Sites: news | india | latam | brasil | indonesia
Feeds: news | india | latam | brasil | indonesia
location: East Africa
Social media activity version | Lean version
Agencies race to prevent new food crisis as locusts return to northern Africa
- Swarms of desert locusts are moving across parts of North Africa following ideal breeding conditions in late 2024 and early 2025, raising fears of major locust infestations moving south into the Sahel later this year.
- The Commission for Controlling the Desert Locust in the Western Region (CLCPRO) has conducted joint surveys and provided equipment and vehicles to strengthen ground response in countries like Libya and Tunisia.
- Mobile apps are helping to integrate Indigenous knowledge and local observations with enhanced satellite and remote monitoring of areas where desert locusts breed.
- These and other efforts are working to keep up with climate change, which has enhanced conditions that spur desert locust outbreaks, and regional insecurity which undermines already patchy monitoring of outbreaks on the ground.
A Kenya marine biodiversity credit program restores mangroves — and livelihoods
- The decline of mangroves significantly weakens Kenya’s coastal protection, leaving shorelines susceptible to erosion, storm surges and rising sea levels, disrupting marine ecosystems, depleting fish stocks, leading to reduced biodiversity — and lost livelihoods for locals.
- A U.S.-based organization called Seatrees is working with the local Community Based Environmental Conservation (COBEC) and residents of Marereni to restore and protect coastal and marine ecosystems as a natural solution to climate change.
- Since 2024, Seatrees has offered donors the option of buying $3 “biodiversity blocks,” each of which represents a single tangible conservation action: planting one mangrove tree on site in Marereni.
- The work goes beyond just planting trees, as community members turn mangrove restoration into a livelihood by establishing and maintaining nurseries — and, in some cases, starting side businesses with the income.
After USAID cut, Ethiopia’s largest community conservation area aims for self-sufficiency
- The abrupt end of USAID funding has disrupted conservation progress in Ethiopia’s Tama Community Conservation Area (TCCA), where community-led efforts had curbed illegal hunting and led to an increase in elephant and giraffe populations.
- In response, local leaders and communities are working to become financially self-sufficient by establishing income-generating initiatives.
- But progress is hindered by the lack of a functioning office, expert staff, and basic operational resources.
- While experts recognize the area’s strong potential for ecotourism and community benefit, they warn that poverty, conflict and climate challenges, combined with weak infrastructure, make external technical and financial support critical for a successful transition to self-reliance.
Friendship benefits male and female mountain gorillas differently, study shows
- A 21-year study of 164 wild mountain gorillas found that strong social bonds produce different health effects for males and females, with males experiencing more illness but fewer injuries when they have close friendships.
- Female gorillas with strong social bonds generally had better health outcomes, experiencing 19% fewer injuries and 14% less illness compared to those with weaker social bonds.
- The benefits and costs of friendship varied based on group size, with females in small groups having fewer offspring despite better health, while those in large groups had more babies but higher rates of illness.
- The research helps explain why animals exhibit such diverse social behaviors and may inform conservation efforts for this endangered species, which numbers just over 1,000 individuals.
What happens to artisanal fishers when a deep-sea fishing port comes to town?
- A new fishing port slated for completion in June will bring huge commercial vessels into the artisanal fishing community of Shimoni, Kenya.
- Local fishers fear that once the new port comes online, their fishing will become impossible in the near-shore waters they have fished for ages, and the huge vessels will disrupt local seafood markets.
- In 2023, President William Ruto promised to equip the local fishers with boats capable of fishing in the deep sea, but more than a year later, this promise has yet to be fulfilled, and local fishers say that boats the county delivered aren’t up to the task.
- Moreover, they say training will be essential to operate any deep-sea fishing vessels, along with mechanical support, and they worry they won’t be able to afford the upkeep costs.
Balancing wildlife and human needs at Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth park
To the outside world, Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park is a model of successful conservation of wildlife amid declining populations in other parts of Africa. But while elephant, giraffe and buffalo populations have grown as much as sixfold, the people inside the park live with a colonial legacy that restricts both their livelihoods and their access […]
Vanishing giants: The Indian Ocean’s biggest fish need saving (commentary)
- New research confirms the decline of predatory and large-bodied fishes in the western Indian Ocean due to overfishing, unregulated fishing practices and climate change.
- The lead author of a new paper published in the journal Conservation Biology argues that these fish must be protected to ensure healthier reefs, marine ecosystems and adjacent human communities.
- “This issue isn’t just about protecting fish, but also maintaining a healthy ecosystem, supporting a crucial food source for millions and sustaining the livelihoods of many coastal communities. If we act now, we can still turn the tide,” the author writes.
- This post is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily of Mongabay.
As a fishing port rises in Kenya, locals see threats to sea life, livelihoods
- In Shimoni, Kenya, a new fishing port is slated to open in June.
- While the government promises local people opportunities for jobs and businesses once operations start, some residents foresee more harm than good from the port.
- Some conservation activities — including seagrass, coral and mangrove restoration projects as well as fishing, seaweed farming and tourism operations — have already suffered during the port’s construction phase, which began in 2022, local people say. They fear it may get worse once the port opens, especially if planned dredging proceeds.
- A county government official said Kwale county is monitoring the situation and pledged to mitigate any impacts and safeguard fishing activities and conservation efforts.
Seaweed farming as an eco-friendly alternative for Tanzanian fishing communities
Climate change, overfishing and habitat loss have caused a sharp decline in fish stocks around Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania. To find a new income from the sea, women from Pemba are turning to sustainable seaweed farming, Mongabay’s video team reported in May. Seaweed farming was introduced to the island in 1989. It […]
Tanzania’s Mafia Island eyes sea cucumber farming to prevent extinction
Residents of Mafia Island in Tanzania don’t really eat sea cucumber; they call it jongoo bahari, or “ocean millipede” in Swahili. But sea cucumbers are a prized delicacy in East Asia, where demand has fueled a black market for the spiny sea creatures, Mongabay’s Ashoka Mukpo reported in May. A kilogram of dried sea cucumbers […]
Protecting Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains means putting communities at the center of conservation
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. Conservation efforts often falter on the fault line between ecological ambition and human reality. A new initiative in southern Tanzania seeks to bridge that divide, reports contributor Ryan Truscott for Mongabay. The Udzungwa Landscape Strategy (ULS), launched in […]
As climate change worsens global locust crisis, researchers offer solutions
Locust outbreaks, which cause considerable crop losses, affect a quarter of the world’s population today. In a recent paper, scientists predict the situation will worsen with climate change, and they suggest a way forward by integrating local communities’ knowledge. Locusts are species of short-horned grasshoppers of the family Acrididae, which, under certain environmental conditions, can […]
High-profile wildlife trafficking case tests Malawi’s conservation commitment
- In 2021, Malawian authorities arrested and sentenced Chinese national Lin Yunhua, a key figure in an international wildlife trafficking syndicate, to 14 years in prison for possession of pangolin scales, rhino horns and ivory.
- Recently unearthed documents reveal that, since then, there have been attempts to secure a pardon and allegations of bribery and corruption, but that Malawi’s justice system has resisted efforts to undermine the sentence.
- Lin now faces additional charges for attempting to bribe a judge and a prison official, with the case referred to the high court due to its complexity and public significance.
- Conservationists and government officials cite Lin’s prosecution as evidence of Malawi’s strengthened commitment to fighting high-level wildlife crime and corruption, though challenges remain.
Gelada monkey vocalizations offer insight into human evolution: Study
With their bright red, hairless chests and grass-grazing lifestyle, gelada monkeys are quite unusual. They are the only primate, other than humans, to primarily live on land instead of in trees, and a new study shows they are also able to detect emotional and social cues through vocal exchanges. “Geladas are special because they live […]
Peril and persistence define the path of Africa’s conservationists
- Local conservationists across Africa face threats, isolation and underfunding, as illustrated by Nigerian conservationist Itakwu Innocent, who survived an assassination attempt and has endured years of violence and ostracism for protecting wildlife and opposing poaching in his community.
- Women and young scientists in particular face systemic barriers in conservation, including gender bias and limited access to funding and recognition, despite taking leadership roles and driving grassroots initiatives in places like Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria.
- Funding disparities and broken promises by international NGOs have undermined trust in conservation efforts, making it harder for local scientists like Owan Kenneth to gain community support without financial incentives.
- Despite these challenges, recognition and success stories are emerging, with initiatives like fellowships and community-led reforms helping figures such as Adekambi Cole, Bashiru Koroma and Asuquo Nsa Ani make tangible conservation gains and inspire others.
New maps reveal Earth’s largest land mammal migration
Researchers have released new maps documenting the “Great Nile Migration,” the Earth’s largest-known land mammal migration across South Sudan and Ethiopia. The maps chart the seasonal movements of two antelope species, the white-eared kob (Kobus kob leucotis) and the tiang (Damaliscus lunatus tiang). Every year, around 5 million white-eared kob and 400,000 tiang migrate across […]
After terror attacks, Mozambique nature reserve faces ‘new reality’
- On April 29, ISIS-affiliated insurgent fighters attacked a conservation outpost inside Niassa Special Reserve in northern Mozambique.
- The attack claimed the lives of two rangers working with the Niassa Carnivore Project, and another two remain missing.
- Mozambican officials said last week there were “clear indications” that the fighters had left the reserve.
Derek Pomeroy, a leading figure in Ugandan ornithology died on May 29th, aged 90
If Derek Pomeroy said to meet him at 7am, you were expected to be there by exactly 7am—not a minute later. Punctuality was not just a preference; it was a principle. Whether in a zoology lab, a birdwatching field station, or over tea at Makerere University, order and discipline mattered. Behind that exacting standard, however, […]
USAID cut curbs hopes at Ethiopia’s largest community conservation area
- A sudden USAID funding cut has stalled conservation efforts in Ethiopia’s Tama Community Conservation Area (TCCA), a 197,000-hectare (486,000-acre) corridor home to elephants, giraffes and other threatened species.
- The project, launched in 2022 with $8.5 million in USAID support, had helped reduce illegal hunting, create local jobs and improve community-led biodiversity management.
- The suspension, announced in January this year, has triggered community members to lose hope and return to illegal hunting and deforestation, while fueling land-grab rumors that undermine Indigenous land rights.
- Conservationists and Indigenous leaders say the crisis reveals the risks of overreliance on foreign aid and that, without urgent support, hard-won ecological and social gains could be lost.
To collect native seeds, Ugandan botanists are climbing forest giants
- To access the best seeds for the propagation of native species, botanists often need to safely and sustainably collect from a variety of mother trees.
- In Uganda, Sebastian Walaita at the Tooro Botanic Gardens has been honing his skills and training botanists in high tree climbing for more than 25 years.
- These skills allow the botanists to collect seeds from even the tallest trees, in a way that captures genetic diversity.
- In October 2024, Walaita and a fellow Ugandan held a training in high tree climbing and seed collection in Côte d’Ivoire.
Young Rwandans support bird conservation through mobile app recordings
A young tour guide and his group of student mentees are helping monitor bird species in Rwanda with the help of a mobile app, Mongabay contributor Mariam Kone reported. Joseph Desiré Dufitumukiza, who enjoys bird-watching, felt moved to take action after he read about the decline of native bird species in Rwanda, including the Maccoa […]
Crisis hits community-led conservation group in northern Kenya
- Since its founding in 2004, the Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) has attracted both admiration and criticism for its model of encouraging communities to register wildlife conservancies across northern Kenya.
- Earlier this year, a court ruled that two of its member conservancies had been set up illegally, and that same month it lost a major donor with the end of USAID funding.
- Now, a carbon credit project it manages has been suspended, and the organization’s founder, who was pushed out by its board last year, says he thinks it’s “dead.”
Kenyan soil carbon project suspended for a second time
The carbon credit certifier Verra has placed the Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project under review for a second time, it confirmed to Mongabay in an emailed statement. Until the review is completed, the project will not be permitted to sell any credits it generates through its model of managing livestock grazing routes. The decision is […]
13 years after deadly attack, an okapi returns to Epulu in DRC reserve
- Okapi Wildlife Reserve in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in partnership with the Okapi Conservation Project, has announced the return of an okapi to the reserve’s Epulu area after more than a decade.
- In 2012, an armed group of poachers killed seven people and 14 okapis at Epulu, and while the security situation in the area has improved since then, threats persist.
- The protected area is threatened by armed gangs, poachers and illegal gold mining, all of which endanger the species’ natural habitat.
- Experts say this instability has contributed to the continued decline of the okapi population, with an estimated 5,000 of these “African unicorns” left in the wildlife reserve.
Mozambique announces petrochemical city on sensitive Inhambane seascape
In April this year, Mozambican President Daniel Chapo announced the launch of a national petrochemical city project in Mavanza village in Vilankulo district of Inhambane province. The coastline of Inhambane province, or the Inhambane seascape, is a globally important area that conservation groups have previously urged the government of Mozambique to protect for its threatened […]
Building a future from seaweed in coastal Tanzania
PEMBA ISLAND — Tanzania. The coastal communities on Pemba Island, off the coast of Tanzania, have long depended on the rich marine resources of the Indian Ocean. But in recent years, fish stocks have declined due to overfishing, habitat loss, and the impacts of climate change. Many have had to seek new ways to earn […]
Poaching intensifies in M23-occupied areas of Virunga National Park
- On March 11th, 2025, Virunga National Park authorities discovered a young gorilla named Fazili caught in a poacher’s trap.
- The closure of Virunga National Park eco-guard patrol posts in areas under M23 occupation has prevented regular patrols and monitoring since April 2024, said researchers, and some locals are taking advantage of the security situation to benefit from the park’s resources, collaborate with armed groups for land, or take part in the wild meat trade.
- No species have completely disappeared from the park, and the population of gorillas continued to rise in 2024 but there has been a 50% decrease in wildlife since the M23 resurgence in 2021 and poaching is expanding, said park officials.
- About one hundred community trackers are working to protect wildlife during the security crisis.
Rwanda’s Olivier Nsengimana inspires protection for gray crowned cranes in East Africa
- Ten years ago, the gray crowned crane (Balearica regulorum), faced with habitat loss and capture for illegal trade, was quietly slipping toward local extirpation in Rwanda.
- The Rwanda Wildlife Conservation Association (RWCA), led by veterinarian Olivier Nsengimana, has been at the forefront of a campaign to end the keeping of cranes as pets, rehabilitating many captive birds and releasing them into the wild.
- The association is also enlisting community members to strengthen protection of the cranes’ wetland habitat from encroachment and damage — a strategy that it is extending to neighboring countries via partnerships with other NGOs.
- For these efforts, Nsengimana has been awarded the 2025 Whitley Gold Award, making him a two-time winner after he first received the award in 2018.
Indris like to “move it”
Madagascar’s Indri indri lemurs can carry a tune. Through collecting songs and calls produced by 20 indri groups in Madagascar’s rainforests over the span of 15 years, scientists have found that indri songs exhibit rhythmic patterns that are common in human music — providing a pathway for decoding the evolution of music. Indris are critically […]
Discovery of critically endangered bat in Rwanda leads to conservation talks
- Bats are one of the most diverse orders of mammals and represent an important component of ecological balance. They may make up a large portion of the mammal diversity — including in countries like Rwanda where much of the natural forest and savannah habitats have been lost, changed or degraded.
- Researchers recently discovered two rare bat species in Rwanda’s Nyungwe National Park, and the IUCN lists 54 species of bats as occurring in the country.
- Research shows that killing bats to control zoonotic diseases can make things worse.
- Several studies show that bats are important predators of insects and are, therefore, a natural asset for agrarian productivity, suppressing pest populations.
Beyond the Safari
The “fortress conservation” model is under pressure in East Africa, as protected areas become battlegrounds over history, human rights, and global efforts to halt biodiversity loss. Mongabay’s Special Issue goes beyond the region’s world-renowned safaris to examine how rural communities and governments are reckoning with conservation’s colonial origins, and trying to forge a path forward […]
Ochieng’ Ogodo, science journalist, mentor, and editor, died on April 17th, aged 64
Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries. For Ochieng’ Ogodo, science was never a subject to be sequestered in ivory towers. It belonged in the hands of the people—decoded, demystified, and, above all, delivered with clarity and conviction. Across nearly three decades, he did just […]
Mongabay mourns the loss of Ochieng’ Ogodo, our East Africa Editor
- Ochieng’ Ogodo, Mongabay’s East Africa editor, passed away suddenly in Nairobi at age 64, following a brief illness. He had been in good spirits the night before his death, watching a football match and corresponding with friends.
- A pioneer in African science and environmental journalism, Ogodo brought nearly three decades of experience to Mongabay, where he quickly built a strong editorial team, expanded coverage of critical regional issues, and gave voice to underreported stories.
- His career spanned influential roles at SciDev.Net, The Standard, and numerous international outlets, and he was widely recognized for his integrity, mentorship and dedication to journalism in service of the public good. He also helped found KENSJA and served on the board of the World Federation of Science Journalists.
- Beyond his professional impact, he was remembered for his humility, warmth and deep commitment to mentoring others, with colleagues at Mongabay and across the continent vowing to carry forward the values he championed in journalism.
Kenya arrests 4 suspected ant traffickers, seize 5,300 harvester ants
In two separate but related incidents, Kenyan authorities have arrested four suspects for illegally possessing and attempting to smuggle some 5,300 ants valued at about 1.2 million Kenyan shillings ($9,250), destined for the exotic pet trade. The ants, which included the giant harvester ants (Messor cephalotes), were being trafficked to Asia and Europe. In the […]
Africa’s growing cities are endangering birdlife (commentary)
- In Africa, urban land cover is expected to triple by 2030, and the potential impact on birds and biodiversity is particularly alarming, a new op-ed argues.
- A recently published study used citizen science data from Kenyan and Nigerian bird-mapping projects to uncover insights into how urbanization affects birds, their diversity and ecological functions in these nations.
- “As urbanization has intensified, the variety of bird species and their roles in the ecosystem shrinks, resulting in more uniform communities with generalist species,” author Bello Adamu Danmallam writes.
- This article is a commentary. The views expressed are those of the author, not necessarily Mongabay.
Giant rats trained to sniff out illegal wildlife trade
From land mine detection to sniffing out illegally trafficked wildlife parts, a group of trained African giant pouched rats in Tanzania is proving a valuable partner for humans, Mongabay’s Lucia Torres reported in February. In the 1990s, Belgian industrial engineer Bart Weetjens was exploring ways to detect land mines when he thought of rats: they’re […]
Seychelles becomes first country to comply with fisheries transparency standard
- Seychelles, an archipelagic nation off the eastern coast of Africa, has become the first country to comply with the Fisheries Transparency Initiative (FiTI) standard that lays down what information about a country’s fisheries sector should be published online by public authorities.
- When it committed in 2016 to becoming FiTI-compliant, Seychelles signed up to provide complete and up-to-date information on its fisheries sector that would be useful not just to policymakers but also to civil society organizations and the public.
- Seychelles’ FiTI-compliant status signals marked improvements in data availability, but it doesn’t guarantee that all the information on the fisheries sector is complete and fully accessible, with experts pointing out that some critical gaps remain.
- For example, fishing access agreements struck between the Seychelles and other governments, industry associations and private companies are now available online, but critics say decision-makers remain unable to evaluate them fully.
The colonial ghosts of Uganda’s ‘Queen Elizabeth’ park
- Queen Elizabeth National Park, a 1,978-km2 (764-mi2) UNESCO Man and Biosphere Reserve in western Uganda, is one of the country’s oldest protected areas.
- The park was established by British colonial authorities, who relocated many of its traditional occupants and banned most of their livelihood activities.
- The legacy of this dispossession has shaped the relationship between park authorities and the descendants of those who were resettled.
New strategy launched to protect Tanzanian biodiversity hotspot
- A conservation strategy for the next 20 years has been launched to protect Tanzania’s most biologically rich landscape.
- The Udzungwa Mountains are home to rare and endemic plants and animals, including a small population of kipunjis, a genus of monkeys only revealed to the world in 2006.
- Sustainable financing is being sought to fund the conservation strategy and boost livelihoods and social well-being in communities surrounding three core protected areas.
- A key part of the strategy will be the rollout of energy-efficient stoves, seen as a priority by local communities who depend on firewood and charcoal.
For wandering elephants, path of least resistance could help map out safe corridors
A new study reveals how African elephants plan their elaborate journeys: they strategically choose the least energy-consuming routes to reach food sources. These findings, researchers say, can help conservationists design elephant corridors to connect fragmented habitats. African savanna elephants (Loxodonta africana), considered endangered, can travel vast distances for water, food or mates. Some landscapes they […]
Smallholder agriculture blossoming with the use of renewables in Africa
- With agriculture employing more than 60% of Africa’s workforce, experts emphasize boosting energy access as a critical input to enhancing productivity and food security.
- The World Resources Institute (WRI) has collaborated with local partners and policymakers to support the integration of clean energy in the smallholder agriculture sector.
- The Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) aims to support efforts to integrate renewable energy into agricultural value chains.
- Innovative irrigation systems with solar panels are now becoming important job creators in Africa, yet the capital investment for ordinary farmers to acquire the technology is still high.
Kenya’s cities adopt Miyawaki method to restore lost ecological glory
- Due to urbanization and human settlements destroying natural forests, African cities are increasingly experiencing high traffic noise, harmful emissions, and a “concrete jungle” development.
- In Kenya’s capital city, Nairobi, forest cover decreased from 14% in 1976 to 3.3% in 2000. The city’s natural vegetation, too, decreased from 15% in 1979 to 2.7% in 2000.
- Since 2007, a restoration practice known as the Miyawaki method has successfully established mini forests in three areas in the capital, Nairobi, planting over 236,212 seedlings between 2011 and 2020.
- The project has benefited local communities by providing tree seedlings and forest maintenance activities; one resident has provided over 30,000 seedlings to the reforestation company and is currently working on their projects.
Researchers find new killifish species in Kenya
- According to a new study, a new species of killifish, Nothobranchius sylvaticus, has been found in seasonal swamps in the ephemeral marshes of Kenya’s historic Gongoni Forest at the coast.
- Scientists from Canada, France, Kenya and South Africa report that the severely restricted habitat of the seasonal Mkurumudzi River in southeastern coastal Kenya is threatening the survival of the fish species.
- The killifish, a unique species with iridescent blue scales, red markings and vibrant fins, has been deposited at the National Museums of Kenya and the Royal Museum for Central Africa.
- An expert is calling for the formal designation of the Gongoni Forest as a key biodiversity area and local communities’ engagement to protect the small freshwater fish, ensuring its recovery and avoiding threats.
Photos: Ethiopian farmers blend tradition, innovation to sustain centuries-old agriculture
- For more than 400 years, the people of the Konso highlands in Ethiopia have used terracing and traditional farming methods to adapting to their harsh environment, building a globally recognize agricultural system on steep, erosion-prone land.
- However, in recent decades, climate change has altered once-predictable weather patterns, making it harder for small-scale farmers to maintain their traditional farming practices and secure their livelihoods.
- Farmers are adjusting to changing weather patterns by blending traditional farming methods with new techniques, aiming to safeguard their livelihoods and ensure the land remains fertile and productive.
- While experts acknowledge farmers’ efforts to adapt, they warn that these efforts alone will not suffice as climate change impacts intensify, stressing the need for external support to sustain local livelihoods and preserve traditional farming practices.
In ‘The Battle for Laikipia,’ the human face of resource conflict in Kenya
- During Kenya’s colonial era, Maasai, Samburu and other pastoralist communities were evicted from what is now Laikipia county to make way for British settler farms.
- Today, much of that land is still concentrated in the hands of British descendants, as well as other Kenyans and foreign investors who own large ranches and wildlife conservancies.
- Over the past decade, some of these ranches have been embroiled in conflicts with Laikipia’s pastoralist communities over access to water and forage for their herds.
- These conflicts are the subject of “The Battle for Laikipia,” a documentary film shot over seven years and to be screened at the 2025 D.C. Environmental Film Festival, where Mongabay is a media partner. Mongabay spoke to Daphne Matziaraki, one of the filmmakers.
Tanzania’s marine reserves offer long-term benefits to communities, study finds
- The Tanzanian government established five marine protected areas (MPAs) in the 1990s to safeguard falling fish populations.
- Over nearly 20 years, villages near these protected areas became less dependent on fishing and agriculture and saw their standard of living rise faster than communities farther away, a new study shows.
- The authors didn’t find evidence that MPAs impacted fishing success in nearby settlements.
- They hypothesized that the MPAs lifted local economies by attracting tourists.
Africa’s last tropical glaciers are melting away along with local livelihoods
- Africa’s remaining tropical glaciers are rapidly disappearing as greenhouse gas emissions drive global warming.
- New maps published by Project Pressure show the Stanley Plateau glacier, in Uganda’s Rwenzori Mountains, lost nearly 30% of its surface area between 2020 and 2024.
- The Rwenzoris’ glaciers are a vital source of water for more than 5 million people living in the plains below the mountain range; they also have cultural significance.
- Project Pressure’s ongoing surveys, carried out in collaboration with the Uganda Wildlife Authority, are intended to provide local authorities with data needed to adapt to the loss of the glaciers and other impacts of climate change.
Fish-tracking robot aims to make fishing more sustainable in developing nations
- Israeli scientists have developed a solar-powered underwater robot called SOUND that can roam autonomously for five days at a stretch, counting fish and communicating its findings back to observers onshore.
- The goal is to help local fishers in developing countries understand their fish populations so they can avoid overfishing and the capture of unwanted species.
- They tested the system in Malawi, among other locations, where fishers are facing a myriad of problems related to uncontrolled fishing.
‘3,000 year-old’ trees in Tanzania are new species
- A group of botanists has discovered a new species of rainforest tree in Tanzania’s Udzungwa Mountains.
- A total of around 100 mature trees were found growing in two village land forest reserves surrounded by abandoned croplands, and initial assessments suggest some of them could be up to 3,000 years old.
- The team behind the discovery says the trees are vulnerable to extinction because of their low numbers and tiny distribution.
- But the area in which they were found is the site of a forest restoration project, giving hope for their long-term survival.
17 dead as Cyclone Jude wreaks havoc in East Africa
Sixteen people died in Mozambique and one in Madagascar after Cyclone Jude pivoted through the region last week, according to the latest European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (ECHO) report. More than 130 people were injured while four were recorded missing as of March 18. ECHO estimates more than 10,500 people were displaced in […]
Searching for peace, finding hope: A new film explores rural conflict in Kenya
- Searching for Amani is a documentary film about two Kenyan teenagers brought together in friendship by a murder.
- Simon Ali, whose father — a safari guide in central Kenya’s Laikipia County — was shot and killed while guiding tourists through a wilderness area there in 2019.
- In the film, producer Peter Goetz hands Ali the camera as he searches for information about the murder of his father, working through grief and adolescence to find some resolution for himself and his family.
- The film will be screened at the 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival, for which Mongabay is a media partner.
Lives worth living: Elephants, Iain Douglas-Hamilton and the fight for coexistence
- Iain Douglas-Hamilton spent a lifetime communing with African elephants, going on to champion their conservation during a brutal wave of poaching in the 1970s and 1980s.
- Along with Jane Goodall, he was a pioneer both of studying animals in the field and viewing them as more than objects of study — he recognised elephants as having individual personalities.
- A new film co-produced by the organization he founded, Save the Elephants, also explores how his work challenged the fortress model of conservation.
- The film will have its US premiere at the 2025 DC Environmental Film Festival, for which Mongabay is a media partner.
The environmental toll of the M23 conflict in eastern DRC (Analysis)
- The escalating armed conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has had significant — and overlooked — environmental impacts. The rate of tree cover loss in Kahuzi-Biega and Virunga National Parks has sharply increased since the conflict reignited in late 2021.
- Armed groups, both state and non-state, have profited by taxing the illegal charcoal and timber trade coming from inside these protected areas.
- Yet the impacts are complex: the broader geopolitical context also provides incentives for the M23 group to support conservation efforts in order to project themselves as providers of good governance in the region.
- This article is an analysis. The views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of Mongabay.
In the drylands of northern Kenya, a ‘summer school’ for young researchers
- In northern Kenya’s Isiolo county, young researchers who study pastoralism gathered for a week of training and lectures.
- Most of the researchers were from East Africa; many were themselves raised in pastoralist communities.
- Isiolo county, a semiarid rangeland where most people make their living herding livestock, has been hit hard by drought in recent years.
- The researchers said they wanted to change the “old narrative” about pastoralist communities and their relationship to the environment.
From Kenya to Madagascar, massive effort aims to put seagrasses on the map
In 2019, scientists set out to map the extent of seagrass in Seychelles, an island nation off the eastern coast of Africa. There, they hit upon a startling number: More than 90% of the country’s “blue carbon,” or the carbon stored in marine ecosystems, is contained within seagrass meadows. Under the Large-scale Seagrass Mapping and […]
Pastoralists know every landscape has a history: Interview with Gufu Oba
- Pastoralism, the practice of moving livestock like cattle across landscapes to forage, provides a livelihood for between 200 million and 300 million people globally.
- In East Africa, pastoralists are being pressured by climate disruptions, infrastructure projects, land-use changes, and in some cases wildlife conservation projects.
- Gufu Oba, professor emeritus from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, tells Mongabay that pastoralists are an integral part of the world’s rangelands, and their knowledge is crucial to protecting those landscapes.
Adjusting to temperature and providing water can help save Kenya farmers’ bees, study says
- Temperature can increase bee colony loss in dry, hot and wet seasons, and beekeepers practicing water supplementation experience up to 10% less decrease, a study says.
- Bees, particularly honeybees, are crucial for plant pollination and agricultural production, with the Western honeybee being the most preferred species globally, contributing significantly to economic growth.
- Honeybee production is affected by extended drought seasons, with dried-up water points and limited access to plants and fruits like mangoes, a beekeeper explains.
- An expert calls for the evaluation of the impact of beekeeping education on the adoption of climate adaptation practices, such as water supplementation.
Reforesting Malawi’s ‘Island in the Sky’ to save its vanishing woodlands
- Malawi’s Mount Mulanje harbors unique biodiversity and numerous endemic species, protects vital watersheds, and is of high cultural value to local communities
- The mountain has experienced significant deforestation over the past few decades, both in both the miombo woodlands on the lower slopes and in the higher-elevation forests.
- For the past two decades, the Mulanje Mountain Conservation Trust and other partners have been working to bring back the Mulanje cedar (Widdringtonia whytei), an endemic species and Malawi’s national tree
- Conservation groups are also working on reforestation and income generation projects in the miombo woodlands, to alleviate poverty and reduce pressure on the upper mountain.
African NGOs appeal judgement in controversial oil pipeline case
Four NGOs recently appealed to the East African Court of Justice (EACJ) to have their concerns about a contentious oil pipeline heard on merit. The landmark case, filed four years ago, had previously been dismissed on technical grounds. The four East African NGOs — the Center for Food and Adequate Living Rights (CEFROHT) and the […]
In Kenya, grassland restoration can help reduce conflict, study says
- A study says that grassland restoration, which uses nature-based solutions for climate adaptation, can enhance Kenyan farmers’ security, reduce conflicts and mitigate wildlife retaliatory actions.
- Researchers report that grasslands in Kenya provide 60% of fodder for livestock and 70% of wildlife, requiring proximity for survival.
- Rangelands are degrading, causing animals like elephants and zebras to enter farms for food, causing conflict with farmers; healthier rangelands would prevent wildlife from entering farms.
- The researchers call for including grassland restoration in both national and international environmental plans, specifically in Kenya, along with funding and resources for this effort; additionally, they advocate for policies that consider human-wildlife conflicts and social issues while being sensitive to the specific challenges men and women face in these regions.
Feeds: news | india | latam | brasil | indonesia