China will aim to close more than 1,000 coal mines over this year, with a total production capacity of 60 million tonnes, as part of its plans to tackle a price-sapping supply glut in the sector, the country’s energy regulator said. China is the world’s top coal consumer but demand has been on the wane as economic growth slows and ...

Ratifications by Togo and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland have brought the total number of ratifications to the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation to 72. The Governments of Togo and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland deposited their instruments ...

The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has announced the release of Justina Ojo, wife of its Executive Director, Godwin Uyi Ojo, who was abducted by unknown gunmen last Monday. Justina was kidnapped in front of her residence around 8pm on February 22, 2016 in Benin and was only released last night (Friday, February 26) to her family ...

Observed high mercury levels in dental clinics may have prompted the Lagos State Government to take up a campaign to phase down dental amalgam, which scientists say is injurious to health and the environment. In applying the Minamata Convention on amalgam provisions to Nigeria, the state’s Ministry of the Environment (MoE) is collaborating with the Sustainable Research and Action for ...

As the nation awaits this year’s Seasonal Rainfall Prediction (SRP) courtesy of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMET) as well as the Annual Flood Outlook (AFO) by the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), stakeholders have attempted an appraisal of last year’s flood response profile in order to ensure a hitch-free 2016 preparedness. Both the SRP and AFO are analysed to make ...

Bicycle ownership around the world is declining amid rising wealth levels and increased use of motorised vehicles in developing countries, a study has found. Four out of 10 households on the planet own a bike, according to a paper based on surveys from 150 countries between 1989 and 2012. But the growing popularity and affordability of motorised transport, such as ...

The Southern African Development Community (SADC) secretariat on Thursday (February 25, 2016) convened a two-day multi-sectoral stakeholder consultative meeting to develop a regional preparedness and response strategy to address the impacts of El Niño on Agriculture and Food and Nutrition Security in Southern Africa. The El Niño phenomenon is caused by warmer than average sea surface temperatures in the eastern ...

Usually, it is the agitations of residents that give an indication of water shortage, scarcity or crisis. But when a nation’s legislature become the agitators unanimously, it is a signal that water has now become an urgent political matter. It is a good sign that, the current water crisis that has hit portions of the country has alarmed and shaken ...

A massive clean-up operation has begun on the Pacific Island of Fiji after a powerful cyclone. Cyclone Winston hit the island recently, with winds of over 200 miles per hour, torrential rain, and waves of up to 12 metres. Many homes were destroyed, several people died and electricity lines were cut. It’s the first time that Fiji has been hit ...

A new Greenpeace France investigations on Socfin, a company owned 38.75% by Bolloré group, has revealed the impact of the company’s plantations on forests, communities and wildlife in Africa. The revelation was made in a recent study. The report, titled: “Africa’s forests under threats”, shows that Socfin’s expansion plans in a dozen countries, mostly in Africa, are threatening forests that are ...