Author: Lareef Zubair
Bio
I undertake research, project work and outreach on environment, technology, and development with a focus on the tropics. I have worked in Chemical, Civil and Mechanical Engineering and in Applied Mathematics departments at the University of Peradeniya, Yale University and the Institute of Fundamental Studies. At present, I am working on climate adapatation at the International Research Institute for Climate and Society within the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
Interests
My interest lies broadly in the areas of environment and technonology in the tropics. I have worked in Sri Lanka and Botswana in some depth. For the work in Sri Lanka, I collaborate with various agencies and support the Foundation for Environment, Climate and Technology. In Botswana, I work with partners in the Meteorological Service. During the time of Tsunami across the Bay of Bengal, we worked to bring scientific information and communication tools to assist relief, recovery and reconstruction. I also try to write for non-technical audiences - there are links above pointing to further information.
Due to the ongoing floods in Sri Lanka, more than a million people are affected, 185,000 were displaced and 16 had died by February 5, 2011. The impact has been most severe on Eastern Sri Lanka a “Disaster Hazard and Vulnerability Hotspot”. The purpose of this post is to publicize information resources to help target disaster risk, and to advocate, before attention turns away, the need to enhance local risk management capacity in manner that pays attention to why lessons are repeatedly identified from major disasters but not followed up on.
Category> Climate, General Earth Institute, Natural Disasters, Poverty / Economic Development, Water
Tags> climate matters, floods, Global Warming, La Niña, sri lanka, water matters
The Coconut Research Institute of Sri Lanka (CRI) has sustained an improved prediction scheme for national coconut production for the last four years. Coconuts are an important source of food and raw materials and also provide income to millions in the tropics. Coconuts are the most important food crop after rice in Sri Lanka and [...]
Category> Climate, Economics, Ecosystems, Energy
Tags> Adaptation, Climate and Agriculture, climate matters, Climate Policy, climate risk management, Climate Science, coconuts, crop forecast, Decision Science, Environmental Law, food security, sri lanka, Sustainable Columbia
