Sub-Saharan Africa | Peter Schulte

Ethiopia becomes first country to ban combustion-powered vehicles

By Peter Schulte / February 1, 2024 / Good news links

Ethiopia is to claim the accolade of becoming the first country in the world to ban the importation of all internal combustion engine cars, both new and used. The East African country will adopt an electric-only strategy as it seeks to reduce its reliance on fossil fuel imports and clean the air in its cities. While EV charging infrastructure is limited, Ethiopia does generate 100% of its electricity from renewable sources, according to the International Energy Agency, with strong solar, hydropower, and wind power projects.

Historic malaria vaccine rollout begins in Cameroon

By Peter Schulte / January 22, 2024 / Good news links

The rollout of the world’s first malaria vaccine has begun in Cameroon, which is said to usher in a “transformative chapter in Africa’s public health history”. The RTS,S vaccine – 662,000 doses of it – will be administered to children in the west African country, the first to be vaccinated after successful trials of the drug in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi between 2019 and 2021.

Cape Verde is declared malaria-free

By Peter Schulte / January 12, 2024 / Good news links

Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, was given the status by the World Health Organization (WHO) as it has not reported a single case of local transmission in three years. Experts have hailed this as a major achievement. It’s the first time a sub-Saharan African nation has been declared malaria-free in 50 years.

Elephant populations stabilize in southern Africa

By Peter Schulte / January 5, 2024 / Good news links

New research used 713 population surveys from 103 protected areas from Tanzania southwards to calculate rates of growth or decline from 1995-2020, covering more than 290,000 savannah elephants, 70% of the total in Africa. The scientists found that overall, populations had grown at 0.16% a year for the past quarter of a century.

Somalia secures $4.5 billion debt relief deal with international creditors

By Peter Schulte / December 13, 2023 / Good news links

The deal comes as part of a debt forgiveness program —called the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative— overseen by the IMF and the World Bank. As a result of its participation in the program, Somalia’s external debt will fall from 64% of GDP in 2018 to less than 6% of GDP by the end of 2023.

Senegal’s capital Dakar is getting 121 electric buses

By Peter Schulte / December 12, 2023 / Good news links

The new Bus Rapid Transit system is one of the key components of an ambitious strategy for sustainable urban mobility. It will help improve air quality in Dakar and reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, with around 59,000 tonnes of CO2 avoided per year.

Canada bans import, export of elephant ivory and rhino horns including hunting trophies

By Peter Schulte / November 20, 2023 / Good news links

According to HSI, the African elephant population has declined by 96% over the last century, and poachers in Africa kill as many as 25,000 elephants and 1,300 rhinos every year. Poaching is the most significant threat to these species, experts say.

World’s first commercial-scale ocean thermal energy generator to be built off the coast of São Tomé and Príncipe

By Peter Schulte / November 14, 2023 / Good news links

The Dominique barge is designed to provide a net output of 1.5 megawatts year-round, enough to supply nearly 17% of the nation’s entire 78 million-odd kilowatt hour energy consumption. London company Global OTEC plans to begin commissioning the project in 2023.

Kenyans get tree-planting holiday to plant 100 million seedlings

By Peter Schulte / November 13, 2023 / Good news links

The government is making available about 150 million seedlings in public nurseries in an effort to combat climate change. The tree planting will be supported by an app that helps people match their location with an appropriate species and creates a communal record of tree-planting activities across the country.

Participants at the Indigenous Peoples’ and Local Communities’ Conservation Congress

Namibia hosts Africa’s first community-led conservation congress

By Peter Schulte / November 1, 2023 / Good news links

Hundreds of Indigenous and local community groups, conservation organizations, governments and policymakers gathered to strategize how communities can play a bigger role in African conservation efforts, which are typically dominated by big international NGOs.