Blogs Written by Rina Chandran

Listening to women's voices in Vietnam's energy debate

Stories from the field Author: Rina Chandran

Vietnamese activist Khanh Nguy Thi knew early on that depending on coal to meet the country's growing demand for energy would be a disaster for its people and the environment. "Energy is important for economic development, and it also has a huge impact on the environment and the people. But there was very little involvement of the civil society in the government's energy plans," said Khanh.


With a touch of paint, India's women slum dwellers battle extreme heat

Stories from the field Author: Rina Chandran

As summer heat becomes unbearable, simple measures can help people cope better. Meenaben used to dread the onset of summer every year. Her small two-room home in a slum in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad would get so hot that she could not sit indoors for several hours in the day, even with a ceiling fan running. Two months ago, however, she agreed to try an experiment: A non-profit organisation that works in the Ramesh Dutt Colony where she lives, on the outskirts of the city, painted her tin roof with white reflective paint, to try to reduce the heat.