Maxwell Ochoo’s first attempt at farming was a dismal failure. In Ochieng Odiere, a village near the shores of Kenya’s Lake Victoria, “getting a job is a challenge,” the 34-year-old says. To earn some money and help feed his family, he turned to farming. In 2017, he planted watermelon seeds on his 0.7-hectare plot. Right…
The Government of Germany, through the German Federal Foreign Office, has contributed EUR 3 million to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) in Zimbabwe to support highly vulnerable communities struggling to meet their basic food needs amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. This is part of a EUR 18 million contribution by Germany to Southern Africa…
The third Southern African Development Community (SADC) Youth Forum will focus on the importance of the Blue and Green Economy to drive sustainable development. The Southern Africa Youth Forum (SAYoF-SADC) is a regional development platform for youth in the SADC region, works with SADC Secretariat, SADC-CNGO, SAT among other regional organizations to empower young people…
Between a death and a burial was hardly the best time to show up in a remote village in Madagascar to make a pitch for forest protection. Bad timing, however, turned out to be the easy problem. This forest was the first one that botanist Armand Randrianasolo had tried to protect. He’s the first native…
Following Cyclone Idai that hit eastern Zimbabwe in March of 2019, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Regional Office for Southern Africa (UNESCO ROSA), under the World Bank Funded Zimbabwe Idai Recovery Project (ZIRP), is implementing the project ‘Comprehensive Resilience Building in the Chimanimani and Chipinge Districts.’ The overall objective of the project…
The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way businesses operate worldwide, with working from home having become the new normal for many businesses, particularly during strict lockdown periods. The internet and modern information communication technology have made this possible. However, it has also required that some businesses invest in providing resources for their employees to make…
The Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and Fairtrade Africa (FTA) on Thursday signed a collaborative pact aimed at addressing the effects of climate change on trade from smallholder farming, and respective producer groups across Africa. Signed in Nairobi, Kenya the memorandum of understanding between the two leading coalitions on climate change and trade will seek…
Yanitsa Boyadzhieva Industry experts maintained digital technology served an important role in tackling climate change challenges, emphasising connectivity, IoT, and big data as driving forces behind current efforts. In a panel discussion, the GSMA’s head of Mobile for Humanitarian Innovation Kimberly Brown (pictured, far left) said mobile technology is uniquely placed to provide the tools…
PATRICK WORMS Assisted natural processes are a recipe for success With all those well-meaning efforts to plant trees out there, the alarm is justifiably being raised that sometimes, those trees will do more harm than good. That’s why it’s helpful to start any tree project with the thought that the objective is to “regenerate with…
By Kumbirai Mafunda A local quarry miner has pledged to use several methods to suppress the emission of dust and minimise noise while conducting its mining activities following protests by residents of Arcadia suburb in Harare. Through their lawyer Tinashe Chinopfukutwa of Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights, residents of Arcadia suburb in Harare had on…
The latest SME Competitiveness Outlook 2021, released today, focuses on empowering small businesses to rebuild from the pandemic in a way that prepares them to face the looming climate crisis. ‘Going green is both a survival imperative and a business opportunity,’ said International Trade Centre (ITC) Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton. ‘Small businesses must rebuild in a way that prepares…
By Chris Donkin A group of seven European governments signed a treaty designed to improve the environmental credentials of devices including smartphones and laptop PCs, targeting change through the creation of a united front in procurement requirements. The International Circular and Fair ICT Pact was signed by The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Norway, the UK, Austria,…
Zimbabwe is taking commendable steps to combat desertification and hunger, Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has said. The Minister revealed this on the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on 17 June 2021. Zimbabwe as a party to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification continues to…
The Harare Wetlands Trust and the Harare Residents Trust (HRT) affirm their full support to the preservation of the environment, respect for the rule of law, and the upholding of key legal provisions on the protection of wetlands and road verges. The organisations acknowledge that there has been an increase in trading along main and…
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has trained the media on how to use Data Journalism for Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis (VAA) data in their work. Alfred Hermida contends that data journalism draws on fields such as information visualization, computer science, and statistics to convey news through the analysis and representation of quantitative, computer-processed data….
Distributed Power Africa (DPA), the continent’s leading renewable energy solutions company, says it is targeting to reduce Econet Wireless Zimbabwe’s diesel consumption by 80% through the use of solar batteries. Several businesses in Africa have been relying on fossil fuels to sustain their operations due to erratic power suppliers. However, environmental and sustainability concerns, along…
The African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group and the Centre for Disaster Protection have entered into a partnership agreement to mutually promote technical collaboration on capacity building, research, and advocacy through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) jointly signed by the chief executives of both institutions. Under the MoU, the parties will explore opportunities and leverage their…
The world’s soils, which provide 95% of humanity’s food, are “under great pressure”, according to a UN report on soil pollution. Soils are also the largest active store of carbon, after the oceans, and therefore crucial in fighting the climate crisis. But the report said industrial pollution, mining, farming, and poor waste management are poisoning soils,…
The Fifth Africa Climate Resilient Investment Summit ACRIS V under the theme “Embedding and financing climate resilience for Africa’s green recovery” will be held virtually on 16th – 17th June 2021. The two-day program will deal with investments for climate resilience. The panel discussions will deal with cross-border energy, resilience, nature-based solutions, smart agriculture, innovative…
Environmentalists made this call during the third session of a dryland fellowship thematic training organised by Climate Tracker which was held virtually, Thursday. Amidst a profound surge in the negative impacts of land degradation due to human activities across the continent of Africa, sustainable environmental practices advocates have called for the intensification of proactive and…
The Africa Green Waste and Energy Expo and Conference 2021 kicks off in Harare today with this year’s edition described as crucial since it reflects on a milestone development agenda that coincides with the 10th Anniversary. This year’s edition is running under the theme; ‘CIRCULAR ECONOMY: ‘I CREATE!” with the main event being hosted…
Stakeholders have been urged to prevent veld fires whose impacts are multifaceted and a threat to the biophysical, social and economic environment because of their trail of destruction that cuts across all sectors of the economy. Wildfires constitute 10% of the world’s emissions and nearly half of this is related to Southern Africa. In Southern…
To ensure the integration of gender equality and women empowerment issues in the disaster risk management (DRM) landscape, the African Union (AU) and the African Risk Capacity (ARC), have launched the Gender and Disaster Risk Management (DRM) platform. The new platform is expected to contribute to the development and management of knowledge on the issues…
Environment and tourism stakeholders had a consultative meeting in Harare yesterday to gather views on the review of the Parks and Wildlife Act [Chapter 20:14] to ensure that the Act meets the current needs of society whilst at the same time addressing a myriad of contemporary sector challenges. In his keynote address, Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu,…
Cognisant of the fact that following COVID-19-induced hardships, most families in Zimbabwe are facing hunger and starvation, the Turkish Cooperation and Development Agency (TIKA) is extending its giving hand by distributing food hampers to deserving families across the country. Speaking during the food distribution exercise in Chitungwiza on Monday 3 May 2021, Mr Can…
Mr. Washington Zhakata, the Director in the Climate Change Management Department of the Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism and Hospitality Industry has underscored the need for young people’s needs and aspirations to be captured in the nationally determined contributions (NDCs). He made the statement in his opening remarks read by Mr. Lawrence Mashungu, a Climate…
Healthy forests are key to “building back better”, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Director-General QU Dongyu said last week in his video address to the high-level round table at the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF, 26-30 April 2021). In his remarks, the Director-General extolled the many virtues of forests, including ensuring people’s food security…
The Government of the Federal Republic of Somalia has signed the Treaty and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Risk Capacity (ARC) to work together towards helping the country better prepare, plan and respond to extreme weather events and natural disasters. The ARC Treaty and MoU were signed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia by…
by Pat Mooney The idea of a Food Systems Summit seemed timely when it was announced in 2019 by the World Economic Forum and the UN Secretary-General’s Office. But while the need was widely appreciated, the unorthodox proposal by Davos to expand “stakeholder capitalism” to encompass the United Nations alarmed some involved in the food movement….
While humanity is scrambling to prevent the cascading effects of climate change, a new global plan to turn 30% of the earth into environmental sanctuaries by 2030 is not the solution, according to Survival International. This is because protected areas often come at the expense of the land rights and livelihoods of indigenous peoples, Survival says….
FAO’s new Goodwill Ambassador, astronaut Thomas Pesquet, calls us to act against climate change On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person to travel into space, completing one full orbit around Earth. For the first time ever, a human saw what our planet looked like from above. The planet he saw back then,…
An estimated 710 million children live in the 45 countries that are at the highest risk of suffering the impact of climate change, Save the Children warned yesterday. Floods, droughts, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events will have an especially deep impact on vulnerable children and their families. Children in these countries will for example…
The congress will be convened by the Government of Rwanda, the International Union for Conservation of Nature – World Commission on Protected Areas, and the African Wildlife Foundation The Government of Rwanda will in March 2022 host the inaugural International Union for Conservation of Nature (www.IUCN.org) Africa Protected Areas Congress (APAC) to discuss conservation…
In preparation for COP26, the Energy Transition Council (ETC) has launched the Rapid Response Facility, an international and UK-funded initiative of £10million for 2021–2022 to support the transition away from fossil fuels towards clean energy. #CCG is a supporting partner. The RRF will assist developing countries with strategic planning, capacity building, and technical expertise to…
Cycads, the world’s oldest seed-producing plants, are facing extinction. Africa is home to a variety of cycad species and South Africa is regarded as a global hotspot for cycad diversity. One of the most prominent cycad taxa, the genus Encephalartos, is endemic to Africa and is categorised as “critically endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. This…
Honourable Mangaliso Ndlovu, the Minister of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry has underscored the important role that forests play in promoting a green economy to foster sustainable development. He made the remarks today on the graduation ceremony at the Forestry Industry Training Centre following the successful completion of Forestry training by 35 men and…
Africa now faces the dual onslaught of climate change – currently estimated at between $7 billion and $15 billion each year – and Covid-19, which has claimed 114,000 lives In a historic and united show of solidarity for a continent that contributes only 5% to global emissions, more than 30 heads of state and global…
The Agricultural and Rural Development Authority (ARDA) Seeds has collaborated with the Agricultural Technical and Extension Services (Agritex) to drive the uptake of urban and climate-smart agriculture. This came to the fore during a Maize Field Day meeting held at the Harare South Retreat at a plot owned by Mrs. Shamiso Marumisa that was presided…
The African Development Bank and the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) will bring together African heads of state and government for a virtual Leaders’ Dialogue on the Africa Covid-Climate Emergency on Tuesday 6 April 2021. The African Development Bank and GCA are combining their expertise, resources and networks to develop and implement a bold new Africa…
The Ministry of Environment, Climate, Tourism, and Hospitality Industry in conjunction with the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Standards Association of Zimbabwe (SAZ), and Development partners (the UNDP and Tetratech) is reviewing International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) technical standards (TS) 62257-9-5 series in order to adopt them. Speaking to Spiked Online Media during a two-day…
The Climate Research and Advocacy Trust (CRAT), a non-profit making organisation that focuses on providing strategies that help communities to adapt and mitigate climate change has stressed the need to practice sustainable agriculture to ensure that environment and nature are being protected. This comes after the organisation has noted with deep concern how population increase…
The African Development Bank and the Climate Investment Funds [CIF (https://bit.ly/3vSPNtq)] have joined forces (https://bit.ly/2OQ4QU9) to produce a study of the role of green banks and national climate change funds in mobilizing finance to support low-carbon, climate-resilient development in Africa. The ground-breaking study (https://bit.ly/2OY4mv7), released on Tuesday 23 March, is expected to underpin development of…
By 2030, 80,000 e-vehicles shall be deployed for last-mile deliveries, resulting in 60% electrification of the fleet New sustainability roadmap defines ambitious sustainability targets; group decides on “Science-Based Targets” and aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Paris Climate Agreement; to this end, the Group will invest EUR 7 billion in climate-neutral…
By Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association (ZELA) Today is World Water Day which is running under the theme, ‘Valuing Water.’ This theme is significant as it puts on the spotlight the value of water in our daily lives. As we commemorate the day adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 22, 1992, we reflect…
Strengthening food systems must be an integral part of efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and to build resilience in Africa, said African Development Bank Director General for Southern Africa, Leila Mokaddem. Hunger is a greater threat to many Africans than the COVID-19 crisis, Mokaddem said in a session on sustainable food systems at the Southern…
