VIDEO: Government has intervened to save the 10,000 hectare controversial Zoka forest that is currently being cleared for logging. The recent cabinet meeting resolved that an inquiry be instituted to probe the alleged logging by government officials, and clearance for sugar cane growing. This was revealed by the Second Deputy Premier, …
Read More »South Africa basks in continent’s first solar-powered airport
George, South Africa | AFP | At first glance there’s nothing out of the ordinary about the regional airport in George, a town of just 150,000 residents on South Africa’s south coast. In fact though, the small site is Africa’s first “green” airport to be powered by the sun. The …
Read More »Government to cancel land titles in Kansanga, Nansana wetlands
Government is to cancel over 350 land titles that have been unlawfully awarded to individuals who encroached on wetlands in Kampala. State Minister for Lands Persis Namuganza has said that the land titles to be canceled are for individuals that unlawfully acquired land in several areas that include Bugolobi, Kansanga, Ntinda, …
Read More »Surge in renewable energy investment in East Africa
Renewable electricity made up 65% of the East African region’s total installed, grid connected power generating capacity in 2015, a new report has revealed. This is significantly higher than other parts of sub-Saharan Africa where currently it stands at 28.6% and 23.5% in the ECOWAS and SADC regions respectively. Renewable Energy Policy Network …
Read More »Kenya weighs cost of railway through Nairobi National Park
Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | Munching, the giraffe looks up towards the skyscrapers looming in the distance. But this picture-postcard image of Nairobi, one where wild animals graze in the shadow of the cityscape, is at risk from a railroad. A unique urban conservation site, the Nairobi National Park is …
Read More »All global trade banned in endangered pangolins
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The shy, scale-covered pangolin is to receive the highest level of protection against illegal trade to try to save it from extinction, after a vote Wednesday by delegates at a global conference. The reclusive, gentle mammal is prized as an edible delicacy and ingredient …
Read More »Elephants divide meeting aimed at saving species
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | The world’s biggest conference on the international wildlife trade got underway Saturday in Johannesburg, but African countries lashed out at Western charities for “dictating” how they should protect their elephants. Over the next 12 days thousands of conservationists and top government officials will thrash …
Read More »Fate of Africa’s rhino, elephants to dominate wildlife meet
Johannesburg, South Africa | AFP | Global conservationists and policymakers meet in South Africa from Saturday to chart a way forward in the fight against escalating wildlife trafficking that could drive some species to extinction. The plight of Africa’s rhino and elephants, targeted for their horns and tusks, is expected …
Read More »‘Uganda will have no forests by 2050’
The newly-appointed State Minister for Environment Mary Goretti Kitutu has decried the rate of deforestation in the country, saying that Uganda will soon be water-stressed if citizens do not pay due attention to environment management. “Loss of forests cover in Uganda is reaching worrying trends, with 200,000 hectares lost per …
Read More »August shatters global heat records for 16th month in a row
Miami, United States | AFP | Last month was the hottest August in modern times and marked the 16th month in a row when global records for heat were shattered planet-wide, US authorities said Tuesday. The string of unusual heat across land and sea surfaces is “the longest such streak …
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