Natural Resource Today Podcast

Tropical Storms in 2020 A new report published by the American Meteorological Society reveals that 2020 recorded more than 100 tropical storms. Read More: https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/publications/bulletin-of-the-american-meteorological-society-bams/state-of-the-climate/ Synthetic Biology Approach A team of researchers at the Washington University in St. Louis has developed an approach th...

A new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has found that mistaken identity may be the reason why scuba divers are attacked by male Olive sea snakes. The authors used data from the southern great Barrier Reef for the period 1994 to 1995. They suggest that scuba diver attacks may be strongly linked to misdirected courtship behaviours. The study was led by the Commonwealth Scientific...

A new study, published in the journal Royal Society Open Science, shows that increasing temperatures and light pollution affect hibernation patterns in flesh fly species. "The study looks at a species of flesh fly called Sarcophaga similis, but the results could be applicable to any animal species that relies on predictable environmental signals for biological processes like growth, reproductive b...

A study, published in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science, reveals that there is an urgent need for conservation action to save the Indian Ocean humpback dolphins in South Africa. The authors have concluded that "no single cause for the rapid decline of humpback dolphins in South African waters can be identified, and that the cumulative effects of multiple stressors, which are difficult to pin...

A recent research paper, published in the journal Global Change Biology, shows that climate change is threatening the survival of the emperor penguins. Emperor penguins are native to the coastal regions of Antarctica. The scientists have demonstrated that extreme climate events will increase risk of extinction. The study was led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

A recent research paper, published in the journal One Earth, sheds light on a new tracking system to monitor threats to global rainforests. The scientists have developed a novel tropical rainforest index (TFVI) to "track vulnerability of global rainforests to climate and land use". The tracking system will play an important role in increasing conservation efforts worldwide. The study was led by th...

A recent study, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, gives insights into how shark intestines function. The scientists used a CT scanner to create 3D images of intestines. The intestines were from specimens at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles. The findings show that the spiral-shaped intestines function like Tesla valve invented by Nikola Tesla. 

A team of scientists from the United States and South Africa seeks to map biodiversity in South Africa's Greater Cape Floristic Region. The project, Marine, Freshwater, and Terrestrial Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioScape), will use remote sensing technology from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It aims to improve the understanding of species distribution and abundanc...

A recent report by the International Resource Panel, part of the United Nations Environment Programme, says there is an urgent need for a new integrated land-sea governance framework to address coastal pollution from land-based activities. The main purpose of the study was to "determine appropriate governance approaches to reduce the effects of land-based activities on coastal resources". The full...

Nearly 80 million people will be be affected by chronic hunger by 2050, and more than 50% of them are in Sub-Saharan Africa, new report predicts. The study, published by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), shows that investment in agricultural research and development is key in adapting to the effects of climate change.

Atewa Range Forest Reserve is located in the eastern region of Ghana. It is threatened by a proposed bauxite mining project.

The wind power project is located near the town of Dongola in the northern part of the Republic of the Sudan.

Tasiast mine is the largest gold mine in Mauritania. It started to be fully operational in 2008.

Phalaborwa copper mine is the leading copper producer in South Africa. It is located near the town of Phalaborwa in Limpopo Province. 

Gola Rainforest National Park is located southeast of Freetown. It was declared a national park in 2011.

Abuko Nature Reserve was established in 1968. It is one of the top tourist attractions in the Gambia.

Mulanje cedar is the national tree of Malawi. It is endemic to Mulanje Mountain Biosphere Reserve. Due to unsustainable harvesting, the tree is threatened with extinction.

The Republic of Congo has signed a landmark agreement with the World Bank to reduce emissions from deforestation and forest degradation. 

The Sahofika hydropower project is located on the Onive River, a tributary of the Mangoro River. It is about 100 km from Antananarivo.

The Regional Rusumo Falls Hydroelectric Power Project is located at Rusumo Falls on the Kagera River.

Kudu offshore gas field is located about 130 km off the south-west coast of Namibia. It was discovered by Chevron in 1974. It is estimated that the field is home to more than 36 billion cubic metres of proven natural gas reserves.

The West African Gas Pipeline is transporting natural gas from Itoki (Nigeria) to Takoradi (Ghana), through Benin and Togo. This 678 km long pipeline was completed at a cost of nearly $1 billion. Commercial operation started in March 2011. The pipeline is owned and operated by the West African Gas Pipeline Company. Chevron has the largest stake (36.7%). It is followed by the Nigerian National Petr...

Equatorial Guinea is the third-largest oil producer in Sub-Saharan Africa. Over the past few years, the government has been attracting investors to develop offshore natural gas resources. The country is home to unexploited gas reserves off the coast of Bioko Island. There is Alen gas field gas development project. First gas flow was in February 2021. The project is operated by Noble Energy. The co...

Two major natural gas projects are Tendrara onshore gas field development in Eastern Morocco, close to the Algerian border and Anchois offshore gas field development in the Atlantic, about 40km off the coast of the country.

At least 90 000 Somalis have been displaced due to severe water shortage over the past few months.