The African Conservation Foundation (ACF) has officially become an Actor for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. The partnership recognises ACF’s critical role to build capacity for conservation and ecosystem restoration in Africa – engaging local NGOs and communities – for people, nature, and our climate. Led by the UN’s Environment Programme (UNEP)and Food and…
Tropical forests are well known for being the “lungs” of our planet. Through photosynthesis, the trees in these forests produce oxygen and remove enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to mitigate global warming. The world’s most famous tropical forests found on lowlands, like those of the Amazon or Borneo, are celebrated for…
Tree planting to restore forests, capture carbon and improve the land has gained strong momentum in recent years. The Bonn Challenge and its offshoots such as AFR100, initiatives focused on forest restoration, have persuaded developing countries to commit millions of hectares of land to these projects. Funding for AFR100 has been secured from international donors…
“Plant more trees!” has become a rallying cry for global leaders and climate activists around the world who see tree planting as a solution for everything from climate change to food security. The growing interest in this area means it is more important now than ever before to consider effective tree planting that benefits communities…
South African scientists say African governments have been misled into massive tree planting schemes by the Global North misreading Africa’s grasslands. Megafires and drought beckon. Trees are good. Trees are green. Trees suck up carbon dioxide. Ergo: plant as many trees as possible and you solve the world’s environmental and climate change challenges almost overnight….
By Chris Bell, Newcastle University An African leopard prowls silently through the undergrowth of the Northern Mist belt forests of the Soutpansberg Mountains. He knows every inch of this vast landscape, as this is his territory, where he has been the apex predator for the last 15 years. Measuring 2 metres from nose to tail…
While organisations, scientists, governments and activists from around the world debate on how to save the planet from plastic waste, how can they really begin to solve this issue when we have no facts about where exactly the pollution is or who is responsible? “Plastics are among the most ubiquitous materials in our economy, our…
At least 15% of the world’s surface is governed by laws to protect its living species, including plants, animals and fungi. But this is not enough. The most recent estimates suggest that an additional 30% of the planet’s surface needs further conservation attention. Without this additional protection the world will continue to lose large numbers of species. What does this look…
Over the past few decades, South Africa has seen a dramatic conversion from livestock or crop farming to wildlife ranching – known locally as game farming. The result has been a rapid rise in areas enclosed by game fences and a high demand for wildlife. Animals are increasingly being traded privately and at wildlife auctions….
The Okavango Delta in northern Botswana is a mosaic of water paths, floodplains and arid islands. The delta sits in the Okavango river basin, which spans three African countries: Angola, Namibia and Botswana. Because it’s an oasis, in a semi-arid area, it hosts a rich array of plants and attracts a huge variety of wildlife….