Author: The Conversation

G20 and the civil society elite: Spectacle instead of meaningful action Nov 17, 2025

The G20 was formed in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, when the collapse of major banks and housing markets exposed deep cracks in the glob...

Nigeria’s new terror threat: JNIM is spreading but it’s not too late to act Nov 17, 2025

Insecurity in the Sahel region is worsening. Violent extremist groups are entering new territories such as Nigeria and parts of coastal West African s...

Lake Victoria Fish farming booming but pollution and disease are wiping out millions: How to reduce losses Nov 17, 2025

Improved production practices can reduce the need for antibiotics, while coordinated monitoring and cross-sector collaboration promote their responsib...

Sulfur-based batteries could offer electric vehicles a greener, longer-range option Nov 17, 2025

The biggest obstacle to mass production and the use of sulfur-based batteries is durability. A good lithium-ion battery, like those in an electric veh...

Indigenous voices at COP30: The Amazon speaks – will the world listen? Nov 17, 2025

For climate finance to be successful, Indigenous communities must be able to adapt funding schemes to their own sharing and decision-making traditions...

Fish is good food and demand outstrips supply in Kenya: How to produce more and get it to market safely Nov 17, 2025

Africa’s aquaculture sector is the fastest growing in the world, but the continent is responsible for only 2 per cent of the world’s total aquaculture...

Why are so few environmental criminals on Interpol’s ‘most wanted' list? Nov 17, 2025

Interpol’s red notices are one of the few ways to understand international law enforcement priorities. When nations submit a red notice, these alerts...

Social media can cause stress in real life - our ‘digital thermometer’ helps track it Nov 15, 2025

The average social media user engages with between six and seven platforms. The average person spends two hours 21 minutes on social media per day.

Smartphones, women’s rights and coupons: new trends that can boost insurance for African farmers Nov 14, 2025

In Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia, this is already happening. Pastoralists there can now access index-based livestock insurance through the DRI...

Climate change is making the world sick: COP30 report links climate change to new disease hotspots Nov 14, 2025

Experts call for urgent action as warming climates help diseases like dengue and chikungunya spread into new territories.

How control of water shapes power, national security and economic stability across Africa Nov 13, 2025

From border disputes to drought crises, Africa’s rivers are more than water—they’re a source of power, stability, and national security.

75 per cent of Kilimanjaro’s natural plants have been wiped out – and climate change isn’t the biggest threat Nov 13, 2025

Since biodiversity is the base of ecosystem services, the destruction of Kilimanjaro’s natural habitats affects not only plants and animals living in...

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings: First lady who transformed women’s role in Ghana’s politics Nov 12, 2025

Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings broke barriers, redefining leadership, activism, and the meaning of women’s power in Ghana.

Sudan’s war-tested university: How Mashreq kept students learning amid conflict Nov 12, 2025

Amid bombing, looting, and displacement, Mashreq University turned technology and innovation into a lifeline for thousands of students.

Kilimanjaro’s vanishing nature: How people, not climate change, are destroying Africa’s iconic mountain Nov 12, 2025

Scientists warn that 75 per cent of Kilimanjaro’s native plants have vanished — not because of climate change, but because of human land use, farming,...

Africa faces a growing stroke epidemic, urgently needs its own locally adapted care guidelines Nov 11, 2025

As stroke cases soar across Africa and hospitals struggle with limited resources, the continent urgently needs locally tailored care guidelines to ens...

Rethinking consent in ancient DNA research: Who decides for the dead? Nov 11, 2025

Funders and research institutions need to understand that the time taken to build community partnerships with living descendant communities is an esse...

The science of weight loss – and why your brain is wired to keep you fat Nov 11, 2025

As we found in our recent research, our brains also have powerful mechanisms for defending body weight – and can sort of “remember” what that weight u...

What autistic people - and those with ADHD and dyslexia - really think about the word ‘neurodiversity’ Nov 11, 2025

“Neurodivergent” refers to individuals or groups of people whose brains work differently, for example, autistic people or those with ADHD or dyslexia.

BBC resignations over Trump scandal show the pressures on public broadcasters – and why they must resist them Nov 11, 2025

The Trump controversy originated from the editing of a BBC Panorama documentary called “Trump: A Second Chance?” It went to air a week before the 2024...

Africa’s rapid drone expansion promises high-tech warfare but struggles to achieve strategic results Nov 10, 2025

Armed drones from Turkey, China, and Iran are reshaping African conflicts, offering tactical strikes and surveillance—but vast terrain, limited infras...

Africa’s food security challenge: G20 calls for boost in trade and sustainable farming solutions Nov 10, 2025

If we use high-yielding seed cultivars, fertilisers and agrochemicals to control diseases, we can then farm a relatively smaller area and rely on ampl...

What will it take to make Africa food secure? G20 group points to trade, resilient supply chains and sustainable farming Nov 10, 2025

African countries whose agriculture is less productive, with generally lower or poor crop yields, may not benefit as much in the short term from open...

Race against time as scientists urge immediate action on climate tipping points Nov 10, 2025

The International Court of Justice recently ruled that world leaders must take immediate action, on a level that hasn’t been seen before, to prevent c...

Africa’s land holds the future of climate adaptation: Why COP30 can’t overlook it Nov 09, 2025

Forest ecosystems such as the Congo Basin, the Guinean forests and Africa’s dryland forests are disappearing rapidly.

Land is Africa’s best hope for climate adaptation: It must be the focus at COP30 Nov 09, 2025

The continent’s negotiators must push for governments, investors and development partners to invest in African nature-based solutions. Most importantl...

COP30: Children, young people at climate talks: seen, photographed, but not allowed to decide anything Nov 07, 2025

Young people from all over the world face obstacles in accessing and participating in the COP conferences. For example, many have experienced logistic...

Inside the secret life of baobabs and the night creatures that keep them alive Nov 06, 2025

Protecting these pollinators means protecting the baobabs themselves, and with them, the communities and ecosystems that depend on them.

Is Nigeria facing a Christian genocide? New evidence reveals terrorists target all faiths Nov 06, 2025

To assist the country in its fight against terrorism, the US needs to reconsider the classification of Nigeria and revert to the first step identified...

Sudan’s war at a deadlock: Why the Quad’s peace plan faces near-impossible odds Nov 03, 2025

As Sudan’s civil war displaces millions and fuels famine, deep divisions between the army, paramilitary forces, and international mediators make lasti...

Creativity is good for the brain and might even slow down its ageing - study Nov 03, 2025

So if you’re wondering whether being creative is “good for you”, the answer seems to be “yes”. Scientifically, measurably, and beautifully so. Your ne...

Study in Botswana, Mauritius, Rwanda finds luxury tourism poses risks to African economies Nov 03, 2025

Rwanda’s position goes against a lot of recent literature on African political economy, which argues that parties with a stronger hold on power would...

Climate crisis is a daily reality for many African communities: How to try and protect them Nov 03, 2025

Africa is home to some of the world’s most innovative community-led and nature-based climate adaptation strategies, yet they remain underfunded. South...

Tracing humanity’s origins: New evidence points to a coastal migration from Southern Africa Nov 02, 2025

Around 60,000 years ago, humans could feasibly leave the Horn of Africa for the Arabian Peninsula, as Red Sea records show sea levels were about 100 m...

New discovery reveals chimpanzees in Uganda use flying insects to tend their wounds Nov 02, 2025

The finding from Kibale National Park broadens our view of how chimpanzees respond to wounds. Rather than leaving wounds unattended, they sometimes ac...

Ecoball: How to make picking up litter fun and turn it into a game for kids Nov 02, 2025

It is not the sole responsibility of scientists or policymakers to fight pollution. It belongs to everyone willing to pick up a ball – or a bottle – a...

How Ethiopia turned hunger into a weapon, plunged Tigray into famine and despair Nov 02, 2025

While natural and economic famines usually hit poorer or remote communities hardest, in Tigray, areas along main roads suffered most because their acc...

Child marriage is still common in the DRC: What’s driving it and how to encourage change Nov 01, 2025

Education not only delays the age of marriage but also empowers girls to make informed decisions about their futures. The situation remains the same b...

ICJ tells Israel to let UN aid flow into Gaza – but UN’s own failures throughout the war loom large Nov 01, 2025

In its verdict, the ICJ unanimously reaffirmed that the use of starvation as a method of warfare is prohibited under international law. The court also...

Hurricane Melissa is a warning – why violent storms are increasingly catching the world off guard Oct 31, 2025

What makes Melissa so alarming isn’t just its size and strength, but the speed with which it became so powerful. In a single day, it exploded from a m...

Raila Odinga mastered the art of political compromise for the good of Kenya Oct 28, 2025

Just before his death, some of his detractors had labelled him the ultimate betrayer for solidifying his relationship with President William Ruto. Odi...

Rift Valley fever: What it is, how it spreads and how to stop it Oct 27, 2025

It is important to follow basic health precautions when Rift Valley fever appears. Wash your hands regularly. Wear protective gear when handling anima...

Human ancestors were exposed to lead millions of years ago, and it shaped our evolution Oct 27, 2025

By studying how our ancestors’ bodies and genes responded to environmental stress, we can learn how to build a healthier, more resilient future.

Why countries struggle to ditch fossil fuels despite rising costs, decades of climate deals Oct 26, 2025

Thirty years into global climate talks, the disconnect between promises and practices has never been so clear. The world is not on track to meet the P...

Africa imports over 70 per cent of its medicines — Local production of ingredients could change that Oct 26, 2025

The governments of Kenya, Ghana, South Africa and Nigeria are investing in public-private partnerships to support this shift.

Why industry-standard labels for AI in music could change how we listen Oct 26, 2025

The company also says it’s focusing work on improved enforcement of impersonation violations and a new spam-filtering system, and that updates are “th...

New study reveals why young mothers in Kenya are at higher risk of preterm births Oct 26, 2025

For millions of families in Sub-Saharan African countries like Kenya, having a preterm birth is all too common.

Four-country study finds worrying issues with cancer drug quality in Africa Oct 26, 2025

The combination of high demand and low capacity for regulatory oversight in a market renders it vulnerable to substandard and falsified medical produc...

African languages for AI: The project that’s gathering a huge new dataset Oct 26, 2025

The challenge now is integration: making these pieces work together so that African languages are not just represented in isolated demos, but in real-...

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