Africa > West Africa > Environment

Environment in West Africa

  • Why Flooding in Nigeria Is an Increasingly Serious Problem in Nigeria

    NIGERIA, 2017/08/18 Before this year heavy rains and thunderstorms caused havoc in Lagos, Nigeria's economic nerve centre and one of Africa's most populous cities. Residents woke up in a lot of parts of the city to find their streets and homes flooded and their property, inclunding cars and other valuables, submerged. Pictures and videos later posted online showed dramatic and even bizarre scenes of flooding in the city, inclunding the capture of a crocodile in the floodwater. An extra video, which went viral, was one of a man kayaking in floodwater on one of the streets.
  • Sierra Leone Declares Seven-Day Mourning After Mudslide Tragedy

    SIERRA LEONE, 2017/08/18 Sierra Leone's government has declared seven days of mourning for victims of Monday's deadly flooding and mudslide tragedy. The country's national flag will fly at half-mast from today to Tuesday (Aug 16 - 22), the government said in a statement in which it as well called for a minute of silence at midday on Wednesday in honour of the 300 people who died in the capital Freetown. According to government figures, the death toll stands at 297 and includes 109 children, 83 women and 105 men. Data deputy minister Cornelius Deveaux said the figure is based on a body count at the city's major morgue at Connaught hospital.
  • "Deaths and devastation" in Sierra Leone mudslide saddens UN chief

    SIERRA LEONE, 2017/08/15 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was "saddened" on Monday by the mudslide and flooding in and near Freetown, Sierra Leone, where officials say at least 300 people have died and at least 2,000 people left homeless. "The Secretary-General is saddened by the deaths and devastation caused by the mudslide and flooding in the town of Regent, Sierra Leone, and throughout Freetown," the capital, said Farhan Haq, Guterres' deputy spokesman. "The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the people and Government of Sierra Leone for the loss of life and destruction caused by this natural disaster."
  • Men and Women Farmers in Benin Are Responding Differently to Climate Change

    BENIN, 2017/07/17 As climate change brings with it increased extreme weather events, one of the pressing issues for Africa's farmers will be how to address these challenges. One dimension to be factored in is that men and women farmers are responding to the pressures differently. The Conversation Africa's Samantha Spooner asked Grace Villamor about her research on gender-specific responses by farmers in Benin. How are extreme weather events affecting farmers in Benin? Volatile climatic conditions and dwindling natural resources have been cited as the reason for persistent emigration from Benin to other West African nations.
  • Nigeria: 30 States Could Experience Flooding, Govt Warns

    NIGERIA, 2017/07/14 The Federal Government has commiserated with all Nigerians on the damage caused by recent floods across the country, particularly in Niger and Lagos States. The Minister of Water Resources, Suleiman Adamu, conveyed the government's sympathy at a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja. He said that about 30 states and over 100 local government areas, which had been categorised as high flood risk areas, could expect flooding this year.
  • Nigeria: 11 Die in Niger Flood Disaster

    NIGERIA, 2017/07/12 Eleven persons have been confirmed dead in a flood disaster caused by a five hours downpour in Suleja and part of Tafa local government areas of Niger National at the weekend even as a lot of were injured and as well property were destroyed . LEADERSHIP gathered that nine persons were killed by the flood at checheniya area of suleja, one killed at Kuspa area of same town while one other died at Ayin -Nassarrawa in Tafa local government area of the national. It was learnt that though the five hours rain submerged and destroyed houses and property respectively worth several millions of naira in Kaltuma and angwan Gwari in Suleja local government area of the national ,no life was lost in those areas.
  • Nigeria's Satellite Can't Detect Quelea Birds

    NIGERIA, 2016/09/17 The multi-billion naira satellite launched into the orbit by the federal government has no capacity to detect movement of thousands of red-billed quelea birds and locusts that travel thousands of miles to destroy crops in the country, Daily Trust has gathered. National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) said the Nigerian earth observation satellite is not meant to monitor birds and locusts. NASRDA's deputy director public communications, Dr Felix Ale told Daily Trust that the satellite could only feature bigger and larger objects of not less than 2.5meters, not smaller objects like quelea birds.
  • End all ivory sales worldwide

    AFRICA, 2016/08/25 Throughout my life, I have been an avid hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. I hunt quail, wild turkey, dove and other birds. I’ve been on safari in Africa a number of times to hunt Cape buffalo and other plains game. I hunt elk in the Rocky Mountains each year. In my native Texas, I fish the Gulf Coast’s bays for redfish and trout, and I fish Wyoming’s cool streams for freshwater trout.
  • More than 41 million in southern Africa face food insecurity

    AFRICA, 2016/06/17 An estimated 41 million people are food insecure with 21 million people requiring immediate assistance in Southern Africa, a regional economic bloc said on Wednesday, next a drought ravaged the region. The Southern African Development Community director for food, agriculture and natural resources, Margaret Nyirenda, said in a statement that a new statement as well showed that nearly 2.7 million children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
  • Smallholder farmers can overcome the negative effects of the climate change by using new varieties of seeds.

    AFRICA, 2016/06/04