Natural Resource Today Podcast

Discovery of gold-rich ore in Luhihi has brought hundreds of people into the village. Mining activities are currently suspended until further notice. 

Overfishing and poor agricultural practices are threatening fish species in Lake Malawi.

Rosewood trees are under human threat.

Bulawayo is facing water scarcity due to population growth and recurring drought events.

Eswatini is home to the oldest known mine in the world.

Desert locusts have invaded Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia.

Africa's largest oil refinery is almost complete near Lagos, Nigeria.

Thousands of straw-coloured fruit bats congregate in swamp forest within Kasanka National Park from October to December each year. It is regarded as the largest mammal migration in Africa.

African forest elephants are under human pressure in central and west Africa. 

African penguins are at risk of extinction.

Australian energy company Invictus Energy is planning to drill oil and gas wells in Zimbabwe. The project is expected to start in October 2021.

Nearly 15 years ago, there was a major oil reserve discovery in Uganda. In September 2020, Uganda and Tanzania finally signed an agreement for a construction of crude oil pipeline from Uganda to the port of Tanga in Tanzania. This $3.5 billion dollar project is led by Total. Environmentalists and a number of local communities have been opposing the project for several years. 

According to UNESCO, biosphere reserves provide local solutions to global challenges. Biosphere reserves include terrestrial, marine and coastal ecosystems. There are 701 biosphere reserves in 124 countries across the globe. Africa is home to 86 biosphere reserves which are found in 31 countries. There are 10 biosphere reserves in South Africa. Vhembe Biosphere Reserve (VBR) is found in the Vhembe...

Lemurs are only found in Madagascar. There are an estimated 112 species and more than 98% are facing extinction due to deforestation and overhunting. There is evidence to suggest that wildlife trafficking is also a major threat.

The Danakil Depression is regarded as one of the main sources of salt in Ethiopia. It is an active geological depression due to the pulling apart of three tectonic plates. This area is one the hottest and driest places on earth. There is evidence that the Afar people have been mining salt for more than 2 000 years. 

Madagascar is the fourth largest island in the world. More than 80% of plants and animals are endemic. With a population of under 30 million, Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Major sapphire deposits were discovered in 1998. The place of discovery is Ilakaka in the south western part of the country. In 2005 or 2006, Madagascar became the largest producer of sapphire.

The Republic of Guinea is home to the largest reserves of bauxite in the world. The touching story is that it remains one of the poorest countries. The bauxite industry was less developed between the 1970's and 2016. The country started to witness a booming bauxite industry over the last three years. However, bauxite mining is dominated by foreign companies.

South Africa is the largest producer of platinum in the world. It is home to more than 80% of the global reserves. Three main players in the production of platinum resource are Anglo American Platinum, Lonmin (acquired by Sibanye-Stillwater in June 2019) and Impala Platinum.

South Africa is the largest producer of coal in Africa and 7th in the world. Over the last two years, the country produced between 250 to 260 million tonnes per year. Although there has been a drop in investment for the past decade, coal is the third-largest mining sector in the country. It employs nearly 93 000 people. Energy generation is dominated by coal. Nearly 80% of electricity generation i...

Foreign interference has been happening for many years in Mali. It is a fact that foreign powers are interested in natural resources.

Oil-rich Libya has been experiencing political instability since the toppling of Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Two rival governments are battling for the control of the country. These are the UN-backed government, Government of National Accord (GNA), and the Libyan National Army (LNA). Foreign countries are intervening in order to get a share of oil and gas resources wealth.

Several accounts have reported that Lake Chad has shrunk by about 90% since the early 1960s. They are claiming that the following are among the main drivers: climate change, unsustainable irrigation practices and the increasing human demand for freshwater.

We have less than 40 000 lions in the wild across Africa. Significant population decline has been recorded since the late 1990s. The following are listed among the main drivers of population decline: habitat loss, prey loss, and poaching.

Wildlife ranching is the management of wildlife on private land. Is it an effective biodiversity conservation tool?

Salonga National Park is Africa's largest tropical rainforest protected area.