Camping in a jungle or somewhere else in the nature is a good way to spend your weekend and any vacation. It will become more interesting when you have friends around you. I am also very fond of camping.m That is why I was looking for some tips which may help me pass a very good time. While surfing the net, I stopped in the Jeff Schuman’s post and found it very helpful. Here are the tips that he suggested:

There are several different methods that can be used when cooking while camping including with camp stoves, charcoal, wood fires, foil cooking and more. Depending on what you’re making and how you like it cooked sometimes decides what method you’ll use. There are, however, several camping cooking tips to consider before going out.

1. Freeze Meat

Freezing the meat ahead of time will keep it fresh and keep other foods cool as well.

2. Plan ahead of time

Measuring the right amount of ingredients needed for meals ahead of time and putting them in ziplock bags helps ensure a great meal. Also preparing soups and chili and freezing them makes for quick camping cooking to reheat and eat.

3. Easier cleaning method

To avoid food from sticking to the pans apply oil on the grill. Also, putting liquid soap on the outside of pots and pans before placing them on the fire protects from smoke and fire danger while also providing an easier clean-up.

4. Keeping matches dry

Many camping cookbook recipes require a fire and there is no better way to start a fire then with matches. One method to help keep the matches dry in case it rains is to place matches in wax and then when needed just scrape the wax off and light the match.

5. Cooking hamburgers thoroughly

One camping cookbook secret for cooking hamburgers thoroughly is to place a hole in the center of the hamburger the size of your finger. The hole will fill in during the cooking and the center will cook the same as the outside.

6. Keep food and drinks in separate cooler

Keeping your drinks in a separate cooler from food helps keep foods colder longer avoiding any kind of spoilage.

7. Cooking on or over coals

Camping cooking can be difficult to make sure you don’t overcook or undercook any food. If you cook on or over coals (wood or charcoal), this helps provide a
steadier and even heating for the food. This will allow you to control the food better.

8. Cooking chicken

Camping cookbook secret with chicken is to cook the chicken halfway and then place the sauce of your choice on it. This will prevent the sauce from burning onto the chicken.

9.  Water bottles for containers

Keeping water bottles when you’re finished with them are great for camping cooking containers, for instance placing salad dressing, oils, or any other liquid substance.

10.  Too much salt?

Adding too much salt when you’re preparing a good camping cooking meal happens to the best of us. You can fix this by peeling a potato and adding the potato, as the potato will absorb the excess salt from the dish.

Ghana is currently facing the threats of food insecurity. This is as a result of the low production of food crops and climatic changes that has hit the major food growing regions in the country. Major food crops growing areas like the Eastern and Brong Ahafo Regions of the country have already started recording increase in the prices of food items as a result low production.Already, there are signs that the food crisis will affect the entire world which developing countries like Ghana will be the worst hit. In view of that most rice producing countries have started reducing the number of rice they import to other countries. It is estimated that only 6% of global rice produced are exported.

Already, there are signs that the food crisis will affect the entire world which developing countries like Ghana will be the worst hit. In view of that most rice producing countries have started reducing the number of rice they import to other countries. It is estimated that only 6% of global rice produced are exported. This food insecurity threat has already taken a global dimension. The crisis of surging food prices could mean “seven lost years” in the fight against worldwide poverty, World Bank President Robert B. Zoellick said. “While many are worrying about filling their gas tanks, many others around the world are struggling to fill their stomachs, and it is getting more and more difficult every day,” Zoellick said at a press briefing on the eve of the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings.To meet this crisis, Zoellick is calling for a “New Deal on Global Food Policy”. Ghana’s situation was worsened by the heavy floods that hit the northern part destroying farmlands and homes last year. These floods caused severe food shortage in the north thereby, affecting the southern part of the country. It must however be noted that there had been series of cautions to government over an imminent food crisis since last year in order for it to position itself to prevent such occurrence. Abibimman Foundation and its partners; The Ghana Trade and Livelihood Coalition (GTLC) and Food Security and Policy Advocacy Network (FoodSPAN) have since raised the alarm of looming food crisis. There seem to be every indication that government failed to take prudent measures to arrest the looming crisis. This comes in the wake of statements by the Minister of Food and Agriculture to the effect that Ghana is not threatened by food insecurity. With the recent high prices of foodstuffs, Ghanaians must pay more for the consumption of food even if locally produced. It is sad to state that Ghana has failed to optimize the agric sector for an all round food supply. This is due to inadequate attention given to the sector by the government. Should this trend continue, then the country’s quest of attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will be hampered. Young people and youth stand to suffer the more since they will not get the necessary nutrient they require to grow as future leaders of this nation, thus increasing the rate of hunger in the country. Something quick must be done. For instance the Aveyime rice project which would have been a major supply of food is still lying down gathering dust. Other farm areas are either been encroached by developers or are not given the necessary attention they require. Government must show strong commitment to the mechanization of the agriculture sector to ensure better yield. Currently most of the farmers in the country are practicing small scale farming. There is an urgent need to turn our focus on them and see how best to help these farmers improve into large scale mechanized farming. Incentives such as farm materials, storage facilities and capital injection must be made available to make the sector more vibrant. Government should ensure that there is ready market for farm produce. Also it must see to the provision of reliable irrigation systems at these farming areas to facilitate year long farming. The issue of land for farming in recent times has become a major problem for farmers. To this end there should be strict regulation with usage of land. Land meant for farming must be solely used for that purpose.

Source:  www.endpovertyblog.org

Mangroves are the salt-tolerant forest ecosystems that evolve in the transition zones between terrestrial and marine environments of tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. Mangrove forests currently occupy 14,650,000 ha of coastline globally. The Bangladesh coast supports about 587,380 ha of natural mangroves and a further 100,000 ha of planted mangroves, locally known as Perabon, and mostly distributed in the intertidal zone.

There are numerous ecological and economic benefits of the mangrove ecosystem. The fringe-like root system of mangroves act as a coastal soil stabilizer and binder of sediment and so aid in preventing erosion in the coastal areas. Moreover, mangroves provide goods and services among the local community, viz., household necessities (firewood, housing materials, and boat making materials), herbal plants for traditional medicines, honey and also protect lives and property from cyclonic storms.

From Sundarban mangrove forest, an average of 6000 ton/ha mangrove litter is released per year. After decomposition of this huge quantity of litter through mineralization process, enormous amount of organic nutrients are released in coastal ecosystem. This is a great source of natural food for aquatic organisms.

According to United Nations Environmental Programme (UNFP), the annual economic value of mangroves, estimated by the cost of products and services they provide, has been estimated to be US$200,000-9000,000 per ha. Another economic survey by World Conservation Union (IUCN) indicates that intact and healthy mangroves can have an overall yearly use value of as much as US$14,000/ha/household. The yearly protection value of mangroves is estimated at around US$2,000 per household.

On 26 December 2004 the largest earthquake in 40 yrs (seismic magnitude MW =9.0) produced the most devastating tsunami in recorded history, killing more than 283,000 people throughout the Indian Ocean region. The earthquake was so powerful it wobbled the Earth’s rotation. The tsunami triggered by seismic event swept across the Indian Ocean at speeds upto 800 km/hr, with succeeding waves reaching heights of upto 30 m. Along with vast numbers of people, man-made and natural structures and habitats were destroyed or damaged, including coral reefs, mangroves, beaches, seagrass beds, and other coastal vegetation.

Several reports based on initial post-impact surveys in southeastern India, the Andaman Islands, and Sri Lanka indicated that mangroves offered a significant defence against the full impact of the tsunami. The presence of mangroves saved lives along the Tamil Nadu coast of southeast India. Measurement of wave forces and modeling of fluid dynamics suggested that mangrove vegetation may shield coastlines from cyclone, storm surge and tsunami damage by dissipating incoming wave energy and reducing the erosion rates. Besides, the wave-driven, wind-driven, and tidal currents also reduce due to the dense network of trunks, branches and above ground roots of the mangroves.

Analytical models show that 3000 trees/ha in a 100 m wide mangrove belt may reduce the maximum tsunami flow pressure by more than 90 percent. These benefits are not found in artificial coastal protection structures. The artificial sea defences were not only expensive to build and repair, but they were also, in many cases, ineffective.

But the mangrove forest has been subjected to heavy human interference. A recent survey by the Institute of Marine Sciences and Fisheries indicates that mangrove areas are becoming smaller or fragmented and their long-term survival is at risk. Their satellite image and Geographical Information System (GIS) based research revealed the spatial distribution of only about 37,600 ha mangrove forest in lower Meghna islands, Noakhali, Feni, Chittagong and Coxs Bazar coast. The factors responsible for the destruction of mangrove forest are unplanned shrimp farming, salt production, removal of forest produces for fuel wood, grazing pressure, and human settlement.

In addition to these, the fishermen build dams in the mouth of the creeks, thereby disrupting tidal inundation and causing water stagnation. For this change in hydrology, the seedlings in stagnant water fail to survive, which seriously affect natural regeneration of mangrove forest.

Given the backdrop of increasing natural disaster around the globe it is imperative to fully enhance conservation of its coastal belts of shelter woods so as to improve protection against typhoons, storm tides, tsunami and other catastrophic consequences. Action has to be taken for plantation, restoration and development of mangroves in the required coastal areas.

Source: Daily Star, M. Shah Nawaz Chowdhury is Research Associate, Coastal and Ocean Research Group of Bangladesh.