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  Africa's crop diversity is a cornerstone of sustainable food production, providing resilience against climate change, pests, diseases, and economic shocks.  Importance of Crop Diversity in Africa The continent hosts a wealth of indigenous crops like sorghum, millet, teff, yams, and various fruits that are adapted to local environments and offer nutritional benefits. However, this diversity is under threat, with 16% of locally adapted crop varieties in Sub-Saharan Africa already at risk of extinction. Maintaining diversity helps buffer against vulnerabilities in monoculture systems, where reliance on a few staple crops like maize or wheat can lead to soil depletion and increased susceptibility to outbreaks, such as Fusarium wilt in bananas or fall armyworm in maize.  By preserving a broad range of species, including wild relatives and underutilized indigenous foods, food systems become more adaptable, nutritious, and productive. Key Threats to Africa's Crop Diversity Rap...

 Masai Mara wildebeest migration gets global recognition and enters the Guinness Book World Record. Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu expressed his gratitude to the World Book of Records for the privileged recognition. “We are deeply honoured to receive this prestigious recognition from the World Book of Records, UK, officially certifying the Maasai Mara National Reserve as the home of the world’s greatest annual terrestrial wildlife migration,” Ole Ntutu stated. How spectacular Wildebeests migration is Ever desired to witness one of the elusive wonders of the world, then wildebeest migration is simply a breathtaking, fascinating view. Wildebeest migration is the most sought after experience for nature and wildlife enthusiasts.  It is one of the world's most thrilling and spectacular display of wildlife behaviour.  What month is the Great Wildebeest Migration in Kenya? The dramatic event that mostly happen in late July to September is occasioned by the crossing ov...

Kenya is among the luckiest countries in the South of Sub-saharan Africa, North of River Limpopo. The East African country is well known as a first-class tourist destination in Africa and the whole world. Kenya’s wildlife is renowned and there is more that comes in handy to the incredibly marvelous tourist sites. The vast Savannah and a variety of wildlife enhance a balanced terrestrial eco-system.  The historic culture of tribes such as Maasai, Turkana and Giriama among others has been the center focus of tourist enthusiasts for long.  There are many eye-catching spots in Kenya. Lake Nakuru is famed as the natural habitat for pink flamingos. The incredible Rift Valley landscape offers visitors a unique and amazing experience.  Tourists flock Kenya’s Coast to relax and feel the welcoming nature of the Indian Ocean breeze. Mombasa City is the perfect place to relax during winter. The City of Kisumu has a variety of sea food and close to the second largest fres...

Fresh water fish population is under threat of extinction. Study has indicated that the global population of migratory freshwater fish has plunged by 76 percent since 1970. Populations of larger fish species had declined by “catastrophic” 94%. The reduction of freshwater fish species is as a result overfishing, destructive fishing practices, invasive species, pollution, disruption of river ecologies and climate change . Irrigation and construction of dams was listed as a disruptive habitat that interfered with the existence of freshwater fish. A report that was published by 16 global conservation organizations, dubbed The World’s Forgotten Fishes indicated that 16 freshwater fish species were declared extinct in 2020. World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which was part of the investigative team, revealed that only 15% of UK Rivers had decent ecological status. WWF further revealed that the leading damage was caused by sewage outflows and farm pollution. In UK waters, the burbo...

UNEP has warned the world over the negative impact of climate change and urged nations to take action to mitigate its effects.  The UN agency wants more action on climate as it noted that millions of people, animals and plants are at risk . In the launch of the event dubbed: “Making Peace with Nature Report”, UNEP published a scientific blueprint to tackle biodiversity, climate and pollution emergencies. As various parts of the world are struck by the impact of climate change, there’s an imperative desire to take great care of the environment. The report advocates the need for sustainable use of natural resources such land, air and water to avoid what has been termed in the report as “interlinked environmental crises.” Pollution, climate disruption and loss of biodiversity are great threats to living things, including humans. UNEP is pressing the world to transform its relationship with nature in order to tackle the interlinked environmental crises. The global body war...

Scientists have warned that the discord of noise made by humans is harming marine species .  A comprehensive assessment revealed that large noise from human activities was as harmful as pollution, overfishing and climate change .  The study that was conducted by the Journal Science exposed how marine animals can hear from far distances than they can see or smell. According to a report published in the Guardian, most of the marine life uses sound to catch prey as well as attracting a mating partner.  Prof Carlos Duarte of King Abdullah University in Saudi Arabia argued that: “Marine animal can only sea up to around 10 meters, smell up to around a hundred meters, but they can hear across the entire ocean basins.” The research concluded that sound “is very important in the marine ecosystems, and noise is pervasive, affecting animals at all levels .” The increasing cacophony in the marine habitat is interfering with how marine animals respond to various survival...

The second deepest wetland in Africa and a critical source of water for Kenya’s populous capital is under the threat of extinction. Ondiri swamp is said to be the second largest wetland after another one that is situated in Douala Cameroon.  Human encroachment is one of the biggest threats to the existence of the wetland. Human activities such as greenhouse farming and planting eucalyptus trees close to the swamp is pulling a lot of water as argued by conservationists. Environmental activisits claim that about a half of the papyrus ecosystem was destroyed by fire thus killing and destroying unique birds habitat. The quaking bog’s ability to produce water is staring at a catastrophe. The swamp is the underground source of Kikuyu Springs and the headwater for Nyongera River which supplies water to Nairobi River. Therefore, the water that is used by most Nairobian’s has its original source from Ondiri. The wetland is the main source of water for Nairobi river and Kikuyu Sp...

A landmark review has come to the conclusion that the world is staring at ‘extreme risks’ due to the failure of “economics to account for the drastic depletion of the natural world” and recommended for the identification of new measures to avert a disastrous collapse. As humans continue piling pressure on food, water and clean air, there emerges a disturbing price to the ecosystem . Prof Partha Dasgupta conducted the review and ascertained that there’s an imperative need for the rapid global shift to production, finance, consumption and education. The study dubbed as UK’s biodiversity review was commissioned by the United Kingdom treasury. It was the first time that the UK treasury ministry was authorizing a full valuation of the economic influence on nature. Dasguputa argued that nature was our home and good economics dictated that we had to manage it better.  “Truly sustainable economic growth and development means recognizing that our long-term prosperity relies on ...

When US President Joe Biden led Americans into rejoining the Paris Agreement, it wasn’t an easy task as his action was met with backlash from Republicans. Senator Ted Cruz reacted by stating that Biden was “more interested in the views of the citizens of Paris than in the jobs of the citizens of Pittsburgh. Cruz’s sentiments were echoed by Republican Congresswoman Laureen Boebart who stated that she doesn’t work for the people of Paris. There was social media uproar as most users corrected Cruz arguing that the Paris Accord wasn’t specifically targeted for the people of Paris, but had a multinational approach.  US rejoined the Paris Accord at a time when developed countries had failed to meet the financial target of helping poor countries adapt to climate impact . Crusaders of climate change promised to commit $100 billion every year in the battle of climate change . The amount that was proposed was meant to assist developing countries to fight climate change. Accordi...

The global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. This is due to climate change, resulting to high temperatures. Research has found that the melting of the Antarctic and Greenland ice is worsening. The melting of the ice has led to increased sea level that would have a negative impact to Coastal residents, if the trend persists. According to Thomas Slater, who was the lead researcher, close to 28 trillion tonnes of ice was lost between the year 1994 and 2017. Close to 67 percent of the ice loss is attributed to the warming of the atmosphere while 33 percent is caused by the warming of the sea waters. Climate change has been a major concern in the whole world, as various countries have already committed themselves to achieving zero-rate carbon emissions. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions would result to lower temperatures, thus reducing the rate of ice loss in polar areas. The research findings conducted by the European Geosciences Union dubbed as “Review artic...

Photo Source: Reuters The home of three indigenous communities in Brazil is on the verge of destruction. Brazilian activists have raised alarm over the purported 94-mile road project that’s expected to pass through an angle of the dense Amazon rainforest that borders Peru. Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro defended the road plan, arguing that the transatlantic project would help in boosting the economy of the area by linking the region to China and the Pacific ports in Peru. His sentiments were echoed by Mara Rocha, a congresswoman, who stated that: “the project was critical to an area that was isolated and obscure to the rest of the country.” Amazon jungle is the largest tropical rainforest that is located in South America and covers much of the Northwestern Brazil. Close to 40 percent of South America is covered by Amazon rainforest. Eight South American countries such as Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecudaor, Bolivia, Guyana, Venezuela and Suriname are partially covered by the r...

Photo Source: twitter.com Greenhouse gas emissions can be tremendously reduced through the adoption of renewable sources of energy. Climate change can be curtailed when countries commit to rely on renewables and depend less on fossil fuels as their source of energy. If countries shift to overdependence on wind turbines and solar panels for their electricity needs, then climate change will be a thing of the past. Everyone who cares about generating clean source of energy should continue to de-carbonize their generation of electricity. Studies indicate that electricity contribute to 25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions within a year. Therefore, committing to generate electricity without emitting any single particle of greenhouse gases will only cut total emissions by only a quarter. Agriculture contributes to around 24 percent of greenhouse gas emissions , with methane being the third largest emitter. The burning of trees contributes to increased carbon dioxide in t...

The global food industry will lead to rapid displacement of wildlife habitat. Close to 90 percent of terrestrial animals are more likely to lose their natural habitat by 2050, unless the dietary and production of food is changed. Rapid population increase in the world exerts more pressure on food production. According to a report published in the journal Nature Sustainability, the world is glaring at the biodiversity loss that might be triggered by the type of food that is eaten and how it’s produced. The study that was conducted by David Williams of Leeds University revealed that millions of hectares of natural habitat will be lost by the year 2050. “We need to change what we eat and how it is produced if we are going to save wildlife on a global scale,” Williams stated. According to the research, regions that are more likely to suffer biodiversity loss include sub-Saharan Africa and some parts of South and Central America. It was recommended that to avoid biodiversity los...

Climate change poses a major threat to natural heritage in the entire world. According to a report that was published by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), close to 33 percent of natural world heritage are on the verge of depletion as a result of climate change. According to UNESCO, there are 252 natural World Heritage sites. The 252 distinct sites were recognized by the World Heritage Convention owing to their outstanding ecosystem, biodiversity, geology, history and splendid natural phenomena. World Heritage sites cover about 8 percent of the total surface that’s inhabited by both terrestrial and marine habitats globally. Italy and China are privileged to have the highest number of world heritage places. Both of them have a total of 55 sites. Rising temperatures has led to the migration of invasive species which is among the topmost threat to natural world heritage. Severe drought and fire outbreak continue to wreak havoc in various parts of the world ...

Wildfire has wreaked havoc in various parts of the world with Australia, Brazil and the United States being the sufferers. According to research conducted by the science journal, wildfire poses a great threat to human life. Humans are advised not to inhale smoke produced by bushfire in order to avoid complications related to respiratory diseases.  A report published by the Science Magazine on December 18, indicate that exposure to smoke produced by wildfire increases the risk to conduct inflammatory diseases and respiratory diseases such as bronchitis and asthma. Wildfire is the major source of bio aerosols which is composed of fungi and bacteria whose metabolic by-products are responsible for causing infections to human beings. The research conducted by scientists further found out that the Pyrogenic carbon formed as a result of wildfire acts as a temporary storage for soil microbes that contribute to the attenuation of ultraviolet-B by 80 percent. Scientists argue tha...

The advent of Covid-19 pandemic has led to global unprecedented challenges. The virus has led to economic downfall, many people have lost their jobs, many businesses have been interrupted and schools closed among other adverse effects.  The deadly virus almost brought everything to a standstill as the world grappled with the new reality. However, some of the challenges bred by Covid-19 led to the emergence of innovative ideas to mitigate the negative impact of the virus. Most countries are still battling with the surging numbers of Covid-19 cases. According to International Covid-19 Data Alliance (ICODA), a lot of investment has been geared towards establishing the relevance of information that is shared. Data integrity forms the basis of battling with any form of pandemic. During the nascent stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, there were many sorts of misinformation and misconception. Most people took it as a joke and continued breaching government sanctioned protocols. The exact cau...

Britain, France and China are among states that are bound by the engagement on the Global Summit on Climate Change goal. Leaders from the aforementioned countries participated on an online conference on Saturday, December 12, 2020 to address climate change as a result of increase in global temperatures. Leaders who submitted the most ambitious plans were accorded with the privilege of speaking slots. These among others include Guatemala and Honduras who fall victims of the recent hit by hurricanes. India was also included due to the rampant air pollution and unpredictable weather patterns. Business moguls such as Tim Cook were granted the permission to speak due to the commitment of Apple Company to neutralize the carbon neutral chain by 2030. Countries such as Brazil, Australia and South Africa were accused of setting weaker targets. They were listed among major economies with zero commitment to emissions by 2050. The Saturday Summit marks the fifth anniversary of the signin...

There are great lessons picked from Australia’s wildfire, as research linked its cause to climate change. According to IUCN report, lightning struck some parts of New South Wales Australia on September 2019, igniting bushfire that burned close to 18 million hectares, displaced an estimated 140 million of wild animals and displaced close to 3500 households. The inferno was fuelled by record high temperatures and months of critical drought.  CNN report indicated that the bushfire that occurred in New South Wales lasted for 240 days before it was fully extinguished. The damage was devastating and in record history it was the largest wildfire in Australia. Blankets of smoke characterized Australia’s vast forest for months and spread from the northern part of the country to the Southern part. Research indicates that climate change is one of the biggest threats to biodiversity.  Australian Government probe concluded that the terrific bushfire was a direct result of clima...

The future of all life on earth is determined by the existence of biodiversity. Biodiversity threats affect the survival of human beings on planet earth. Various environmental advocates have expressed concern over threats posed to the ecosystem. Terrestrial habitat plays a pivotal role in sustaining biodiversity that helps in the mitigation of climate change. Life on land encounters a number of threats which include overexploitation of resources, habitat loss, climate change, environmental pollution, and invasive species. According to research conducted by multiple sources, the rate of species extinction on land is currently a thousand times faster than the expected rate. The rate of extinction is largely underpinned to poor land use.  Green Facts Foundation noted that close to 40 per cent of animal extinctions are associated with invasive foreign species. Statistics indicate that about 30 per cent of land is degraded thus leading to the decline in agricultural output....