Archive: Ecosystems


News & Analysis

We’re creating more plastic than ever before and it’s worsening air, land and water pollution. The world threw away more than twice as much plastic in 2019 as in 2000, with less than 10% now being recycled while 19% is incinerated and about half goes to landfill, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and […]

News & Analysis Different variations of chocolate.

Climate change affects all aspects of life including guilty pleasures like chocolate, which gets more expensive as cocoa yields decrease.

News & Analysis

The ongoing effects of climate change may cause rhinos to go extinct unless adaptation measures are implemented, according to new research.

Explainer Photo of parched landscape with sparse vegetation. Gully erosion, the most common form of soil erosion, has formed channels in the land

Soil erosion is a serious environmental problem in South Africa, affecting both land and water resources.

Explainer Photograph of a river where the water has an orange/red colour because of high iron content

The link between coal, gas and water pollution is clear, but the extraction and use of fossil fuels affect ecosystems in many less obvious ways as well.

Explainer Single story houses and trees in a rural South African community

Rural development is vital for South Africa’s sustainable economic future. The farming sector is perhaps the most important, as food security and poverty reduction depend on it.

Explainer

“There are no jobs on a dead planet!” goes the old slogan. Environmental degradation is a serious risk to economic growth.

Explainer Aerial photo showing the houses and mountains of coastal Cape Town

Climate change risks life as we know it, but bold and inclusive solutions can help build a safer and fairer world.

Explainer Dry, cracked soil due to drought

A drought refers to a period of time when an area experiences lower-than-average precipitation. South Africa faces an increasing risk from drought due to climate change.

Explainer Photograph of tree showing branches with green leaves and a thick network of roots. Sunlight coming through the branches.

Biosphere reserves are dedicated areas of ecological protection that promote solutions for sustainable development and human well-being.

Explainer Aerial view of crops being harvested by machine

Farming is a thriving, robust and diverse sector in South Africa, consisting of both commercial and subsistence farms.

Explainer Landscape of low clouds on mountaintops in the Karoo region

There is no fracking in South Africa at the moment. This is due to a court ruling overturning the government’s fracking regulations brought by activists.