Ecologist Weighs In On Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Session

Ecologist Weighs In On Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Session

Namibia recently hosted the 11th Session of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services in Windhoek. The session saw the launch of the Nexus Report, a groundbreaking assessment on the interconnections between biodiversity, water, food, and health. Ecologist Dr. Peter Cuningham:

December 19, 2024 7

Africa

Africa’s biodiversity key to climate action

Climate experts say the bioeconomy can help Africa and other regions develop in a way that better handles climate change. At the Global Bioeconomy Summit this week, talks will focus on how Africa's biodiversity can be used in sustainable ways to address climate matters. David Obura, head of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity, said there is a need to combine climate and biodiversity solutions.

October 21, 2024 16

Africa

Mysterious African manatees inspire a growing chorus of champions

By Petro Kotzé, via Mongabay As a young student, Aristide Kamla had “big plans” when he traveled to Lake Ossa in Cameroon to conduct his master’s degree fieldwork with the little-known African manatee. He was hoping for a manatee count and a management plan to come out of the expedition on the roughly 4,000-hectare (10,000-acre) lake. But securing grants was difficult for this budding researcher, so his first funder […]

September 10, 2024 37

Africa

Supply chains should make the world better, not worse – it’s time for a rethink

By Ralph Hamann, University of Cape Town; Chien-Ming Chen, Nanyang Technological University; Jury Gualandris, Western University; Kevin Dooley, Arizona State University; Martina Linnenluecke, University of Technology Sydney; Michael L. Barnett, Rutgers University; Miriam Wilhelm, Vienna University of Economics and Business, and Sergio Lazzarini, Institute of Education and Research (INSPER) Every product or service that you consume is part of a supply chain. Supply chains include an array of […]

August 15, 2024 15

Environment

Reforestation to capture carbon could be done much more cheaply, study says

By Liz Kimbrough, via Mongabay Trees are allies in the struggle against climate change, and regrowing forests to capture carbon may be cheaper than we thought. According to new research published in Nature Climate Change, a strategic mix of natural regrowth and tree planting could be the most cost-effective way to capture carbon. Researchers analyzed reforestation projects in 138 low- and middle-income countries to compare the costs of different […]

August 15, 2024 16

Local

Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal removed from the List of World Heritage in Danger

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in New Delhi (India), decided on Wednesday to remove Niokolo-Koba National Park in Senegal from the List of World Heritage in Danger, following the positive steps taken by the State Party, which have contributed to improving the natural site’s state of conservation. Inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1981 for its unique biodiversity and exceptional ecosystems, Niokolo-Koba National Park has faced a series […]

July 24, 2024 6

Africa

Study: A third of Africa’s great apes at risk from mining of transition metals

Rising demand for the metals needed to power the global renewable energy transition potentially threatens more than a third of Africa’s great apes. Nearly 180,000 gorillas, chimpanzees and bonobos face potential fallout from current and future mining projects for these transition metals, particularly in West Africa. Direct and indirect potential impacts from mining on apes include habitat destruction, health threats from light pollution and disease transmission, […]

July 1, 2024 32

Africa

Forced evictions suppress Maasai spirituality & sacred spaces in Tanzania

In March, the Tanzanian government issued a new round of eviction notices impacting Maasai communities: The first one was issued in Simanjiro district for the expansion of Tarangire National Park while the second was issued to eight villages for the expansion of the Kilimanjaro International Airport. Maasai elders and spiritual leaders say they fear and disapprove of the Tanzanian government’s decision of eviction that has disrupted their […]

June 25, 2024 11

Africa

Nigeria’s mountain streams are a haven for special creatures – they need protection

By Emmanuel O. Akindele, Obafemi Awolowo University Nigeria has many freshwater ecotourism attractions. Among them are the Ikogosi warm spring, the Osun-Osogbo river, and the Olumirin, Owu, Arinta and Ekor waterfalls. Their scenic beauty and lush forests make these sites popular, but the impacts of human activities are likely to pose a growing threat to once-pristine freshwater systems. The biodiversity and conservation value of […]

June 20, 2024 25