Sophie Mbugua

How have religion, colonialism, and education affected Barotse Floodplain conservation?

"After colonialism, religion depicted that we "Africans" lived in a satanic manner," argues Florence Monde Mwauluka the Limulunga la Makuwa craft… Read More

1 year ago

Barotseland: where women protecting the floodplain has nothing to show financially.

Barotseland Zambia: The Barotse floodplain is a vast land area classified as a Ramsar site, with over 300 bird species… Read More

1 year ago

Is there a solution to the persisting water crisis in Zimbabwe?

Zimbabwe: Is there a solution to the persisting water crisis in Zimbabwe? I ask Professor Tamuka Nhiwatiwa, a Senior Lecturer… Read More

1 year ago

How African spiritualism has helped conserve Zambia’s Barotse floodplain

Mongu, Western Zambia: According to African eco-spiritualism, the human being is a steward, not a master of the earth. As… Read More

2 years ago

The Barotse floodplain: it’s importance threats and solutions.

Western Zambia: Did you know that the Barotse floodplain, located in Zambia's western province's upper Zambezi basin, is home to… Read More

2 years ago

Why Zambia’s key water resources face an eminent threat.

Lusaka Zambia: Zambia has a proactive 2015 Forest Act that brings together stakeholders, including local people, to manage and conserve… Read More

2 years ago

Can the world solve the climate crisis without tackling degradation?

Nairobi Kenya: World leaders gathered in Stockholm, Sweden, 50 years ago, and remarked that man is both a creature and… Read More

2 years ago

Wool spinning means more birds and money in Kenya.

Njambini Kenya: Long before people began farming, many bird species adapted to exist in open environments such as grasslands. In… Read More

2 years ago

Kinangop Grasslands Kenya: A birds paradise now lost to farming

Njambini Kenya: The Kinangop Plateau is located about an hour and a half's drive from Nairobi, Kenya's capital city. It… Read More

2 years ago

How a Kenyan community is saving one tree at a time.

Limuru Kenya: The Kereita forest in Kenya is a crucial water catchment area and home to the endangered Abbott's Starling bird as well as threatened tree species such as Prunus africana, which is threatened for its medicinal value. The Kikuyu Escarpment Forest is made up of eight blocks, one of which being Kereita Forest. The escarpment is part of the southern Aberdare or Nyandarua Mountains, an isolated volcanic range that forms the Great Rift Valley's easternmost border. Kereita Forest covers an area of 4,722 hectares. 80% of the trees here are indigenous, with the remaining 20% being planted. This forest's rivers and streams flow into the Athi River downstream, making it a major water catchment area.The Athi River is Kenya's second-longest river. Why is biodiversity important not just for wild creatures but also for human survival? In the 1970s, the local people raided the forest for firewood to stay warm during the cold weather. Deforestation peaked in the early 1990s, according to Mary Wambui, a 60-year-old mother of five who lives approximately two kilometres from Kereita forest. Kenyan officials prohibited access to the forest. However, local women would still sneak into the forest on a daily basis because wood was the sole source of heat for their families. At the same time, a group of young locals dedicated to defend Kereita Forest formed. They began educating the villagers about alternative energy sources such as biogas and fuel-efficient stoves. The group urged them to plant trees on their fields and to experiment with novel farming and culinary ways in order to protect the forest and its resources. How have conservation efforts aided in the preservation of this Kenyan forest? Read More

2 years ago

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