Nairobi — The Greater Horn of Africa Climate Outlook Forum (GHACOF) has forecast a high likelihood of below-normal rainfall across much of the northern Greater Horn of Africa during the critical June-September 2026 rainy season, raising concerns over potential impacts on food security, water availability, and livelihoods in the region. The outlook released by the…
The African Risk Capacity Agency (ARC), a specialized agency of the African Union, and TrustAfrica today announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a strategic partnership for advancing gender-responsive disaster risk management (DRM), climate action, and social inclusion across Africa. The collaboration aims to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities, particularly…
A landmark General Assembly resolution adopted on Wednesday is “a powerful affirmation” of international law, climate justice and science, according to UN chief António Guterres. The Secretary-General said it makes clear Member States’ responsibility to protect their own people from what is an “escalating climate crisis”. The resolution drawn up by Vanuatu – a Pacific…
As South Africa prepares to participate in the 2026 Copenhagen Climate Ministerial Summit, government says it will reaffirm its commitment to multilateralism as a key driver of implementation-based cooperation to tackle global environmental and climate challenges. This is the message that Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Willie Aucamp, will deliver to about 40…
Hantaviruses are not new. They have circulated for decades in rodent populations, particularly in rats and mice. Humans can become infected if they are bitten or scratched by a rodent or by inhaling aerosolised particles. These are tiny bits of rodent urine, faeces or saliva floating through the air that are contaminated by the virus….
Soaring housing costs, climate shocks and conflicts are leaving millions without adequate shelter – but what can be done? As the 13th UN World Urban Forum opens on Sunday in Baku, Azerbaijan, participants will grapple with solutions to a deepening global housing crisis. The conference, organized by UN-Habitat together with Azerbaijan, will bring together world…
Nairobi — African lawmakers have been urged to dismantle legislative and regulatory barriers blocking climate financing and fast-track methane reduction policies, as parliaments across the continent push to position themselves at the center of the global climate response. The call emerged strongly during the opening of the Regional Parliamentary Seminar on Methane Emissions and Climate…
Nairobi — United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has warned that Africa is bearing the heaviest burden of the global climate crisis despite contributing the least to global emissions, calling for increased climate financing and stronger international recognition of the continent’s needs. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Guterres said the impacts of climate…
United Nations — Africa is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, warming faster than the global average and facing disproportionate climate impacts, despite contributing the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. This is particularly evident in the growing pressures that climate change is placing on water resources and systems across the continent. As water…
Each animal species has an optimal temperature at which it can metabolise food and its immune system can best fight off pathogens. As our recent research shows, temperature directly affects the immune systems of vertebrates – regardless of how they moderate their own body temperatures. At first, slightly hotter temperatures actually give many animal immune…
