Environment

One third of global population affected by desertification

Some 3.2 billion people, or almost one-third of the global population, are affected by desertification and land loss driven, in part, by climate change, according to the UN’s most senior official dealing with the issue. Ibrahim Thiaw is the Executive Secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

17 June, 2024

Environment

Maritime rangers discover whale carcass north of Swakopmund

Captain Sean Naude, Head of the Namibian Maritime Rangers, lifeguard, and marine life rescue services has confirmed the discovery of a whale carcass floating 30 kilometers north of Swakopmund by Wlotkasbaken on Monday. The whale carcass, believed to have been hit by a ship, was found during the team's search efforts for a missing pastor who disappeared nine days ago. The discovery, according to Naude was immediately reported to the […]

17 June, 2024

Africa

Zimbabwe’s new dinosaur discovery: inside the find

By Paul Barrett, Natural History Museum; Jonah Choiniere, University of the Witwatersrand; Kimberley E.J. Chapelle, University of the Witwatersrand; Lara Sciscio, Jurassica Museum, and Michel Zondo, University of the Witwatersrand Visitors to Lake Kariba – the world’s largest man-made lake, along the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe – come to enjoy the abundant wildlife, fine fishing or spectacular scenery. However, in 2017, our crew […]

17 June, 2024

Africa

Malawi farming experiment shows how simple changes can boost maize yields and improve soil

By Alan Dixon, University of Worcester Malawi’s increasingly unpredictable rainfall and higher than usual temperatures are causing problems for smallholder farmers. Soil erosion has increased, causing soil fertility and water availability to decline. Crops often fail. Farmers are already struggling financially. Many farm only one crop: maize. They can’t easily afford chemical fertilisers that would boost the soil’s fertility and sustain yields. Agriculture accounts for just […]

13 June, 2024

Environment

African elephants address one another with name-like calls − similar to humans

Elephants have close social bonds, which may have led to the evolution of name-like calls. Michael Pardo By Mickey Pardo, Colorado State University What’s in a name? People use unique names to address each other, but we’re one of only a handful of animal species known to do that, including bottlenose dolphins. Finding more animals with names and investigating how they use them can improve scientists’ understanding […]

12 June, 2024

Africa

Farming with a mixture of crops, animals and trees is better for the environment and for people – evidence from Ghana and Malawi

Moving away from intensive farming practices comes with many benefits. Nikada By Laura Vang Rasmussen, University of Copenhagen; Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong, University of Denver; Ingo Grass, University of Hohenheim; Marney Isaac, University of Toronto, and Rachel Bezner Kerr, Cornell University Farming just one kind of crop in a field at a time, and using a lot of chemicals, poses a risk to both people and nature. This simplified […]

10 June, 2024

Environment

Flooding and landslides kill three in Vietnam’s north

Flooding and landslides in northern Vietnam have killed three people, state media said Monday, after days of heavy rain that partially submerged thousands of homes. Images on state media showed water gushing down the steep roads of mountainous Ha Giang province, a popular spot for motorcycle tours, with vehicles overturned and abandoned in the floodwater. Residents in Ha Giang city stood on rooftops waiting for rescue. Around […]

10 June, 2024

Africa

Hunter-gatherer diets weren’t always heavy on meat: Morocco study reveals a plant-based diet

By Zineb Moubtahij, Leiden University About 11,000 years ago, humans made a major shift from hunting and gathering to farming. This change, known as the Neolithic Revolution, dramatically altered our diets. For decades, scientists have thought that pre-agricultural human groups ate a lot of animal protein. But analysis has always been hampered by a scarcity of well-preserved human remains from Pleistocene sites. So, in fact, […]

10 June, 2024

Environment

Hydropower damages river systems in Africa: how more solar and wind power can solve this problem

By Angelo Carlino, Carnegie Science; Andrea Castelletti, Polytechnic University of Milan, and Rafael Schmitt, Stanford University Across the African continent, more than 300 new hydropower projects are planned to meet the growing demand for electricity. Some of these will require big dams, which can have major negative environmental impacts. Another looming problem with hydropower is that the water cycle is affected by climate change. Water […]

7 June, 2024