Category: Nature

Nature

VIDEO: UN fears unprecedented locust swarms in East Africa may spread

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date January 25, 2020

UN fears unprecedented locust swarms in East Africa may multiply, spread

VIDEO: UN fears unprecedented locust swarms in East Africa may multiply

The United Nations has expressed concern and called for international help over historical locust swarms in the deserts of East African countries of Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia.

A spokesman for the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), called for aid to “avert any threats to food security, livelihoods, malnutrition”.

Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia are all struggling with “unprecedented” and “devastating” swarms of the food-devouring insects, the FAO has said.

https://www.bbc.com/news/av/embed/p0818szr/51234135

The agency fears locust numbers could grow 500 times by June.

Ethiopia and Somalia have not faced an infestation on this scale for 25 years, while Kenya has not seen a locust threat this size for 70 years, the FAO said earlier this week. South Sudan and Uganda are also at risk if the swarms continue to grow and spread.

“The speed of the pests’ spread and the size of the infestations are so far beyond the norm that they have stretched the capacities of local and national authorities to the limit,” the FAO said.

The only option left was “aerial control” – spraying insecticide from aircraft.

The swarms have spread from Yemen across the Red Sea. Heavy rainfall at the end of 2019 created ideal conditions for the food-devouring insects to flourish.

And the problem could get worse as the year goes on. Aside from growing numbers in east Africa, locusts have also been breeding in India, Iran and Pakistan, which could turn into swarms in the spring.

Locusts can travel up to 150 kilometres (93 miles) in a day. Each adult insect can eat its own weight in food each day.

A swarm the size of Paris could eat the same amount of food as half the population of France in a single day, an FAO fact sheet says.

In November, the UN warned about the locust infestation in Ethiopia – saying that the creatures could spread into Ethiopia and Kenya if not dealt with. Some farmers in Ethiopia’s Amhara region lost 100% of their crops.

Last month a locust swarm forced a passenger plane off course in Ethiopia. Insects smashed into the engines, windshield and nose, forcing the aircraft to land in Addis Ababa. (With BBC report)

Tags locust

Nature

World’s oldest rhino dies in Ngorongoro, Tanzania, aged 57

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date December 29, 2019

World’s oldest rhino, dies aged 57 in Ngorongoro, Tanzania

Authorities in Ngorongoro wild conservation area in Tanzania have said a rhino named Fausta, believed to be the oldest in the world has died at the age of 57.

The black female rhino died of ‘natural causes’ on December 27th in a sanctuary after living most of her life in wild, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority said in a statement on Saturday.

“Records show that Fausta lived longer than any rhino in the world and survived in the Ngorongoro, free-ranging, for more than 54 years” before she was moved to a sanctuary in 2016, said the statement.

“Fausta was first located in the Ngorongoro crater in 1965 by a scientist from the University of Dar Es Salaam, at the age between three and four years,” it added.

“Her health begun to deteriorate in 2016, when we were forced to put the animal in captivity, after several attacks from hyena and severe wounds thereafter.”

Sana, a female southern white rhino, aged 55, was considered the world’s oldest white rhino when she died in captivity at the La Planete Sauvage Zoological park in France, in 2017.

Ngorongoro estimates the life expectancy of rhinos to be between 37 and 43 years in the wild, while they can live to older than 50 in captivity.

Tags Ngorongoro

Nigeria’s President, Buhari is 77 years old—official

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date December 17, 2019

Nigeria’s President, Buhari is 77 years old—official

Official sources have confirmed that Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari turned 77 years on Tuesday. “He was born on 17 December 1942”, official reports noted.

ALSO READ: Like Obasanjo, Buhari doesn’t know his real age

Although two years ago, Buhari said he was not sure of his age, Governors of northern states on Tuesday congratulated Buhari.

The Forum in a congratulatory message by its Chairman and Governor of Plateau, Simon Lalong, said “President Buhari had demonstrated unparalleled leadership skills, patriotism, integrity and courage in bringing change to Nigeria.”

Buhari said he was not sure about his date of birth. It is the same with Nigeria’s former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

When Nigeria’s Minister for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) paid Buhari a Christmas visit same period in 2017, the President made some confusing and controversial statement about his real age: “I am thinking I am 75. I thought I was 74 but I was told I am 75.

At Obasanjo’s 80th birthday in March, he confessed that he did not know his true age. Obasanjo said his illiterate mother only told him that he was born on an Ifo market day.

However, the two leaders who had held important public positions before they became presidents at different times submitted or attested to a birthday certificate, which, according to their testimonies now, are all false.

He said the quest to know his actual date of birth took him to an astrologer in India, and that even though he could not achieve his aim, the man told him that he would live long.

“I do not know the date of my birth, when I started school, we were asked to give our date of birth. I used to ask my mother, and she would say ‘You were born on Ifo Market Day’,” he said.

“All my mother, an illiterate woman, could remember was that it was an Ifo Market Day and before the people who went to the market returned, she had fallen into labour and I was delivered.”

Obasanjo said since he could not tell his age, he decided to choose a date after considering the age of his peers.

“I’ decided to choose a date. At least if I don’t the exact date of my birth, I know my age group,” he said

On Tuesday, the Northern Governors Forum (NGF) said: “The revival of the economy, industries, railways, agriculture and other sectors by the “Change Government” under your leadership has brought back confidence to the nation.

“You are putting the economy on the path of productivity and self sufficiency,” Mr Lalong said in a statement by his Director of Press and Public Affairs, Simon Macham.

He said that the future of Nigeria is secured with the honest and transparent leadership of President Buhari.

The forum said Mr Buhari’s achievements in the fight against corruption meant that the world would continue to give the country its rightful place in the comity of nations

It assured the president of renewed loyalty and cooperation of Northern governors to his administration, assuring him of their prayers, support and goodwill as he leads the nation to the next level.

The governors wished the president long life, good health, God’s protection and wisdom. (NAN)

Tags buhari

Nature Uncategorized

March Cyclone: Extreme Food Shortage in Mozambique

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date November 4, 2019

March Cyclone: Extreme Food Shortage in Mozambique

About 3,000 people in Dombe, central Mozambique, are dealing with extreme food shortages after crops were ruined by Cyclone Idai in March.

Local official Tomas Razao said some people were surviving on wild roots and seasonal fruits.

The cyclone followed a period of drought, which created tough weather conditions for crops to grow in.

Any crops that did manage to flourish – like grain and vegetables – were then destroyed by the cyclone.

Mr Razao said government intervention was urgently needed to alleviate suffering.

He said one potential solution was producing crops which are more tolerant of droughts. Several of these have already been planted in low-lying areas on the banks of the main rivers in Dombe and have begun to bring in some harvests. (BBC)

Tags mozambique

Nature

3 African countries named among world top 10 tourist destinations

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date October 22, 2019

Lonely Planet says that Morocco is having a moment, with time-honoured attractions complemented by sustainable-yet-stylish lodging.

3 African countries named among world top 10 tourist destinations

Three African countries: Eswatini (Swaziland), Liberia and Morocco have been named by the Lonely Planet as the world 10 top tourist destinations for the year 2020.

Lonely Planet produces a series of popular guide books.

Liberia did not expect to be among the ten top tourist destinations in world, second in Africa. But a respected travel advice company, Lonely Planet, has said Liberia, West of Africa is uppermost when you think about the best-known places for tourism on the continent.

In ascending order, Lonely Planet listed world best tourist destinations for 2020:

Bhutan. “The pay-off for visitors is a chance to walk along mountain trails unsullied by litter, in the company of people whose Buddhist beliefs put them uniquely in tune with their environment. Bhutan punches well above its weight when it comes to sustainability”
England. “Taking a bracing walk on a windswept pier, eating delicious fish and chips, searching for marine life in rockpools, finding fossils in ancient cliffs, building sandcastles and dolphin-spotting on picturesque beaches are just some of the activities offered by the English seaside”.
North Macedonia. “‘Best of’ travel lists brim with anniversaries and airport openings. Rare is the opportunity to celebrate the rebranding of a country. Such is the case for North Macedonia – a place most known simply as Macedonia – which claimed a fresh moniker after decades of political debate with bordering Greece”.
Aruba. “In Aruba’s south, the cultural hub of San Nicolas, known as Sunrise City, is relishing a colourful and creative revival, with international and local artists adorning street walls and pop-up carnival experiences extending the happy vibes beyond the annual festivities. Equally important and worth celebrating are the country’s ambitious sustainability efforts”.
Eswatini (Swaziland). “Petite, pleasant and packed with culture, adventure and legendary wildlife, the newly named Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) is one of Southern Africa’s most underrated (and least visited) destinations”.
Costa Rica. “Costa Rica flies the flag for sustainable tourism. This small country’s vast biodiversity attracts visitors keen to spot sleepy sloths in trees, red-eyed frogs paralysing their predators, and whales in the Pacific”.
The Netherlands. “Vibrant Amsterdam always deserves a visit, but by making use of the excellent train network you can explore a host of celebrations in stunning cities and get more bang for your euros. April and May are the months to visit, as you can take in King’s Day, Liberation Day and the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be hosted in the country this year”.
Liberia. “For most outsiders Liberia is a bit of a mystery”, but goes on to say: There are idyllic beaches, washed by some of West Africa’s best surf at low-key resorts such as Robertsport. Then there’s Sapo National Park, the second-largest area of primary rainforest in West Africa. In these dense forests, you stand a chance of running into chimpanzees, forest elephants and Liberia’s famous pygmy hippos – no larger than a Shetland pony.”
Morocco. “Morocco is having a moment, with time-honoured attractions complemented by sustainable-yet-stylish lodging, restaurants serving up seasonal produce and coastal wellness retreats mixing up yoga and surfing. And thanks to improved infrastructure it’s easier to get around by road, while Africa’s first high-speed train means that you can zip from Casablanca to Tangier in just two hours”.
Uruguay. “With 660km of Río de la Plata and Atlantic shoreline, a burgeoning wine industry, bubbling hot springs and endless rolling rangelands where South America’s grandeur feels seductively tangible, Uruguay has something for everyone. The country has also proudly championed a progressive social agenda in recent years – from marijuana legalisation and the open embrace of LGBTQ+ rights to the promotion of sustainable tourism”.

Liberia’s case is remarkable turnaround for a country that was cut off from visitors during the Ebola outbreak that ended in 2016.

Lonely Planet called Eswatini “one of Southern Africa’s most underrated destinations” and Morocco has “time-honoured attractions complemented by sustainable-yet-stylish lodging”.

Tags tourist

Nature

Nigeria, Congo, Namibia, others make pledges towards Climate Change

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date September 24, 2019

climate change 2019

Nigeria, Congo, Namibia, others make pledges towards Climate Change

Presidents of African countries have made various pledges at the United Nations Climate Action Summit towards the reduce emissions and to invest in renewable energy sources.

Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, in his speech, said his administration would develop robust action plans to counter climate change, including diversifying its energy sources, Premium Times reports.

The West African nation is the continent’s leading oil producer.

“We will mobilise Nigerian youths towards planting 25 million trees to enhance Nigeria’s carbon sink,” he added.

The president also spoke of the Great Great Wall project, which involves 11 countries planting a wall of trees from east to west across Africa, just under the southern edge of the Sahara desert.

“In addition, our administration intends to develop a shelter-belt across 11 states of the federation spanning a distance of 1,500km [932 miles] and 15km across through the Great Green Wall initiative,” he said.

President Félix Tshisekedi said the Democratic Republic of Congo would ensure that 63% of the country, home to the world’s second-largest rainforest, would remain under forest cover.

The Congolese leader also pledged to reduce emissions by 17% by 2030.

President Hage Geingob of Namibia called for more attention to be given to protect oceans from global warming, saying one of the southern African nation’s commitments was to spend $5m (£4m) over the next year on research.

“This includes $2.3m to facilitate research on oceans, especially on fisheries stocks and the marine ecosystem, and a further $2.7m to intensify the fight against illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing, and improve ocean governance,” the Namibian newspaper quoted the president as saying.

Tags Climate Change

Nature

Kenya’s Hell Gate Flood: Six bodies recovered–KWS

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date September 2, 2019

Emergency exit signs were put up in the gorge after a similar flood in 2012. Credit/BBC

Kenya’s Hell Gate Flood: Six bodies recovered–KWS

Six bodies have been recovered from Hell’s Gate National Park in Kenya after flash floods on Sunday, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) says.

One tourist is still missing and the search and rescue operation continues, it said.

According to the KWS, the tour group was made up of a local tourist guide and six tourists – five Kenyans and one foreigner.

The agency explained that tourists were usually always accompanied by guides who were trained to detect storm water flowing downstream towards the gorge.

“Experienced guides… are able to alert tourists of impending emergencies and direct them to exit points,” the KWS tweeted.

“Since the last similar tragedy in 2012, we have created clearly marked emergency exists along the whole gorge as escape routes in case of danger like the flash floods,” it said.

The park in Naivasha, which is about 100km (60 miles) north-west of the capital Nairobi and inspired the hit Disney animation film The Lion King, has been closed as a search and rescue operation continues. (BBC)

Tags Flood

Nature

Tunisian President, Essebsi is dead!

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date July 25, 2019

Breaking: Essebsi is dead

Tunisian President, Essebsi is dead!

President of Tunisia, Beji Caid Essebsi – the first leader after the Arab Spring revolution – has died at the age of 92.

Essebsi’s son said on Wednesday the President had been taken to a military hospital – the second health crisis for the leader in a month. The Tunisian President had been taken to hospital last month and spent a week there after suffering a “severe health crisis. But he has only been seen in public twice since leaving there on July 1, sparking fears over his health.

Since he was hospitalised last month, politicians had called for greater transparency over his health as fears grew over the stability of Tunisia.

Mr Essebi is regarded as a major player in Tunisia since the overthrow of veteran autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali and transition to democracy since 2011.

This was followed by uprisings against authoritarian leaders across the Middle East, including in nearby Libya and Egypt.

Parliamentary elections are expected to be held on October 6, with a presidential vote six weeks later on November 17.

They will be the third set of polls in which Tunisians can vote freely following the 2011 revolution.

This is a breaking story

Tags Essebsi

Nature

3 Days of National Mourning for Cyclone Victims in Mozambique

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date March 21, 2019

Mourners carry coffins as mourners attend multiple burials at the Chimanimani Heroes Acre on March 18, 2019 in Chimanimani, eastern Zimbabwe, after the area was hit by the cyclone Idai. – A cyclone that ripped across Mozambique and Zimbabwe has killed at least 162 people with scores more missing. Cyclone Idai tore into the centre of Mozambique on the night of March 14 before barreling on to neighbouring Zimbabwe, bringing flash floods and ferocious winds, and washing away roads and houses. (Photo by Zinyange AUNTONY / AFP) (Photo credit should read ZINYANGE AUNTONY/AFP/Getty Images)

3 Days of National Mourning for Cyclone Victims in Mozambique

Mozambique has begun 3 Days of National Mourning for Cyclone Victims. Mourning began Wednesday in Mozambique after one of the most destructive storms to strike southern Africa in decades killed hundreds of people.

Cyclone Idai, packing sustained winds of up to 170 kilometers per hour, hit Mozambique’s port city of Beira last Thursday before sweeping inland to Zimbabwe and Malawi.

Forecasters predict more torrential rains are expected through Thursday and floodwaters are still rising. Aid groups are trying to transport essential goods to desperate survivors.

President Filipe Nyusi said Tuesday Idai had killed more than 200 people in Mozambique and that rescuers were still finding bodies. After flying over affected areas on Monday, Nyusi said he expected the death toll to exceed 1,000. The confirmed death toll Wednesday in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi stood at more than 300, officials said.

Aid agencies said they prepared for the cyclone but not for the massive floods that followed. Mozambique was hardest hit as a result of rivers flowing downstream from its neighbors. The agencies said they were struggling to reach many survivors stranded in badly damaged remote areas of Mozambique.

Mozambique and South Africa are conducting aerial rescue and aid distribution missions. The U.N. World Food Program said it was transporting enough aid for 600,000 people. The U.N. said it had allocated $20 million from its central emergency response fund, and it urged other donors to contribute. The European Union announced an initial aid package for the storm-stricken countries valued at nearly $4 million. Britain and the United Arab Emirates have also promised aid.

The U.S. State Department said the U.S. is supporting relief efforts “in coordination with our partners.”

Tags mozambique

Cyclone rage in Southern Africa: Zimbabwe and Mozambique hit

Post author By Kings UBA
Post date March 17, 2019

Cyclone rage in Southern Africa: Zimbabwe and Mozambique hit

Within two days, tropical storm has swept away bridges and homes, killing dozens and displacing thousands of people in Southern Africa countries of Zimbabwe and Mozambique.

On Saturday, in eastern Zimbabwe, Cyclone Idai cut off power and communications in parts of Manicaland province on the border with Mozambique. Some 40 people are missing, killing at least 24 people, officials say.

People fled from their homes to the slopes of mountain and were waiting to be rescued, but strong winds have hampered helicopter flights.

In Mozambique’s city of Beira, Cyclone Idai made landfall on Thursday, at least 19 people died. Thousands of people living in one of Mozambique’s largest cities have been cut off by a huge storm.

Beira is the fourth-largest city in Mozambique and its port sits on the mouth of the Pungwe river, that runs to Zimbabwe.

Flooding across the rest of the country had already killed nearly 70 people before the storm’s arrival.

The effects of drought and severe weather in Mozambique

Zimbabwe’s information ministry said the town of Chimanimani had been cut from the rest of Manicaland province. The country’s national army was leading the rescue efforts, it added.

Cyclone Idai, which is carrying heavy rains and winds of up to 177 km/h (106 mph), made landfall at the port city of Beira on Thursday evening.

Its 500,000 residents are now without electricity and communications have been severed, the National Institute of Disaster Management (INGC) says.

The cyclone has now moved west towards Zimbabwe.

It follows a week of storms and heavy rains in in Mozambique and Malawi that have killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of homes.

President Filipe Nyusi says his government is “doing all we can to ensure that the situation returns to normal in all spheres”.

The cyclone hit Mozambique with winds of up to 177km/h (106 mph). It cut off more than 500,000 residents in the port city of Beira, one the country’s largest cities. Roads were flooded and the airport was shut down.

Mozambique has been struck by severe cyclones in the past, including Eline in 2000, when 350 people died and 650,000 were displaced across the wider region.

Beira has often seen the worst of the storms and has worked to limit the effects of rising waters brought about by climate change through a series of infrastructure projects.

Tags cyclone