South Africa’s conservation model: why expanding the use of biodiversity to generate money is a good idea

South Africa’s conservation model: why expanding the use of biodiversity to generate money is a good idea

By Hayley Clements, Stellenbosch University; Alta De Vos, Stellenbosch University, and Matthew Child, University of Pretoria South Africa’s government is calling for public comments on an updated version of its existing biodiversity economy plan. The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy aims to conserve biodiversity while also contributing to job creation and economic growth. It proposes to do this by promoting sustainable use of the country’s natural resources. The strategy […]

April 8, 2024 23

Entertainment

South Africa’s conservation model: why expanding the use of biodiversity to generate money is a good idea

By Hayley Clements, Stellenbosch University; Alta De Vos, Stellenbosch University, and Matthew Child, University of Pretoria South Africa’s government is calling for public comments on an updated version of its existing biodiversity economy plan. The National Biodiversity Economy Strategy aims to conserve biodiversity while also contributing to job creation and economic growth. It proposes to do this by promoting sustainable use of the country’s natural resources. The […]

April 5, 2024 17

Africa

Madagascar: giant tortoises have returned 600 years after they were wiped out

By Grant Joseph, University of Cape Town A six-year-old project to return giant tortoises to the wild in Madagascar could result in thousands of the 350kg megaherbivores re-populating the island for the first time in 600 years. The first group of Aldabra giant tortoises (Aldabrachelys gigantea) were brought in from the Seychelles in 2018, and have been reproducing on their own since. Ecologist Grant Joseph explains how reintroducing […]

February 5, 2024 22

Africa

Mozambique’s cyclone flooding was devastating to animals – we studied how body size affected survival

By Jason P. Marshal, University of the Witwatersrand and Francesca Parrini, University of the Witwatersrand Anyone who watches the news will have seen the devastation that tropical cyclones can cause when they reach land, with very strong winds, high rainfall and flooding. A cyclone like this, Idai, moved over Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique in March 2019. At that time, it was the deadliest storm in Africa. Rainfall […]

January 18, 2024 16

Environment

Who protects nature better: The state or communities? It’s complicated

By Shreya Dasgupta via Mongabay In a new study, more than 50 researchers conducted a review comparing the effectiveness of state-managed protected areas and areas managed by Indigenous peoples and local communities. The review found that comparing the two was very challenging for various reasons, including the difficulty in figuring out who was managing an area, as well as a lack of comparable data and different groups of researchers measuring […]

January 9, 2024 17

Environment

Do carbon credits really help communities that keep forests standing?

By John Cannon via Mongabay Communities play a critical role in REDD+, a forest conservation strategy that aims to reduce emissions that can be sold as credits to raise money for forest protection. REDD+ projects often include components for the benefit of the communities, such as a focus on alternative livelihoods and provision of health care and education. But reports that REDD+ communities have faced abuses and rights violations have emerged […]

January 9, 2024 16

Environment

‘No end in sight’ for potential of conservation tech: Q&A with Megan Owen

By Abhishyant Kidangoor via MongaBay For the past seven years, the conservation technology lab at the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance has been working to develop and deploy technology that can automate the collection and processing of wildlife data. Running a tech lab in a zoo has the benefit of providing scientists with a setting where they can use the wildlife in their care to validate the data and calibrate […]

January 9, 2024 13

Environment

Environment Ministry flags increase in Pangolin trafficking

The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Tourism has confiscated 18 pangolin skins, 12 live pangolins, and 146 pangolin scales from September to November this year. This resulted in 23 criminal cases, with 38 suspects arrested, surpassing combined cases for elephants and rhinos. Ministry spokesperson Romeo Muyunda says the majority of incidents took place in the northern regions of the country.

December 19, 2023 8

Business / Economics

‘November in Namibia’ initiative launched to boost intra-African connections

A group of 21 Ghanaian tourists arrived in the country on Sunday for the ‘November in Namibia’ tourism and business pilot initiative. The Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation in a media statement on Friday said the initiative aims to develop Namibia’s tourism industry within the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area and ‘The Africa We Want’ agenda. The initiative is also part of the memorandum of understanding […]

November 20, 2023 7