As the world celebrates the 2021 International Day of Forests (IDF) on March 21, spotlight is increasingly on the depletion of these critical ecosystems. Forests cover about 31% of global land area and are home to around 80% of the globe’s biodiversity. From food, water purification, climate change mitigation through acting as carbon sinks – absorbing about 2.6 billion tonnes ...

Six lions were found dead in Queen Elizabeth National Park in western Uganda, a national conservation agency said on Saturday, March 20, 2021. Lions Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) said the lions are likely to have died of poisoning. “The carcasses of the lions were found last evening at Ishasha sector with most of their body parts missing,’’ UWA said in ...

China and the United States (U.S.) have decided to establish a joint working group on climate change, according to a statement by the Chinese delegation which took part in high-level talks in Anchorage, Alaska. US Special Presidential Climate Change Envoy, John Kerry The delegation said that both countries were committed to enhancing communication and cooperation on the issue, state news ...

The destruction of the planet’s forests is said to be advancing at a rapid pace. In the lead-up to the March 21 International Day of Forests 2021 and the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030, panelists from international organisations and civil society highlighted the threats due to global deforestation issues, the lack of effective regulation and the benefits of green ...

In a bid to make healthcare accessible for more Nigerians, African Cleanup Initiative (ACI) and Medicard Health Management have initiated a partnership that will enable Nigerians to pay for healthcare services with recyclable waste. Founder of ACI, Mr Alex Akhigbe (second left), after the signing of the partnership with Mr Ezekiel Eseagwu, Executive Director, Medicard Nigeria The Founder of ACI, ...

A study has cautioned that weather and climate conditions, including the onset of higher temperatures in the northern hemisphere spring, should not be used as a trigger to relax measures to halt the spread of the virus. WMO Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas This is contained in a World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) Task Team report on Meteorological and Air Quality factors affecting ...

The Bureau of Conference of Parties to the BamakoConvention on the Ban of the Import into Africa and the Control of Transboundary Movement and Management of Hazardous Wastes within Africa has called upon African countries to increase vigilance to protect the continent from illegal dumping of medical and hazardous waste, especially during the ongoing health crisis caused by the COVID-19 ...

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted dust haze and thunderstorms from Friday, March 19 to Sunday, March 21, 2021. Thunderstorms NiMet’s weather outlook released in Abuja predicted dust haze condition to prevail over Nguru, Katsina and Borno during the forecast period on Friday. It further predicted other places in the region to be in partly cloudy to sunny skies with ...

The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) has said that it will partner with the African Union (AU) and other bodies to ensure sustainable development on the continent. Vera Songwe, Executive Secretary, UNECA Mrs Vera Songwe, the Executive Secretary, UNECA, said this while presenting the report on the commission’s activities at its ongoing 53rd Conference of Ministers in Addis ...

Fijian President, Jioji Konrote, on Friday, March 19, 2021 stressed the importance of forests in the fight against climate change. Fijian President, Jioji Konrote “We all know that the world desperately needs to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. “Therefore, forests are in the front lines in the fight against climate change. We need our forests as much ...