South Africa has good water laws but bad services. What’s stopping fair access
South Africa’s water law promises fairness, but ageing infrastructure, weak governance and unequal power leave many without reliable water.
Primary Results
Sacred springs of South Africa: pure waters or polluted? We found tiny bits of plastic in the samples we tested
Even South Africa’s remote sacred springs are not untouched: research found microplastics in all nine tested, including waters used for healing and drinking.
Pig farm vs power station: South African court tells state‑owned Eskom to clean up its pollution
South Africa’s Supreme Court of Appeal has held electricity utility Eskom and state regulators responsible for water pollution from a coal fired power station.
Demolishing Lagos informal settlements also destroys the city’s best defences against climate change
Residents whose homes cluster along waterways, canals and shorelines have built organised systems for living with climate change.
Water failures in England and Wales are a warning for Canada and the US
Water services are too important to fail. If a utility becomes financially unstable, consequences are passed on to customers, regulators and governments.
Johannesburg and Medellín: what South Africa can learn from Colombia about fixing a broken city
The recovery of Medellín in Colombia depended on a city government that could combine security, investment and capable utilities.
Without water, forests lose their ability to absorb CO₂
To survive dry spells, trees stop the water-rich process of photosynthesis. When nature’s natural carbon capture machine grinds to a halt entire forests end up producing more CO₂ than they absorb.
Rising CO₂ is making African savanna grasses grow more – what this means for grazing, fire and carbon storage
New research in the Kruger National Park has found that rising CO₂ in the atmosphere helps savanna grasses grow when less water is available.
How to tackle persistent drought: Lessons from British Columbia
Playing out year over year, the chaotic cycle of drought crises has become a familiar experience for British Columbians.
New report on climate ‘overshoot’: what it means for Africa and how faster action can limit the damage
The world is likely to pass 1.5°C of warming. Africa faces worse heat, drought and floods, but faster cuts to emissions can still limit the overshoot damage.
Secondary Results
