IUCN - The African Mirror

Jun

2023

Old is gold: Here’s why farmers are rediscovering their love for native trees

AT Joan Wandegi Nthiga's family farm in Embu, a county in eastern Kenya, she and a small group of friends have gathered to discuss the weather, a common topic of conversation these days, and its impact on their area. "The geography has changed dramatically since we started cultivating here over 40 years ago," Nthiga said. Like many other parts of the country and region, Embu is now locked in the extreme weather pattern of successive droughts and floods. "It was a whole forest before. We cut down the trees in order to make room to grow food and fruits. But…

Apr

2021

By The African Mirror

Youth demand action on nature, following IUCN’s first-ever Global Youth Summit

ENVIRONMENT

ALISON KENTISH FOLLOWING almost two weeks of talks on issues such as climate change, innovation, marine conservation and social justice, thousands of young people from across the globe concluded the first-ever International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) One Nature One Future Global Youth Summit with a list of demands for action on nature. Under three umbrella themes of diversity, accessibility and intersectionality, they are calling on countries and corporations to invest the required resources to redress environmental racism and climate injustice, create green jobs, engage communities for biodiversity protection, safeguard the ocean, realise gender equality for climate change mitigation…

Mar

2021

By The African Mirror

African elephants face extinction – Red List

ENVIRONMENT

EMMA FARGE AFRICAN elephants living in forests and savannas are increasingly threatened with extinction, the Red List of species in trouble showed on Thursday, as conservationists called for an urgent end to poaching. The new assessments by the International Union for Conservation of Nature underscore the persistent pressures faced by the two species of elephants in Africa due to poaching for ivory and human encroachment. "We must urgently put an end to poaching and ensure that sufficient suitable habitat for both forest and savannah elephants is conserved," said Bruno Oberle, IUCN Director General. The Swiss-based body's latest survey said the…