insert_link Environment In Brazil’s soy belt, community seed banks offer hope for the Amazon By Ana Ionova Not too long ago, the plot of land that Maria Ivonete de Souza inherited was barren, the soil hardened by years of cattle ranching. When the family had arrived to the Amazon from southern Brazil four decades earlier, her father had swiftly cleared the dense rainforest to make way for pasture. “He razed it all by hand, with a saw and an ax,” Souza […] todayFebruary 20, 2024 6
insert_link Environment 17 million South Africans live on communal land – new study of a rural valley offers insights on how to manage it Tyhume Valley in Eastern Cape, South Africa. Wonga Masiza, Author provided Wonga Masiza, Agricultural Research Council The Tyhume River, flowing from the forested Amathole Mountains in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, gives its name to a valley of 20 villages on communal land. Much of the land is being used to keep livestock, as crop production has declined over the years. This land is under the custodianship of traditional leaders. […] todayFebruary 14, 2024 6
Africa Ghana: Kumasi city’s unplanned boom is destroying two rivers – sewage, heavy metals and chemical pollution detected By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and Owusu Amponsah, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Ghana’s urban population has more than tripled in the past three decades, from 4 million to nearly 14 million people. Competition for land in cities has increased among various land uses. These trends have led to encroachment in ecologically sensitive areas such as wetlands. Kumasi, […] todayFebruary 8, 2024 9
insert_link Africa How will we know when local communities benefit from carbon offset schemes? (commentary) By Beth Allgood/John Waugh/Craig A. Talmage/Laura Musikanski/Dehara Weeraman on 5 January 2024 Carbon credit schemes face a crisis of legitimacy and often struggle to demonstrate the support of communities who must forgo land uses not compatible with the production and retention of carbon. At the very least, such projects should not negatively impact affected communities, but community support is also not a simple matter of just obtaining free prior and informed […] todayJanuary 9, 2024 6
Paying it forward: Kenyan coastal doctor Bashrahil Mohammed Mafudh has made it his life’s work to care for the most vulnerable in his community, at no cost.
