<p>In February, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights ruled that Suriname is responsible for multiple violations against the Kaliña&nbsp;and Lokono indigenous peoples of Suriname. There are approximately 20,344 indigenous individuals in Suriname, comprising 3.8% of the population. A formal complaint was filed in January 2007 regarding the Lower Marowijne, Suriname’s most important estuary and home to many bird species and the leatherback sea turtle.

<p>Kansai Electric Power was ordered by a Japanese court to halt operations at its Takahama nuclear reactors Nos. 3 and 4, the first time that an operating Japanese nuclear plant has been ordered to stop. Kansai Electric stated that it will quickly appeal the injunction, but it could be months or years before a final decision is made. The order comes in the middle of efforts by Prime Minister Shinzo to restore atomic power after the Fukushima crisis of 2011; the decision could challenge the recent progress getting reactors back online.

<p>On March 7, 2016, the Philippines approved a set of rules on genetically modified organisms (GMOs), which came as a relief to farmers and importers but to the dismay of environmental activists. The rules will now be forwarded to the Department of Agriculture with an expectation that they will take effect by April 2016, and are intended to improve transparency in the approval process for GMO permits.