By Curity Ogada Uganda’s conservation efforts have received a big boost as local geoscientist Syliah Kagiiga has been named the 2026 Wetland Restoration Steward. Kagiiga was chosen from 1,250 applicants worldwide as one of just five young leaders for the respected Restoration Stewards program. Organized by the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) and the Youth in […]
Posted inResearch, Water
Transformation or talk? Study finds rhetoric gap in Africa and Asia water policies
By Fredrick Mugira, 27 January 2026 For many people in the Global South, the word “transformation” is common in conversation but not in daily life. In places like coastal Bangladesh and dry parts of Kenya, governments often use this word in their plans. They use it to describe a shift from outdated infrastructure to a […]
Posted inClimate Change, Special Projects, Water
How Nature Is Reclaiming Its Place Across the Rwandan Capital
By Annonciata Byukusenge and Freddie Clayton As climate change and urbanization intensify flooding in Rwanda, the capital of Kigali has embraced nature-based solutions. The city is restoring and reshaping 18,000 acres of degraded wetlands, planting native species to filter and slow runoff, and enhancing biodiversity. Maurice Manishimwe runs a small garage beside a fuel station […]
Posted inAll Stories
African Development Fund Awards $9.48 Million Grant to Boost Climate Resilience in Sahel Wetlands
By Water Journalists Africa The African Development Fund (ADF), a part of the African Development Bank Group, has approved a $9.48 million grant for a new project aimed at protecting important wetland ecosystems in the Sahel. The Community and Ecosystem Resilience and Adaptation in the Wetlands of the Sahel Catchment Basins Project will address climate […]
Posted inClimate Change, COP30
Largest-Ever Presence of Fossil Fuel Lobbyists at COP30 as Study Links Deadly Asian Typhoons to Climate Change
A record number of fossil fuel lobbyists are at the COP30 climate summit in Belém, Brazil, according to new analysis by Kick Big Polluters Out. The group says there are 12% more fossil fuel representatives than at last year’s talks in Baku. This increase comes as a major study from Imperial College confirms that climate […]
Posted inAll Stories
Paying the Price
Paying the Price Paying the Price How a Lesotho water project is caught between U.S. and China, with locals paying the price Maloraneng village lies next to the Khubelu River, a vital water source for Phase II of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project, which is currently under construction in Mokhotlong district. Photo by Pascalinah Kabi. […]
Posted inAll Stories, Land, Water
Finding Fish: How Contaminated Seafood Threatens Generations in Nigeria’s Oil Delta
By AnuOluwapo AdelakunPulitzer Center Grantee/ West Africa Editor for Water Journalists Africa.Bodo, Rivers State, Nigeria. Nombare Tabu sets his trap in Bodo Creek every other day, just as his father taught him decades ago. But when he returns the next morning, his catch tells a different story than the one his grandfather might have recognized. […]
Posted inAll Stories, Special Projects, Water
A Poisoned Legacy: How Contamination and Flawed Cleanup Efforts Define Life in Oil-rich Communities in Nigeria
By AnuOluwapo AdelakunPulitzer Centre Grantee/West Africa Editor for Water Journalists Africa Rivers State, Nigeria The water from Comrade Noble Nwolu’s house borehole smells like crude oil. When he runs his tap, the smell immediately oozes out and an oily streak beams under the sun. “My house is situated right here on the land of Nsisioken, […]
Posted inAll Stories, Special Projects
Lesotho’s textile sector faces devastation and environmental fallout amid US tariff uncertainty and expiring AGOA
This story by Pascalinah Kabi was produced with support from Bertha Foundation Impact Fund. In the small southern African kingdom of Lesotho, leaders of the once-thriving textile industry say the sector is standing on the edge of a cliff. With the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) set to expire in September 2025 and U.S. […]
Posted inWater
Ugandan teen wins big global prize for her ideas on clean toilets
Innocent Agonza A young student from Jinja, eastern Uganda is getting a lot of attention around the world after winning a top award in a big video contest. Lynette Mujaasi Kaye, a 9th grader at Viva College School, took first place in the “World of 8 Billion” video competition. Thousands of teenagers from 67 countries […]
Posted inClimate Change, Land, Water
Urgent Help for Libyan Farmers Facing Dry Times
Two big international groups, the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), are teaming up with the Libyan government on a new water project worth US$9.2 million. The project will help about 57,000 families who are small-scale farmers and animal herders in very dry parts of Libya. […]
Posted inAll Stories, Water
Mozambique’s pulp fiction
A Portuguese eucalyptus forestry project is rapidly spreading harmful exotic species in Mozambique’s rural areas in order to supply Europe’s packaging needs. Davide Mancini, Juan Maza Calleja and Boaventura Monjane investigate This story was first published by the Oxpeckers Center for Investigative Environmental Journalism. Sitting beside his broken-down tractor, Luis André Naite has little hope of reclaiming his land. More than […]
Posted inAll Stories, Land, Research, Water
The Price of Palm Oil in DRC’s Boteka
By Jonas Kiriko This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center Rainforest Reporting Grant. Already in conflict with local communities over land grabbing, Plantation et Huilerie du Congo (PHC) has just acquired new concessions to expand its palm oil plantations in Boteka. This deprived local communities of nearly 2,500 hectares of arable land. On a rainy […]
Posted inAll Stories, Climate Change, ground water, Land, Opinion, Photography, Research, Special Projects, Water
Op-ed: Securing Land Rights is Key for Justice and Economic Stability
By Dennis Omukunde – ILC Africa & HATUNGIMANA Hilaire – Confederation of Agricultural Producers’ Associations for Development (CAPAD) Across Africa and much of the Global South, land is more than just a physical asset; it is the foundation of security, dignity, and economic survival. Yet, land tenure insecurity remains a major driver of conflict, poverty, […]
Posted inAll Stories, Climate Change, ground water, Photography, Special Projects
Roots of Resilience
. . Roots of Resilience Communities around East Africa’s Mount Elgon find resilience in groundwater Harriet Chelangat, a farmer from Kawowo village, Tingye county, in Kapchorwa district, is known for her dedication to sustainable agriculture and innovative approach to managing groundwater resources. Faced with unpredictable rainfall and climate change challenges, Chelangat recognized the importance of […]