SUSTAINABILITY - The African Mirror

Nov

27

2020

River of bacteria: a South African study pinpoints what’s polluting the water

SUSTAINABILITY

IN 2010, the United Nations recognised access to clean water and sanitation as a fundamental human right. However, over 4.1 billion people around the world, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, still do not have access to this human right. AKEBE LUTHER KING ABIA, Research Scientist, University of KwaZulu-Natal Clean and safe water is necessary for basic life functions — for drinking, for cooking, for bathing, and more. When it is not available, people resort to alternative sources, which are often polluted with pathogenic bacteria arising from human waste. Using such water exposes people to waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea.…

Dec

04

2020

By The African Mirror

Toxic waste dumping in the Gulf of Guinea amounts to environmental racism

SUSTAINABILITY

TOXIC waste and electronic waste (e-waste) is generated from a wide range of industries – such as health, hydrocarbon or manufacturing – and can come in many forms, such as sludges or gas. E-waste is used electronic items that are nearing the end of their useful life, and are discarded or given to be recycled. If these types of waste aren’t properly discarded they can cause serious harm to human health and the environment. IFESINACHI OKAFOR-YARWOOD, Lecturer, University of St Andrews This makes the proper disposal of toxic and e-waste expensive. Because of this a market has been created and…

Dec

02

2020

By The African Mirror

Nigeria’s COVID-19 waste management policy should include the informal sector

SUSTAINABILITY

SOLID waste management is an important public health service because it helps to prevent the transmission of disease. It also has a social significance: piles of uncollected waste in cities are an embarrassment to authorities and can create a political backlash from residents. CHIDI NZEADIBE, Professor of Environmental Management & Sustainability., University of Nigeria ADAEZE EJIKE-ALIEJI, PhD candidate, Meteorologist, University of Nigeria But many residents make their living from unmanaged waste. About a million waste pickers are estimated to operate in Nigerian cities. They depend on collecting and recycling waste, thus giving it a value. In doing so they are…

Dec

01

2020

By The African Mirror

Kenyan farmers and young guides enlisted to protect city forests

SUSTAINABILITY

KAGONDU NJAGI PETER Wainana remembers when the forest near his home outside Kenya's capital, Nairobi, was so thick with trees and vegetation it was difficult to walk through. Today, Thogoto forest, on Nairobi's northwest edge, is dotted with open spaces that locals and environmentalists say have been illegally cleared of trees by loggers and property developers, Wainana said. The destruction motivated the 49-year-old to join with a dozen other farmers from Karinde village to protect Thogoto's trees through projects such as bamboo farming and beekeeping. "Everybody wants a piece of this forest because it is near the capital city. Rich…

Nov

28

2020

By The African Mirror

Family farmers struggle to keep up with fast-warming world

SUSTAINABILITY

THIN LEI WIN YOUNG African farmers Mavis Gofa and Andrew Goodman had a vastly different upbringing - Gofa grew up on a one-hectare (2.5-acre) farm and could not afford to finish high school, while Goodman's family cultivated 275 hectares and educated him in Britain. But they share the same big dream. Both want a better life for the families who run the world's half a billion small farms, many of whom remain steeped in poverty despite producing about 80% of food consumed in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, according to the United Nations. It is a tough ask as climate change…

Dec

24

2020

By The African Mirror

The coronavirus pandemic drove life online. Is video streaming pushing up harmful emissions?

SUSTAINABILITY

LIN TAYLOR WITH COVID-19 restrictions in place globally, our reliance on digital technology sky-rocketed this year as video calls, emails, instant messaging and virtual entertainment replaced face-to-face interactions in and out of the workplace. Between February and April, at the peak of worldwide lockdowns, global internet traffic surged by nearly 40%, driven by video conferences, online gaming, streaming and social media, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). At this rate, web traffic is set to double by 2022, with mobile internet users expected to jump to 5 billion by 2025 from 3.8 billion last year, the IEA predicts. And all…

Dec

23

2020

By The African Mirror

Ivory Coast opens first protected marine area

SUSTAINABILITY

IVORY Coast has initiated its first protected marine area to protect sharks and turtles from overfishing near the West African country's coastline. The marine conservation area, spanning more than 1,000 square miles (2590 square km) off the town of Grand-Bereby, is part of an effort to bring Ivory Coast's marine conservation efforts in line with U.N. targets, the government said. Larger than the commercial capital of Abidjan, the area is home to sea-bed creatures, coral reefs and tropical fish, and is an important nesting and foraging ground for turtles, including the vulnerable leatherback. The area will also "undoubtedly boost local…

Dec

22

2020

By The African Mirror

Rains give West African herders brief respite amid growing heat

SUSTAINABILITY

ALESSANDRA PRENTICE FARI Sow bent over to pick a green shoot from what is normally parched earth at this time of year, tearing its leaves to show their freshness. "Thank God, this year we have grass," the herder said on a livestock reserve in northern Senegal as plump cows munched the pasture behind him. Abundant rains soaked West Africa's Sahel region in recent months, causing catastrophic floods in some areas that raised concerns about the rising costs of extreme weather. But this year's downpours also created the thickest vegetation in years, satellite data show - a vital respite for Senegal's…

Dec

20

2020

By The African Mirror

Planet-warming emissions from buildings put climate goals at risk

SUSTAINABILITY

THIN LEI WIN PLANET-warming carbon dioxide emissions from buildings and construction are jeopardising global goals to keep devastating climate change at bay, a U.N.-backed coalition warned on Wednesday, after data showed they hit an all-time high in 2019. The use of coal, oil and natural gas for heating, lighting and cooking fuelled a rise in emissions from the operation of buildings to about 10 gigatons last year, including direct emissions and indirect emissions from power generation, the Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction (GlobalABC) said. Another key factor is growing energy demand for cooling as air-conditioner ownership rises with worsening…

Dec

19

2020

By The African Mirror

Armed with proposals, young climate activists hunt decision-making power

SUSTAINABILITY

LAURIE GOERING UNABLE to hold large-scale street protests safely during this year's pandemic, young climate activists are using their energy to craft their own climate policies and battling for decision-making power to make them a reality. "We might not have the same attention as before... (but) we are going where the decisions are taken," said Marie-Claire Graf, a Swiss member of the U.N. climate body's youth constituency, during an online event on Thursday. Taking to the streets in 2019 was "crucial" to raise public awareness about climate threats, she said. Now, however, "we need young people to make the regulations,…