New research has found that smallholder farmers in Malawi can grow bigger maize crops if they plant maize with legumes in deep beds with natural ditches to catch water alongside.
The remote Bassari community, located between Senegal and Guinea, experiences climate change as one of many changes. They are best placed to come up with solutions that work for them.
Only 5% of South Africa’s energy comes from solar power while 85% is generated from coal. Loans, more subsidies and security for rooftop solar panels need to be put in place.
The carbon stored by forests can be bought by polluting companies to offset their emissions. This can displace communities who depend on natural forests for their livelihoods.
Kenya, Ethiopia, Djibouti, South Sudan and Uganda are investigating whether deep groundwater bores could support drought stricken communities. Could a networked approach help?
Ehiaze Ehimen, Atlantic Technological University and Thomas Robin, Atlantic Technological University
Biogas systems that generate cooking gas from plant waste can be relatively low-cost to set up. They come with environmental and health benefits for rural people who have only firewood to cook with.
Planting millions of trees in natural grassland is largely ineffective in the battle against global warming because it adds little or no additional carbon storage.
African governments must acknowledge the universal right to diverse and nutritious food if they are to end malnutrition. Five projects show how this can be done.
If Africa built only all the renewable power plants it has already planned, this would be enough to generate 76% of all electricity needed on the continent by 2040.
Jim Taylor, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Mark Graham, University of KwaZulu-Natal
In South Africa, a group of citizen scientists who test water quality and log the results on a specialised app have helped keep the water supply for 4.3 million people clean.
Frederick Dapilah, SD Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies
Smallholder contract farmers in Ghana have benefited from loans for fertiliser, drought resistant seeds, guaranteed markets and training in how to farm differently to meet changes in the climate.
Just three plant species – wheat, maize and rice – account for 60% of all food eaten globally. A crop science expert argues that many of Africa’s 30,000 edible plants must be revived.
Garbage is decomposing in landfill sites across sub-Saharan Africa, releasing methane gas. If governments harnessed this as clean energy, Africa would avoid environmental damage worth US$6.7 billion.
Drexel researchers evaluated a 2014 program implemented by Kevin Bethel when he was deputy police commissioner that led to fewer arrests of students in schools.