Climate Change

According to the World Meteorological Organisation, temperatures in Africa are increasing faster than the global average. Recent estimates suggest that losses due to heat alone amounted to 8 per cent of GDP in much of Africa between 1992 and 2013.

In reality, we’re living through the fastest energy transformation in human history. Every previous large-scale shift in energy – from muscle power to wood to coal to oil – has taken decades or even longer. But the “renewable revolution” is happening far faster.

The declaration aims to mobilise resources for Africa’s green development and place the continent at the forefront of innovative, homegrown climate solutions.

The Environment Institute of Kenya (EIK) wants Nema to reinstate the old system while ENViS undergoes stabilisation, and to involve stakeholders in refining the platform.

The UN is leading efforts to tackle household air pollution which is one of the world’s greatest public health threats and particularly harmful for children.

Non-stop rain in Sudan caused a landslide to cover an entire village. The science of these natural disasters is simple. Preventing them is possible.

The report highlights that in low-income countries the situation is even worse, with eight out of ten people lacking all three essentials: clean air, fertile land, and safe water.

The April 2022 floods in eThekwini municipality, South Africa, claimed 544 lives, displaced more than 40,000 people, and damaged or destroyed over 4,000 homes and businesses.

According to organisers, the meeting will also foster dialogue on partnerships, resource mobilisation, and define milestones to ensure the success of the congress.

As leaders gear up for the second Africa Climate Summit in Addis Ababa this September, the gap between bold rhetoric and real delivery remains glaring.

Manual labourers in sectors such as agriculture, construction and fisheries are particularly vulnerable, as they face prolonged exposure to dangerous heat conditions.

Their experiences call for urgent reforms: full implementation of the Sustainable Waste Management Act, proper infrastructure for sorting and material recovery, public education campaigns on waste separation, and formal recognition and protection for waste workers.

Intermittent cold and cloudy conditions are also predicted in the Highlands and South eastern lowlands. Residents in these areas should expect a mix of sunny intervals and occasional showers.

Manufacturers caught flouting the law now face fines of up to Sh4 million or imprisonment for up to two years.

The stakes could not be higher. The choices made now will determine whether we face a future of worsening impacts and irreversible change or one of managed resilience to the changes already locked in.

When traditional practices are combined with modern technologies, they can strengthen resilience, enhance ecosystem stewardship, and support the emergence of green economies.

Collectively, African countries need between US$1.6 trillion and US$1.9 trillion by 2030 to move away from fossil fuels.

The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-5.2) in Geneva brought together over 2,600 participants, including delegates from 183 countries, nearly 1,000 observers, and 70 ministers and vice ministers.

Of the record volumes of plastic being produced, less than 10% is made into something new. Is it time to rethink recycling?

Moses Vilakati said issues such as climate shocks, food price volatility, and disrupted value chains are testing the resilience of systems and the resolve of African leadership.

The ability to intentionally communicate goals in mind using a variety of gestures might help elephants navigate their complex social lives.

While Black rhino numbers have grown, other rhino populations face an existential threat, a new report finds. Poaching is on the rise in South Africa, which has more rhinos than anywhere else.

NEMA relies almost entirely on quantity estimates submitted by companies themselves, with only one in-house officer tasked with checking thousands of reports annually.

Every year, the world makes more than 400 million tons of new plastic, and that could grow by about 70 per cent by 2040 without policy changes, according to the UN.

Chief Justice Martha Koome has emphasised the need for courts to remain alert when dealing with land and carbon rights, ensuring communities benefit fairly and environmental impacts are monitored.

The ICJ’s advisory opinion marks a turning point in global climate accountability, giving vulnerable countries a stronger legal foundation to assert their rights and seek reparations for past and ongoing climate-related harm.

Environment CS Deborah Barasa explained that forest laws allow the development of eco-tourism ventures in public forests and referred to provisions in the Forest Conservation and Management Act that guide such activities.

The advisory opinion said governments must take appropriate measures to prevent environmental harm. This means that states are obliged to implement programmes to adapt their countries to climate change.

This programme empowers local communities to take charge of environmental challenges while supporting Kenya’s wider climate goals.

Principal Secretary Festus Ng’eno said the Ministry had opted to withdraw Legal Notice No. 71 to create room for broader stakeholder engagement.

We are living in a world that is warming at the fastest rate since records began. Yet, governments have been slow to act.

The funds raised should be used to roll out digital extension services, endorse indigenous knowledge, and advocate for inclusive and gender-responsive changes to agriculture.

In many rural areas of Kenya, women play a crucial role as the primary breadwinners for their families.

This digital platform serves as a centralised system for tracking, verifying, and managing emissions reductions from REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) activities across the country.

The 22 counties affected by the spread of Mathenge include Turkana, Tana River, Garissa, Isiolo, Marsabit, Kajiado, Taita Taveta, Baringo, Kilifi, Samburu, Mandera, Wajir, Kwale, Lamu, Tharaka Nithi, Meru, Mombasa, Migori, Kitui, and West Pokot.

This includes the obligation under the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.

In a special address at UN Headquarters in New York, Guterres cited surging clean energy investment and plunging solar and wind costs that now outcompete fossil fuels.

The funds will help county governments operationalise their County Climate Change Action Plans (CCCAPs) and invest in priority climate resilience initiatives tailored to their specific vulnerabilities. The ultimate goal is to advance a more sustainable and climate-secure future.

By early 2025, nearly 23 million people in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya were deemed "highly food insecure," with over 11 million livestock lost in what is now considered the worst drought in 70 years across the Horn of Africa.

The report highlights that Kenya records more than one million Disability-Adjusted-Life-Years (DALYs) every year as a result of diseases connected to household air pollution.

Touted as the first of its kind in Kenya, the programme will initially cover around 250,000 crop farmers during its pilot phase, with plans to scale up nationwide.

What’s often overlooked in the development policies to tackle these threats is a powerful sources of insight: Africa’s own history.

The ministers insist that without adequate funding, Africa will remain vulnerable to food shortages, environmental stress, and economic instability.

He emphasised the need for collaborative mobilisation of resources to finance climate interventions, pledging Kenya’s continued leadership in addressing the crisis.

The Breathe Cities Nairobi initiative, launched in September 2024, aims to cut air pollution by 30 per cent by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. Nairobi is one of 14 global cities participating in the program, which is also supporting the development of stronger air quality laws and action plans.

The report provides clear solutions, backed by data and real-world examples, showing that wetland recovery is achievable and cost-effective if governments and institutions act swiftly.

Around 14,700 to 5,500 years ago, much of Africa experienced wetter conditions – a time referred to as the African Humid Period.

As the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) convened, Greenpeace Africa called on the continent's environmental ministers to demonstrate bold leadership on critical environmental challenges facing the continent and the world.

The forecast indicates that areas within the Highlands East and West of the Rift Valley, the Lake Victoria Basin, and parts of north-western Kenya will experience rainfall during this period.