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Thursday, September 10, 2026
News and Views from the Global South
Combating Desertification and Drought
ENVIRONMENT-LATAM: Ethical Development to Cool Off the Planet
Brazilian Environment Minister Marina Silva suggested an ethically and politically sustainable development model at a conference in this southeastern Brazilian city that has brought together national and international authorities and experts, business leaders and researchers to discuss solutions to fight climate change in the region.
ENVIRONMENT: Scramble for Resources Driving Sudan Conflicts
A U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP) report released here this week emphasises strong linkages between environmental stresses and the ongoing conflict in Sudan.Q&A: "The Involvement of the Government Is Still Mixed"
Some cause for optimism, but several reasons for concern...That's the message from Amadou Wassouni as regards efforts to address desertification in Cameroon.ENVIRONMENT: Parliaments Said to be "Weak" in Fighting Desertification
Legislatures have been taken to task over their track record in addressing desertification, this at the eighth session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (COP8), currently underway in the Spanish capital, Madrid.ENVIRONMENT: Warming May Trigger Agricultural Collapse
India could lose up to 40 percent of its agricultural output because of global warming even as it becomes the world's most populous country, warns a new study.ENVIRONMENT-COTE D’IVOIRE: Soya By Way of War
When the failed coup of September 2002 led to a prolonged period of isolation for northern Côte d'Ivoire, farmers in this rebel-held region counted the cost.ENVIRONMENT: Sands Running Out for UN Desertification Treaty
Concrete, firm and effective steps need to be taken by governments at the Eighth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, inaugurated in Spain’s capital Monday by the prince and princess of Asturias.HEALTH-GHANA: Boreholes That Proved a Lifeline Have Come at a Cost
Ask people to list the causes of tooth discolouration and they may mention tobacco chewing, or one too many cups of coffee a day. Pose the question in Ghana's northern Nayorigo village, however, and someone might answer: desertification.
ARGENTINA: From Wetlands to Desert, But No One Listening Upstream
The western portion of the Argentine province of La Pampa was a veritable oasis 50 years ago, with natural vegetation, thriving crops and abundant livestock. But the arbitrary management of the Atuel river upstream in the neighbouring province of Mendoza has transformed what were once wetlands and fertile farmland into a desert.BURUNDI: Population Growth and Poor Farming Methods Weigh on the Land
In Busoni, northern Burundi, the Mbarushimana clan is receiving a hard lesson in the limits of natural resources. Three sons, and other relatives, are trying to survive on land inherited from their father, amidst doubts that the small property is up to the task of supporting them.Q&A: A Hope "To Link the Efforts of all the Actors" in Fighting Desertification
Desertification poses a severe threat in the West African state of Mauritania, and Mohamed Yahya Lafdal is on the front lines of fighting the scourge.ENVIRONMENT-COTE D’IVOIRE: Acacias Come to the Service of Mangroves
Mangroves, it could be said, have perfected the art of multi-tasking. Found along tropical coastlines, these trees and shrubs may prevent soil erosion, while their roots create breeding places for various marine species. So, when a particular mangrove forest is shown to have been reduced by two thirds in less than 20 years, there is major cause for concern.WEST AFRICA: Stock Farmers Migrate From Difficulties, To Difficulties
No more grass for livestock to graze on. No more water, either. More than 50 stock animals dead. For farmer Samba Diallo, staying in Burkina Faso was no longer an option.DEVELOPMENT-BURKINA FASO: A Province Too Popular For Its Own Good
Kompienga, in eastern Burkina Faso, is the country's most verdant province - but for how long?
EGYPT: Desert Reclamation the Country’s Best Hope – Or a Mirage?
"You can grow anything here," says 76-year-old Mohamed Ahmed, spreading his arms wide to point to the cascading bougainvilleas and an orchard of mango trees drooping with fruit. But, "When I first came here, there was nothing here but sand and more sand."
SOUTHERN AFRICA: Unequal Water Resources Present a Challenge
Water resources are unevenly distributed throughout the countries of Southern Africa. The region boasts of some of the world’s largest lakes and rivers, but is also a land of vast deserts.ENVIRONMENT-NIGERIA: Rich in Oil, Dependent on Firewood
It is a paradox of note: the fact that while Nigerians live in the world's sixth-largest oil producer, most of them still rely on wood for their fuel.
HAITI: A Land Crumbling Beneath Their Feet
Dardy Saint-Jean gazes at the rock-strewn river coursing through his village and shakes his head in disgust.
DEVELOPMENT-WEST AFRICA: History Just Waiting to Repeat Itself
Two years ago, several West African states found themselves in the grip of severe food shortages - with some three million people affected in Niger alone. Children died, aid officials wrung their hands, people marched in Niger's capital, Niamey, to demand food...But were lessons learned - really learned - to ensure that the crisis does not recur?
ENVIRONMENT: Replanting the Planet
In reviewing the literature on soil erosion, references to the "loss of protective vegetation" occur again and again. Over the last half-century, we have removed so much of that protective cover by clearcutting, overgrazing, and overplowing that we are fast losing soil accumulated over long stretches of geological time.ENVIRONMENT-COTE D’IVOIRE: The Knock-on Effect of Disappearing Forests
Sogbéné Soro claims to be able to treat a variety of ailments: leprosy, diarrhea and ringworm to name a few. But, this traditional healer is finding it increasingly difficult to ply his trade. "I am faced with a shortage of certain plant species that have medicinal properties," he told IPS.« Previous Page — Next Page »
Today, some two billion people depend on ecosystems in dryland areas, with 90 percent of them living in developing countries. But the pace of arable land degradation is accelerating – now estimated at 35 times the historical rate -- impacting biodiversity, availability of clean water and food security, as well as exposing vulnerable communities to the harsh impacts of climate change. As the only legally binding international agreement linking environment and development to sustainable land management, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) works to improve the living conditions of people in the drylands. IPS looks at local solutions being implemented around the world, from restoring soil productivity and mitigating the effects of drought, to projects that empower communities to manage their dryland resources more effectively.
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