East Africa

Zambia denied that an acid spill six months ago in its copper mining region still poses a serious risk to health, just a day after U.S. Embassy restricted travel for U.S. government officials due to widespread contamination. In February, a tailings pond at a Chinese copper processing plant failed, releasing 50,000 cubic meters of acidic slurry in nearby rivers. The government of the Southern African country has said that there is no need to be alarmed and has taken steps to reduce acidity in affected areas by using lime. At a recent press conference, Cornelius Mweetwa, a government spokesperson, said...

According to new research, the Trump administration's decision of cutting nearly all U.S. aid to foreign countries has left dozens water and sanitation projects in the middle of completion around the world, creating hazards for those they were intended to help. After speaking with 17 sources who are familiar with infrastructure plans, we have identified 21 unfinished construction projects in 16 different countries. The majority of these projects were not reported before. Workers have abandoned their shovels, left half-dug holes, and unguarded building materials after hundreds of millions in funding were cancelled since January. This is according to internal documents...

Global Environment Facility (GEF), the oldest multilateral climate change fund in the world, plans to issue a new round of wildlife conservation bonds as a way to assist African countries with saving endangered species and eco-systems. In 2022, the World Bank backed rhino bond was the first of many wildlife bonds that provide low-cost funding in exchange for reducing poaching and other measures. Last month, the GEF approved a conservation plan for lemurs in Madagascar. Fred Boltz is the head of programming for the GEF which is affiliated with the World Bank. He told African environment ministers on the sidelines...

According to a report released by the Convention on Wetlands on Tuesday, the destruction of wetlands around the world, which are vital for fisheries, farming and flood control could result in a loss of $39 trillion by 2050. According to an intergovernmental report, 22% of freshwater systems, such as rivers, lakes and peat lands, and coastal marine ecosystems, including mangroves, coral reefs and coastal systems, have disappeared since the 1970s. This is the fastest rate of loss for any ecosystem. The declines are a result of pressures such as land-use changes, pollution, agricultural expansions, invasive species and climate change impacts,...

Lula draws parallels with the Non-Aligned Movement of Cold War Group condemns attacks against Iran and Gaza, increasing tariffs Xi Jinping skips, Putin online, Modi and Ramaphosa present By Lisandra Paraguassu and Manuela Andreoni RIO DE JANEIRO - On Sunday, the BRICS leaders condemned the attacks in Gaza, Kashmir and Iran during their summit. They portrayed the group as a defender for multilateral diplomacy, while criticizing the U.S. trade and military policy. The expansion of BRICS is a response to the divisions in the G7 and G20 group of major economies and the "America First" policy of U.S. president Donald...

Britain, Kenya, and Singapore launched a coalition to encourage companies to purchase carbon credits. The guidelines are aimed at buyers. Carbon market experts describe this as the strongest policy support for such markets yet. Carbon market proponents have been trying to create a market to buy and sell credits that companies can use to offset their emission for decades. Corporate buyers are still hesitant despite the fact that nations agreed on a U.N. backed system at the COP29 conference in Baku. On Tuesday, Britain, France Kenya, Singapore, and Panama announced their intention to reach an agreement on a set of...

The drought of last year affected harvests severely US Aid Cuts Deepen Challenge of Climate Change Zimbabwe looks for home-grown water solutions By Lungelo Ndhlovu The Mabale community in Zimbabwe is relying on rain harvesting this year to grow enough food. They are using canvas, chicken wire and cement for the extreme weather. Climate experts predict that extreme weather conditions will only get worse. Mattias Söderberg, Global Climate Lead at DanChurchAid (a Danish humanitarian organization), said: "Zimbabwe has been severely affected by climate changes, and science shows that it will only get worse." Zimbabwe experienced the worst drought of southern...

An independent U.N. expert on human rights said that TotalEnergies should urgently address new allegations of abuses in its controversial oil pipeline project, which is located in East Africa. This was made ahead of Friday's annual shareholders meeting of the French energy company. Michel Forst, Special Rapporteur for environmental defenders, said in a late-Thursday statement that the company should take immediate steps to protect activists connected to the East African Crude oil Pipeline and its associated oilfields. The news broke that German asset manager Union Investment dropped the bonds and shares of the company from its sustainable investments funds. Union...

The debt agreements worth billions of dollars that were designed to protect ecosystems in Africa and Latin America could unravel or need to be reworked amid fears of the U.S. backing drying up under Donald Trump. Debt-for nature swaps have become more popular in recent years. Deals involving the Galapagos Islands and coral reefs as well as the Amazon rainforest are among the most notable. U.S. International Development Finance Corporation has played a major role in the swapping of debt, with nearly 90% of the $6 billion being covered by the DFC. Sources with direct knowledge said that the DFC...

It said that the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development's (EBRD) board has approved new member countries Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Benin for investment following their approval. The move gives the countries the opportunity to access millions of euros worth of potential investment from EBRD. This is a long-planned expansion by the lender into Sub-Saharan Africa. In a press release, EBRD president Odile Renaud Basso stated that the EBRD would leverage its financial resources to boost economies in the countries and to provide new opportunities for their citizens. This will complement the work of the existing development partners. The EBRD...

FEWS NET, a global hunger monitor backed by the US, provided crucial data FEWS NET is now operating with reduced capacity Early warning alerts from FEWS NET helped to direct targeted aid Nelson Renteria & Nita Bhalla Treminio, armed with the public bulletins as well as regular alerts on food security produced by the Famine-Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), would pass the crucial data to farmers. It was funded by USAID, the United States Agency for International Development. Since President Donald Trump's January order to freeze USAID spending, it has operated at a drastically reduced capacity. It's a vital...

Kenyan courts fined four men each $7,700 for attempting to traffic thousands of valuable ants to the country's eco-system. Experts say that this case shows a shift from biopiracy towards lesser known species, such as elephant ivory. On April 5, authorities arrested two Belgian teens, a Vietnamese and a Kenyan man in separate cases for allegedly trying to smuggle about 5,440 giant African harvester ants. Magistrate Njeri Thuku stated that the ants could fetch more than 800,000 Euros or $900,000. This is in Europe, Asia and some parts of North America where antkeepers maintain colonies in large, transparent vessels called...

A U.N. study released on Monday said that the number of hungry people in 2024 fell for a 3rd straight year, falling from an era of COVID spike. Conflict and climate shocks also exacerbated malnutrition throughout much of Africa, and Western Asia. According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World Report, which was jointly prepared by five U.N. organizations, 673 millions people or 8.2% of the global population will experience hunger in 2024. This is down from 8.5% in the 2023 report. The report, they said, focused on chronic and long-term issues and did not reflect...

On Monday, the final summit day in Rio de Janeiro for the BRICS group, leaders of developing nations were ready to tackle the challenges that we all face, including climate change, by demanding wealthy nations pay global mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. As he prepares for the United Nations Climate Summit in November, Brazilian President Luiz inacio Lula da Silva has emphasized the importance of the Global South to combat global warming. In a statement released by BRICS leaders on Sunday, they argued that fossils fuels would continue to play a major role in global energy, especially in developing economies....

Mozambicans are in need due to drought and conflict USAID cuts put strain on charities and households UN warns about 'children's crisis' By SAMUEL COME Nobody brings food, clothes and blankets anymore to her camp in Pemba city, where she's lived for five years, ever since she fled the rebel attack on Macomia, a northern town, five years ago. "They used to help us for a long time but they have now left us." "Everyone manages on their own, we don't receive food or clothing, and no one supports the children any longer," she said. Omar and the other families...

Wildlife authorities in Zimbabwe said that they have issued permits for the culling of at least 50 elephants from a reserve with three times as many elephants as it can support. Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority stated in a press release that the Save Valley Conservancy, in southern Zimbabwe, is home to approximately 2,550 elephants. However, it only has "carrying capacities" for 800 elephants. In the last five years, the conservancy has already relocated 200 elephants from its reserve to another reserve to control elephant numbers. The meat from the cull is distributed to the locals for consumption, and...

Patrick Pouyanne, the chief executive of TotalEnergies, defended his company's involvement in oil projects in East Africa after a U.N. independent human rights expert stated that the French firm must address new allegations of abuses. Michel Forst, Special Reporter on Environmental Defenders, said in a late-Thursday statement that the company should take immediate steps to protect activists connected to the East African Crude oil Pipeline and its associated oilfields. This decision followed the decision of German asset manager Union Investment, which dropped TotalEnergies bonds and shares from their sustainable investment funds due to this issue. Pouyanne spoke out against the...

Foreign Ministers of BRICS Group of Developing Nations met on Monday, to discuss a common defense of the global trading system and coordinate their response to President Donald Trump's barrage of new duties. The group, which was formed by Brazil and Russia but has recently been expanded to include China, South Africa, India and South Africa, is expected to issue a joint statement in Rio de Janeiro criticizing the "unilateral trade measures" of this group. Brazilian Ambassador Mauricio lyrio stated that the ministers were negotiating a statement to reaffirm multilateral trade agreements as the primary axis for action in the...

According to a report by UNESCO released on Friday, glaciers are disappearing more quickly than ever. The last three years saw the greatest loss of mass on record. Michael Zemp of the Switzerland-based World Glacier Monitoring Service said that the 9,000 gigatons (or a quarter of a million tons) of ice lost by glaciers since 1975 is roughly equivalent to an ice block as large as Germany and with a thickness of 25 meters. This was revealed at a Geneva press conference to announce the report. Climate change caused by fossil fuels will likely cause global temperatures to rise, accelerating...

Residents of Maputo struggle with flooding Mozambique has a high vulnerability to climate change Planning and lack of funds hamper the authorities' response By Samuel Come The stagnant green water reflects the salmon-pink walls of the house as blankets and rugs hang outside to dry. The 46-year old woman, who was carrying two buckets of water, said, "I am struggling to get the water out of my home, but it may rain again in a few more days and I will be back in the same situation." Two cyclones, one after the other, have killed over 130 people in the...

Italian aerospace company Leonardo and agroindustrial group BF signed a deal with the federal government on Friday to offer farming jobs to numerous African countries as part of Rome's. development plan for the continent. The accord becomes part of the so-called Mattei strategy, a group of. initiatives aimed initially at helping financial growth in 9. countries consisting of Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Algeria, which. the Italian federal government hopes will curb immigration flows. This month Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni stated her government. would extend the four-year strategy to Angola, Ghana, Mauritania,. Tanzania and Senegal, bringing the variety of countries to...

Peru's government on Thursday stated an ecological emergency situation in a northern coastal area, where state oil company Petroperu last weekend spilled a crude oil delivery into surrounding waters of the Pacific Ocean. A vessel carrying out pre-shipment maneuvers triggered the spill on Saturday at a terminal of Peru's Talara refinery in northern Peru. Petroperu has actually not stated how much crude was spilled into the sea, however Peru's ecological watchdog OEFA stated in a. preliminary report it has affected some 10,000 square meters of. surface seawater, and the environment ministry said it has. impacted a minimum of seven beaches,...

Zimbabwe appears to be heading into another dry spell that could aggravate cravings for countless individuals already struggling with an El Ninoinduced drought, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Thursday. The dry spell in Southern Africa that started early this year has actually been the worst in years and prompted Zimbabwe and neighbouring nations to declare a state of disaster over food shortages. Rain was anticipated to resume in October, which is generally the start of a six-month rainy season. However up until now Zimbabwe has actually received just a couple of days of rain in late November. We...

Individuals of Kenya's. seaside village of Mwazaro utilized to earn their living primarily. growing cassava and maize, up until the devastations of dry spell forced. them to attempt a new crop seaweed. They plant it on the beachfront and lay it out to dry. inland, signing up with scores of other communities feeding a growing. demand at home and abroad for associated items including. soap, hair shampoo and seaweed powder, utilized in food. Seaweed farming was first presented in Kenya in 2008 and. has broadened rapidly to cover 20 towns, David Mirera, a. scientist at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries...