News headlines for “Consumption and Consumerism”, page 2
How a Handful of Fishers Show How Harpooning Can Be an Ecologically Sustainable
- Inter Press Service

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, India, March 20 (IPS) - Sudhi Kumar animatedly moves his hands, resembling a graceful dance performance, as he demonstrates how a fishing harpoon is used. He has been on a brief hiatus from harpooning, owing to the recent rough nature of the sea, and doesn’t have the tool with him as we speak. But more than three decades of experience using harpoons is apparent in how vividly he uses his body to mimic the process.
My Name is Dhaka
- Inter Press Service

DHAKA, Bangladesh, March 20 (IPS) - My Name is Dhaka is a one-minute experimental film portraying Dhaka as a living, breathing entity with a 400-year history. Through a reflective voice, the city recounts its transformations, crises, and resilience. It captures contrasts between pollution and celebration, hardship and hope, revealing a megacity shaped by climate change, migration, and human survival.
Geospatial Innovations Addressing Critical Water Data Gaps in Asia
- Inter Press Service

BANGKOK, Thailand, March 20 (IPS) - Across Asia, new initiatives are showing how satellite Earth observation data and AI-powered technologies can turn fragmented water-related data into actionable insights for managers and policymakers in line ministries and local governments.
Where Water Doesn’t Flow, Equality Doesn’t Grow – Challenging Global Patriarchy this World Water Day
- Inter Press Service

BRIGHTON, UK, March 19 (IPS) - The 2026 campaign on World Water Day’s focuses on Water and Gender – ‘where water flows, equality grows’ . While substantial progress has been achieved across a range of gender indicators spanning education, health and public participation, the situation around WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene) is still marked by deep inequalities with women and girls disproportionately affected – and this reflects the persistence of global patriarchy.
80 Percent of Rural Households Without Direct Water Access – World Water Report
- Inter Press Service

NEW YORK & SRINAGAR, India, March 19 (IPS) - A new United Nations report has warned that global water inequality remains one of the most pressing development challenges of the decade, with billions still lacking safe drinking water and sanitation – while women and girls continue to bear the heaviest burden of water insecurity.
Middle East war shockwaves ripple through Asia-Pacific fuel and supply chains
- UN News

The fallout from the war in the Middle East is rippling far beyond the Gulf, disrupting fuel supplies, shipping routes and supply chains across Asia and the Pacific, with some of the region’s most vulnerable economies already feeling the strain through rising prices, rationing and threats to jobs, food security and remittances.
Africa’s Minerals Boon, Cautious Optimism Amid Geopolitical Disruptions
- Inter Press Service

BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe, March 18 (IPS) - Africa’s eye on minerals as the be-all-and-cure-all for the continent’s development agenda is being tested by geopolitical gamesmanship as global superpowers jostle to carve new spheres of influence.
CHINA: ‘The State Is Using Generative AI to Engineer Reality Through Informational Gaslighting’
- Inter Press Service

CIVICUS discusses China’s tech-enabled repression with Fergus Ryan, a Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), where he specialises in how the Chinese Communist Party shapes global information environments through censorship, propaganda and platform governance. His research includes a major study on China’s AI ecosystem and its human rights impacts, as well as investigations into China’s use of foreign influencers.
At CSW70, Advocates Warn Conflict Is Deepening Barriers to Justice for Women and Girls
- Inter Press Service

UNITED NATIONS, March 17 (IPS) - The 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) has brought together global leaders, gender equity advocates, and youth representatives at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters to advance efforts to strengthen mechanisms for justice, equality, and representation for women and girls worldwide. With challenges particularly pronounced in conflict zones, this year’s priority theme —“ensuring and strengthening access to justice for all women and girls — focuses on repealing discriminatory laws and addressing persistent structural barriers that prevent women and girls from being fully heard, represented, and treated equally.
Nearly 5 million children are still dying annually before their fifth birthday: Here’s why
- UN News

An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new United Nations estimates released on Tuesday – highlighting a worrying slowdown in global progress on child survival.

