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In India, lockdown exacerbated caste inequalities

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the very strict lockdown measures imposed by the Indian government made life very difficult. Faced with travel bans and a sudden inability to work, Indians were obliged to fall back on their families and communities in order to survive. A state of affairs which...

Seabirds and coral islands: at the heart of reef conservation

Tropical seabirds play a key role in the ecosystems of coral reefs, and in turn depend on islands associated with these reefs in order to reproduce. To improve conservation of these birds, researchers are calling on the scientific community to develop international communication networks devoted to...
Elephant and her baby entering a river to bathe, accompanied by their mahout.

The valuable knowledge of elephant pharmacists

Scientists are carefully studying the incredible knowledge of the domesticated elephants of Laos. These pachyderms are genuine experts on their environment and inspire the therapeutic practices of their mahouts and local populations.

Genetic variation in chickpeas revealed

An international team of researchers has studied the genome of 3,366 chickpea varieties from different parts of the world. Their work provided a clearer picture of the chickpea’s evolutionary history and the effects of domestication on the genome, while also highlighting interesting genetic...

India: origin of the flood that devasted Chamoli

Networks of researchers, an alliance of experts from various disciplines and a series of international collaborations have identified the cause of the geological disaster that occurred in India in February 2021. More than 200 people were killed or reported missing, following an avalanche of rock and...

The unexpected and little-known figures of Cuba-Africa relations

Time-honoured and varied, the relationship between Cuba and Africa is the focus of a recent scientific publication coordinated by IRD specialists. The work reveals little-known and fascinating aspects of the subject, with new knowledge of Cuban civil cooperation, the destiny of the actors involved...

Safou fruit reveals dynamic urban genetic diversity

Disturbances linked to human activity - overexploitation, deforestation, climate change etc. - are all threats to the genetic diversity of plants. However, city dwellers with cultivated gardens can play a key role in protecting species. A multidisciplinary study combining genetics and ethnoecology...
Native American women and children, dressed in traditional clothing, at a market.

Tracking the first indigenous cancer in Peru

IRD scientists and their partners are fighting on all fronts–decoding the molecular signature, exposing the pathological mechanisms, even identifying possible treatment–to stave off a rare form of liver cancer in Peru.

Covid-19, women take the lead

In India, Senegal and Brazil, women in lockdown are involved in solidarity initiatives. Preparing and distributing meals, transporting medicines to the most vulnerable, making and donating masks, they mobilized throughout the health crisis by managing to adapt to the restriction measures.

Uganda may hold the key to the future of robusta coffee!

Hit by climate change, coffee production is seriously under threat. To combat this risk, international teams, including the IRD team led by Valérie Poncet, went in search of wild coffee plants such as robusta in the forests of Uganda. They thus identified previously unknown and drought-resistant...
a whitish caterpillar in an open corn stalk held by a hand

The fall armyworm in Africa: a new insect pest in corn crops

In Kenya, the survey of pest insects in corn crops has revealed that a recently-arrived pest, Spodoptera frugiperda, has not replaced existing pests. The various species of pests are co-inhabiting in fields and calling into question the pest control strategies currently in use to preserve the yields...
Eroded sandy coast, seen in the distance from a boat at sea.

Toward the end of the beaches on the southern Mediterranean coast?

The rapid erosion of the sandy North African coast, which is disappearing almost in front of our eyes, is very alarming. Scientists are working to measure the effects, evaluate the impacts and understand the causes in order to propose possible solutions.

As India urbanises, access to services is uneven

In her new book, Marie-Helène Zérah, Research Director at IRD and member of the Centre for Social Science Studies on the African, American and Asian Worlds (CESSMA), examines the great disparities in India in terms of access to water, sanitation and electricity services. In this country that has...
Coronavirus

Covid-19: the need for a One Health strategy

If the pandemic continues, the risk that other animal species may be infected by Sars-Cov-2 will increase, thereby multiplying the possibilities of virus mutation and the likelihood of animals ultimately helping to spread the virus. It is therefore necessary to adopt an approach incorporating the...

Covid-19: The Social Sciences Join the Battle

When epidemics first emerge, all eyes tend to turn to the epidemiologists, virologists and clinical trials. The humanities and social sciences also have an important role to play, both in studying the phenomenon and providing a response to it. Two of the IRD’s health anthropologists talk about their...

Cesarean deliveries in India: too many and yet too few

Had India fallen prey to the epidemic of cesarean currently affecting many countries in the world? Thanks to the data issued from the latest National Family and Health Survey, Christophe Z. Guilmoto and Alexandre Dumont, both IRD researchers, have been able to chart some of the main trends and...