Thalif Deen

UNITED NATIONS, Jul 8 2010 (IPS) – As the international community readies to commemorate World Population Day Sunday, the United Nations is reviewing the state of the world s women and how they stack up against the risks of maternal mortality and the lack of universal access to reproductive health.

A pregnant woman in Timor-Leste s national hospital, where UNFPA recently supplied child delivery equipment to reduce maternal mortality. Credit: UN Photo/Martine Perret

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wants 2010 to be a …

The Umgeni River system supplies drinking water to about five million people in the city of Durban, South Africa. But demand for water has outstripped supply for the past seven years. Pictured here is Howick Falls, which lies on the Umgeni River. Credit: Brendon Bosworth/IPS

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, Jun 3 2014 (IPS) – South Africa’s eThekwini municipality may have come under fire from residents from proposing to purify wastewater so it can be used for drinking, but this municipality’s pragmatic approach to water management has made it one of the most progressive in Africa. 

Neil Macleod, head of water and sanitation at eThekwini municipality, which encompasses the port city of Durban, has reason to be proud of his colleagues.

The eThekwini municipality, which was created through joining smaller municipalities within Durban, the prov…