Search Results

20-year-old Fatna Ikrame El Fanne is ensuring that young Moroccans are fully aware of the dangers of climate change - and the opportunities for climate action. bird story agency. When COVID-19 struck in 2020, Fatna Ikrame El Fanne saw an opportunity. She could now engage more young people - who were out of school due to the pandemic - in a campaign to fight climate change. Together with a team of like-minded friends, El Fanne launched Youth for Climate Morocco. a non-profit that she has used to bring the youth closer to climate action issues and to increase information relating to climate change, climate action, and environmental issues in Morocco. “What we do at the Youth for Climate Morocco is to create programs and projects that not only raise awareness on climate change but also those that involve the youth and demonstrate to them why they should be part of the positive climate action decisions,” she explained. Fatna Ikrame El Fanne, co-founder of Youth for Climate Morocco. Photo Credits : El Fanne By the time she launched her organisation, El Fanne was already a seasoned campaigner. While pursuing her bachelor's in water and environmental engineering, the then-17-year-old was introduced to climate change and the threats it posed to the world through the courses she was taking. She started to take the changing climate seriously and began motivating for actions that could stop global warming in its tracks. “The course exposed me to the changing rain patterns, drying up water masses, overheating oceans, the flash floods and drought, I could not help but seek to reverse all these,” she said. She was also inspired by her elder sister, already a climate and environmental activist. In her sister, she found not only support but also a reason to press on as a committed climate action advocate. She could see for herself the impact her sister was making, she explained, simply by making sure more people were informed of the issue. Fatna Ikrame El Fanne, co-founder of Youth for Climate Morocco. Photo Credits : El Fanne “I knew there were many young people who didn’t know the impact the climate change situation was creating in the world because many do not get to access this kind of information,” El Fanne explained. Her target then became young people in Morocco. Youth for Climate Morocco prepares and circulates digital petitions, plants trees, and holds green education campaigns targeting the youth. El Fanne is passionate about, among others, sustainable urbanization. She appreciates the progress global leaders have attained in adopting green solutions in the planning and management of urban places but sees a need for the global community to unite to drive the action required to steer humanity out of the crisis. Fatna Ikrame El Fanne, co-founder of Youth for Climate Morocco. Photo Credits : El Fanne “The Paris Agreement which essentially is where the journey to climate action began, urged countries to collaborate in this fight at the financial, technical and capacity-building levels,” she explained. Part of the agenda at Youth for Climate Morocco is to bring youth together to compel policymakers to continue to improve on past commitments - and to remain true to them. “As young climate activists, we have a moral obligation to be part of making decisions and for that, groups such as the Youth for Climate Morocco have to take the lead role in speaking about regional and global agreements on climate mitigation and how they can be achieved and improved,” she explained. El Fanne is also passionate about the transition to clean energy alternatives - a path she agrees has not been easy considering the rise in energy demands, the continued dominance of fossil fuels, and Morocco's dependence on imported clean energy infrastructure. She believes the emission reduction targets will be reached if the youth in Morocco - and more widely, across Africa - know how important it is for them to use clean energy solutions. And that they recognise they have agency, both in a personal capacity and as a united force. Fatna Ikrame El Fanne, co-founder of Youth for Climate Morocco. Photo Credits : El Fanne “We, the young people are the majority. In Morocco, the government passed the National Energy Strategy in 2009 which enabled it to have 40% of its energy being drawn from renewable sources. Youths need to know these efforts for them also be part of the solutions,” she concluded. bird story agency

How Green is My President? William Ruto: a president who would turn Kenya "green" At November's COP27 conference in Cairo, the first to be held in Africa, the spotlight will be on the continent’s political leadership, which has to provide the political will to catalyse investment and adopt climate-friendly strategies and projects. Kenya’s new president says Africa must take charge of its destiny to deliver a green future. By Emily Chebet, bird story agency “…So help me God!” said Kenya’s fifth President, William Samoei Ruto, in conclusion as he held the Bible aloft during his inauguration at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, on September 13, 2022. The four words were drowned by a deafening roar throughout the 60,000-seater venue as supporters cheered for a man who had become the focus of unity for many of Kenya's powerful political and business elite and its humble citizenry. On this day, international diplomats and the free-spirited were at hand to witness the change of guard in the country's political leadership. The weather, in a departure from the previous months when it had been glum and cold, had turned warm and inviting and the emotion-drenched audience cheered a moment of sunny expectation. Under the sheltered canopy, dignitaries sat in silence, some with expressionless faces, some smiling and others fidgety as they paid attention to the new president’s speech titled: A Kenya for Everyone! In laying the path ahead for his administration, Ruto, whose PhD thesis was on the Influence of Anthropogenic Activities on Land and Environment Quality of Saiwa Wetland Watershed, Western Kenya, said climate change would be a central concern for his government. “Among the central concerns of my government will be climate change. In our country, women and men, young people, farmers, workers and local communities suffer the consequences of climate emergency,” he said. How Green is My President? William Ruto: a president who would turn Kenya "green" “It is not too late to respond. To tackle this threat, we must act urgently to keep global heating levels below 1.5C, help those in need and end addiction to fossil Fuels.” Ruto declared that Africa has the opportunity to lead the world in mitigating climate change impact, especially in the use of clean and renewable energy. “We have immense potential for renewable energy. Reducing costs of renewable energy technologies make this the most viable energy source,” he said. He also said he would lead Kenya, the home to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), in transitioning to clean energy to support jobs, local economies and sustainable industrialisation. “We will lead this endeavour by reaffirming our commitment to transition to 100 per cent clean energy by 2030. We call on all African states to join us on this journey. As members of the international community, we shall support a successful Climate Summit in Africa in November, by championing the delivery of the finance and technology needed for Africa to adapt to climate impacts, support those in need and manage the transition,” he said. Kenya, like other countries in Africa, has borne the brunt of climate change with prolonged droughts, flooding and irregular rainfall patterns. The consequences of this phenomenon are a reality to many Kenyans, who have witnessed the loss of lives and the destruction of property in environmental calamities such as droughts, locust invasions, flooding and recently, the rising water levels of the Rift Valley lakes. The capacity to confront these challenges has in recent decades been undermined by reluctant political will, specifically to protect the country’s water towers from encroachment, provide adequate financing for impact-reduction activities (like the provision of water points) and increase public awareness of the nexus between livelihoods and climate change. These are the gaps to which Ruto who during his tenure as Agriculture Minister in the administration of the late Mwai Kibaki administration championed smart agriculture, has now pointed. Ruto is himself a farmer in Kenya’s “food basket” of Uasin Gishu and during campaigns, some farmers were optimistic that should he win the election, he would offer support to help farmers to increase their yields. “He is a good neighbour who teaches us how to farm. Back when he was Minister for Agriculture, he subsidized fertilizer,” said one resident, Sasha Cheruto. Ruto's commitment to sustainable agriculture is addressed in his manifesto, where he stresses the need for a shift from chemical fertilisers to organic fertilisers, to cut carbon emissions. In the document – simply titled The Plan – the new president outlined climate action strategies that were to be encapsulated in three thematic areas called the 3P Solutions (People, Plan and Profits). These were, specifically, access to water and a reduction in carbon emissions The 3P Solutions is meant to involve people as participants and a provision for them to earn profit out of interventions in the areas of Biomass energy (wood fuel), Agro-forestry, and Solid waste management. For instance, in agroforestry, the Ruto administration is keen to grow five million acres of forest in dry lands in the northern, and eastern parts of the country and the central Rift Valley. These are typically dry areas that experience perennial droughts. The region suffers from a lack of access to safe drinking water and agricultural land. According to The Plan, the area is to be “greened” with a local tree species known as Mukau (melia volkensii) that will act not only as a critical carbon sink but also as a source of livelihood. According to the Kenya Forest Research Institute (Kemfri), Kenyan farmers earn about 1.5 million shillings (US$ 160,000) per acre annually from woodlots. On access to water, which is closely linked to tree-planting in drylands, Ruto - who has credited his days as a village boy for his "green" awareness - plans to ensure safe water by 2027, by shifting the focus from large dams to household/community water projects, emphasising harvesting and recycling of water. “We will maximise the use of modern technologies on desalination a process by which the dissolved mineral salts in water are removed. This process is often applied to seawater, in order to obtain fresh water for human consumption and agricultural purposes,” he explained in the manifesto. The key focus will be to develop the Lake Turkana aquifers, through a public-private partnership model to develop irrigation for climate-smart agriculture. To tackle deforestation, his administration will first “modernise and commercialise the charcoal value chain, specifically the adoption of modern kilns” according to The Plan. Charcoal burning, which accounts for 70 per cent of the domestic rural energy source, is the greatest threat to Kenya's forests. Kenya's forested areas prevent soil erosion and act as water towers and carbon sinks. Another focus is to cut the use of charcoal by upscaling support for clean cooking technologies and promoting youth-owned and operated briquette-making enterprises. The key ingredients here will be the use of agricultural waste such as coffee waste, rice husks, maize cobs and coconut husks. According to the environment and climate change activist, Kinyanjui Koimbori, criminalising charcoal burning will build on gains made in forest conservation. In the reduction of CO2 emissions, Ruto said his administration will support E-mobility—the use of electric cars through financial incentives through public services vehicles and transporters. The Boda Boda - or motorcycle taxi - sector will be supported through what is termed the “Hustler” Fund, a facility for small and medium-scale enterprises. Weeks after that sunny day at Kasarani, Ruto, speaking in his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly, asked the world to pay attention to the impact of climate change in the Horn of Africa, urging that “the biggest carbon emitter nations honour their pledge to tackle the climate crisis in Africa". “Severe drought has affected not only the Horn of Africa and the Sahel regions but continues to devastate many others, including Asia, Europe and the Americas. If for no other reason, the fact that we all are in this together, must strengthen the case for concerted efforts across the continents, “ he said in New York. Climate experts lauded Ruto’s call, with Media Environment, Science Health and Agriculture (MESHA) CEO Dan Aghan saying it shows his commitment to the climate change agenda. "I think he was setting a big agenda for Africa and basically that means that the government is taking serious issues of climate change and what we would like to see and it is something that came out of his speech, is financing - how much the government will give even as we appeal to donors so the government needs to set aside some budget,” Aghan said at a pre-COP27 meeting in Kigali. Powershift Africa director Mohammed Adow also welcomed Ruto’s remarks. “With the President’s goodwill, Kenya and Africa at large can correct the wrongs done to the continent by the biggest carbon emitters as well as dealing with mitigation measures,” he said. On the sidelines of UNGA, Ruto chaired the Conference of African Heads of State on Climate Crisis (CAHOSCC), which restated Africa’s commitment to the green agenda and support for the November COP27 meeting in Cairo. In 2015, as Deputy President, Ruto planted trees in honour of Nobel laureate and founder of the Greenbelt Movement, Wangari Maathai. To further those "green" credentials he will need to deliver on "The Plan" during his term as Kenya's fifth (and Africa's fifth-youngest) president. bird story agency

Just down the road from Nigeria's Sin City, a young man id builds lighting equipment - and a future - using old Pringles cans and LED bulbs. By Victor Eyike, bird story agency “I wasn't seeking support initially because I felt no one would readily support a grown man who litters his room with foil papers, adhesives and Pringles containers,” said Rodelenz Osarode Odemwingie, gesturing with a wry smile at the materials strewn across the room. Speaking from a modest bungalow in Ekhator Street, Upper Sakponba, Benin City, this one-man army engaged in a war on pollution is nothing if not gracious. “Welcome to my operation base,” said Odemwingie, who has become well known in Nigerian photographic circles for his popular light modifiers - photographic lighting equipment - that he builds from discarded Pringles cans. The young inventor insisted on providing a tour of the surroundings. For anybody acquainted with Benin City, the prospect of a tour of the Upper Sakponba might elicit a degree of alarm. The suburb is the gateway to the informal settlement of the Idogbo community, better known as "Sin City", an area of low-rent dwellings where law enforcement officers are unwelcome. But Odemwingie's drive to improve environmental awareness has made him familiar to most who live in the area. Down the street from Sin City, in a bungalow he shares with his father and which is now home to Rodelenz Industries, the 25-year-old student and part-time photographer is doing his bit to defuse the ticking bomb that is climate change. “I noticed that plastics are a major problem in Nigeria, as well as paper waste. I also observed that people buy LED bulbs and discard them as waste after use. So, one day when I was playing around, I took a Pringles can and fitted it on a Speedlight, and I was amazed that it suited the shape of the Speedlight,” Odemwingie said, referring to a commonly used photographic flashlight. Rodelenz Osarode Odemwingie holding a lighting equipment made from old Pringles cans and LED bulbs in Ekhator Street, Upper Sakponba, Benin City. Photo : Victor Eyike After successfully trying out the lighting adaptor in his studio, Odemwingie began modifying more used potato chip cans. His light modifiers not only help create mood in photos but can also be used as household lighting sources. “So I started sorting these cans and retrieving them from the environment which was being choked by the amount of waste dumped,” he added. Odemwingie said he collects the cans and assembles them on the lawn at the back of his house. The real work takes place in his room. “I cut them into pieces and use adhesives to stick them into a cylindrical shape and fix the foil paper on the inside. Then, I get my LED bulbs, which usually have a plastic dome, and fix them onto the empty Pringles container. This ultimately creates a simple light modifier that can be used by photographers to make their lighting softer when taking pictures,“ he explained. An old pringles can and a LED bulb used by Rodelenz Osarode Odemwingie to make lighting equipment in Ekhator Street, Upper Sakponba, Benin City. Photo : Victor Eyike LED (or, light-emitting diode) bulbs use less energy than incandescent bulbs because a diode is much more efficient, power-wise than the filament used in traditional electric light bulbs. They are estimated to save up to 75 per cent of the energy used in regular bulbs, yet provide enough power to light a wide surface area. Odemwingie relies on his friends to assist him with referrals and to promote his work on social platforms. He is yet to go fully commercial due to a lack of capital. “I do everything myself. I basically rely on my friends to assist me with the logistics and marketing of my products. Some of my friends lend their cars to me, especially when moving Pringles containers from a dumpsite to my workstation,” he said. His friends, who refer to his work as "lighting magic” also help with materials, as do clients. “At this stage, I get some of my materials from clients who know about my work outside photography. When they come to the studio, they marvelled at what I do and thereafter they reach out to me and offer LED bulbs, which I can recycle.” Odemwingie simply smiled when asked about the genesis of his startup, recalling how he started with less than 20,000 nairas (US$ 50). “It wasn't expensive to kickstart the idea… and I honestly don't regret the journey,” he said. One of his supporters explained their support. “I had a photo session with Odemwingie for a birthday shoot. I noticed he had a totally different model of speed light, I had never seen anything like it. “So I quizzed him about it, and that was when I learned about his light modifier concept. The following week, my cousin had some used LED bulbs he wanted to dispose of, I called Odemwingie to come to pick it up and recycle.” Rodelenz Osarode Odemwingie holding a lighting equipment made from old Pringles cans and LED bulbs in Ekhator Street, Upper Sakponba, Benin City. Photo : Victor Eyike Odemwingie said he believes that everyone, both in Africa and elsewhere, has an individual and collective responsibility to keep the environment clean and safe because non-biodegradable waste materials such as plastics are not only an eyesore but a threat to “our home, the planet”. “We need to keep our cities clean by avoiding reckless disposal of waste by residents to make them safe and habitable environments,” he said. Odemwingie admitted to the challenges of maintaining his studies, photography and waste recycling, but he said he planned his schedule and devoted equal time to each activity. “It's not so difficult, especially when your work is related to your field of study. I study environmental biology and we monitor environmental conditions and conduct environmental impact assessments for development projects. That's in line with recycling waste from the hoods and dumpsters. I cover events on Saturdays to get extra cash to fund my schooling," he said. He now wants to expand his network by sensitising more people, especially the youth to be environmentally-conscious and expand his business to provide jobs in the neighbourhood. “I hope to establish a viable medium of exchange, where people can earn for every waste container they dole out for recycling. Till then, I will rely on the benevolence of my friends, clients and relatives to acquire raw materials,” he concluded. bird story agency

Kurai Felix Mukaro, popularly known as 'Uncle Bravo' is making waves in his community thanks to his organic herbal and vegetable gardens, and he is taking the younger generation along for the ride. By Tatenda Kanengoni, bird story agency Sixty-year-old Kurai Felix Mukaro breaks into song with a group of children stationed at a colourful vegetable stand along a vibrant street in Mbare, a neighbourhood in the south of Harare. “Herbal stand, vegetable stand!” they sing, encouraging potential customers to purchase their products. Commuter omnibuses drive past occasionally, drowning their youthful voices. “This is strictly organic,” explained Mukaro. Known affectionately as 'Uncle Bravo', Mukaro said that the harvested goods sold at the stand are grown entirely using permaculture methods - a holistic and more sustainable approach to growing food, that takes into account the wider ecosystem. The name 'Uncle Bravo' came from his work with youth during the 1980s. “I worked a lot with young boy scouts, and they started calling me Uncle Bravo. Bravo in scouting refers to the brotherhood of honour,” he explained. Three things have always been consistent in Mukaro's life - working with young people, mindful living... and music. Born and bred in Mbare, he fondly remembered an encounter that sparked his love for reggae music. “In 1980, when Bob Marley came to Zimbabwe, he performed at Rufaro Stadium and he visited my street, Chinamora street…I was 18 years old. I looked at him like someone who is out of this world, he was mystical. From there, I started liking reggae music a lot, I liked especially Rastafarian livity which is a righteous way of life and I thought ‘this is the way I want to live my life,’” he exclaimed. Part of his “righteous way” of living is now manifest in herbalism, a practice that runs in his family. “My grandmother was a herbalist, I didn’t know much about herbs but it inspired me to watch her heal people,” he said. When COVID-19 hit Zimbabwe in 2020, the lockdown restrictions left a lot of families in Mukaro’s community without a consistent income stream. This did not sit well with him. “It came in my dream that we purposefully seek out any spaces where there was water. So, there was a place nearby with a borehole and it had become a dumping ground. I said to the children, ‘let’s go and clean the space up.” And so, almost magically, they did. "We started removing the rubbish and created a garden." Mukaro gleaned crucial information from a permaculture workshop organised by Nora Müller, one of the trustees of the Mbare Art Space. As a result, he and the young team were able to incorporate permaculture into the design and bring the garden to life. Kurai Felix Mukaro holding spinach in Mbare street, a neighbourhood in the south of Harare. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni “It is real art but art which pertains to agriculture. The art is in the design of the beds which we are making - not only the traditional square beds - and we are also doing the art of plant companionship, which is a combination of certain plants which are working together,” he explained. Mukaro continued to seek out abandoned spaces in the area and created more gardens under an initiative named Kura - a socio-artistic enterprise for children transferring ecological, social and emotional intelligence through art, music and permaculture. Kurai Felix Mukaro working in the farm in Mbare street, a neighbourhood in the south of Harare. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni Permaculture design principles contribute toward fighting some of the impacts of climate change, including land regeneration. “Most of the herbs have got roots which are good for the soil, they are very nutritious. This is strictly organic; chemicals have long-term effects including chronic diseases, and chemicals also damage the environment. We don’t want fertilizers, it is not easy to rid the effects, so we use composts instead.” he said. With five gardens now set up in Mbare, Mukaro and his team have developed a steady rhythm of operating which includes collecting discarded plastic bottles and recycling them into containers for some of the herbs. With the pandemic restrictions relaxed, the Kura team have also incorporated a commercial arm to sell their produce. A sizeable hamper of vegetables and herbs cost 1950 Zimbabwe dollars (one to three US dollars) and customers interested in purchasing the herbs and vegetables visit the artistically laid out vegetable stands strategically placed along the busy street. Mukaro referred to the stand as "our information centre". “The idea came about through the Mbare Art Space, who knew architect Simba Mafundikwa. We were discussing permaculture and they asked, ‘what would you require?’ and I said a market point',” he explained. Seattle-based Zimbabwean Architect Simba Mafundikwa happily obliged and helped design the vegetable stand. “The Veggie Stand was inspired by the need for a beacon in the already established urban gardens that were created by Uncle Bravo and the children in the area. His desire was to have a stand that can be assembled and taken down on a daily basis and display products in a unique way. Our goal was to also collaborate with artists and artisans at Mbare Art Space and the neighbourhood. We worked closely with Nora Müller with input from Moffat Takadiwa as well,” said Mafundikwa. Mukaro is proud to be taking the younger generation along with him, on this journey. Kurai Felix Mukaro with a group of children in Mbare street, a neighbourhood in the south of Harare. Photo : Tatenda Kanengoni “We are not doing things for us, it’s about the kids. Once the kids learn methods of sustaining the environment, they will carry these skills into adulthood, tomorrow they will be good leaders,” 'Uncle Bravo' explained. bird story agency

By moving away from wood and coal cooking fires, Africa will contribute substantially to a cooler world. Recent reports indicate this is already happening. Seth Onyango, bird story agency To sustain ourselves we must eat. To sustain the planet, we can learn to cook using methods that don’t harm the environment. The good news, according to an International Energy Agency report, is that across Africa people are adopting new methods of cooking, choosing options that are not only cleaner but also cheaper. International Energy Agency (IEA) figures show that nearly all North African states now use cleaning cooking methods. The chart-toppers are Libya, Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco, with almost universal adoption. South Africa and Gabon cook clean too. In Botswana, Angola and Namibia, Sudan and Mauritania, almost one in two homes now use what is referred to as clean cooking methods. The agency’s projections show that in a best-case sustainability scenario as many as 100 million people will gain access to clean cooking methods from 2022 to 2030 if the right policies are rapidly adopted. That’s considerable growth potential but it comes off a low base. In a study conducted in 2020, 77.7 percent of Nigerian households declared to have been cooking over an open fire, according to Statista. How we cook can help save the planet – clean cooking solutions coming to a kitchen near you [Graphics: Hope Mukami] So, how will this be achieved? According to the IEA’s Africa Energy Outlook 2022, public and private organisations and companies are key. That includes public-private partnerships like the Clean Cooking Alliance, who are targeting kitchens across the continent, especially in rural communities where wood-burning is still a common way of preparing meals. While the push for change is often philanthropic, however, there are also significant commercial drivers. Private companies on the continent are stepping in to offer a wide variety of alternatives to wood and charcoal burning – from solar micro-grids to electric cooking solutions that work with solar. In most instances, women are leading the charge. In Zambia, for example, about six in 10 sales agents for the home solar system company, WID Energy, are women. Jaza Energy, a Tanzanian company, has all-women local teams operating a distributed network of solar-powered battery charging stations. The choice of women as agents is very deliberate. "These companies… achieve a larger reach by having female sales agents and staff, who are often better at convincing households and communities to adopt clean energy solutions and teaching how to operate and maintain solar home systems," says the energy agency. The Clean Cooking Alliance and others are also offering networking, technical skills training and apprenticeship opportunities to encourage women to build careers in the energy sector to be entrepreneurs who introduce clean stoves into their communities. Civil society organisations say charcoal and wood fires are being doused every day as more people turn to biomass, infrared stoves and clean cookers for their kitchens. The results of a study released in June by Energy 4 Impact and Modern Energy Cooking Services, based on the “cooking diaries” of a sample of household cooks, showed a high level of uptake of electric cooking from households that formerly cooked with wood or charcoal. While electrification – utility and micro-grid - has been rolled out widely across Rwanda, the transition was also due to the ease of cooking common Rwandan dishes using electric pressure cookers or infrared stoves – both provided as options in the study - as well as due to cost savings. The results, delivered to Rwandan decision makers and launched at an event in Kigali, showed that cooking with electricity was very cost-competitive, at US$ 0.047 per person per meal as compared to charcoal at $ 0.068 per person per meal and US$ 0.073 for liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). While a major switch away from wood and charcoal will help to limit deforestation, more significantly, perhaps, it will also offer Africa a further means of contributing to international efforts to limit global warming. Cooking on open fires and on inefficient wood-burning stoves emits 25 per cent of global black carbon emissions, the second largest contributor to climate change after carbon dioxide according to the Clean Cooking Alliance. Black carbon particles absorb sunlight, thereby warming the atmosphere, and are estimated to be second only to CO2 in their warming impact on the climate. A reduction in the number of cooking fires will have a major impact on warming trends. Meanwhile, IEA figures show that around 40 per cent of the people gaining first‐time access to clean cooking over 2022‐30 in Africa will use solid biomass in improved biomass cook stoves, with women driving this shift. “This is the cheapest and most practical means of providing clean cooking as it avoids the need to switch fuels and build new supply infrastructure, the IEA says. Most will be through LPG (cleaner than charcoal or wood-fired cooking), bio-digester gas, ethanol and electricity delivered through renewable energy sources. While the rollout of electric microgrids may offer a more practical as well as cheaper alternative, electric cooking remains a niche solution as a primary cooking source, especially in rural areas. "In rural areas, improved biomass cookstoves represent around 60 per cent of the people gaining access, LPG around 20 per cent and biogas from bio-digesters around 10 per cent." All of the clean cooking options work to improve the health of those using the options, as well as their families. "At a household level, clean cooking reduces health risks related to indoor air pollution, particularly for women and children," the IEA said in its Outlook. According to Riccardo Puliti, Global Director, Energy and Extractive Industries and Regional Director for Infrastructure, Africa, clean cooking must be a political, economic, and environmental priority, supported by policies and backed by investments and multi-sector partnerships. How we cook can help save the planet – clean cooking solutions coming to a kitchen near you [Graphics: Hope Mukami] "To make that kind of change, the level of commitment and the scale of investment matter," he urged. With more solar panels coming to African rooftops and micro-grid networks expanding to rural parts of the continent, the benefits include not only improved health but also improved home circumstances, according to the IEA’s Outlook, with household lighting also enabling chores and homework in the evenings. bird story agency

Kelo Uchendu, 26, is the policy lead of YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituency. He shared some of his experiences promoting the voices of young people, at home in Nigeria. by Kate Okorie, bird story agency In 2016, during a visit to the oil-rich Niger Delta, Kelo Uchendu witnessed the impact of acid rain for the first time. As the rain came down, people hurriedly closed drums used for storing water. Asking why he was told it was because the rain was so acidic, that it contaminated drinking water and made people sick. He was shocked. “I asked, ‘why are people not talking about this?" Uchendo said. The experience initiated a search for answers. He learned that acidic aerosols from gas flaring and refinery operations were falling to earth when it rained, causing deforestation and impacting farming and even infrastructure. He also learned that above-average levels of carbon dioxide in the air were turning the oceans acid. "There is no direct connection between climate change and acidic rainfall, but the study exposed me to the other issue of ocean acidification," he explained. He decided to do something to draw attention to these issues. Kelo Uchendu, the policy lead of YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituency. Photo : Kelo Uchendu Two years later, while still a mechanical engineering student at the University of Nigeria, Uchendu launched the Gray2Green Movement. He and his team organised climate marches, planted trees and pushed for the inclusion of climate education among the university’s general-level courses. Today, at 26, Uchendu is the policy lead for YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituency, He is responsible for ensuring the voices of children and youth are heard at COP27, he and his colleagues have been developing a “Global Youth Statement” for the event. Kelo Uchendu, the policy lead of YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituency. Photo : Kelo Uchendu Getting to this point required a great deal of determination. Despite resistance to his calls for a louder youth “voice”, in 2020 he joined forces with more than 330 young climate activists to organise a “Mock COP26”. Afterwards, Uchendu contacted Nigerian lawmaker Samuel Onuigbo, who was preparing to propose the Climate Action Bill for the second time. "We worked with him to push for the inclusion of the conference’s demands in the bill," Uchendu said. Kelo Uchendu, during the UN Climate Change Conference. Photo : Kelo Uchendu The bill - passed into law as the Climate Change Act, 2021 - reflected a commitment by the Nigerian government to achieve net zero (reducing carbon emissions to the lowest amount) by 2060 – not easy for a country that relies so heavily on oil exports. While the country has moved to limit gas flaring and decarbonise gas operations, oil is expected to play a key role in the economy, for years. In the Niger Delta, residents continue to complain about acidic rainfall and their degrading environment. With the region’s mangrove forests, creeks and farmlands heavily contaminated by oil, much still need to be done to reverse the effect of harmful human activities on the environment. “We have to commit to decarbonising our major energy sectors,” Uchendu said. While the road to net zero might seem like an impossible feat, Uchendu and his colleagues at YOUNGO remain optimistic. They have been engaged in developing a “Global Youth Statement” to serve as the policy position for youths worldwide at COP27 in Egypt. Kelo Uchendu, the policy lead of YOUNGO, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) children and youth constituency. Photo : Kelo Uchendu Considering his experience, Uchendu is well-placed to ensure that the voices of children and youth are included in the outcomes of what is already being billed as “Africa’s COP”. bird story agency

Small-scale Kenyan farmer Teresia Momanyi introduces her “office and employer” - a neat, four-acre piece of land on which she practices conservation farming. By Jackson Okata, bird story agency It is a sunny and clear mid-morning, and Teresia Momanyi, dressed in a very “un-farmer-ish” outfit of a black and white striped skirt and matching black top and armed with a smartphone, is standing at the edge of her farm inspecting the latest corn crop. “I always undertake an inspection of my farm every day because that is how I can monitor the progress,” she explained, beaming. The 56-year-old mother of four, a professional accountant, said her life revolves around farming; she is a volunteer trainer of smart-farming techniques, besides managing her farm which is also a model for many other farmers, especially those in her area. “My daily routine revolves around the farm, either preparing the farm for planting, applying manure or harvesting,” she said. Ms. Teresia Momanyi’s in her maize plantation in Njoro, Nakuru, Kenya. Photo : Jackson Okata The startlingly lush green plantation is well-manicured, a place she describes as her “office and employer". “The farm is the source of happiness for me and my family.” The farming journey started for Momanyi in 2010, when she was among a group of 20 women picked from her village for farmers’ training at the Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology in Nakuru, a central Kenyan town long associated with farming. During the three-day event, they learned about conservation farming and when she got back home, she decided to give it a try. The result was phenomenal, she explained – and two years later, she decided to quit her job in the local bank to concentrate on what she said had initially been a side hustle. It’s not a decision she regrets. “My husband was opposed to my idea of quitting my banking job. He asked me if I was going insane,” she said. “But after only two years into it, my husband, who had dismissed my decision as insane, became my greatest supporter. He told me that I should have started farming soon after our marriage and not wasted time working in the bank,” she said, laughing. Located 182 kilometres from Kenya’s capital city Nairobi, the green forest of maize on Momanyi’s farm stands out in a region that has suffered poor harvests because of erratic rains. Maize planted under the conservation farming technique on Ms. Teresia Momanyi’s farm in Njoro, Nakuru, Kenya. Photo : Jackson Okata Momanyi's fields are representative of thousands of smallholder farms across the region. In the early 1990s, Momanyi said, she would harvest at least 40 bags of maize per acre. But things changed in the mid-90s with her harvest dropping to a paltry 14 bags per acre, as regular rains failed and the soil became degraded of nutrients. “Unreliable rainfall patterns over the past decades saw a decline in my harvest. Sometimes the rain is too much while at times it's too little to sustain the growth of my crops. Prolonged droughts and rains have become a norm,” said Momanyi. This was a big dilemma for Momanyi and many other smallholder farmers across Kenya. While for her, farming was not the primary source of income, for others, this was their livelihoods slipping out of their fingers as they looked on, helplessly. Help came with conservation farming - a climate-smart farming method that involves minimum tillage of land. According to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) conservation farming “promotes minimum soil disturbance, maintenance of a permanent soil cover, and diversification of plant species”. Those in the area who embraced it soon found their fortunes changed for the better. They are now guaranteed better harvests and income to cushion them from food and economic insecurity. Conservation agriculture also enhances biodiversity and natural biological processes above and below the ground surface, which contributes to increased water and nutrient use efficiency, leading to improved and sustained crop production. The International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) says conservation farming is the future in areas suffering erratic rains. It says not tilling saves the farmers the costs associated with mechanical tilling of land because the farmer only needs to clear weeds by slashing or using herbicides. The cleared weeds are then used to mulch the land before, planting. This helps in conserving moisture within the soil A farmer uses a ripper or a hoe, to dig planting holes or lines, then mixes fertiliser or manure with the seeds. Alternatively, a farmer can spread manure or fertiliser on the land after clearing the weeds before planting. In her 10 years of conservation farming, Momanyi said she has not only been able to up her yields but also reduce farming costs. “Conservation farming consumes less time compared to the conventional way of farming. It does not consume a lot of inputs, and this hugely cuts on costs,” she said. From harvesting 14 bags of maize per acre, she is currently back to harvesting 36 bags from the same size of land. “Before I embraced conservation farming, my budget on food was so high because I relied on market purchases due to poor farm harvests,” she said. With the surplus harvests from her farm, Momanyi said, she can make enough money to cater for other family needs such as school fees. “From the proceeds (of what) I make from selling maize, I have been able to take my two sons through to university,’’ she said. Not far away, 46-year-old Gilbert Ngetich is also practising conservation agriculture. A trained teacher, he has been practising conservation farming for the past 7 years. A plantation of beans under conservation farming on Gilbert Ngetich’s farm in Njoro, Nakuru county, Kenya. Photo : Jackson Okata Ngetich observes that the climate-smart farming technique gives him yields even when the rains are not sufficient “The good thing about this farming method is that it is not fully reliant on rainfall, and I always plant ahead of other farmers who fully rely on rain,” he said. He adds that conservation farming is friendly to intercropping which allows him to plant fast-maturing crops such as beans and vegetables. Ngetich agrees that conservation agriculture is less expensive than conventional agriculture. “Currently, I only spend a quarter of what I used to spend on (a) one-acre piece of land, while practising conventional farming,'' he said. “Unlike in the traditional tilling farming, this method consumes very limited inorganic fertilisers which reduces the cost of farming.” Agro-climatologist Kinyanjui Koimbori said conservation farming helps in conserving water in the soil and this allows early planting for farmers, which in turn leads to better control of plant diseases and pests as well as better harvest “Conservation farming increases soil organic matter while at the same time suppressing weeds and this works in favour of crops, ” he said. “It is the best way to work towards food security for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.” There's another important role that conservation agriculture can play. “Conservation agriculture not only enhances soil fertility and quality, but it greatly enhances the amount of carbon stored in the soil," Koimbori pointed out. When land is tilled, carbon stored in the soil is lost to the atmosphere. “Conservation agriculture could help the world sequester up to 372 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year,” the agro-climatologist stated. Clergyman and farmer, Andrew Rotich, 64, said the move to conservation farming was the best decision he has ever taken. He added that in the five years since he embraced the new farming method, his results have been far better. He has been a farmer for 20 years. “Initially, an acre would give me 18 bags but with conservation agriculture, the same acre gives me 30 bags,” he said. He added that his farming costs have also dropped. “In conventional farming ploughing an acre takes 6,000 (Kenyan) shillings (US$ 50) compared to 2,000 shillings I spend in conservation farming,” he said. Rotich says he now supplies maize to the government-run National Cereals and Produce Board, something he couldn’t do 10 years back. “With conservation farming, I have enough to feed my family and much to sell to the board,” he added. Koimbori opines that the country's agriculture ministry should develop policies to extend the rollout of conservation farming across Kenya “It has proven that it can work, and the results are visible. With proper policies, Kenya can beat the scourge of food insecurity and poverty among the lower-and middle-class folks,” he said. bird story agency

A synchronised diplomatic offensive by African states, which resulted in a historic deal to set up a "loss and damage" fund, highlights deepening unity and cooperation on the continent. Seth Onyango, bird story agency With the smash of a hammer, COP27 President Sameh Shoukry announced Sunday (November 20) that states had agreed to establish a kitty to compensate vulnerable states for the climate change fallout. The announcement put to rest, at least temporarily, weeks of intense political brokering to ram the landmark deal over the line in the face of push-back from the states most responsible for climate damage. The mechanism will see rich economies and donors provide the funds required to save lives and livelihoods from climate change-related catastrophes. According to Pan-African Parliament vice-president Lucia Passos, the deal to set up a fund shows what unity among African states can achieve during critical multilateral negotiations. Compensation of states for loss and damage emerged as a sticking point at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland, as developing nations and their island counterparts refused to back down in their appeal for cash to help mitigate the effects of climate change. Africa's landmark climate damage compensation deal But strong opposition from rich and heavily polluting economies caused the issue to be pushed back until one year later, when the climate talks opened again, this time at Sharm El-Sheikh in Egypt. On the sidelines of the negotiators, African leaders intimated that they would not relent until the loss and damage deal was on the table and a payment plan featured in the final resolutions of the talks. They achieved both. Speaking in the closing plenary, Shoukry thanked delegates for concluding historic agreements. COP27 Closing Plenary. “The work that we’ve managed to do here in the past two weeks, and the results we have together achieved, are a testament to our collective will, as a community of nations, to voice a clear message that rings loudly today, here in this room and around the world: that multilateral diplomacy still works…. despite the difficulties and challenges of our times, the divergence of views, level of ambition or apprehension, we remain committed to the fight against climate change…. we rose to the occasion, upheld our responsibilities and undertook the important decisive political decisions that millions around the world expect from us,” he said. “This was not easy. We worked around the clock. Long days and nights. Strained and sometimes tense, but united and working for one aim, one higher purpose, one common goal that we all subscribe to and aspire to achieve. In the end, we delivered.” This comes as drought, cyclones, rising sea levels, and flooding wreak havoc in Africa and other developing countries. “This outcome moves us forward,” said Simon Stiell, UN Climate Change Executive Secretary. “We have determined a way forward on a decades-long conversation on funding for loss and damage – deliberating over how we address the impacts on communities whose lives and livelihoods have been ruined by the very worst impacts of climate change.” Governments have also agreed to establish a ‘transitional committee to make recommendations on operationalising the new funding arrangements and the fund at COP 28 next year. The inaugural meeting of the transitional committee for COP 28 is to occur before the end of March 2023. At the same time, parties also agreed on the institutional arrangements to operationalise the Santiago Network for Loss and Damage, to catalyse technical assistance to developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. The talks also delivered a package of decisions reaffirming commitments to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The package is expected to strengthen action by countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the inevitable impacts of climate change, as well as boost support for developing countries finance, technology and capacity-building needs. However, the UN climate talks in Sharm el-Sheikh failed to reach an agreement on phasing out fossil fuels, with African states blocking the attempts unless it falls under a "just energy transition" framework. The Pan-African Parliament, the legislative body of the African Union, had vowed to block any attempts at a rushed phasing out of fossil fuels without a provision for the introduction of alternative energy sources. "The issue of fossil fuel phase down cannot come without other major commitments being delivered. In short, there are winners and losers. There are promises to support those countries that lose out in implementing some of these decisions," said the organisation's president, Fortune Charumbira. COP 27, billed as "Africa's COP", brought together more than 45,000 participants to share ideas and solutions and build partnerships and coalitions. Indigenous peoples, local communities, cities and civil society, including youth and children, showcased how they address climate change and shared how it impacts their lives. bird story agency

A drought that shut down their school's water supply marked Eric Njuguna's first strides into climate activism. Now they're at the frontline of creating safe spaces for other young African activists. Kate Okorie, bird story agency On 15 November, somewhere on the planet, the eighth billionth member of the human race was born. It's a huge population milestone and an opportunity for grim reflection: this child and its peers are beginning their lives on a warming planet ravaged by climate disasters. But an increasing number of children and young people are not prepared to merely accept a potentially disastrous fate. Kenyan activist Eric Njuguna is 20 years old. When they were just 15, their school's water supply was severely affected by drought. This was the starting point of their activism. "Young people are taking action to secure both our today and our future," said Njuguna. And it's not a part-time commitment: "(Young people do this) out of necessity as opposed to a hobby." Njuguna's first step was to organise through Fridays for Future, the youth-led movement established by another activist, Sweden's Greta Thunberg. They then co-founded the Kenyan Environmental Action Network, also led by young activists. Young climate activists: a global community driving change As was the case for many African activists, Njuguna and the Kenyan arm of Fridays for Futures struggled to obtain participation badges and funding to attend COP27 in Egypt. "This year, some of the UN-accredited observer organisations received a lower quota, so when we reached out to them to support the activists with badges, we mostly got rejections. Some of the organisations we have been in contact with since last year had a significant drop in the number of badges allocated to them for COP27," he added. That's a worrying trend, given how influential young people can be in shaping policy – the kind of policy that might make the world they are set to inherit an environmentally safer place. When they are not engaging fellow young activists, you will find Njuguna executing their role as a youth consultant with the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF). "I work with UNICEF to see how we can engage young people on health and climate issues." However, their proudest moment in climate justice activism involves being part of a community of equally passionate activists. That community's work is bearing fruits. COP27 is the first ever COP to have a pavilion dedicated to children and youth issues. Young activists also came together to create an annual Global Youth Statement and consistently call out governments that are not meeting their renewable energy targets. "It is aggravating that leaders fail to take action at the scale that is needed, even after we've put ourselves out there," Njuguna said. "That's what makes community especially important: We are each other's support system." bird story agency

African lawmakers are pushing for a year of action ahead of COP28 in Dubai, avowing they’re tired of empty promises from developed nations. Steve Umidha, bird story agency African lawmakers have wrapped up COP27 on a pugnacious note, urging government ministers and negotiators from the continent not to leave Egypt without signed contracts – and to ensure that next year’s COP28 in Dubai “doesn’t become another talk show”. The Pan-African Parliament (PPA) is the African Union’s legislative arm. Its negotiators have spent the last ten days pushing the continent’s climate agenda. One of its biggest challenges has been the thorny issue of loss and damage financing for the countries hardest hit by climate change’s effects. Behind the scenes, frustrations flared as negotiators worked to push developed nations towards firm commitments, as well as tabling demands related to Africa’s renewable energy transition. At its briefing, though, the body was more sanguine. “The issue has been these countries (developed nations) do not want to come on board, they want to determine terms for us as Africans, which I think has been a major challenge to (previous COPs). But we are hopeful this will not be the case this time. A ratification must be achieved here,” said Thembekile Richard Majola, a South African politician and chairperson of the PPA’s Committee on Rules, Privileges and Discipline. COP28 should not be ‘another talk show’: Pan-African Parliament Wealthy nations have insisted that an existing mechanism, 2001’s Adaptation Fund, is enough to address the issue of loss and damage. However, African diplomats argue that this fund and other efforts, such as the Green Climate Fund, have failed to deliver measurable results. They point out that such facilities are not easily accessible to African countries. If the PPA’s goal is not met, Majola said, the body would marshal parliamentarians from all African legislative assemblies and civil society groupings to create an “enforcement mechanism” to drive the continent’s agenda on climate change. “We are going to gather and discuss these issues and look at these stumbling blocks and why the signing and ratification are not achieved, and if we find out where the issues are, then we are going to take action, we believe it is a year of action,” Majola said. bird story agency

Increased severity and frequency of natural disasters in Africa is spurring the growth of the climate adaptation market, promising huge returns for private investors in the continent. **By Conrad Onyango, bird Africa Story Agency** Low-income African countries will provide an opportunity for the private sector to make high returns on investment projects that cut down damages caused by climate-change-induced natural disasters. A new working paper by World Bank’s financing arm, IFC, shows investment opportunities worth US $ 100 billion for entrepreneurs offering solutions that help tame increased floods and droughts- in these highly vulnerable countries. Titled adapting to Natural Disasters in Africa: What’s in it for the Private Sector? Lists Eswatini, Malawi, Namibia, Niger, and Mauritania are countries with potential commercially viable investment opportunities worth at least $5 billion a year between now and 2040. “Many of the most promising investment opportunities lie in low-income countries,” the report read. Over the next two decades, investors in Malawi will be required to pump in up to 30 per cent of the country’s GDP-the most significant share in Africa- to help vulnerable communities adapt to the impacts of flooding and droughts. Namibia and Eswatini will require an upfront investment of 26 per cent of the country’s GDP to fund bankable climate adaptation projects, while Nigeria and Mauritania will require 22 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively. The study tracking 43 African countries that have experienced at least one incidence of drought or floods since 1990 reported that private investors are better positioned to help fix the continent’s climate adaptation funding gap and enjoy a return of eight per cent on investments. Billion-dollar climate adaptation opportunities for Africa’s private sector[Graphics: Hope Mukami] “With African governments’ budgets stretched and little fiscal space, public investment will not be enough to meet the continent’s climate adaptation needs, further underscoring the need for private sector investments,” said IFC in the report. A 2021 UNEP Adaptation Gap Report: The Gathering Storm projects cost of adaptation in developing countries will reach US $300 billion annually by 2030. Comparatively, global flows in adaptation finance were a paltry US $46 billion in 2020, out of which $28.6 billion was shared among developing countries. The rising adaptation costs highlight a rise in the prevalence of natural disasters because of rising global temperatures, with little funding coming by, making it an untapped opportunity. Between 1990 and 2019 alone, Africa suffered 1,107 floods and droughts, leading to 43,625 deaths and at least US $14 billion in damages to crops, livestock, and property, according to IFC. Another study, Landscape of Climate Finance in Africa, released by the Climate Policy Initiative in September, is also building a case for more private investments to fix a funding gap of US $2.8 trillion needed by 2030 to limit temperatures from rising above 1.5 degrees and its corresponding impacts. According to the report, Africa’s annual climate finance flows stand at US $30 billion, with the private sector- Corporates and commercial banks contributing just US $4.2 billion of the total. Spending on adaptation is pegged at US $11.4 billion annually. This report attributes the Private Sector’s low contribution of financial flows to actual risk, perceived risk, and ticket sizes of climate projects that ‘dissuade private capital players.’ To catalyse private investments, the authors of the report urge development partners to target higher leverage ratios through blended financing structures like the enhanced role for private insurance and partial guarantees. “They could also support capacity building, both within domestic finance institutions and in developing a pipeline of investable opportunities,” said the report. United Kingdom has committed an additional US $204 (£ 200 million) in adaptation financing to help vulnerable countries beat the impacts of climate change with plans to surpass its current funding of US $508 (£500 million). On the eve of COP 27 opening UK, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the UK will triple adaptation funding - channelled through the African Development Bank Group’s Climate Action Window- to US $1.54 (£ 1.5 billion) by 2025. American multinational investment bank, Bank of America, has also committed an additional US $1 trillion towards financing low-carbon and sustainable business activities between 2020-2030 across the globe. This is a significant rise from the US $200 billion it has spent through its Environmental Business Initiative since 2007, highlighting a growing adaptation market. **bird, Africa Story Agency ** AE

According to experts, an equivalent of two football pitches of seagrass - a critical bulwark against sea warming and a generator of oxygen, - disappears globally every 60 minutes. In Mauritius, a conservation organisation and local fisher community have rolled out a five-year project to fight back - by replanting seagrass. By Jacques Achille, bird story agency A dive into the sea of Bel Ombre rewards any visiting snorkeller with a rare and beautiful sight. Some 10 metres from the shore, in the clear waters of this fisher community village located in the south of Mauritius, lush green beds of slender grass appear to blow in the breeze as the current moves through them. A bed of seagrass seen in clear water in an area protected by the fisher community at Bel Ombre, Mauritius (Photo: Jacques Achille) Whether the sea is calm or rough, the seagrass remains rooted in the sand, unbowed, providing sanctuary and food for a whole ecosystem of fish, invertebrates, crabs, sea cucumbers and even large mammals - like the nearly extinct dugong, or manatee. While seaweeds grow mostly on rocks and corals, seagrass anchors in the sand. There is a wide variety of species, each creating a unique biome. “Above all, each has its own importance and ecosystem,” explained seagrass researcher, Olivier Pasnin. “The seagrass is the lungs of the ocean. They release oxygen into the sea. They also help in enhancing the quality of air and fighting global warming. These plants are among the main wells of carbon on earth. They can retain a high quantity of carbon and keep it in the form of organic carbon in sediments for a long period,” Pasnin explained. But the beds of critical aquatic plants, once a ubiquitous feature of the littoral zone of the Indian Ocean islands and the African mainland, are in grave danger. “The field is smaller than it was some years back. It seems to be affected by human activities and climate change. As a direct consequence, there are fewer fish. We have to go further in the sea to work now,” said Adrien Robert, who has been a fisherman for most of his 54 years. While Robert provided the alarming empirical knowledge, Pasnin provided the even-more-worrying hard data. “It is estimated that every hour the world is losing the equivalence of two football pitches of seagrass,” he said. A pipefish hides in sea grass in an area protected by the fisher community at Bel Ombre, Mauritius (Photo: Jacques Achille) Yet, as global warming accelerates the process of coastal erosion in Mauritius and overfishing places pressure on fish stocks, seagrass is seen as a solution. Its presence brings along fish to the waters of the region, feeding the herbivores and providing protection to smaller marine animals eaten by bigger carnivores. So the local fisher community turned to the scientists for help. “They reported to us that the fields of seagrass are permanently changing and becoming smaller. This is why we have started to study them more closely so as to assess the situation and to be able to act accordingly,” said Pasnin, explaining how he joined efforts to replant seagrass through the Reef Conservation Society, which was previously concerned mostly with dying coral reefs. The community, supported by the conservationists, is now working to bring the beds of seagrass back. According to Pasnin, they are concentrating on replanting five species of seagrass, which are common in the Bel Ombre area as well as in the sea off Roche Noire, in northeast Mauritius. “Our team embarked on the project to save the coastal zone with research and educating the local fisher community on the importance of being part of the initiative in 2021 with funding from the European Commission," Pasnin said. Mauritian enterprises are now also supporting the Reef Conservation Society. One of them is the Oxenham Group, which in August 2022 launched a programme under the aegis of the Islander’s Preservation Action, aimed at educating the general public and supporting groups involved in the restoration of the marine ecosystem, through the replanting of seagrass and coral reefs. Coral and a brightly coloured anemone growing in a bed of seagrass in an area protected by the fisher community at Bel Ombre, Mauritius. (Photo: Jacques Achille) In a document presenting the project, the Reef Conservation Society explains that different techniques are being trialled with different species of seagrasses to develop the best methodology for larger restoration projects. “In this project, we have also included stakeholders and community members through practical actions that help build understanding, a relationship with nature and support the conservation and management of seagrasses,” the society notes. During November, conservation experts from the Södertörn University of the World Maritime University of Switzerland are expected to arrive to give international impetus to the project. "We are very much concerned about what is happening in our sea," said Robert. "We want to save the ocean, fight coastal erosion and create proper conditions for fish to live in our water. It is also a question of survival for us.” bird story agency