This briefing looks at what the 1.5°C limit means in terms of adaptation and loss and damage for the most vulnerable countries and regions. It finds that slowing down warming is critical to buy us time to adapt and also to avoid irreversible loss and damage. With global warming continuing …
Five million people in West Africa's Sahel region will need food aid in the coming months following a drought, but current funding will be insufficient to prevent starvation, the United Nations said on Thursday. Six countries in the Sahel, a semi-arid belt below the Sahara, are facing the worst hunger …
The Senegal Electricity Sector Regulation Commission (CRSE) has awarded a tender for two solar photovoltaic (PV) projects to a joint venture comprising of ENGIE and investment partner Meridiam. The two projects, which have a joint capacity of 60MW are part of the Scaling Solar initiative in Senegal, conducted jointly by …
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) recently released a new report, showing that sustainable investment in freshwater ecosystems in developing countries helps farmers reduce the impact from floods, droughts and water pollution. ‘The Water Advantage: Seeking Sustainable Solutions for Water Stress’, shows that by improving access to clean water …
The island of Saint Louis in Senegal was listed in 2000 as a UNESCO World Heritage site, but it has since fallen into disrepair. Without urgent intervention, more than 300 years of colonial history could be lost as rising sea levels gradually swallow up the city. Now, hundreds of climate …
Imagine building a small pile of wood and kindling in the smallest room in your house, and setting fire to it. You can keep the door open, to let out some smoke, but cannot switch on an extractor fan. You must tend the fire for an hour. Repeat the process …
Last July, a Whole Foods store in New York’s Harlem decided to stock bags of fonio, a West African grain similar to couscous. The first shipment sold out in three hours. Just last week, Los Angeles Lakers forward Luol Deng hosted a fonio party at his home. It’s the hottest …
In this paper, use a case study approach to investigate the patterns of employment and income generation in cotton and rice value chains in Senegal and Benin. The purpose of the paper is to provide a comprehensive description of both value chains in both countries, emphasizing export potential and innovation …
While many Europeans and North Americans still view the continent as poor, war-torn and desolate, Africans see more opportunities at home than outside the continent. In fact, many West African nations are booming. In West Africa, the majority of people are on the move but don't leave the region. This …
West Africa is a very vulnerable part of the world to the impacts of climate change due to a combination of exposure and low adaptive capacity. Climate change has induced an increase in rainfall variability which in turn has affected the availability of water resources, ecosystem services and agricultural production. …
Dangerously high levels of mercury and a related toxin are pervasive in rivers and soils near artisanal gold mines in Senegal, according to a new study from Duke University. “Nearly every sample we collected from in and around four mining villages contained mercury concentrations higher than regulatory standards set by …
President Macky Sall on Thursday suspended all authorisations for logging and ordered an overhaul of Senegal’s forestry laws after a massacre connected to the illegal trade in timber. In a statement, Sall said he had instructed the government “to suspend until further orders all authorisations for logging and to immediately …
China is reducing the import tax on donkey skins for use in traditional medicine despite fears over a global reduction in the animal's population. From Monday, the tax will fall from 5% to 2%, making imports cheaper. Gelatine made from donkey skin is highly prized in China and purchases of …
This market assessment reports on alternative fuels opportunities in the cement sector in Senegal. The assessment examined different experiences and possible options to utilize municipal, commercial and industrial waste, along with tires, sewage sludge and agricultural residue in cement kilns in key production clusters. Among the findings are that at …
Many countries are moving toward eliminating malaria, among them Madagascar, Senegal and Zimbabwe. But a World Health Organization report warns that in other areas, progress has stalled. Malaria cases increased by more than 20 percent from 2015 to 2016 in eight African countries — including Rwanda, Nigeria and the Democratic …
Rebels in southern Senegal say an Australian company's plans to mine for zircon, a rare mineral used for making mobile phones and nuclear power plants, amounts to "an act of war". Al Jazeera's Nicolas Haque reports from the village of Niafarang in the Casamance region, where many say the mining …
Despite increasing recognition of the importance of ecosystem-based approaches for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, implementation remains mostly underdeveloped worldwide. Lack of knowledge on the implementation process present an important barrier. This publication presents details on Ecosystems Protecting Infrastructure and Communities (EPIC), a global initiative which promoted ecosystem-based …
All major agencies intervening in community-based and carbon forestry – such as international development agencies, conservation institutions, and national governments – state that their interventions must engage local participation in decision making. All say they aim to represent local people in the design and implementation of their interventions. In practice, …
More efforts are needed, particularly by the government to curb the spate of malnutrition in Ghana and other parts of Africa, an international report has recommended. The report launched on Monday by the Malabo Montpellier Panel notes that across Africa, the proportion of people who suffer from hunger dropped from …
In recent years, the governments of the Sahel have committed to combat poverty and food insecurity through a significant increase in the development of irrigable areas. For GWI West Africa, this has presented a timely opportunity to analyse, alongside the relevant ECOWAS guidelines, the socio-economic results achieved on irrigated schemes …
A Senegalese chef is one step closer to turning an ancient grain found in his country—gluten-free and bursting with nutrients and amino acids—into the next trendy superfood. Pierre Thiam, one of Africa's best-known chefs, told the TEDGlobal conference in Tanzania on Monday night of his dream to see "fonio" turn …
