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Academic rigour, journalistic flair
 1. COVID-19
 2. Arts + Culture
 3. Business + Economy
 4. Education
 5. Environment + Energy
 6. Health + Medicine
 7. Politics
 8. Science + Tech
 9. TC Afrique


Forecasting, risk plans and effective drainage systems can mitigate the impact
of severe floods. Photo by Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images. Getty Images


FLOODING IN NIGERIA IS ON THE RISE – GOOD FORECASTS, DRAINS AND RISK MAPS ARE
URGENTLY NEEDED

Victor Ongoma, Université Mohammed VI Polytechnique and Victor Nnamdi Dike,
Chinese Academy of Sciences


A shopper risks arrest in Nakuru, Kenya, for carrying groceries in banned
plastic bags in 2022. James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images


KENYA BANNED PLASTIC BAGS 6 YEARS AGO, BUT THEY ARE STILL IN USE - WHAT
WENT WRONG

Jane Mutheu Mutune, University of Nairobi


Fetching water is a chore, but some women also said it was a welcome opportunity
to be in nature. Tony Dold


GREEN SPACES ARE GOOD FOR PEOPLE – BUT IN SOUTH AFRICA MANY CANNOT ACCESS THEM

Susanne Vetter, Rhodes University; Michelle Cocks, Rhodes University, and
Valerie Møller, Rhodes University


Fire at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. Photo by Brenton Geach/Gallo
Images via Getty Images


CLIMATE CHANGE INCREASES THE RISK OF EXTREME WILDFIRES AROUND CAPE TOWN – BUT IT
CAN BE ADDRESSED

Stefaan Conradie, University of Cape Town and Zhongwei Liu, Coventry University


The Western shores of Ghana are struggling with a seaweed influx. Prosper
Amihere


GHANA’S FISHING INDUSTRY HAS A ‘GOLDEN SEAWEED’ PROBLEM - HOW CITIZEN SCIENCE
CAN HELP

Sien van der Plank, University of Southampton; Kwasi Addo Appeaning, University
of Ghana; Philip-Neri Jayson-Quashigah, University of Ghana, and Winnie N. A.
Sowah, University of Ghana


A horse stands before solar panels used to power water pumps along the Afir
agricultural irrigation canal in Egypt. Photo by Khaled Desouki/AFP via Getty
Images


AFRICA’S ENERGY SECTOR WILL NEED TO TRANSFORM RADICALLY - THESE ARE THE FIVE
BIGGEST CHALLENGES

Sebastian Sterl, Vrije Universiteit Brussel


Jon Callas/Flickr


GREEN ENERGY: SOUTH AFRICA’S TRANSITION PLAN MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO DEEPEN
INEQUALITY – THE 3 TOP ISSUES

Mzukisi Qobo, University of the Witwatersrand


Farmland razed by Eritrean soldiers at a village in Ahferom district, Central
zone, Tigray. Abrha Brhan Gebre/with permission


THE WAR ON TIGRAY WIPED OUT DECADES OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS: HOW TO
START AGAIN




Luis Tato/AFP via Getty Images


WATER SCARCITY ON NIGERIA’S COAST IS HARDEST ON WOMEN: 6 STEPS TO EASE
THE BURDEN




A young herder grazes cattle on dwindling pasture in the drylands of Kenya. Tony
Karumba/AFP via Getty Images


KENYA DROUGHT: PASTORALISTS SUFFER DESPITE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS USED TO PROTECT
THEM – WHAT WENT WRONG?

Tahira Shariff Mohamed, Institute of Development Studies and Ian Scoones,
Institute of Development Studies


Established practices of Ghanaian farmers have been affected by climate change.
Bernard Keraita/Flickr


CLIMATE CHANGE: FARMERS IN GHANA CAN’T PREDICT RAINFALL ANYMORE, CHANGING HOW
THEY WORK

James Boafo, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)


Giordano Cipriani/Getty Images


AFRICA’S AQUIFERS HOLD MORE THAN 20 TIMES THE WATER STORED IN THE CONTINENT’S
LAKES, BUT THEY AREN’T THE ANSWER TO WATER SCARCITY




Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images


BEANS ARE A FAVOURITE FOOD IN NIGERIA - 4 SAFE WAYS TO PRESERVE THEM




This is a digitally generated image of what a city might look like after a war.
Getty Images


WARS IN CITIES: THREE RULES FOR PROTECTING THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT DURING CONFLICT




Nigeria has to step up biosecurity measures to check frequent bird flu
outbreaks. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images


BIRD FLU: NIGERIA IS ON MAJOR MIGRATORY BIRD ROUTES, NEW STRAINS KEEP APPEARING




AFP via Getty Images


SOUTH AFRICA’S BAILOUT OF ESKOM WON’T END POWER CUTS: SPLITTING UP THE UTILITY
CAN, AS OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE SHOWN




A house in Diobu, Port Harcourt Victoria Uwemedimo/AFP via Getty Images


CLIMATE CHANGE IN URBAN NIGERIA - 4 FACTORS THAT AFFECT HOW RESIDENTS ADAPT




Workers in one of the poly-tunnels of an urban farm in South Africa. Gideon
Mendel/Corbis via Getty Images


FARMS IN CITIES: NEW STUDY OFFERS PLANNERS AND GROWERS FOOD FOR THOUGHT




Samango monkey choosing to use a pole bridge instead of a ladder bridge. Birthe
Linden
March 2, 2023


ROADS AND POWER LINES PUT PRIMATES IN DANGER: SOUTH AFRICAN DATA ADDS TO THE
REAL PICTURE



Researchers encourage citizen scientists to contribute to datasets on animal
deaths caused by infrastructure. This will inform efforts to reduce the human
impact on biodiversity.

The fishing village of Mahebourg, Mauritius, is among the places in the path of
cyclone Freddy. Laura Morosoli/AFP via Getty Images
February 21, 2023


CYCLONES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA: FIVE ESSENTIAL READS



Tropical cyclones are becoming more frequent in the Indian Ocean. Here’s why and
what that means.

South Africans are taking their power supply into their own hands with backup
systems that don’t rely on power utility Eskom. Ihsaan Haffejee/Anadolu Agency
via Getty Images
February 21, 2023


HOME POWER BACKUP SYSTEMS – ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS



Deciding on the best system isn’t a simple matter. There’s a bewildering array
of jargon to sift through and many elements to consider.

pbd Studio/shutterstock
February 8, 2023


PULSES ARE PACKED WITH GOODNESS: FIVE COOL THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEM



Pulses are important for many reasons. They are packed with nutrition, resilient
and crucial for achieving food security in Africa.

Waste on Lekki beach, Lagos. Alucardion/Shutterstock
February 21, 2023


NIGERIA’S NATURAL RESOURCES ARE UNDER THREAT - URGENT STEPS A NEW PRESIDENT
MUST TAKE



Nigeria’s incoming president must prioritise environmental protection to avert
further loss of the country’s biodiversity.

A flooded street in Lagos, Nigeria. Wikimedia Commons
February 5, 2023


NIGERIA AND GHANA ARE PRONE TO DEVASTATING FLOODS - THEY COULD ACHIEVE A LOT BY
WORKING TOGETHER



The two West African countries can help each other avert flooding disasters.

A water-vendor collects water in jerrycans to sell. TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty
Images
February 2, 2023


WATER ATMS WERE INTRODUCED IN GHANA - AND ARE CHANGING THE WAY PEOPLE CAN ACCESS
THIS VITAL RESOURCE



Digital technology is changing the way water is accessed in Ghana. Water ATMs
are gaining traction as a means to an end.

Activists press for climate change financing during COP27. Mohamed Abdel
Hamid/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
January 23, 2023


CLIMATE CHANGE: AFRICA HAS A MAJOR NEW CARBON MARKET INITIATIVE - WHAT YOU NEED
TO KNOW



Kenya, Malawi, Gabon, Nigeria and Togo are already interested in scaling carbon
credit production.

The Barotse Sub-Basin in Zambia is part of the country’s climate resilience
plan. Wikimedia Commons/Flickr
March 1, 2023


A HISTORY OF ZAMBIA’S GREEN POLICIES SHOWS WHY ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT MUST
GO HAND IN HAND

Kangacepe Zulu, University of Bolton

Zambia has progressively incorporated green-based policy interventions since the
1960s.

Green spaces provide benefits for people and nature. Photo by Ida Breed, GRIP
Research team
February 10, 2023


PARKS VERSUS PEOPLE? CHALLENGES FACING THE SOUTH AFRICAN CAPITAL’S
GREENING EFFORTS



South Africa needs to integrate urban green spaces as part of valuable
infrastructure and provide framework for their sustainability.

AFP via Getty Images
February 4, 2023


ROBBERIES SURGE AS CRIMINALS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOUTH AFRICA’S POWER OUTAGES



Security companies suggest that criminals take advantage of the fact that many
home and business security systems get compromised during power outages.

Being too hot isn’t just uncomfortable: it can be dangerous. Angel
DiBilio/Shutterstock
January 26, 2023


HEAT STRESS IS RISING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA – CLIMATE EXPERTS SHOW WHERE AND WHEN
IT’S WORST



Simply put, southern Africans are experiencing heat stress more often than in
1979.

A view of Johannesburg’s Braamfontein district seconds after a scheduled power
cut. Marco Longar/AFP via Getty Images
February 24, 2023


SOUTH AFRICA’S POWER CRISIS: GOING OFF THE GRID WORKS FOR THE WEALTHY – BUT
COULD DEEPEN INJUSTICE FOR THE POOR

Christina Culwick Fatti, Gauteng City-Region Observatory and Samkelisiwe
Khanyile, Gauteng City-Region Observatory

Very little attention has been paid to the justice implications of electricity
distribution.

Most Ghanaian cars are imported as used vehicles. Shutterstock
February 20, 2023


GHANA WANTS FEWER POLLUTING OLD CARS ON THE ROAD. BUT IT’S GOING ABOUT IT THE
WRONG WAY

Festival Godwin Boateng, Columbia University and Jacqueline M Klopp, Columbia
University

Vehicle import restrictions on their own are unlikely to yield meaningful,
sustained public health and environmental gains in Africa.

A tractor ploughs a field in the Philippi Horticultural Area in Cape Town, South
Africa. Photo by Nardus Engelbrecht/Gallo Images via Getty Images
February 9, 2023


CAPE TOWN’S ‘DAY ZERO’ THREAT CONCENTRATED MINDS: AN ACTIVIST GROUP USED THE
MOMENT TO SECURE ENVIRONMENTAL VICTORIES



The work done by the campaign before, during and after the drought remains
important for the food security of Cape Town

Companies can do more to reduce plastic waste. Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty
Images
January 31, 2023


PLASTIC POLLUTION IN NIGERIA: WHOSE JOB IS IT TO CLEAN UP THE MESS?



Plastic pollution can be checked in Nigeria if the government insists that
companies integrate corporate social responsibility into their processes.

The use of wood to fuel cooking fires is ubiquitous in Ghana. Getty images
January 22, 2023


LPG VERSUS DIRTY FUEL USE IN GHANA: BRING GAS SUPPLIES CLOSER TO PEOPLE AND MORE
OF THEM WILL USE IT



Ghana needs improved supply systems to expand the use of clean fuels.

Ethembeni informal settlement near Cape Town covered in sewage water after a
pipe burst in August 2020. Brenton Geach/Gallo Images via Getty Images
January 23, 2023


POWER CUTS IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE PLAYING HAVOC WITH THE COUNTRY’S WATER SYSTEM



South Africa’s energy crisis has far-reaching negative effects on water supply.
Energy and water are intertwined.

People buy produce at a wholesale market in Nakuru, Kenya, on Dec. 24, 2022.
James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
January 19, 2023


INSTALLING SOLAR-POWERED REFRIGERATORS IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES IS AN EFFECTIVE
WAY TO REDUCE HUNGER AND SLOW CLIMATE CHANGE



Many developing nations have little cold storage and lose much of their
perishable food before it gets to markets. Climate-friendly refrigeration can
provide huge environmental and social benefits.

Tigers in South Africa are being intensively farmed for commercial trade. Hristo
Vladev/NurPhoto via Getty Images
January 20, 2023


TIGERS IN SOUTH AFRICA: A FARMING INDUSTRY EXISTS – OFTEN FOR THEIR BODY PARTS



Tigers exist in South Africa because they’re being intensively farmed for
commercial trade in live individuals or their body parts.


CLIMATE CHANGE IS THREATENING MADAGASCAR’S FAMOUS FORESTS – OUR STUDY SHOWS HOW
SERIOUS IT IS


KENYA’S RIFT VALLEY LAKES ARE RISING, PUTTING THOUSANDS AT RISK – WE NOW
KNOW WHY


ANCIENT POOP OFFERS UNUSUAL INSIGHT INTO ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR


SPOTTED HYENAS ALL SOUND DIFFERENT WHEN THEY CALL – THEY CAN TELL FRIEND
FROM FOE


UNDERWATER NOISE IS A THREAT TO MARINE LIFE

More Analysis and Comment


A dhow ship in Stonetown Zanzibar. Shutterstock
June 7, 2022


FOUR NOVELISTS, ONE OCEAN: HOW INDIAN OCEAN LITERATURE CAN REMAP THE WORLD

Charne Lavery, University of Pretoria

The work of the authors reveals a world that is outward-looking, full of
movement, border-crossing and south-south interconnection.


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MOST READ PAST WEEK

 1. Kenya banned plastic bags 6 years ago, but they are still in use - what
    went wrong
 2. How droughts will affect South Africa’s broader economy
 3. Africa’s aquifers hold more than 20 times the water stored in the
    continent’s lakes, but they aren’t the answer to water scarcity
 4. Not all droughts are the same: here’s what’s different about them
 5. Flooding in Nigeria is on the rise – good forecasts, drains and risk maps
    are urgently needed


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