The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is playing a key role in the management of forests in line with its mandate as a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. This was revealed during the 2022 commemoration of International Day of Forests yesterday by Dr…
African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) Vice President Dr. Kevin Kariuki will lead a delegation to Egypt, the host country for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference 2022, for exploratory talks on how the Bank and Egypt can collaborate to make COP27 a truly breakthrough event for people and planet. COP 27 is scheduled for November…
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) and the Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) have approved a combined-equity investment of $20 million in the AfricaGoGreen Fund (https://bit.ly/3CwrGUW), a debt fund established to promote private investments in energy-efficient technologies and business models, with the objective of decarbonising African economies and accelerating the energy transition. These new…
By Baboloki Semele Forest management stakeholders are bracing themselves for an information-sharing workshop on challenges and opportunities for forest management in Africa slated for 28 March to 1 April 2022 in Mombasa, Kenya to be held under the theme “Strengthening management and use of forest ecosystems for sustainable development in Africa”. The project seeks to…
By Baboloki Semele Kenya, or rather Africa has scored a major win after countries directed the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to return all its key departments to Nairobi. Although UNEP is headquartered in Nairobi, African nations complained the Kenya office was just a shell because key departments are based in Europe, where their high-level…
By Plan International Governments must acknowledge the devastating injustice of the climate crisis faced by children, girls, and young women and the disproportionate impacts on their lives and make strong commitments to prioritize children and girls’ rights in climate adaptation, mitigation, and response. Despite being least responsible for this unfolding crisis, children bear the…
The African Development Bank (www.AfDB.org) joined public and private sector actors in Nairobi this week to discuss the implementation of circular economy policies, and action plans in Africa. Highlights of the side event included news that Morocco plans to join the African Circular Economy Alliance. The side event on accelerating a just transition to a…
By Baboloki Semele President of Botswana, Dr. Mokgweetsi Masisi has pleaded with the global community to incentivize conservation success instead of being punitive. Dr. Masisi said this yesterday as he addressed delegates at the two-day commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the United Nations Environment Programe held in the global hub for the environment, Nairobi,…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association The 3rd of March is a day to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. World Wildlife Day has become the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife. This year, the day is being celebrated under the theme, “Recovering key species for ecosystem restoration.” It is…
By Baboloki Semele Nairobi, Kenya: The 5th UN Environment Assembly concluded yesterday in Nairobi with 14 resolutions to strengthen actions for nature to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Assembly is made up of the 193 UN Member States and convenes every two years to advance global environmental governance. The world’s ministers for the…
By Baboloki Semele Nairobi, Kenya: Heads of State, Ministers of environment, and other representatives from 175 nations endorsed a historic resolution at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) yesterday in Nairobi to End Plastic Pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024. The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design,…
A new report on plastic pollution and migratory species was launched yesterday during the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA5) in Nairobi. The report, “Risk assessment of plastic pollution to migratory species in the Mekong and Ganga River Basins”, was prepared under the UN’s Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of…
The 6th European Union (EU)-African Union (AU) Summit, held on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 February 2022 in Brussels, ended with the adoption of a joint declaration on the Africa-Europe 2030 vision. Europe will implement a global investment strategy with at least 150 billion euros to support “projects wanted and carried by Africans, with priority…
A study released Feb. 14 by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences claims that ethanol is likely a bigger contributor to global warming than gasoline, Reuters reported. The study contradicts previous findings by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) showing that ethanol and other biofuels are green. “Corn ethanol is not a climate-friendly fuel,” said…
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) and African Development Bank (AfDB) today handed over Weather Monitoring Equipment to the Meteorological Services Department. AfDB as the donor is working with UNOPS and the Government of Zimbabwe on the Post Cyclone Idai and Kenneth Emergency Recovery and Resistance Programme (PCIREP) which targets the districts of…
Due to severe drought, Turkey’s 2021-22 wheat production is down 2 million tonnes, to 16.25 million tonnes, according to a report from the Foreign Agricultural Service of the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). Looking ahead to next year, rainfall levels from October to December were better compared to the same period a year ago. However,…
The Tanganda Tea Company Limited, a part of Chipinge’s history, continues to show how it has managed to not only last so long but grow to be Zimbabwe’s largest producer, packer, and distributor of Tea. As a people-centred business, Tanganda has been actively improving the lives of its employees and the community of Chipinge….
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Wetlands provide numerous environmental, economic, and social services such as pollutant removal, wildlife habitat, groundwater recharge, and carbon sequestration.[1] They play a crucial role in climate change mitigation by trapping carbon thereby reducing greenhouse gases, a major contributor to global warming. Wetlands also help cities to adapt to climate…
By Sowell Chikwari Civil society organisations have raised concerns over the decimation of wetlands in urban peripheries owing to housing construction and agricultural activities as it negatively impacts the environmental ecosystem. The City of Harare is among the most affected cities in terms of the depletion of wetlands, a situation that has grossly affected the…
Developing agriculture remains Zimbabwe’s most direct route to reducing poverty, hunger, and malnutrition given that 67% of the population resides in rural areas and relies on smallholder farming as a source of livelihood. The transformation of agriculture entails developing a robust sector that has mainstreamed mechanisms of reducing the vulnerability of and maintaining and increasing…
Working with European farmers Farmers, who are the stewards of the land, must be an integral part of the solutions for the European food systems of the future. They possess intimate knowledge of the land from years of experience and cross-generational information and are well-positioned to disseminate this knowledge. For this and many other reasons,…
Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) comes as a farming model for a sustainable agricultural production system aimed at food security even during climatic calamities in eight countries, including Bangladesh. Officials said the D-8 grouping adopted a proposal on the introduction of the CSA model in the developing eight economies. Bangladesh had proposed the system in the D-8…
The first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week (MENACW) 2022, is set to take place from 28 February to 3 March 2022 at the Dubai Exhibition Centre in Dubai, UN Climate change news has recently informed. This planned in-person meeting kicks off the Regional Climate Weeks in 2022 and a new era of cooperation…
People in Beitbridge West are appealing for urgent assistance from well-wishers since their livelihoods were destroyed by incessant rains that hit the area recently. Taking the appeal to various social media networking sites, Godfrey “Chief” Koti, an influential media personality who hails from the area thanked various stakeholders who have come on board with the…
Staff Reporter The City of Harare has noted with great concern that a number of people are cultivating maize on wetlands in different parts of the city. Against this background, the Harare City Council has warned that among other punitive measures, Harare-based residents who temper with wetlands are required to pay a fine of 25…
By Joyce Mukucha The United Nations (UN) Secretary General António Guterres has urged countries across the globe to “commit to making 2022 a year of recovery for everyone.” In his message for the New Year , the UN chief called upon everyone to make recovery “for people, planet and prosperity” as the resolution for the…
By Dr. Richard Munang As we close the year 2021, I have been thinking of the most important aspect to talk about. It was a hard nut to crack, but I settled on one word “ATTITUDE”. We need an urgent imperative, which I call a change in attitude perspective—an attitude perspective on seeing things. We…
By Calvin Manika Timothy Ncube, 18, sits under a baobab tree at their homestead in Lukosi village, Hwange. Despite being a rainy season, they have not received enough rains to commence farming in earnest. Timothy thinks that seasons have changed and the climate is no longer favourable to them to rely on subsistence farming for…
Dr. Anxious Masuka, the Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development commissioned the Chivi Water Supply Rehabilitation Works as part of efforts by the Second Republic to accelerate rural development for the attainment of Vision 2030. The rehabilitation of Chivi Water Supply is part of a wider programme to help ease water challenges…
In Ngangu Village, one of the epicentres of Cyclone Idai destruction in Chimanimani District, scores of people are still nursing the physical, emotional, and psychological wounds of the environmental catastrophe that hit their community. Shamiso Makwambeni (not real name) recounted how on the fateful night of 15 March 2019, after what appeared a normal day,…
The ministry of local government today received a donation of vehicles procured by the African Development Bank AfDB under the Post Cyclone Idai Emergency Recovery and Resilience Project (PCIREP) . The donation of 8 Crane Trucks and 2 Nissan NP300 Pick Up trucks is meant to enhance disaster preparedness and response in Manicaland Province as…
By Joyce Mukucha The United Nations (UN) Women has recently announced that next year’s theme for the International Women’s Day(IWD) “Equality today for a sustainable tomorrow,” a theme which recognizes efforts being made by women and girls around the globe in mitigating climate change as well as building resilient lives and livelihoods. The theme for…
By Elvis Dumba People with Disabilities have led in the observation of national tree planting day in Banket. Kind Matope Chairperson of Banket PWDs led in the event by planting a tree at Sacred Heart High School where he urged residents to preserve the remaining few trees around Banket. Matope who said their constituency…
As a way of tackling climate change and in line with the country’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as outlined in the Paris Agreement, the Freedom of Rights Under Sovereign (FORUS) Party today commemorated the National Tree Planting Day by planting trees in Mhondoro and Chikomba as a launchpad to a massive nationwide tree-planting exercise to…
A new campaign and petition calling on the Zimbabwe Government to make lasting commitments to people with disabilities were launched last month ahead of the second Global Disability Summit. The Summit will be held in February 2022 in Norway, to address the global needs of people with disabilities and ensure they are integrated into policies…
By Joyce Mukucha Worldwide, the impacts of climate change are becoming more and more devastating causing food insecurity, health challenges, heat waves, fires and disasters such as floods which as a result cause displacement and women are hardest hit. Climate change marginalizes and increases vulnerabilities for women and girls because already, they are disproportionately affected…
Dr. Richard Munang Africa already needs a minimum of $2.5trillion to implement its climate action commitments. Even as COP26 in Glasgow agreed to double the $100 billion pledge to developing countries, this means that even if the pledges were honoured in full, the gap would still be gapping for Africa. If we were to go with just…
By Muchaneta Chimuka With the support from from a non-governmental organisation called terre des homes (tdh),the Zimbabwe National Council for the Welfare of Children (ZNCWC) last Friday gathered young people who operate under a Child and Youth Environmental Forum at Tariro Youth Centre in Hopely to discuss environmental issues in Hopely mapping a way…
By Dr. Mathew M. Abang Bananas represent one of the most consumed and traded fruits globally. In Southern Africa, bananas serve both as a staple food and important cash crop. To date, Tanzania is the largest producer of bananas in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, followed by the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)….
Food shortages, the disappearance of medicinal plants and essences, and changes in lifestyle are the consequences of deforestation on the indigenous peoples of Central Africa. Nearly 60 km from Douala in Cameroon, in the Littoral region, on a normal road that runs along a track that is engulfed in the forest, and out of nowhere,…
By Tsitsi Ndabambi On Saturday 20 November in Ruwa, a few minutes after kickstarting what looked like the toughest and most competitive of all volleyball matches between Ruwa and Marondera Tigers who were battling for a Mashonaland East volleyball League tournament trophy, a dark cloud covered the sky followed by an outpouring heavy rainfall. The…
By Elvis Dumba MUTORASHANGA- Farmers in the beef and dairy industry have been urged to adopt environment friendly practices in their activities to combat environment damaging effects such as land degradation which result from overgrazing. A Mutorashanga farmer has took it upon himself in training small scale dairy and beef farmers around the area in…
By Joyce Mukucha Striving to build a green economy as well as reducing the vulnerability of different communities from the devastating effects of climate change, the Affirmative Action Group (AAG) Zimbabwe has partnered with AAG diaspora in launching a “Go Green” pledge, a campaign aimed at advocating for reduction of negative impact to the environment…
Vanessa Nakate, a Ugandan climate activist, emerged as one of the most prominent youth voices at COP26 in Glasgow. “Prove us wrong,” was her message to delegates at the climate talks, which entered their final day on Friday, as fears grew that countries would fail to convert ambition into an agreement. Activists and delegates from…
By Joyce Mukucha The trend in rising forced displacement continued into 2021 with global numbers now exceeding 84 million as more people fled violence, insecurity and the effects of climate change, according to the Mid-Year Trends report released today by UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency. The report for January-June 2021, indicated a surge from 82.4…
