SUSTAINABILITY - The African Mirror

Aug

17

2022

The radio host and climate ecologist spreading hope in Sudan

SUSTAINABILITY

TATENDA KANENGONI, BIRD STORY AGENCY AS is routine, 35-year-old Sudanese radio host Marwa Khalid says an early morning prayer before putting together her outfit for the day. This is a regular work day in the south of Khartoum, where Khalid lives but it's a special day for her, as she's scheduled to record an episode of her viral show, ‘Let’s Have a Chat,’ hosted on the nation’s largest radio network, Beladi FM. “I go to the station two hours before the recording and ensure the studio is ready and clean. I put flowers to make sure the studio smells nice,…

Aug

03

2022

By The African Mirror

Ramaphosa acts to ease South Africa’s energy crisis: impact will be felt in renewables

SUSTAINABILITY

SOUTH Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced an action plan to address the country’s growing energy crisis. It included relaxing the legislative and environmental requirements to speed up private investment and increase generation capacity. The Conversation Africa’s Nontobeko Mtshali asked Wikus Kruger for his insights. Author WIKUS KRUGER, Researcher in Renewable Energy, University of Cape Town What impact will this have on renewable energy uptake? Part of the challenge with the president’s announcements – and it’s natural that this will happen in a public speech – is that it’s relatively light on details and timelines. And so not everything is…

Jul

30

2022

By The African Mirror

Women entrepreneurs in Africa face more climate risks than their male peers

SUSTAINABILITY

THE world’s climate is changing. All of us will ultimately be affected by climatic shifts – but some will be hit harder than others. On the African continent, for instance, small businesses are on the front lines of climate change. Over 50% of the African labour force works in agriculture, which is both very exposed to and dependent on climatic variability and change. But even businesses in urban centres are increasingly dealing with climate-induced challenges. These include unstable water and power supplies, extreme heat and flooding. These hazards interrupt processing and manufacturing activities. They also limit the transportation of goods…

Jul

28

2022

By The African Mirror

Coal industry is ‘delusional’, South Africa climate change official says

SUSTAINABILITY

THE executive director of South Africa's Presidential Commission on Climate Change called the country's coal industry "delusional", saying the market for the fossil fuel is going to dwindle rapidly in the next decade. South Africa, which gets most of its electricity from coal-fired power plants, is grappling with rolling blackouts, while coal miners are exporting more of their product to take advantage of sky-high prices. "The industry is delusional, and I'm really struggling to get a sober conversation with the industry," Crispian Olver said at a conference on coal and the energy transition in Johannesburg. "Our view is the coal…

Jul

27

2022

By The African Mirror

Saving East Africa’s wildlife from recurring drought

SUSTAINABILITY

OVER the past two decades, the Horn of Africa – specifically Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya – has experienced more intense and frequent droughts. The affected areas in the three countries include vast rangelands, home to millions of people, livestock and wildlife. These areas are classified as arid and semi-arid lands. Author ABDULLAHI ALI, Fellow, Zoological Society of London These drylands also constitute a biodiversity hotspot. They harbour endangered species like the hirola antelope, African wild dog, Somali giraffe and Grevy’s zebra. But these species face an uncertain future due to severe and recurring droughts. I’m a Kenyan scientist and conservationist.…

Jul

27

2022

By The African Mirror

Senegalese island keeps coastal erosion at bay with stakes in the sand

SUSTAINABILITY

NGOUDA DIONE SIMPLE wooden structures padded with coconut tree fronds are helping residents of Diogue island in southern Senegal to win back stretches of sandy beach from the Atlantic swells that threaten much of the West African coast. In some areas, half-submerged tree stumps and crumbling abandoned buildings show the impact of the waves - and the ongoing degradation of coastline, where 56% of West Africa's economic activity is generated and around a third of its population live, according to the World Bank. "The ocean was so far away that we used to hear it without seeing it," said Angele…

Jul

05

2022

By The African Mirror

After 40 years of extinction, rhinos return to Mozambique

SUSTAINABILITY

SISIPHO SKWEYIYA OVER four decades after they became extinct locally, rhinos are roaming again the wilds of Mozambique, which is bringing the endangered species from South Africa in efforts to breathe new life into its parks and boost local tourism. A group of rangers captured, sedated and moved black and white rhinos over 1,000 miles (1,610 km) to Mozambique's Zinave National Park, which has over 400,000 hectares and more than 2,300 other reintroduced animals. "Rhinos are important to the ecosystem, which is one of the reasons why we're moving them all this distance and doing all this effort to get…

Jun

14

2022

By The African Mirror

Can SA provide a template for Africa’s just energy transition?

SUSTAINABILITY

SETH ONYANGO, BIRD STORY AGENCY AT the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow last year, climate experts demonstrated how Africa can contribute to global emission reduction owing to its massive green energy potential. A chorus of how the continent could benefit from the dynamics of the global energy transition reverberated throughout the 12-day conference. But unlike the previous forums where rich nations only paid lip service to Africa's bid to decarbonise, the aforementioned states pledged financial incentives to the vision, starting with South Africa which is still dependent on coal. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the meeting in Glasgow that…

Jun

09

2022

By The African Mirror

In Nigeria’s disappearing forests, loggers outnumber trees

SUSTAINABILITY

NYANCHO NWA NRI and FIKAYO OWOEYE DEEP in a forest in Nigeria's Ebute Ipare village, Egbontoluwa Marigi sized up a tall mahogany tree, methodically cut it down with his axe and machete, and as it fell with a crackling sound, he surveyed the forest for the next tree. Around him, the stumps dotting the swampy forest were a reminder of trees that once stood tall but are fast disappearing to illegal logging in Ondo state, southwest Nigeria. "We could cut down over 15 trees in one location, but now if we manage to see two trees, it will look like…

Jun

08

2022

By The African Mirror

Fruit bats: the winged ‘conservationists’ reforesting parts of Africa

SUSTAINABILITY

STRAW-COLOURED fruit bats exist throughout most of the African continent. This large fruit bat is one of, if not the most numerous fruit-eating animal (called frugivores) in Africa. They live in colonies of thousands to millions of individuals. Fruit bats sleep during the day, hanging upside down in the crowns of old trees, and become active at sunset when they set off in search of food – specifically nectar and fruit. Authors DINA DECHMANN, Researcher, Max Planck Institute MARIËLLE VAN TOOR, Researcher, Linnaeus University With their wingspan of up to 80cm, they are able to cover vast distances. When the…