Key questions >>> Why does the ocean matter? How is the ocean important for sustainable development? What does the sustainable blue economy offer us? What are the ocean knowledge gaps? How do we need to develop a multidisciplinary ocean science? Background The ocean covers around three-quarters of the earth’s surface and contains more than 90% […]
Israel’s healthcare system is currently gearing up to cope with the recent Corona virus outbreak, and the main entry point to the country, Ben-Gurion International Airport, is mostly deserted – a clear illustration of the severe impairment suffered by global air transportation due to the Corona virus epidemic. In contrast, in Israel’s sea ports, which […]
Introduction The year 2020 is an epoch in modern history that stands not only for the fatal impact of the pandemic, but also for the disruption of societies and economies. The Gulf countries have been severely hit by the dual shocks of plunge in oil prices and shrunken demands. The Brent crude spot price fell […]
The growing appetite for energy and mineral resources by emerging economies has led to increasing quantities of goods being transported across the globe through International Shipping Lanes (ISLs). In order to cater for the growing requirements, logistic-waypoints and supply-chains, at the regional level as well as at the global one, have evolved, with seaborne being […]
“Every man thinks meanly of himself for not having been a soldier, or not having been at sea.” ― Samuel Johnson The quintessential truth underpinning this famous statement by the renowned eighteenth-century British poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer, editor, and lexicographer, Dr Samuel Johnson, transcends time with enviable ease. It is particularly fitting […]
Key Points>>> Outbreaks of infectious diseases are on the rise and are likely to become more common as human populations destroy habitats, forcing wildlife into closer proximity to humans. The field of planetary health is gaining attention, as the connections between human well-being and the health of overall ecosystems become evident. In the current world […]
In recent decades, climate change has evolved from a supposed distant problem for future generations to a major imminent security threat for all nations worldwide.[1] Climate-change-induced food and water shortages, combined with sea level rise and extreme weather shocks, are potentially powerful destabilising forces within countries and across international borders. The increasing frequency and intensity […]
Introduction India has been providing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to nations as “its sense of obligation, and historical experience require it to demonstrate empathy for the victims of disasters in all parts of the world”.[1] While rendering assistance India respects the sovereignty of the recipient nation by following a model of “direct […]
The COVID-19 or the Coronavirus pandemic — a virus that originated in Wuhan in the Peoples’ Republic of China in late last year — claimed a handful of lives in its initial days and months, but has since spread rapidly across the globe and has accounted for deaths to the tune of over 200,000 people. […]