SUSTAINABILITY - The African Mirror

May

09

2023

Flooding in Nigeria is on the rise – good forecasts, drains and risk maps are urgently needed

SUSTAINABILITY

VICTOR ONGOMA and VICTOR NNAMDI DIKE NIGERIA is one of the most flood-prone countries in West Africa. Many areas experience annual flooding. This happens during heavy rainfall and one of the reasons is poor drainage systems. The country, therefore, needs to make improvements. As researchers who have specialised in meteorology for about two decades, we believe there are several ways it can do this. The key interventions needed are: understanding the impact of climate change on rainfall extremes and water resources investing in a functional weather forecast system addressing the problem of poor drainage. These actions are necessary to build…

Apr

26

2023

By The African Mirror

Turning waste to gold: Transforming wastewater and solid waste into sustainable solutions

SUSTAINABILITY

BONFACE ORUCHO, BIRD STORY AGENCY TO Jean James, Africa's fast-growing and rapidly urbanising population and the associated problems of managing wastewater and solid waste are not just challenges but also represent a unique opportunity. "They create various avenues for the circular economy… an ideal business environment, reduce cases of public health and promote clean water consumption," said James, a Nairobi-based circular economy expert, in an interview with bird story agency. James said the massive investment into waste infrastructure was an opportunity for governments to partner with the private sector to facilitate the financing of what will need to be an…

Apr

04

2023

By BIRD STORY AGENCY

Peatlands – a young scientist reveals one of Africa’s most valuable carbon sinks – in Angola

SUSTAINABILITY

PEATLAND ecosystems create almost mystical environments. Spongy, water-logged peat shifts as one moves across the surface, threatening to swallow an individual moving through vegetation above the unstable ground. Surplus water from the saturated peat forms small, meandering streams that flow towards larger accumulations of water. Beyond their unique physical attributes, peatlands, as it turns out, also serve a vital ecological function. They are filled with deep accumulations of slowly decomposing plants and other organic, which over time become known as the flammable, energy-dense material known as peat. Peatlands, as a result, are huge carbon sinks, absorbing more carbon than they…

Apr

04

2023

By The African Mirror

Climate in Court: the UN resolution that could bring climate justice for all

SUSTAINABILITY

BIRD STORY AGENCY THE UN General Assembly on Wednesday, March 29, upheld a unanimous agreement to invite the International Court of Justice to issue an advisory opinion on climate justice. The resolution asks the ICJ to clarify the "obligations of states under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system." Among other issues, the court will advise on the legal consequences nations face for not protecting Earth's climate. The move could have huge implications for collective efforts to fight climate change, according to climate campaigners. "This is a major step towards holding countries accountable for their actions," said…

Mar

30

2023

By The African Mirror

In Egypt’s ‘Garbage City’, a charity teaches children to recycle

SUSTAINABILITY

AS a child growing up in Cairo's Manshiyat Nasser, a shanty town also known as "Garbage City," Teresa Saeed spent her free time rummaging through the piles of rubbish strewn everywhere to find paper and materials to indulge her love of drawing and painting. Now 34, she runs a charity that encourages children in the area to make creative and positive use of their environment by exploring the space and recycling. In Manshiyat Nasser, a neighbourhood of unpainted brick buildings east of central Cairo, many streets and buildings are piled high with rubbish collected from across the metropolis AND processed…

Mar

31

2023

By The African Mirror

Kenya drought: Pastoralists suffer despite millions of dollars used to protect them – what went wrong?

SUSTAINABILITY

ACROSS the arid landscape of northern Kenya, roadside signs proclaim projects aimed at creating “resilience” among pastoralist communities. This is a region where frequent droughts, animal disease, insecurity and structural exclusion all affect pastoral livelihoods. Authors TAHIRA SHARIFF MOHAMED, PhD candidate, Institute of Development Studies IAN SCOONES, Professorial Fellow, Institute of Development Studies Resilience – the capacity to transform or to recover quickly from challenges – is the idea behind the many externally funded projects and hundreds of millions of dollars spent over the past few decades. Resilience projects across the drylands often encourage pastoralists – usually working together in…

Jan

21

2023

By The African Mirror

Climate change is threatening Madagascar’s famous forests – our study shows how serious it is

SUSTAINABILITY

GLOBAL climate change doesn’t only cause the melting of polar ice caps, rising sea levels and extreme weather events. It also has a direct effect on many tropical habitats and the animals and plants that inhabit them. As fossil fuel emissions continue to drive climate change, large areas of land are forecast to become much hotter and drier by the end of this century. Authors DANIEL HENDING, Postdoctoral Research Assistant Animal Vibration Lab, University of Oxford MARC HOLDERIED, Professor in Sensory Biology, University of Bristol Many ecosystems, including tropical forests, wetlands, swamps and mangroves, will be unable to cope with…

Jan

10

2023

By The African Mirror

Climate change is leaving African elephants desperate for water

SUSTAINABILITY

RACHAEL GROSS and ROB HEINSOHN AFRICAN elephant numbers have dropped from about 26 million in the 1800s to 415,000 today. While this is largely due to European colonisation, poaching and habitat loss, these majestic animals now face another grave challenge. Climate change is causing droughts in much of Africa to become longer and more severe. This damages elephant habitats and denies them the water they need. Due to their unique physiology, African elephants need hundreds of litres of water each day to survive. The African savanna elephant is listed as endangered. If the situation doesn’t change, Africa – indeed, the…

Nov

29

2022

By The African Mirror

VIDEO: In conversation with Kenyan environmentalist Wanjira Mathai

SUSTAINABILITY

WANJIRA Mathai is the vice president and regional director for Africa at the World Resources Institute and the daughter of Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Wangari Maathai. /bird story agency

Nov

22

2022

By The African Mirror

COP27 key outcomes: progress on compensation for developing countries, but more needed on climate justice and equity

SUSTAINABILITY

THERE were high expectations for COP27, the 27th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP conferences broadly provide a platform for the negotiation of international climate change agreements. This was to be the first COP held in Africa since 2016. It was also framed as the implementation of COP, which would lead to action. Authors IMRAAN VALODIA, Pro Vice-Chancellor: Climate, Sustainability and Inequality and Director Southern Centre for Inequality Studies, University of the Witwatersrand JULIA TAYLOR, Researcher: Climate and Inequality, University of the Witwatersrand COP27 was expected to make progress on “loss and damage”.…