May 09, 2023
Africa: Tips on How to Reduce Your Exposure to Africa's Hidden Air Pollution Pandemic
Rapid urbanisation in Africa is worsening air pollution levels. There are economic as well as health consequences. Read more »
May 08, 2023
Nigeria: Flooding in Nigeria Is On the Rise - Good Forecasts, Drains and Risk Maps Are Urgently Needed
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… Read more »
May 04, 2023
South Africa: Cape Town's Caracals Have Metal Pollutants in Their Blood - an Environmental Red Flag
South Africa is urbanising rapidly. By 2050, eight in 10 people will live in urban areas, significantly increasing the demands on basic infrastructure development and associated… Read more »
May 03, 2023
Africa: May 5, 2023, Lunar Eclipse Will Be a Subtle Show of Astronomical Wonder
On May 5, 2023, people around the world will witness a a lunar eclipse when the Earth gets between the Sun and the Moon and casts part of its shadow on the Moon. Read more »
May 04, 2023
Kenya: Kenya Banned Plastic Bags 6 Years Ago, but They Are Still in Use - What Went Wrong
Kenya banned the use of plastic carrier bags in 2017, prompted by environmental and health costs. At the time, more than 100 million single-use plastic bags were handed out every… Read more »
April 28, 2023
Africa: We Found Long-Banned Pollutants in the Very Deepest Part of the Ocean
I was part of a team that recently discovered human-made pollutants in one of the deepest and most remote places on Earth - the Atacama Trench, which goes down to a depth of 8,000… Read more »
May 02, 2023
Africa: From Enormous Elephants to Tiny Shrews - How Mammals Shape and Are Shaped By Africa's Landscapes
Africa is the world's most diverse continent for large mammals such as antelopes, zebras and elephants. The heaviest of these large mammals top the scales at over one ton, and are… Read more »
April 26, 2023
Africa: Africa's Oceans Are Being Protected to Serve the Interests of Big Foreign Corporates
Africa's valuable ocean resources have drawn the interest of foreign nations, particularly those in the West and Asia. Read more »
April 23, 2023
South Africa: Green Spaces Are Good for People - but in South Africa Many Cannot Access Them
The benefits of experiencing nature for physical, psychological and spiritual well-being are widely documented. But much of the research on these benefits has been done in… Read more »
April 20, 2023
South Africa: Climate Change Increases the Risk of Extreme Wildfires Around Cape Town - but It Can Be Addressed
Across the globe, many recent severe wildfires have moved from wildlands into the urban periphery (the "wildland urban interface"). In their wake, they've left death, destruction… Read more »
April 19, 2023
Africa: Illegal Logging in Africa Is a Threat to Security
African countries are estimated to lose US$17 billion each year to illegal logging. High-value timber species are in global demand. Read more »
April 11, 2023
Africa: Great Apes Like to Spin Themselves Dizzy, a Lot Like Children Do, Research Shows
Children love to spin. Whether it is by whirling around on their feet, whipping around on a tyre swing, or tumbling down a grassy hill, they revel in the drunken effects of… Read more »
April 13, 2023
Africa: New Research Forces a Rethink of Ape Evolution
Human evolution is tightly connected to the environment and landscape of Africa, where our ancestors first emerged. Read more »
April 16, 2023
Ghana: Ghana's Fishing Industry Has a 'Golden Seaweed' Problem - How Citizen Science Can Help
Sargassum is a genus of brown seaweed. Over 300 species are distributed across the world in both temperate and tropical climates. The species fluitans and natans are unique because… Read more »
April 10, 2023
Africa: Energy Sector Will Need to Transform Radically - These Are the Five Biggest Challenges
The future of Africa's energy sector is getting increasing attention from policymakers and the private sector. As demand for energy rises, current energy systems must grow rapidly… Read more »
April 02, 2023
Ethiopia: The War On Tigray Wiped Out Decades of Environmental Progress - How to Start Again
The Tigray region, in northern Ethiopia, used to be a model for land restoration in Africa. It won multiple awards and recognition. Read more »
March 24, 2023
Nigeria: Water Scarcity On Nigeria's Coast Is Hardest On Women - Six Steps to Ease the Burden
Imagine waking up before dawn every day to fetch water for your family. You trek to the nearest water source, miles away, with only a jerrycan to carry the precious liquid. You… Read more »
March 21, 2023
Ghana: Farmers in Ghana Can't Predict Rainfall Anymore, Changing How They Work #AfricaClimateCrisis
Climate change affects all spheres of life, particularly those aspects that depend on the environment. Farming communities are a case in point. Read more »
Africa: Aquifers Hold More Than 20 Times The Water Stored in Continent's Lakes, But They Don't Solve Water Scarcity
Discoveries of aquifers - underground earth formations that hold water - often create excitement around their ability to ease water scarcity in a region. Read more »
March 20, 2023
Africa: Air Pollution Can Increase the Risk of Covid Infection and Severe Disease #AfricaClimateCrisis
The early part of the COVID pandemic led to a significant reduction in air pollution in many parts of the world. With lockdowns, travel restrictions and decreased economic… Read more »
March 19, 2023
Ethiopia: Wars in Cities - Three Rules for Protecting the Built Environment During Conflict
During the course of wars, the infrastructure of cities faces destruction. Fighting, regardless of its intentions, destroys roads, bridges, commercial and residential buildings, as… Read more »
March 16, 2023
South Africa: New Discovery - Fossilised Giant Zebra Tracks Found in South Africa
Tens of thousands of years ago, a huge horse species walked, trotted and galloped across the shifting sands of what is today South Africa's Cape south coast. Read more »
March 13, 2023
Africa: Getting From Waste to Clean Water - Tiny Carbon Particles Can Do the Job
Many futuristic novels and films have explored what the world might look like without water. But water scarcity isn't a problem for the far-off future: it's already here. Read more »
Africa: Droughts Bring Disease - Here Are 4 Ways They Do It
Countries in the Horn of Africa have been hit by a multiyear drought. Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Uganda are expected to continue getting below-normal rainfall in 2023. Excluding… Read more »
March 07, 2023
Africa: Long Covid Linked to Air Pollution Exposure in Young Adults - New Study
Although COVID-19 infections are typically less severe in young adults, that doesn't mean they aren't still at risk of complications from COVID-19. For example, around one in 25… Read more »