Sustainability Matters in Africa | Africa Sustainability Matters

Economic Responsibility

Angola, Uganda Add Largest Hydropower Capacity In Africa

Brenda Mulunga - May 29, 2020

Social Responsibility

Kenya Posts Fastest Electrification Rate In Africa

Social Responsibility

Nigeria Now Has Largest Population Without Electricity Globally

Environmental Responsibility

Lake Turkana: A Lifeline In Danger Of Running Dry

ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITY

Economic Responsibility

Angola, Uganda Add Largest Hydropower Capacity In Africa

Brenda Mulunga - May 29, 2020

Angola last year added the largest capacity to its hydropower stock in Africa, followed by Uganda and Ethiopia. Angola...

Economic Responsibility

Why Vision 2030 Needs A Makeover

Edward Mungai - May 21, 2020

When Vision 2030 development blueprint was designed in 2008, I can bet the architects never anticipated an economic slowdown of the magnitude...

Revealed: 70pc Of Sub-Saharan African Countries Apply For World Bank Loans...

May 20, 2020

Kenya Gets $1bn World Bank Loan

May 20, 2020

Poor Human Capital Holds Back Growth Dividend

May 14, 2020

KenGen Partners With Private Investors To Develop Geothermal Energy

May 12, 2020

SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Social Responsibility

Kenya Posts Fastest Electrification Rate In Africa

Pamela Okutoyi - May 29, 2020

Kenya leads Africa in the pace at which it is electrifying its population through a mix of grid and off-grid power connections.

Social Responsibility

Nigeria Now Has Largest Population Without Electricity Globally

Vivian Kwame - May 28, 2020

Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have for the first time each replaced India as countries with the largest population without...

Coronavirus: Tanzania Records Biggest Population Slide Into Extreme Poverty

May 25, 2020

UN Admits Poverty Eradication By 2030 A Pipe Dream

May 22, 2020

This Female Artist Sees Beauty Where Others See Trash

May 14, 2020

Why Online Shopping Could Be Worsening Gas Emissions

May 13, 2020

Kenya, Uganda Plunged Into Nationwide Blackout

May 9, 2020

Mental Health In The Age Of Coronavirus

May 7, 2020

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBLITY

Environmental Responsibility

Lake Turkana: A Lifeline In Danger Of Running Dry

Edward Mungai - May 28, 2020

The World Bank recently took a swipe at the dispirited manner in which Kenya and Ethiopia are handling the risk of Lake...

Nairobi Slum Dumpsites Give Way To Beautiful Gardens

May 27, 2020

Uganda Leads Africa In Promoting Post-Pandemic Hydropower Projects

May 19, 2020

Namibia, Ghana, Kenya Lead Africa’s Green Energy Transition

May 18, 2020

Exclusive: Inside Kenya’s 95pc Green Energy Mix

May 15, 2020

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Why COVID-19 Offers A Chance to Transform UN Peacekeeping

External Source - June 1, 2020

Emissions From Destruction of Tropical Forests Largely Underestimated

External Source - June 1, 2020

‘Over 23 Million People Face Acute Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa’

External Source - June 1, 2020

Government To Ban Charcoal Use In Kigali

External Source - May 29, 2020

Africa Can Build Back Better After Covid-19

External Source - May 29, 2020

Hydropower Plants To Support Solar And Wind Energy In West Africa

External Source - May 29, 2020

Sip On This: Africa’s First ‘Green’ Coffee Hits The Shelves

External Source - May 29, 2020

Children’s Day 2020: Examining the Impact of Sustainability Programs on Child Welfare Outcomes

External Source - May 28, 2020

Marine Microplastic Pollution Is Worse Than We Thought

External Source - May 28, 2020

Good Health Is An Environmental Right

External Source - May 28, 2020

Non-Recyclable Waste Is A Commodity: It’s Feed To Generate Electricity

External Source - May 28, 2020

Collapse Of Africa’s Tourism Industry Hits Rural Communities And Wildlife Hard

External Source - May 27, 2020

DON'T MISS

Why COVID-19 Offers A Chance to Transform UN Peacekeeping

External Source - June 1, 2020

Emissions From Destruction of Tropical Forests Largely Underestimated

External Source - June 1, 2020

‘Over 23 Million People Face Acute Poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa’

External Source - June 1, 2020

COVID 19 TRACK CASES IN THE WORLD

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Tobacco products kill more than 8 million people e

Tobacco products kill more than 8 million people every year. Tobacco and related industries must continuously find new consumers to replace the ones that their products are killing to maintain revenue. Learn more on: https://buff.ly/2TTubvL #WorldNoTobaccoDay #TobaccoExpossed

The World Bank has approved release of $1 billion

The World Bank has approved release of $1 billion loan towards meeting Kenya’s budget shortfalls as the country battles multiple crises – Covid-19, desert locust invasion and floods.⠀
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The global lender said the budget support financing will help Kenya close its fiscal financing gap, while supporting government’s projects for inclusive growth agenda, including affordable housing and support to farmers’ incomes.⠀
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The $1 billion concessionary line of credit comprises a $750 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA) and $250 million from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).⠀
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The IDA tranche has an interest rate of 1.35 percent while the IBRD loan attracts a two percent repayment rate. They both have a five-year grace period and a 30-year maturity. The loan split is tailored for a country such as Kenya classified as lower middle-income blend economy.⠀
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“The World Bank board has given full approval to Kenya’s Development Policy Operation (DPO) of $1billion. This is the largest DPO we’ve ever received. The fact that World Bank does not provide budget support to countries with weak macro-framework is a testimony of the confidence levels of the bank in our new policy reforms,” Kenya’s Treasury secretary Ukur Yatani said in a tweet.⠀
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The World Bank projects Kenya’s economy growth to slow down to 1.5 percent in 2020 in the best case scenario and to contract by one percent in the worst scenario. The Covid-19 crisis has shaken Kenya’s key pillars of forex inflows with sharp drops experienced in tourism receipts, horticultural exports and remittances while the curfew and restricted movements have put activity on ice.⠀
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“This line of financing should help provide some breathing space, by offering fiscal buffers over the medium term and crowding in private investment,” World Bank country director for Kenya, Felipe Jaramillo said at a virtual press briefing.⠀
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Concerns have been mounting that Kenya is nearing debt distress levels, after accumulating debt loads faster in recent years to upgrade its infrastructure.

Creative Waste Network ♻️ Perpetual Wanjiku is

Creative Waste Network ♻️ Perpetual Wanjiku is on a mission to transform old objects into art masterpieces through waste recycling, upcycling and reusing.⠀
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Together with her five friends, the 22-year old is promoting a circular economy through their Nairobi-based social enterprise – Creative Waste Network. For instance, they have previously repurposed used soft drink cans into Christmas trees, turned old newspapers and old cartons into beautiful flower vases and made jewelry (earrings and bracelets) from plastic bottles.⠀
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Waste disposal is a menace around Nairobi and the group’s mission is to promote social and environmental responsibility.⠀
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Find the full interview on our website: https://buff.ly/3e2EQMZ⠀
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#Upcycling #Sustainability #Innovation #Recycling #CircularEconomy

Kenya and Uganda were early Saturday morning throw

Kenya and Uganda were early Saturday morning thrown into nationwide blackout even as their utility companies scrambled to troubleshoot the hitches.⠀ (Swipe right for statements) 👉🏿
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The two neighbouring countries have an interconnector power line, mostly for hydropower imports from Uganda. Besides the Uganda imports mostly to serve western part of the country, Kenya relies on geothermal, hydropower, wind and solar energy as well as a bit of heavy fuel-generated thermal power.⠀
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Hospitals, which are under pressure from coronavirus case loads, have switched to use of standby generators that come on during supply cut-offs.⠀
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In January 2018, the two East African nations suffered a similar widespread power outage and after supply hitch, sending businesses and households reeling from losses.⠀
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After troubleshooting the faults, black start generators are expected to be fired up, paving the way for restoration of national power supply.

Kenyan Scenery 🇰🇪 A hauntingly beautiful eng

Kenyan Scenery 🇰🇪 A hauntingly beautiful engineering marvel, Lake Turkana wind farm, northern Kenya.

Frame 3 shows :The power line transporting harvested Turkana wind power through the wilderness to load centres.

#LakeTurkana #windpower #renewableenergy

Happy labor day. Today we celebrate every hard wor

Happy labor day. Today we celebrate every hard working individual doing their part to better themselves and sustain our world economies. To our essential workers in this time of crisis we say, thank you for your continued service. #Laborday2020 #Happylaborday

Believe it or not, most drugs available today are

Believe it or not, most drugs available today are derived from natural sources. For example, Penicillin was identified from common bread mold and aspirin from the willow tree. ⠀
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There is a sponge found in Manado Bay, Indonesia, that produces a chemical found to inhibit the growth of and kill cancer cells in mice. The molecule, called manzamine A, stopped the growth of cervical cancer cells in mice and even caused some cells to die – but only the cancerous cells. It had no ill effect on healthy cells.⠀
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The researchers that made this discovery had previously identified other sponge-derived compounds effective against melanoma as well as prostate and pancreatic cancers. ⠀
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Mark T. Hamann, one of the scientists involved in the study, said:'' This is a highly exciting new application for a molecule that has earlier shown significant potential for the control of malaria and has good drug-like properties. Natural products have led to the development of most of our antibiotics and anti-cancer therapies and many controls for pain.''⠀
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The discovery is far from a clinical drug, but it powerfully highlights the importance of ocean preservation. If we destroy marine ecosystems, then we are eliminating much of the natural world’s supply of potentially life-saving compounds.⠀
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Ideally, the sponges would be farmed in their natural habitat. But for that to be possible, the environment has to be hospitable. Projections show that one-third of our global species diversity will be lost due to climate change if measures aren’t taken to keep temperatures from rising.⠀
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#COVID19 #cancer #Clinicaldrugs #Science

Story By: Africa Sustainability Matters⠀ ⠀ Dat

Story By: Africa Sustainability Matters⠀
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Data compiled by London-based insurance firm Aon indicates that a total of 409 natural catastrophes hit the world in 2019, resulting in huge losses.⠀
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“As the planet’s surface has warmed, it has triggered changes in weather and climate that have caused an increase in events including cyclones, droughts and wildfires,” said Steve Bowen, director and meteorologist at Aon’s impact forecasting team.⠀
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In 2019, which was the second-warmest year on record for land and ocean temperatures since the year 1851, six of the top 10 costliest disasters were flood-related. Inland flooding emerged the costliest individual peril leaving in its wake an $82 billion loss, followed by tropical cyclone at $68 billion.⠀
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About 10,000 people lost their lives last year to weather-related natural disasters.⠀
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Scientific research indicates that the effects of climate change could get worse in coming years even as the world scrambles to contain greenhouse gas emissions, the chief culprit.⠀
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In Africa, Mozambique’s cyclone Idai displaced two million people– emerging as the biggest global humanitarian crisis of 2019, with Japan’s cyclones – Hagibis and Faxai – following closely, having inflicted an economic carnage of $15 billion.⠀
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“As climate change continues to affect the frequency and intensity of weather events, and as demographic patterns shift around the world, the impact of natural disasters – including financial costs – will only increase. Building resilience and properly planned disaster mitigation efforts are therefore critical,” Aon says.⠀
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Out of last year’s $232 billion economic damage arising from harsh weather conditions, only $71 billion was covered by insurance. This left a global protection gap of $161 billion (the difference between the total economic losses and what is covered by insurers).⠀
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#ClimateCrisis #ClimateChange #Weather #NaturalDisasters #ClimateAction

Protect yourself & others, and reduce your risk of

Protect yourself & others, and reduce your risk of #COVID19 infection:⠀ ⠀
Wash your 🖐🏼 with Soap and running water when hands are visibly dirty.⠀ If your hands are not visibly dirty, wash them with Soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleanser. Avoid crowed places and stay 🏡 if you can. ⠀ ⠀
#TogetherAtHome #StaySafe

We have the wrap up on sustainability news from Af

We have the wrap up on sustainability news from Africa 🌍 and the world. Catch up with new highlights and trends on today's newsletter: https://buff.ly/2XUCxpN⠀
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📍 You can subscribe and never miss an issue on : www.africasustainabilitymatters.com

Story by Sumaya Noor (ASM)⠀ ⠀ With schools clo

Story by Sumaya Noor (ASM)⠀
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With schools closed and families cooped up at home as a result of the pandemic, children in Nairobi slums appear outclassed by their middle class counterparts in homeschooling.⠀
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While pupils from well-off households are taking virtual classes remotely from the comfort of their study rooms at home, those in informal settlements are cut off from home internet access. Also, study space is a luxury.⠀
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Besides their single-room shacks lacking a fixed internet connection, most slum households either lack or possess feature phones that cannot go online. Yet according to Internet World Stats, Kenya takes the lead in Africa in internet penetration at 87.2 percent, mostly driven by the country’s high level of smartphones adoption.⠀
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At face value, Kenya’s deep penetration rate may suggest that nearly all citizens in the country use the internet, with only 12.8 percent of the population still unplugged. The stark reality is that the access is unevenly spread among the population.⠀
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While each family member of middle class homes boasts more than two smartphones, a laptop, and a home and office connection, on the other end of the spectrum are poor households that can hardly afford one internet gadget. This highlights the disproportionate distribution, effectively putting slum dwellers on the back foot in homeschooling.⠀
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It’s particularly harrowing for pupils in Grade Four and below, who are the first cohorts of the new Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), since their lessons need an internet connection. The new curriculum aims to impart learners with practical skills applicable in the modern-day job market where technology is at the centre of operations. It’s set to replace the 8-4-4 system that has been faulted for being too theoretical and exam-oriented.⠀
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“My phone is a feature phone, so I cannot access the online resources to assist my Grade One son in his study. I simply can’t afford it,” Emily Akinyi, a resident of Kibera slum on the outskirts of the capital, said outside her mud-walled shack, hapless. Sounding almost resigned to her fate, her moist eyes widened, then narrowed.⠀
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---(Continues on our website) Link In Bio

Happy Easter holidays fro us to you. #HappyEaster2

Happy Easter holidays fro us to you. #HappyEaster2020

All images Credit: Luis Tato/AFP/ @Getty Images⠀

All images Credit: Luis Tato/AFP/ @Getty Images⠀
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This factory in Kitui is putting in an all-out effort to make 30,000 surgical masks a day in a country (Kenya) that barely produced any before.⠀
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Story By @washingtonpost Post⠀
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KITUI, Kenya — A week ago, Josephine Wambua spent her days stitching gardening clothes. This week, the factory where she works transformed into an all-out effort to make 30,000 surgical masks a day in a country that barely produced any before.⠀
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“To sit here and do something that is useful to the world is a dream,” said Wambua, 24, who never went to school. “I never thought I would be part of something that has the potential of saving millions from dying.”⠀
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The factory’s shift in production reflects a dire need for even the most basic protective equipment here. Like Kenya, most African countries have little experience manufacturing medical supplies, instead relying on imports from China and foreign aid.⠀ Nearly 400 stitchers work in the factory, and 80 percent are women, most of whom never got a formal education. They once made all sorts of uniforms, and even embroidered sets of place mats and napkins, but now all their effort is focused on surgical masks that match the high industry standards for N95 respirators. They were retrained in just a week.
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Full story on The Washington Post website: https://buff.ly/2USJLZl

#COVID19 #coronavirus #Kenya #Health #Facemasks

The World Bank has rated Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana an

The World Bank has rated Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mozambique’s labour pool in hydropower as most qualified on the continent.⠀
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In a new report on operation and maintenance strategies for hydropower, the Bank gives special attention to the four African nations for their home-grown proficient skillset.⠀
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“Countries such as Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Mozambique, and Pakistan have developed the necessary education and skills and created local workforces with experience in hydropower O&M (operation and maintenance) that are trained and ready to be hired by an owner, concessionaire, or operator,” said the World Bank in the report.⠀
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“The level of hydropower development, as well as the ability to develop robust curriculums on hydropower, are key determinants in the availability of skilled O&M staff on the local labor market.”⠀
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(Story Continued on our website)⠀
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#Sustainability #RenewableEnergy #Kenya ⠀
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Find more on our website : www.africasustainabilitymatters.com

Hey, we hope you are doing your best to stay safe

Hey, we hope you are doing your best to stay safe during this period. Stalk up on what is essential (do not hoard) waah your hands and stay home as much as possible. 😊

#Repost @emungai_m
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Now that the children are home, let's take care of them and sensitise them about the Corona virus. Learn more: edwardmungai.com

Covid-19: Kenya’s biggest telecom firm @Safarico

Covid-19: Kenya’s biggest telecom firm @SafaricomPLC removed fees on M-Pesa mobile money transfers under $10 (Sh1,000) to encourage cashless transactions. @TelkomKenya has also introduced this to its TKash platform for transactions below Ksh 1,000. #CoronavirusOubreak

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