officials and the public; a clear command structure; strong public communications; the ability to provide emergency health care to large numbers of people; and the ability to monitor the spread of a public health emergency.
* Develop and maintain adequate numbers of operations-ready public health workers and volunteers.
* Engage in a continuous process of testing, improvement and maintenance of systems for tracking and reporting information on readiness to decision-makers and the public.
http://www.rand.org/news/press.07/04.05.html

A study evaluating the effectiveness of the public's use of respirators after Hurricane Katrina shows that three quarters of participants put the masks on incorrectly.
http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/13/5/06-1490.htm

Scottish firefighters have been issued DNA swab kits to take samples of saliva if they are spat on, helping to protect the from disease and violence.
http://www.strathclydefire.org/news/default.asp?NewsID=157

Some small specialty hospitals are not equipped to handle emergencies, and are phoning for ambulances to transport patients to full service hospitals.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/02/business/02alarm.html

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that " Traditional health plan members who switched to high-deductible coverage visited the emergency department less frequently than controls, with reductions occurring primarily in repeat visits for conditions that were not classified as high severity, and had decreases in the rate of hospitalizations from the emergency department. Further research is needed to determine long-term health care utilization patterns under high-deductible coverage and to assess risks and benefits related to clinical outcomes." High deductible health plans have been promoted to reduce overuse of emergency departments, where patients often present with non-emergency conditions that could be treated in other clinical settings.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/short/297/10/1093

Some 40 percent of US communities are unable to pinpoint the location of cellular emergency communications.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/06/us/06phone.html

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that much work remains to improve communications interoperability for first responders.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-301

Duke University researchers have developed a test that can determine the level of radiation exposure to a victim of a radiological or nuclear incident within 72 hours rather than several days, helping to screen a mass casualty event.
http://dukemednews.duke.edu/news/article.php?id=10032
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CIM Energy
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Demand for solar energy reached $20 billion last year, and is expected to grow to $90 billion by 2010.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/edfdbbf0-e248-11db-af9e-000b5df10621.html

Palm oil, once considered a green fuel, is not driving an ecological disaster that is stripping rainforests in Indonesia, Malaysia, and elsewhere.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2049687,00.html

China and Japan have made no progress in resolving gas exploration rights in the East China Sea.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/06/asia/AS-GEN-Japan-China.php

Cuban leader Fidel Castro has written two newspaper articles warning that the US push for biofuels will harm the poor.
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/04/04/cuba.castro.ap/
http://www.granma.cu/ingles/2007/marzo/juev29/14reflex.html

The German-Russian consortium planning a major gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea said it would investigate alternate routes for the project amid concerns that construction could disrupt the environment, stir up toxic waste, and disturb unexploded World War II weapons.
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2433838,00.html
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/464

Shell Nigeria is restarting production following an agreement with local communities that will help curtail the violence that has drastically cut oil output for more than a year.
http://www.thisdayonline.com/nview.php?id=74935 http://investing.reuters.co.uk/news/articleinvesting.aspx?type=allBreakingNews&storyID=2007-04-06T190928Z_01_N06255972_RTRIDST_0_NIGERIA-SHELL.XML

The bankruptcy proceedings of Russian oil company Yukos moved closer to completion with Italian energy companies Eni and Enel winning the auction this week. However, in what has become a familiar pattern, these assets will be turned over to Russian state energy giant Yukos.
http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSL0653280920070406
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/05/business/worldbusiness/05yukos.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/010b6034-e312-11db-a1c9-000b5df10621.html
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CIM Government Facilities
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Starting with fiscal year 2008, all new military vertical building construction projects must be capable of achieving a silver level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction (LEED-NC). Features of this "green construction" include individual temperature controls, solar power, and rainwater recharging the aquifer.
http://www.hnd.usace.army.mil/Articles/Army mandates green construction-LEED article.pdf
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CIM Information Technology
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The latest Greenpeace ranking of electronic manufacturers' recycling and toxic content policies has previously low ranked Chinese PC maker Lenovo leaping to the number one spot, displacing Nokia, which had been first since the guide was launched, and Apple staying in last place.
http://www.greenpeace.org/international/news/chinese-company-tops-greenpeac
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CIM Nuclear Reactors, Materials, and Waste
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In Canada, the Ontario provincial auditor general says that had the government negotiated a better deal to refurbish the Bruce Power nuclear station, there would have been $1.5 billion savings.
http://www.thestar.com/article/200302

India has increased security in southern India, where many strategic nuclear facilities are concentrated, following a warning that the Tamil Tigers air force has the capability to target Indian nuclear reactors.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/LTTE_acquires_air_capability_to_target_Indian_nuclear_reactors/articleshow/1865956.cms

Indonesia is pressing ahead with plans to build its first nuclear power plant near Mount Muria, a dormant volcano on Java, despite the threat of natural disasters.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/indonesia/Story/0,,2050170,00.html

UK nuclear consultants Large and Associates warn that sanctions against Iran's nuclear programs increase the risk of a nuclear safety failure at the Bushehr civilian reactor, which could cause a disaster affecting the entire Gulf.
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/ff65e7d0-e0b5-11db-8b48-000b5df10621.html

In "Nuclear Nonproliferation: Progress Made in Improving Security at Russian Nuclear Sites, but the Long-term Sustainability of U.S.-Funded Security Upgrades Is Uncertain", the Government Accountability Office reports that although safeguarding nuclear weapons and materials is a primary national security concern, buildings are deemed secured after limited upgrades, even with additional measures are necessary. Revised metrics and a management information system are important for tracking progress and providing Russia with a sustainable Materials Protection, Control, and Accounting (MPCA) program.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-404
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CIM Public Health and Healthcare
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World Health Day was celebrated on 7 April with events around the world designed around the theme of international health security. This addresses the threats arising from emerging and epidemic-prone diseases, climate change, and natural disasters that affect all countries in today's mobile, interdependent, and interconnected world.
http://www.who.int/world-health-day/2007/en/index.html

Air pollution or obesity may pose greater threats to public health than exposure to radiation, such as that experienced in Chernobyl.
http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/7/49/abstract

Only a sixth of the world's population uses the internet, mostly in developed countries. In this article, Clifford Missen and Thomas Cook argue that providing information through web sites does not reach the people health organizations hope to serve in developing countries.
http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/85/4/07-041475/en/index.html
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CIM Telecommunications
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Solar flares may threaten the Global Positioning System.
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/04/05/solar_bursts_could_threaten_global_positioning_system/
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/07/AR2007040700916.html

The US Federal Communications Commission has officially rejected passenger use of cellular phones while in flight to prevent interference with ground signals.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-272051A1.pdf
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-47A1.pdf
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/TRAVEL/04/03/cell.phones.airplanes.ap/index.html
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CIM Transportation
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Canadian airports will receive some $30 million for safety enhancement.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2007/07-h039e.htm

The European Commission has given airlines and national governments six months to make sure passenger rights - including proper compensation for delayed or cancelled flights - is in place.
http://www.europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/07/471

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released "Aviation Security: Cost Estimates Related to TSA Funding of Checked Baggage Screening Systems at Los Angeles and Ontario Airports". It describes the operational inefficiencies of interim screening solutions, and discusses the issues associated with larger-scale automation.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-07-445

The first independent assessment of aviation security in New Zealand has found that not all world standards have been met. Legislation is in progress to address these issues.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/news/latest/200704050907/nz_aviation_security_fails_to_meet_world_standards
http://www.transport.govt.nz/aviation-security-legislation-bill-1/

Dubai Civil Aviation Authority Director General Mohammed Ahlis discusses aviation security and other issues in this interview:
http://www.wadi.ae/test.php?pag=1&id=3257

The International Maritime Bureau has released a piracy alert regarding a marked increase in attacks and hijackings off the southern part of Somalia, particularly off Mogadishu, primarily targeting cargo vessels. The Bureau advises vessels to steer well clear of Somali waters at all times and only approach when full clearance to enter the port has been received.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/main/all_piracy_al.php

Canada announced a major investment in rail and urban transit security.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2007/07-h049e.htm

The Railway Safety Act Review Advisory Panel released a Consultation Guidance Document that contains background information on Canadian rail safety.
http://www.tc.gc.ca/mediaroom/releases/nat/2007/07-h038e.htm

France's train a grande vitesse (TGV) has set a new world record for a train on conventional rails, reaching 356 miles per hour, compared to the previous record of 320 miles. The Japanese magnetic levitation train Maglex reached a top speed of 36 miles per hour in 2003. But when will such high speeds make rail travel unsafe and bad for the environment?
http://www.lemonde.fr/web/video/0,47-0,54-891549,0.html (video, in French)
http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,475641,00.html
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CIM Water
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The Center for International Environmental Law and its NGO partners filed an amicus curiae brief in the Biwater-Tanzania dispute over foreign investment in water, and failure to provide clean water to millions in Dar es Salaam.
http://www.ciel.org/Tae/Biwater_Amicus_26March07.html

The Center for American Progress surveyed 62 water and wastewater utilities across the US. It found that Dallas-Fort Worth utilities receive more railcar chlorine gas shipments than anywhere in the US, posing an attractive terrorist target. The report says, " he good news is this vulnerability can be removed. Since 1999, some 25 water utilities that formerly received chlorine gas by rail have switched to safer and more secure water treatment options, such as liquid bleach or ultraviolet light. These alternative treatment options eliminate the danger of a catastrophic toxic gas cloud. As a result, more than 26 million Americans who live near these facilities are safer and more secure."

http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/chemical_security_report.html

6. Disaster Reduction Monitor

Natural and manmade events are inevitable, but they need not become disasters. Subscribers to the monthly Disaster Reduction Monitor learn from past incidents to prevent future disasters. It includes analysis of historical events, emerging risks and risk mitigation, and features new techniques to address disaster reduction, ranging from technical advances to regulatory best practices and micro-finance.
http://secure.netsolhost.com/573566.585211/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=TP
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DRM Incidents
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Flooding and avalanches in Afghanistan last weekend killed more than 50 people and affected 20,000. A similar number died in Pakistan. Dozens are believed buried under rubble.

A state of emergency was declared in the Solomon Islands after a magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck undersea, generating a huge tsunami that has killed at least 37 people and wiped out whole villages, devastating the main town of Gizmo. Aid efforts have been slow, due to limited access in the area, but are ramping up just as waterborne diseases are beginning to strike the tens of thousands displaced.

In northern Colombia a passenger bus crashed and caught fire, killing 27, including six children.

At least seven artisanal diamond miners were killed when underground galleries in a Democratic Republic of Congo mine collapsed.

In eastern Pakistan a tractor crashed into a school, killing at least seven young children and injuring 20.

A commuter train in Paris hit the buffers as it pulled into Gare de l'Est, injuring 71 people.
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DRM Response and Recovery
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In Australia, the New South Wales government has launched an inquiry into Sydney Ferries following last week's ferry disaster.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21498674-2702,00.html

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has again ordered Lapindo Brantas to pay compensation in cash for more than 13,000 families displaced for nearly a year by the toxic mudflow caused by Lapindo's exploratory drilling.
http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2007/4/5/president-asks-lapindo-to-pay-compensation/

The sixth mayor cyclone to hit Madagascar this season tore across the northeast of the impoverished Indian Ocean island this week. The relentless succession of natural disasters has left nearly half a million people in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=71170

Mozambique will pay disability grants to victims of the March explosions and fire at the Malhazine armory.
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=303859

Comair has admitted partial responsibility for last August's plane crash that killed 49, but argues that better runway monitoring and alert systems might have prevented the accident.
http://www.lex18.com/Global/story.asp?S=6329699&nav=menu203_2

The tire pickup program launched to clear debris after Hurricane Katrina was completed on 31 March. During the year of the program, 259,000 tires were removed. End-to-end they would stretch 147 miles. The potential health and safety threats, particularly mosquito or rodent infestations and fire risk, have been addressed and the tires are being recycled as aggregate.
http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/tires.htm
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DRM Risks
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Lloyds 360 describes the potential impact of climate change in four areas particularly relevant to the insurance industry: sea level rise, melting ice caps, flood, and drought.
http://www.lloyds.com/NR/rdonlyres/FCA144E6-24D5-425E-B058-3A64E020E18F/0/360_RapidClimateChangeReport.pdf

Despite a state-of-the-art tsunami warning system, this week's earthquake in the Solomon Islands was so close to some islands that there was little time to react to the tsunami. Danger signals were not immediately recognized, and warning systems were not fully integrated with disaster response. The Solomons do not have the warning transmission density at the same level of detail as in Hawaii or Japan, and in fact the warning was issued from Hawaii. This week's disaster pointed out the limitations of warning and alert systems.
http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2007/s1890029.htm
http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Apr/03/br/br2571803964.html
http://canberra.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=news&subclass=opinion&story_id=572811&category=Opinion

Colorado State University scientists have increased their forecast for the 2007 hurricane season following rapid dissipation of El Nino conditions. They now predict up to 17 named tropical storms forming, nine of which could become hurricanes, and at least one expected to make landfall in the US during the 1 June-30 November season,
http://typhoon.atmos.colostate.edu/forecasts/2007/april2007/
http://hurricane.atmos.colostate.edu/Forecasts
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DRM Mitigation
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The US Army Corps of Engineers is bolstering steel piles anchoring floodwalls on New Orleans' 17th Street Canal, where they are too close to underground sand.
http://www.hq.usace.army.mil/cepa/pubs/apr07/story1.htm
http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/frontpage/index.ssf?/base/news-8/1175665152171250.xml

7. Recommended Reading

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II was responsible for the "Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability" section of the "Climate Change 2007" Assessment Report. It provides a comprehensive analysis of how climate change is affecting natural and human systems, what the impacts will be in the future and how far adaptation and mitigation can reduce these impacts.

The report also contains more specific information concerning the nature of future impacts in specific regions of the world. We have taken extracts of this section from the Summary for Policymakers:

AFRICA

By 2020, between 75 and 250 million people are projected to be exposed to an increase of water stress due to climate change. If coupled with increased demand, this will adversely affect livelihoods and exacerbate water-related problems. Agricultural production, including access to food, in many African countries and regions is projected to be severely compromised by climate variability and change. The area suitable for agriculture, the length of growing seasons and yield potential, particularly along the margins of semi-arid and arid areas, are expected to decrease. This would further adversely affect food security and exacerbate malnutrition in the continent. In some countries, yields from rain-fed agriculture could be reduced by up to 50 percent by 2020. Local food supplies are projected to be negatively affected by decreasing fisheries resources in large lakes due to rising water temperatures, which may be exacerbated by continued over-fishing. Towards the end of the 21st century, projected sea-level rise will affect low-lying coastal areas with large populations. The cost of adaptation could amount to at least 5-10 percent of GDP. Mangroves and coral reefs are projected to be further degraded, with additional consequences for fisheries and tourism. New studies confirm that Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents to climate variability and change because of multiple stresses and low adaptive capacity. Some adaptation to current climate variability is taking place, however, this may be insufficient for future changes in climate.

ASIA

Glacier melt in the Himalayas is projected to increase flooding, rock avalanches from destabilized slopes, and affect water resources within the next two to three decades. This will be followed by decreased river flows as the glaciers recede. Freshwater availability in Central, South, East and Southeast Asia particularly in large river basins is projected to decrease due to climate change which, along with population growth and increasing demand arising from higher standards of living, could adversely affect more than a billion people by the 2050s. Coastal areas, especially heavily-populated mega-delta regions in South, East and Southeast Asia, will be at greatest risk due to increased flooding from the sea and in some mega-deltas flooding from the rivers. Climate change is projected to impinge on sustainable development of most developing countries of Asia as it compounds the pressures on natural resources and the environment associated with rapid urbanization, industrialization, and economic development. It is projected that crop yields could increase up to 20 percent in East and Southeast Asia while it could decrease up to 30 percent in Central and South Asia by the mid-21st century. Taken together and considering the influence of rapid population growth and urbanization, the risk of hunger is projected to remain very high in several developing countries. Endemic morbidity and mortality due to diarrheal disease primarily associated with floods and droughts are expected to rise in East, South and Southeast Asia due to projected changes in hydrological cycle associated with global warming. Increases in coastal water temperature would exacerbate the abundance and/or toxicity of cholera in South Asia.

AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND

As a result of reduced precipitation and increased evaporation, water security problems are projected to intensify by 2030 in southern and eastern Australia and, in New Zealand, in Northland and some eastern regions. Significant loss of biodiversity is projected to occur by 2020 in some ecologically-rich sites including the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland Wet Tropics. Other sites at risk include Kakadu wetlands, south-west
Australia, sub-Antarctic islands and the alpine areas of both countries. Ongoing coastal development and population growth in areas such as Cairns and Southeast Queensland (Australia) and Northland to Bay of Plenty (New Zealand), are projected to exacerbate risks from sea-level rise and increases in the severity and frequency of storms and coastal flooding by 2050. Production from agriculture and forestry by 2030 is projected to decline over much of southern and eastern Australia, and over parts of eastern New Zealand, due to increased drought and fire. However, in New Zealand, initial benefits to agriculture and forestry are projected in western and southern areas and close to major rivers due to a longer growing season, less frost and increased rainfall. The region has substantial adaptive capacity due to well-developed economies and scientific and technical capabilities, but there are considerable constraints to implementation and major challenges from changes in extreme events. Natural systems have limited adaptive capacity.

EUROPE

For the first time, wide ranging impacts of changes in current climate have been documented: retreating glaciers, longer growing seasons, shift of species ranges, and health impacts due to a heat wave of unprecedented magnitude. The observed changes described above are consistent with those projected for future climate change. Nearly all European regions are anticipated to be negatively affected by some future impacts of climate change and these will pose challenges to many economic sectors. Climate change is expected to magnify regional differences in Europe’s natural resources and assets. Negative impacts will include increased risk of inland flash floods, and more frequent coastal flooding and increased erosion (due to storminess and sea-level rise). The great majority of organisms and ecosystems will have difficulties adapting to climate change.
Mountainous areas will face glacier retreat, reduced snow cover and winter tourism, and extensive species losses (in some areas up to 60 percent under high emission scenarios by 2080). In Southern Europe, climate change is projected to worsen conditions (high temperatures and drought) in a region already vulnerable to climate variability, and to reduce water availability, hydropower potential, summer tourism, and in general, crop productivity. It is also projected to increase health risks due to heat waves and the frequency of wildfires. In Central and Eastern Europe, summer precipitation is projected to decrease, causing higher water stress. Health risks due to heat waves are projected to increase. Forest productivity is expected to decline and the frequency of peatland fires to increase. In Northern Europe, climate change is initially projected to bring mixed effects, including some benefits such as reduced demand for heating, increased crop yields and increased forest growth. However, as climate change continues, its negative impacts (including more frequent winter floods, endangered ecosystems and increasing ground instability) are likely to outweigh its benefits. Adaptation to climate change is likely to benefit from experience gained in reaction to extreme climate events, by specifically implementing proactive climate change risk management adaptation plans.

LATIN AMERICA

By mid-century, increases in temperature and associated decreases in soil water are projected to lead to gradual replacement of tropical forest by savanna in eastern Amazonia. Semi-arid vegetation will tend to be replaced by arid-land vegetation. There is a risk of significant biodiversity loss through species extinction in many areas of tropical Latin America. In drier areas, climate change is expected to lead to salinization and desertification of agricultural land. Productivity of some important crops are projected to decrease and livestock productivity to decline, with adverse consequences for food security. In temperate zones soybean yields are projected to increase. Sea-level rise is projected to cause increased risk of flooding in low-lying areas. Increases in sea surface temperature due to climate change are projected to have adverse effects on Mesoamerican coral reefs, and cause shifts in the location of south-east Pacific fish stocks. Changes in precipitation patterns and the disappearance of glaciers are projected to significantly affect water availability for human consumption, agriculture and energy generation. Some countries have made efforts to adapt, particularly through conservation of key ecosystems, early warning systems, risk management in agriculture, strategies for flood drought and coastal management, and disease surveillance systems. However, the effectiveness of these efforts is outweighed by: lack of basic information, observation and monitoring systems; lack of capacity building and appropriate political, institutional and technological frameworks; low income; and settlements in vulnerable areas, among others.

NORTH AMERICA

Moderate climate change in the early decades of the century is projected to increase aggregate yields of rain-fed agriculture by 5-20 percent, but with important variability among regions. Major challenges are projected for crops that are near the warm end of their suitable range or depend on highly utilized water resources. Warming in western mountains is projected to cause decreased snowpack, more winter flooding, and reduced summer flows, exacerbating competition for over-allocated water resources. Disturbances from pests, diseases, and fire are projected to have increasing impacts on forests, with an extended period of high fire risk and large increases in area burned. Cities that currently experience heat waves are expected to be further challenged by an increased number, intensity and duration of heat waves during the course of the century, with potential for adverse health impacts. The growing number of the elderly population is most at risk. Coastal communities and habitats will be increasingly stressed by climate change impacts interacting with development and pollution. Population growth and the rising value of infrastructure in coastal areas increase vulnerability to climate variability and future climate change, with losses projected to increase if the intensity of tropical storms increases. Current adaptation is uneven and readiness for increased exposure is low.

POLAR REGIONS

In the Polar Regions, the main projected biophysical effects are reductions in thickness and extent of glaciers and ice sheets, and changes in natural ecosystems with detrimental effects on many organisms including migratory birds, mammals and higher predators. In the Arctic, additional impacts include reductions in the extent of sea ice and permafrost, increased coastal erosion, and an increase in the depth of permafrost seasonal thawing. For Arctic human communities, impacts, particularly resulting from changing snow and ice conditions, are projected to be mixed. Detrimental impacts would include those on infrastructure and traditional indigenous ways of life. Beneficial impacts would include reduced heating costs and more navigable northern sea routes. In both polar regions, specific ecosystems and habitats are projected to be vulnerable, as climatic barriers to species’ invasions are lowered. Already Arctic human communities are adapting to climate change, but both external and internal stressors challenge their adaptive capacities. Despite the resilience shown historically by Arctic indigenous communities, some traditional ways of life are being threatened and substantial investments are needed to adapt or re-locate physical structures and communities.

SMALL ISLANDS

Small islands, whether located in the Tropics or higher latitudes, have characteristics which make them especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change, sea level rise and extreme events. Deterioration in coastal conditions, for example through erosion of beaches and coral bleaching, is expected to affect local resources, e.g., fisheries, and reduce the value of these destinations for tourism. Sea-level rise is expected to exacerbate inundation, storm surge, erosion and other coastal hazards, thus threatening vital infrastructure, settlements and facilities that support the livelihood of island communities. Climate change is projected by the mid-century to reduce water resources in many small islands, e.g., in the Caribbean and Pacific, to the point where they become insufficient to meet demand during low rainfall periods. With higher temperatures, increased invasion by non-native species is expected to occur, particularly on middle and high-latitude islands.

SOURCE
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
http://www.ipcc.ch/

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