SciDev.Net

Local groups must help set biodiversity agendas if donors and scientists are to impact conservation, say Robert J. Smith and colleagues.

Innovative agricultural technologies can produce crops that meet climate change challenges, says ICRISAT head William Dar.

Combining satellite data with mobile phones offers cheap and effective tools for managing fires, says South African scientist Philip Frost.

Kenyan MP and remote sensing expert, Wilbur Ottichilo, argues the time is ripe for using satellites to spot developing African droughts.

Africans need to be more aware of earthquakes to cope with disasters — and there's no better place to start than in schools, says Chris Hartnady.

Simply reducing livestock farming in developing countries will neither cut emissions nor benefit the poor, says livestock expert Carlos Seré.

After 2006's commitment to one per cent GDP spending on science, is Africa keeping up, falling behind or investing, asks Linda Nordling.

Maternal health needs a new, pragmatic, research-led approach targeted specifically for developing countries, says Priya Shetty.

A truth commission can account for South Africa's past HIV/AIDS denialist policies and rebuild trust, says AIDS expert, Salim S. Abdool Karim.

CGIAR reforms take research decisions too far away, says Hartmann, director-general of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

Aid agencies, under pressure to prove their worth, should seize the opportunity to make spending more accountable, says Linda Nordling.

Pilot projects in India and Nigeria point to possible benefits of a new approach to agricultural innovation, say Andy Hall and Susanna Thorp.

Contrary to oft-repeated claims, climate change is unlikely to cause a major rise in malaria, says medical entomologist Paul Reiter.

Time is running out for African countries to ensure that a global climate deal addresses their needs, says Linda Nordling.

Governments must do more to support research published in local journals and make it visible, says South African scientist, Wieland Gevers.

Moves to introduce biotechnology to Africa must consider the needs and values of local people, argues socioeconomist Wilhemina Quaye.

After decades of so-so attempts to harness Africa's scientific diaspora, a model for collaboration remains elusive, says Linda Nordling.

More research is needed on how to tackle HIV with antiretroviral therapy, say Kevin M De Cock and colleagues at the WHO.

To get the best for and from Africa, REDD negotiators must hear African viewpoints, says head of the African Forest Forum, Godwin Kowero.

Without knowing REDD's true costs we can't analyse the benefits, says the ASB Partnership for the Tropical Forest Margins' Peter A. Minang.