insert_link Environment Leopard DNA study in South Africa traces ancestry to ice age – and will guide conservation By Laura Tensen, University of Copenhagen An ice age almost one million years ago led to a meeting between leopards from central and southern Africa that were searching for grassland. New research into the leopards’ genetics – their mitogenome – has revealed that the descendants of these two groups are the leopards found today in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. One of the researchers, molecular ecologist Laura […] todayMay 17, 2024 31
insert_link Environment Thirsty in paradise: Water crises are a growing problem across the Caribbean islands Public water shortages have left people scrambling for alternatives on many of the islands, including Cuba. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images By Farah Nibbs, University of Maryland, Baltimore County In the popular imagination, the Caribbean is paradise, an exotic place to escape to. But behind the images of balmy beaches and lush hotel grounds lies a crisis, the likes of which its residents have never experienced. Caribbean […] todayMay 17, 2024 17
insert_link Environment Agriculture Minister attends Clean Cooking Summit in Paris The Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Minister Calle Schlettwein attended the Clean Cooking in Africa Summit in Paris, where they held talks about "Catalysing Multi-stakeholder Partnerships" during a plenary session. The International Energy Agency, which is a co-host of the summit, said a lack of progress in clean cooking, with nearly four in five Africans still using polluting fuels and traditional stoves remains a concern. Here is Minister […] todayMay 15, 2024 27
insert_link Africa Ghana’s forests are being wiped out: what’s behind this and why attempts to stop it aren’t working By John Tennyson Afele, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ghana has around 7.9 million hectares of forested land (35% of the total land area), according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Around 7.6 million hectares are primary or naturally regenerated forest, and around 297,000 hectares are planted forest. In 2022, Ghana lost 18,000 hectares of primary forest, a nearly 70% increase from […] todayMay 15, 2024 24
insert_link Environment UN assessment teams deployed to flood affected areas in Afghanistan Rescue efforts continue in Afghanistan following deadly flash floods in three northeastern provinces this past weekend. The Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme, Stephen Rodriques, told UN News that 180 deaths were confirmed and nearly 9,000 homes have been damaged. The UN has deployed just over 20 teams to the region to conduct a joint assessment alongside partners and the de-facto authorities. todayMay 14, 2024 22
insert_link Africa Kenyan schools reopen after devastating floods Schools in Kenya have reopened after flooding in the country killed more than 250 people. Kenya and other parts of East Africa have been battered by torrential rains, claiming lives and destroying property. Human Rights Watch says that Kenyan authorities have not responded adequately to flash floods resulting from heavy rains. The floods have left at least over 200, 000 people displaced, destroyed infrastructure, and livelihoods across the country; and […] todayMay 14, 2024 25
insert_link Africa African health experts warn of climate change & rising vector-borne diseases Climate change has become a pressing public health crisis around the world, as disease patterns worsen and emerge in regions where they did not exist before. Health experts are particularly concerned about the role of climate change in the rise of vector-borne diseases in Africa’s low- and middle-income countries. Rising temperatures can expand and extend the life cycle of disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes, ticks and parasites. Health experts discussed […] todayMay 14, 2024 30
insert_link Africa Wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal trade during COVID lockdown – what legal traders can learn from their resilience By Annette Hübschle, University of Cape Town and Meredith Gore, University of Maryland The world literally stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic. But while countries locked down to keep coronavirus at bay, wildlife traffickers carried on their illegal activities. Global risk governance and criminology academics Annette Hübschle and Meredith Gore studied the traffickers’ methods and share lessons from their resilience. How did wildlife traffickers continue their […] todayMay 14, 2024 17
insert_link Africa Madagascar’s ancient baobab forests are being restored by communities – with a little help from AI By Seheno Andriantsaralaza, Université d’Antananarivo Six of the world’s eight baobab species are indigenous to Madagascar, where the distinctive trees with giant trunks have historically grown in huge forests. But these forests are threatened by slash-and-burn agriculture – 4,000 hectares of baobab forest in Madagascar are destroyed every year. Baobab trees can live for 1,000 years and one hectare of land can support eight […] todayMay 13, 2024 40
