Natural resources
Biodiversity crime is escalating in the Western Cape, South Africa, with CapeNature recording 12 cases between April and June this year, mostly involving flora. The conservation authority issued 23 fines, with four relating to the Marine Living Resources Act and 19 for contraventions of the Nature Conservation Ordinance. This alarming
Natural resources
A plan to strengthen the health and resilience of the Navua catchment and Beqa lagoon was launched by the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) on July 22, 2025. The Integrated Ecosystem Management Plan (IEMP) aims to improve the livelihoods
Natural resources
A recent study on climate change has highlighted the potential risks posed by the invasive plant species, Solanum aculeatissimum, native to the Brazilian ecosystem but now naturalized in southwestern China. The herbaceous to semi-woody perennial plant has been found to have significant negative impacts on local biodiversity, with its distribution
Climate change
Climate change is altering ecosystems and exposing communities to new and intensifying dangers. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has released The Frontiers Report 2025, highlighting four critical areas where environmental degradation intersects with human vulnerability: legacy pollution, melting glacier microbes, undamming rivers, and climate risks for an ageing population. The
Climate change
Climate change is altering ecosystems and exposing communities to new and intensifying dangers, warns the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in its Frontiers Report 2025. The report highlights four critical areas where environmental degradation intersects with human vulnerability: legacy pollution, melting glacier microbes, undamming rivers, and climate risks for an
Climate change
Africa's tourism sector is experiencing a robust resurgence after the Covid-19 pandemic, with international arrivals projected to reach 74 million in 2024, a 12 per cent increase from 2023 and seven per cent above pre-pandemic levels. However, experts emphasize the urgent need to redefine the sector's
Climate change
The industrialized mass production of animals for food, known as factory farming, is a central threat to environmental stability, human well-being, and the future of our planet. It causes immense animal suffering, drives deforestation and climate change, and fuels public health crises like antibiotic resistance. Factory farming now accounts for
Climate change
Research on ecosystem health and sustainability has yielded new findings on the impact of seasonal precipitation changes and warming on alpine grassland carbon and water use efficiency. A study conducted by researchers from the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences found that warming reduced ecosystem respiration, net ecosystem exchange, and gross
Climate change
Research conducted at the University of Granada has evaluated the efficiency of public spending on environmental protection in 120 countries, revealing that higher efficiency is associated with high renewable energy consumption and an urban population. The study also found that fossil fuel subsidies and high emissions reduce spending efficiency. The
Climate change
The 2nd Biennial Media Forum on Natural Resources, Environment, Climate Change and Science (BiM-NECS 2) in Kumasi, Ghana, brought together journalists, public officials, scientists, and civil society actors to discuss the future of ecosystem restoration. With a focus on policy and people, the forum emphasized the need for integrated action
Climate change
Botanical surveys are crucial for detecting and tracking the impact of climate change across different ecosystems, but current methods are often slow, tedious, and costly. A recent robotics project by Falmouth University student Cas Penfold has proposed an innovative solution: a dog-mounted computer vision system that can make environmental monitoring
Climate change
Climate change-fueled epidemic outbreaks have increased the use of antibiotics, leading to more antibacterial substances entering the environment. Residual drugs, often found in mixtures, can pose a threat to human health and the ecosystem by targeting bacteria. Researchers at Shanghai University conducted a study to assess the risk of antibiotic
