The southern African nation of Mozambique has taken its seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), beginning a two-year term to which it was elected in June alongside Ecuador, Japan, Malta and Switzerland. Mozambique joins Ghana and Gabon in serving on the council, with Kenya departing after completing its…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
Many studies of climate and its relationship to conflict have been inconclusive, with mixed results on how drought or deforestation might be driving tensions that can lead to violence. A new International Monetary Fund working paper, seeking to shed light on climate-conflict dynamics specifically on the African continent, details how…
Laureen is the editor of Africa Times
President Joe Biden of the United States affirmed the goals of the African Union’s Agenda 2063 on Thursday, calling for the AU’s permanent membership in the G20 while reiterating his support for an African seat on the United Nations Security Council. “African voices, African leadership, African innovation all are critical…
Charlot Magayi used to sell charcoal for cooking in the Nairobi slum community of Mukuru where she grew up. Today, she’s the recipient of a 2022 Earthshot Prize for her work on climate and the promotion of clean cooking alternatives. Magayi, founder of Mukuru Clean Stoves, was one of five…
Kenyan officials have shut down a plan to ship eight native baobab trees to the nation of Georgia, instead insisting that it’s critical to protect Kenya’s own biodiversity and honor its international commitments. “The Convention on Biological Diversity has three objectives,” said Soipan Tuya, who was appointed Kenya’s Environment and…
The now-completed COP27 climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh have resulted in a deal on loss and damages to help the world’s most vulnerable nations cope with climate change impacts they already experience. The outcome of the talks, which extended past the deadline as negotiators hammered out details, were welcomed by…
Climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh, scheduled to wrap up on Friday, will continue through at least Saturday, according to Egyptian media outlets citing Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. Shoukry said he remains concerned about many outstanding issues at the COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference. Shoukry met with United Nations…
The catastrophic rains that fell this year on West Africa were made more likely because of climate change, according to a new climate attribution study from World Weather Attribution. Scientists from 10 nations, including Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa, analyzed data about flooding rains that occurred between May and October…
As the COP27 climate conference begins in Egypt, participants in the “Running Out of Time” relay are closing in on their final destination of Sharm el-Sheikh with a message of urgency on climate action. The relay route has covered 18 countries, beginning in Glasgow, Scotland—site of COP26 last year—and winding…
With the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) set to begin in Egypt, global public health experts are focusing on the climate impacts to human health, especially on the African continent. Flooding in South Sudan, food insecurity across the Sahel, and spikes in Ebola and other disease outbreaks are…
As the world’s education ministers gathered in New York at the Transforming Education Summit they took stock of progress towards the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4): equitable quality education for all. It’s understood that achieving this Goal will require intensified efforts, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, one-fifth of primary-aged children…
Hard-hit Nigeria is by no means the only African nation dealing with severe impacts from climate change. A new assessment from the World Food Program (WFP) identifies 19 countries in Central and West Africa dealing with floods caused by excessive rainfall. Sierra Leone, Central African Republic, Gambia and Chad are…
African heads of state aren’t the only ones heading to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Young climate activists from across the continent, along with their global peers, are again calling for action on climate change through various events aligned with UNGA. The Youth4Climate initiative, along with other…
As East Africa faces its ongoing drought challenges, the dwindling resources can sometimes cause unusual impacts to wildlife. That was the case in Kenya last week, when two elephants got stuck in the mud that was left behind as water levels became low at a dam near the Tanzanian border….
Sudan is in the midst of yet another round of severe floods, even as much of the Horn of Africa struggles with catastrophic drought. The Save the Children organization says 83 people have died and another 146,000 have been affected by the flooding. Whole villages have been submerged, with nearly…