SUSTAINABILITY - The African Mirror

Jul

16

2026

Africa on the rise as birders’ paradise

SUSTAINABILITY

FOUR African protected areas have been ranked among the world's top 20 birdwatching destinations, highlighting the continent's growing position in the global birdwatching tourism market. Kenya accounts for two of Africa's four parks in the rankings. The new study by UK travel insurance company AllClear ranked 115 internationally recognised birdwatching destinations across six continents using eight indicators, including bird species diversity, notable species, climate, accessibility, distance from airports, and daily travel costs. "Birdwatching is rapidly growing in popularity, and it is easy to understand why. There are few experiences quite like spotting a rare or iconic species in its natural…

Jul

07

2026

By TAFADZWANASHE MABHAUDHI and MENDY NDLOVU

A Super El Niño is coming: 5 hard‑won lessons the world can learn from Africa

SUSTAINABILITY

CLIMATE prediction scientists announced in June 2026 that El Niño, a cycle that happens every two to seven years, had formed. It was expected to develop into one of the strongest on record – a “super” El Niño. El Niño happens when the surface of the Pacific Ocean becomes unusually warm. It can alter weather patterns worldwide, often leading to extreme events such as droughts, floods and heatwaves. In southern Africa, it causes hot, dry weather. In a previous cycle, this pushed 18 million people into hunger. In East and Central Africa, it has brought heavy rain and flooding that…

Jul

01

2026

By JACKSON OKATA

Experts call for greater investment in Africa-led research to safeguard the Congo Basin

SUSTAINABILITY

SCIENTISTS, policymakers and development partners have called for greater investment in Africa-led research and innovation, warning that efforts to protect the Congo Basin and surrounding Central African forest ecosystems will fall short unless African institutions play a leading role in generating the knowledge needed to manage them sustainably. The experts said the Congo Basin is vital for the continent's biodiversity, climate resilience, and sustainable development, and that safeguarding it is critical. The call was made during a high-level session on advancing Africa-led research for the sustainable management of Central African forests, which was organised by Landscape Alliance (formerly known as…

Jun

26

2026

By LUISA F. ESCOBAR ALVARADO

Angola’s long war changed the way farmers used fire – why it matters

SUSTAINABILITY

FEW places in Africa have been as isolated and understudied as eastern Angola, particularly the highlands of the Moxico provinces, a region rich in biodiversity, culture and history. The country’s political past helps explain this isolation. Having achieved independence from Portugal in 1975 after 11 years of war, Angola descended into a civil war that lasted 27 years, one of the longest conflicts in Africa. The study area in Angola. Author supplied, CC BY Since peace was established in 2002, development has concentrated in the capital, Luanda, on the west coast. The east of the country has remained deeply marginalised,…

Jun

25

2026

By JACKSON OKATA

African nations announce major electronic monitoring and tuna transparency commitments at Our Ocean Conference

SUSTAINABILITY

AT the Our Ocean Conference hosted in Kenya, the governments of Kenya, Seychelles, Gabon, Tanzania and South Africa unveiled a set of country-led commitments to advance electronic monitoring, the use of onboard video cameras, GPS and sensors to monitor and verify fishing activities to strengthen transparency across their fisheries. These announcements reflect growing African leadership in modernising fisheries management and improving accountability at sea. Countries are advancing electronic monitoring at different stages, from piloting and system development to formal national commitments, but together they signal a clear regional shift toward transparent, data-driven fisheries management. While tuna fisheries are leading the…

Jun

18

2026

By JACKSON OKATA

Landmark study maps the future of coral reef survival

SUSTAINABILITY

SCIENTISTS have identified 165,922 km² of coral reefs across 71 countries and 100 territories with the strongest potential to survive the climate crisis, according to a major new global study presented at the Our Ocean Conference in Kenya today by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and Macquarie University, with support from the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative. The research marks the launch of a new global campaign, Our Reefs, Our Future, from civil society calling on governments to prioritise the protection of these reefs from immediate, local threats.  This analysis, developed as part of the 50 Reefs+ study, presents a significant advance in understanding which coral reefs retain the strongest potential to survive future warming. The paper, Machine-learning and prioritisation models reveal climate refugia for coral reefs into 2050,…

Jun

15

2026

By FAMA NDIAYE, BIRD STORY AGENCY

The Riverside story: building an equestrian legacy in Senegal

SUSTAINABILITY

LATE afternoon at Écuries Hachem is one of the busiest times of day. Inside the stables, horses shift in their stalls as riders prepare for training sessions. The occasional neigh breaks through the steady rhythm of footsteps, conversation and work. At the centre of the activity is Rayana Fakhry, moving from one task to another, checking on riders, horses, and staff. The 38-year-old oversees every aspect of the stable, from caring for horses to managing staff and supporting young riders. Écuries Hachem was established in 2022 but became fully operational in June 2023. That was when Fakhry took over the…

Jun

12

2026

By MHLANGABEZI SLAYI; ADMIRE RUKUDZO DZVENE; HLEKANI MUCHAZOTIDA KABITI; SHADRECK MUCHAKU, and SIMBARASHE NDHLEVE

Climate change is threatening sheep farmers in South Africa’s Drakensberg – how they’re adapting

SUSTAINABILITY

IN the rugged and mountainous Drakensberg grasslands of South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, farmers rear sheep for food, cultural practices and financial security. The steep slopes, cold winters, frost and seasonal droughts shape everyday farming life. In contrast to commercial farms with large fenced properties and hundreds of animals, families in the area’s communal villages typically own small flocks of around 10 to 50 sheep. The animals are usually kept overnight in simple kraals (enclosures) near family homesteads, to protect them from theft, predators and harsh weather. During the day, they are herded onto communal rangelands, where households share grazing…

Jun

09

2026

By MORAA OBIRIA, BIRD STORY AGENCY

This engineer helped shape Kenya’s Renewable Energy story

SUSTAINABILITY

BY the time the morning sunlight stretches across the grass beneath the wind turbine on the northern edge of the Ngong Hills, Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) has already been counting hours of generation of clean energy. “Standing on this point and seeing this wind turbine generating clean energy for the country… I feel that this is an example that all the countries need to emulate," said Jennifer Gache, an engineer behind the turning blades and the quiet triumph of Kenya’s early wind energy ambitions. When she graduated from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in 1995 with a…

Jun

03

2026

By ZUNAIDA MOOSA WADIWALA and TRACY-LYNN FIELD

Africa’s climate crisis is a legal crisis too: what are states’ duties under human rights law?

SUSTAINABILITY

A landmark climate case is being heard by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights. The request was brought by the Pan-African Lawyers Union and other African civil society organisations. They’ve asked the court to issue advice on what responsibilities African governments have to protect their countries against the climate crisis and move away from an economy that harms the environment. Zunaida Moosa Wadiwala and Tracy-Lynn Field of the Mandela Institute, alongside several other organisations, have asked to participate as friends of the court (amicus curiae). Their brief argues that African states have a duty to protect the climate…