Where is Kariba Dam and what purposes does it serve?

The 280 kilometre-long, human-made Lake Kariba is part of the Kariba Dam, which was built between 1955 and 1959 in the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dam provides hydroelectric power to the Kariba north power station on the Zambian side and Kariba south power station on the Zimbabwean side. These provide most of the electricity for the two nations.

The remote Kariba Dam, about five hours’ drive from Zimbabwe’s capital city, Harare, and a three hour drive from Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, also supports fisheries, conservation, tourism and recreation. Over 100,000 people live in Kariba town and the Nyaminyami and Binga rural districts. It is also a religious site and locals believe it shelters their ancestors and Nyaminyami, the river god.

Water levels have been falling. What are the causes?

Since the early 2010s, the El Nino weather pattern has induced droughts and heatwaves in the Zambezi region, causing a drop in the water levels at Lake Kariba. EL Nino is an unusual warming of surface waters in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean that brings hotter temperatures and much lower rainfall to southern Africa for five months at a time.

By April 8, 2024, the Zambezi River Authority, which owns and manages Lake Kariba, announced that water in the lake had dropped to just 13.52 per cent of its capacity. Water levels in the lake fluctuate according to the rainfall — this time last year, the lake was 21.94 per cent full, but levels dropped as low as 12 per cent in 2015.

What are the four biggest effects on local communities?

Low water levels in Lake Kariba have had a huge impact on the people in the area. The key areas of concern are:

• Survival. Many people survive directly off the lake, by catching and selling fish. The drought reduces fish spawning areas, which means that fishers who live near Lake Kariba catch very few fish during times of drought. My research has found that during times of drought in Kariba, crocodiles take fish from the fishers’ nets and destroy the nets. In retaliation, fishers attack crocodiles with spears and logs, exposing themselves to crocodile attacks.
• Human-wildlife conflict. The area is already a hotspot for human-wildlife conflict. A drop in the water levels results in increased competition over water resources between people and wild animals, resulting in human-wildlife conflict. Animals that normally drink water from far-away river estuaries start approaching the parts of the lake populated by humans. Clashes between elephants, buffalo, baboons, lions and humans increase as they have to share reduced waterscapes.
• Poaching. There’s also an increase in poaching as impala, kudu, waterbuck and duiker move closer to human settlements to seek water and people seek more sources of food and income due to the economic downturn caused by the drought.
• Tourism. Numbers drop off. Game drives along the lake to the estuaries, which have unique flora and fauna and allow tourists a closer view of wild animals and birds, come to a standstill during times of drought. Tourist fishing in the estuaries dries up. The opening of the floodgates at the dam walls, which were a drawcard for tourism, stops as the water levels are too low for this.
• Long walks to collect water. Water level reductions burden women and children from surrounding fishing camps and villages who fetch water for home use from the lake. In my research, residents of the area say that water levels have dropped so much that fishing camps are now up to 2km further away from the lake than they were before the drought. Women and children from fishing camps have even been injured and killed by wild animals as they fetch water in the lake.
• Trade is disrupted. Cross border traders based in Kariba who do business between Zimbabwe and Zambia are also affected. Kariba traders often cross the border to sell fish in Zambia, but with low catches this is no longer possible. Also, most traders depended on income from fishing to purchase goods from Zambia for resale in Zimbabwe.

What can the government do to help?

Proactive measures are required to minimise harm to lives and livelihoods. Over the long term, droughts could become more severe and the Kariba Dam could stop producing as much power. The Lake Kariba region is a very hot and windy region that can support both onshore and offshore wind turbines and solar parks. The government must plan for this, so that local communities can have sustainable electricity with renewable energy projects that support alternative livelihoods.

The national parks authorities in both Zimbabwe and Zambia also need to put in robust measures for decreasing the number of human-wildlife conflicts. This can be done by identifying areas of high animal activity at the lake and directing humans away from this. Communities are also unaware of the relationship between a drop in water levels and human-wildlife conflict, and more awareness should be created about this.

The water governing authorities in the Zambezi area should also draw on local knowledge and practices in times of drought. For example, the authorities could promote the rainmaking ceremonies by local traditional groups of the Tonga, Shangwe and Korekore. These groups have lived in the area for centuries and believe that water drops are a result of angry ancestral and water spirits, including Nyaminyami, the river god. The governing authorities may want to fund more of such ceremonies as local communities lack funds to enact the ceremonies.

Source: Down To Earth

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This is how Alexei Navalny described the cell in which he spent 308 out of 1125 days in solitary confinement. His imprisonment amounted to both physical and mental torture of a political opponent. The fact that this tragedy occurred in FKU IK-3, known as one of the harshest prisons in Russia with direct ties to the gulag system, is more than symbolic. In other words, Alexei Navalny’s death is not just a personal tragedy, it is also a manifestation of the true nature of the Putin regime: arbitrary, harsh, brutal, and unforgiving.

Alexei Navalny was acutely aware of the risks involved, yet he made the decision to return to Russia following his treatment for poisoning inflicted by Russia’s secret forces. Regardless of one’s opinion on Navalny’s legacy – acknowledging his nationalist views and well-known stance on Crimea – his return stands as an act of unparalleled courage. It’s a profound and enigmatic gesture that many struggle to comprehend, reserved for a select few: individuals of exceptional courage facing extraordinary circumstances.

Even if we may never know the exact circumstances surrounding Navalny’s death, it is clear that President Putin bears direct responsibility. Let us not forget other opponents who have died in mysterious circumstances – remember Anna Politkovskaya and Boris Nemtsov – and the many still imprisoned by Putin’s arbitrary system – remember Ilya Yashin, Vladimir Kara-Murza, Evan Gershkovich, and many others. I wonder what Western propagandists in favor of the Kremlin have to say about this. Aren’t they also complicit?

The question remains if Navalny’s death may signify the so-called black swan that announces the unexpected, yet significant event that may irreversibly change the state of affairs in Russia. Unfortunately, we do not expect that Navalny’s death will cause major upheaval in Russian society. Most probably, we will see an asymmetric response: Russian society – with exception of the absolute minority who saw in Mr. Navalny a source of hope and an alternative for Putin’s reign – will remain indifferent. Two arguments may underscore this statement:

We know that a minority of about 15 to 20 percent of the Russia population is eager for major political change in Russia, that a cohort of about the same strength is supporting the regime in the most fanatical way, leaving about 60 to 70 percent of the population that support the regime conditionally. Moreover, since the start of the war, February 2022, we have witnessed an increased and ruthless repression, first and foremost, against those who oppose the regime even through the most innocent expression. What is left for Putin’s opposition is fear, isolation and depression. It is clear, in an authoritarian regime, courage is required for those who resist. Currently, it is but a flower in the snow on a sidewalk in Moscow.

Western observers may also not forget that Navalny’s political impact is very low, mostly due to his isolation from society. Liberal candidates against Putin are not only systematically silenced or suppressed, they have in most general terms no large appeal to the general public. In the case of Navalny, people were interested in his anti-corruption campaign against the elite, except for Putin himself. Indeed, the Russian elite is most despised by the Russian people, with the exception of the ultimate leader. Seemingly, this is a Russian cultural topos still valid in contemporary Russia. As a result, in public opinion research, Navalny could count on the support of about 1 percent of the population and has not appeared in the ratings of trustworthy politicians lately.

Many questions remain unanswered in Russia’s political labyrinth. Firstly, how will Navalny’s death be interpreted within the presidential administration – often referred to as Putin’s shadow government – given its occurrence amidst the backdrop of the upcoming presidential elections in March? Beyond the veil of political window-dressing, which is essentially a façade for deception, this event is likely to evoke unease. It certainly cannot be construed as ‘good news’ for the political strategists and election managers, with Mr. Sergey Kiriyenko at the forefront, who are keen to ensure a smooth path for Putin’s re-election. Secondly, and closely tied to this, the way the Kremlin navigates Navalny’s demise remains uncertain. How will the Kremlin portray Navalny’s death? What arrangements will be made for his funeral? Ultimately, despite Western condemnation and outrage, the Russian regime holds the key to its own destiny. The only glimmer of hope lies in the possibility that Navalny’s death – and the bravery he exhibited – will not be in vain.

Source: Egmont Institute

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The meeting initiated between Morocco and the United States to promote the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) for African countries concluded today in Marrakech with the unanimous adoption of the joint  “Marrakech Declaration.”

The declaration aims to enhance international cooperation and coordination in addressing the proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) in Africa.

It outlines a comprehensive plan of action, encouraging participation from African nations as part of the PSI against the proliferation of WMD. The key objectives include encouraging African countries to endorse the PSI and actively participate in upcoming initiative meetings.  

The plan also includes fostering collaboration through organized exercises and workshops for new members, as well as promoting the initiative across the continent through awareness campaigns and regional meetings.

The Marrakech Declaration highlights that one of the primary objectives of the conference and its follow-up process is to strengthen South-South cooperation as a framework enabling African countries to leverage synergies at the sub-regional and regional levels.

In his opening address at the Marrakech conference, Moroccan Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Bourita underlined the crucial role that Africa has in international cooperation efforts to address security challenges regionally and globally. 

The Marrakech Declaration announced the official entry of five African countries to the PSI, namely Equatorial Guinea, Ghana, Zambia, Togo, and Benin. 

This brings the total number of African countries participating in this initiative to 11. With these new additions, the PSI now includes a total of  111 participating states.

The conference, which took place between January 31 and February 2,  was chaired by Bonnie Jenkins, the Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security at the US Department of State, and Redouane Houssaini, the Director of the United Nations and International Organizations at the Moroccan Foreign Ministry.

Source: Morocco World News

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When journalist Srinath Perur was in southern India speaking with farmers whose crops had been destroyed by elephants, he discovered the story had a surprising twist.

Farmers with means had put up electric fences to keep elephants from tromping through their plots. So, the elephants wound up feeding off the crops of farmers who couldn’t afford this layer of protection. The incident confirmed a truism Perur had recently heard from a researcher: “Often when you’re talking about human-animal conflict, we actually mean human-human conflict,” says Perur, who covered competition between Asian elephants and humans in National Geographic’s May 2023 issue.

Wildlife stories are among the most captivating science journalism has to offer. Images of safari vehicles interrupting cheetahs’ kills or whales overturning boats go viral. But these photos don’t tell the whole story. Media sometimes portray such encounters as freak accidents or one-off spectacles—as if human encroachment had nothing to do with them. Too often, journalists overlook the context surrounding these interactions in their reporting.

That’s one of several lessons I’ve learned over the past seven years of reporting stories on human-wildlife coexistence, often called human-wildlife conflict, including pieces on elephants navigating infrastructure and how human activity is helping mosquitoes spread deadly diseases across the globe. Just as Perur learned, I’ve often seen that most human-wildlife interactions begin with the humans, not the other way around. As climate change, globalization, trade, mining, population growth, deforestation, and other forces put humans and wildlife into ever more frequent contact, reporters must work to highlight the underlying causes of these interactions, tamp down unnecessary hype, and seek the input of local experts.

Get to the Root of Human-Wildlife Conflict

Journalists reporting on clashes between humans and wildlife should do more than just cover individual encounters. “In general, journalists only report stories about some dramatic incident where somebody got injured or an animal got killed,” says Kenyan ecologist and documentary filmmaker Paula Kahumbu. Exploring the factors underlying these events—human-driven or otherwise—adds important context to wildlife stories.

Getting to the bottom of human-wildlife interactions also involves understanding how wild animals behave when humans and other factors aren’t involved.

Climate change and its downstream effects are often a major component of human-wildlife conflict. An increasingly unstable climate contributes to resource scarcity, shifts the behaviors and migrations of both humans and animals, and increases the likelihood that they’ll cross paths, researchers found in a February 2023 study. As you report a story, consider how the issue at hand might stem from climate change–related effects, including increasing temperatures or extreme weather events, such as drought or unseasonable rainfall. “We’ve been anthropocentric in talking [about] problems,” Perur says, “even problems that we’ve created—climate change, how we’ve displaced animals from their habitat.”

Some conflicts can be tied even more closely to human activity. “The larger forces at play could be business interests, or legal ones, or corruption,” says science journalist Elham Shabahat. “It’s sometimes as simple as just money.” In a 2021 series for Hakai Magazine, Shabahat dove into how deep-sea mining leads to increased interaction between humans and marine life, disrupting entire ecosystems, from seafloor dwelling sponges and mollusks to commercial tuna fisheries. When you’re searching for the source of human-wildlife conflict, it helps to figure out who stands to profit, she says.

Frequently, the forces behind human-animal interactions are complex and intertwined. For example, while reporting a January 2021 story on the outsized number of people being killed or injured by hippos on a lake in central Kenya, I found that several interacting factors were contributing to these incidents. Unusually high rainfall in the region had caused the lake to rise and fish populations to boom, attracting fishermen. The number of fishermen had increased too, as Kenyan flower farm workers laid off in the wake of COVID-19 turned to fishing. And the lake’s hippo population had also risen—their pathways to other areas cut off by nearby fences and houses.

Getting to the bottom of human-wildlife interactions also involves understanding how wild animals behave when humans and other factors aren’t involved. In my hippo story, for example, I explained that they are docile herbivores that usually attack only when startled. Including the baseline of animal activity puts stories about their erratic behavior into context.

Without this context, journalists can inadvertently exaggerate wildlife stories. In 2016, for example, international media outlets ran headlines that lions had “escaped” from Kenya’s Nairobi National Park and then reported that they had been “recaptured.” In fact, the lions were never captive to begin with. The partially unfenced park abuts the rapidly growing capital city. These lions, as I noted in a 2016 story for National Geographic, were simply “walking along a migratory route lions and other animals have used for decades.”

Go Beyond the Human vs. Wildlife Binary

Not every human-wildlife story needs to center on competition between the two. “As journalists we have a natural tendency to gravitate toward conflict,” Shabahat says. It’s crucial not to fall into the trap of splitting humans and animals into protagonists and antagonists. “It’s our jobs as journalists to complicate the narrative,” she says.

The human vs. wildlife framing reinforces the false narrative that animals are always to blame when their interactions with humans go south—and that humans are often the victims. “There’s less empathy toward the animals and more empathy toward the humans,” Kahumbu says.

Journalists can avoid language that sensationalizes a human-animal interaction or needlessly paints humans as victims.

Pitting humans and animals against each other also ignores deeper issues at play, according to Shabahat. When she started reporting on encounters between humans and gorillas in Rwanda, for example, she found that “a lot of the coverage was very superficial.” In reality, “there are larger problems that both humans and wildlife face together,” she says. In her 2018 story for Mongabay, Shabahat covered how climate change–induced droughts are leading humans deeper into gorilla-inhabited forests in search of water, and gorillas facing dwindling food sources are turning to farmers’ crops.

Another way journalists can add depth to their wildlife narratives is by dissecting the complex human issues involved. “I love animals, but to be honest, I don’t want to read a book about animals for 300 pages. It’s human stories that humans find compelling,” wildlife journalist Rachel Nuwer told Eric R Olson, host of the podcast Sciencentric, in 2018. In her book published in the same year, Poached: Inside the Dark World of Wildlife Trafficking, and other work, such as her coverage of the donkey skin trade threatening to spread infectious diseases, Nuwer highlights how wildlife trafficking can harm humans, too.

Journalists can also avoid language that sensationalizes a human-animal interaction or needlessly paints humans as victims. Wildlife coverage often includes hyperbolic human-centric language to characterize animal behavior. A surfboard-stealing sea otter is described as a “terrorist,” for example, or a grizzly bear, “a creature that spends its life killing.”

Christine Dell’Amore, who writes, assigns, and edits wildlife stories for National Geographic, worked to counter this type of narrative in the magazine’s coverage of the invasive Jorō spider’s spread across the eastern U.S. Other media outlets ran headlines calling the spiders dangerous and terrifying, she says. Yes, these East Asia–native spiders are large, neon-yellow and spin sprawling webs, but there’s no evidence that they’re harmful, Dell’Amore’s team reported in March 2022.

To avoid unnecessary hype in wildlife stories, ask scientists what language they use, Dell’Amore suggests. Instead of saying attack, “shark biologists prefer the term bite,” for instance. For much of the public, “the knee jerk reaction is to be afraid,” she says, “so as wildlife journalists, our responsibility is to try and reduce that fear.”

Consult Local Sources

Journalists can also improve their wildlife coverage by vetting their understanding with local experts on the ground and featuring their perspectives in stories. “Journalists tend to go to the people they most closely relate to,” Kahumbu says. “American journalists go to their American friends first, and you see the same spokespeople for wildlife being repeatedly used again and again.”

Experts, community members, and journalists native to an area can challenge false narratives, reveal important context, and provide valuable first-person perspectives in wildlife stories. “The story has to come from the people on the ground,” says Kahumbu, whose TV series Wildlife Warriors follows African conservation experts as well as local farmers and herders who find themselves and their homes on the front lines of human-wildlife conflict.

Getting local perspectives can help journalists highlight stories where conservation efforts are working and human-wildlife coexistence is succeeding.

Interviewing local sources gives journalists a richer understanding of a community, so they’re “not just parachuting in for a week or two,” Dell’Amore says. “It’s our job as journalists to represent other parts of the world.” Hire translators or interpreters to overcome language barriers—or, better yet, editors can seek out local journalists who already know the language and the community being covered.

Take, for example, the case of Alvin Kaunda, the Kenyan “elephant reporter” who made international headlines in 2022. Kaunda was on location at an elephant orphanage covering the effects of drought conditions on local wildlife for the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), when a young elephant started curiously poking and prodding his face mid-broadcast. Kaunda maintained his composure at first before falling into a fit of giggles. The video spot—aside from just being a delightful watch—counters the belief some Kenyans hold that only white foreigners care about wildlife. “Seeing a Black Kenyan laughing and giggling and interacting with an elephant was a surprise to Kenyans and reached millions of viewers around the world,” Kahumbu says. (Kaunda now covers the wildlife beat at KBC.)

Getting local perspectives can also help journalists highlight stories where conservation efforts are working and human-wildlife coexistence is succeeding. “Very few journalists acknowledge that Africa and countries like Kenya have maintained and sustained extraordinary amounts of wildlife and biodiversity,” Kahumbu says. “Africa still has chimpanzees, lions, all these elephants, and they still exist largely outside of protected areas.”

This coexistence is often thanks to local solutions. In Kenya, for example, local initiatives to install lights near livestock pens have helped deter lions from encroaching and killing the animals—and thereby coming into conflict with humans. But reporting often centers on places where such measures don’t yet exist. “We hear, ‘six lions were killed for attacking and killing a man’s 10 goats,’” Kahumbu says. “That little story is taken out of the much bigger picture.” Other solutions stem from existing local knowledge, which is often left out of coverage, Perur says. For example, in some parts of the Himalayas, people sing loudly at certain times of day as they walk to avoid startling bears.

Stories that feature problem-solving and positive change resonate with readers, Dell’Amore says. “A lot of the stories we run are very depressing,” she says. “But our readers respond well to hearing about solutions—they want to know what they can do and what the glimmers of hope are, so we’re not coming away from the story feeling totally despondent.”

Source: The Open Notebook

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As a series of atmospheric rivers pushed through the region, excessive runoff proved the success of one of the largest habitat restoration projects in the lower Columbia River’s history.

Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, an expanse of wetlands spanning more than 1,000 acres east of Washougal, previously made its neighbors vulnerable during heavy rainfall. Gibbons Creek, a Columbia River tributary, would pour over the banks of its levee and flow onto port, city and private property. The Port of Camas-Washougal would then pump excess water into the Columbia River.

The Steigerwald Reconnection project, 965 acres of restoration completed in 2022, now allows excess water to naturally drain into the Columbia River, feeding the floodplain along the way.

“The restoration work completed at Steigerwald was designed to work with nature, not against it,” Chris Collins, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership project manager, said in an email. “High-water events, such as the rain we are experiencing, were anticipated during design.”

Southwest Washington was drenched through this morning, with Clark County receiving up to 2½ inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service in Portland.

This streamed into hundreds of acres of Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge’s wetland habitat, providing a safe haven for waterfowl and juvenile salmon, Collins said. Before the reconnection project, the site resembled a hayfield and provided little habitat for wildlife.

The project expanded the refuge by 160 acres and shed more than 2 miles of its obsolete levees. By the end of winter, the volunteers, student groups and professional crews will have planted more than 700,000 native tress and shrubs across the site, Collins said.

New artificial banks protect habitats from the Port of Camas-Washougal’s industrial park and wastewater treatment plant. A concrete channel along Gibbons Creek was excised, as was a fish ladder at the creek’s confluence with the Columbia River. Segments of state Highway 14 were raised to the Columbia River’s 500-year flood level.

Since the reconnection project concluded, the ecosystem has rebounded.

The Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership installed two fish monitors spanning Gibbons Creek’s main channel to detect tagged salmon, though data isn’t available yet.

However, staff and visitors have observed growth firsthand.

Last month, Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership personnel spotted coho salmon weaving upstream Gibbons Creek while they crossed a channel bridge. Beavers, too, are returning to Steigerwald Lake National Wildlife Refuge, some of whom have built a lodge near a levee, Collins said. Birders have reported seeing at least two new bird species since the restoration concluded.

Source: Columbian

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A cholera outbreak that began in February in Zimbabwe and is thought to have so far killed more than 155, sickening well over 8,000, is spiking.

As bad memories of 2008’s wildfire epidemic stirred, Harare, the capital, declared a state of emergency earlier this month. Restrictions on gatherings and food vending have been imposed across much of the country. Burials in affected regions are being monitored.

“We are losing lives and it is necessary for us together as a community, with our partners and the Ministry, to scale up our interventions to stop this cholera outbreak”

– Dr Douglas Mombeshora, Health and Child Care Minister

In a bid to get at the root cause of the outbreak, the Government of Zimbabwe is drilling for clean water sources.

Tunnelling out of an epidemic

Speaking at a post-cabinet press briefing late last month, Jenfan Muswere, Minister of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, said the Ministry of Health and Child Care has overseen the drilling of new boreholes in some of the worst-affected districts, including the outbreak epicentre, Buhera.

“Cabinet reports that health education on cholera prevention and control measures, including hygiene promotion, is ongoing in provinces,” he added. “Door-to-door cholera [awareness] campaigns are being made in the affected provinces,” said Muswere. A recent Health Ministry situational report confirms that to date, 17 boreholes have been drilled, and 20 have been repaired in Buhera District.

Cholera has been surging around the world since 2021, with Africa seeing the largest numbers of outbreaks. The causative bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, spreads in contaminated water. Scientists have known for well over 150 years that this explosively deadly epidemic disease is preventable with good sanitation and a reliable supply of potable water.

According to Samson Chitamba, a representative of Prevail, the company installing the boreholes, the boreholes will provide that via a solar-powered system that draws water up from the ground and through a chlorination mechanism.

“As water is being drawn into the tank, it passes through the inline chlorinator (which contains chlorine tablets) which is fixed along the pipe. The tablets are dissolved, meaning that the water is chlorinated, making it safer for drinking. The inline chlorinator can take up to five years before it is replaced,” said Chitamba.

“We never thought we would get piped water”

Villagers in Buhera district’s Ward 15 welcomed the development.

“The borehole initiative is a blessing to us as it has come at a time that we are facing a difficult situation. We are facing a cholera outbreak that has come as a result of polluted water sources. The initiative will help improve hygiene among villagers, especially schoolchildren,” said Tichafara Muchadenyika.

Obert Marufu, a village head, said: “We never thought that one day we would get piped water. Since the installation of the solar-powered borehole, the community is now safe from cholera. As community leaders we will continue to raise awareness on the effects of drinking water from unprotected sources. We will ensure that the boreholes are safe and well maintained.”

Healthy reception

Village health workers (VHWs) and community leaders who went through training on waterborne diseases were gratified by the community’s response.

“I have received some trainings on cholera and other waterborne diseases since the cholera outbreak began,” said Judith Mapanzure, a VHW. “I have been carrying out awareness campaigns in six villages and I am glad villagers have been responsive, including some religious sects that are known for shunning clinics. We have been educating villagers on basic hygiene and encouraging them to seek medical attention when they observe cholera symptoms.”

Resistance to treatment and prevention on religious grounds among the Apostolic sect remains a hindrance to the control of the disease. However, the government has been engaging church leaders in a bid to bring hold-out groups on board.

Zvidzai Zaranyika, a community leader, echoed Mpanzure’s resolve. “We have moved around villages raising awareness and the response has been exciting. I attribute this to the situation that we faced as a community following the death of some villagers. We are doing our best as a community to maintain good hygiene practices,” said Zaranyika.

Hardlife Mudzingwa, the director of a local water and sanitation advocacy group called Community Water Alliance (CWA), said boreholes are great solution for some of the zones hardest hit during the current cholera outbreak.

“In a rural setting, boreholes are ideal — particularly for cholera hotspot areas like Buhera. However, standards for these boreholes are critical so that water generated is of good quality. Not all ground water is safe for drinking, so an inline chlorination system is required among other interventions that ensure quality borehole water,” said Mudzingwa.

Preventable scourge

Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said that medicines and water treatment chemicals had been distributed to households in affected areas. “One death is more than enough. We are losing lives and it is necessary for us together as a community, with our partners and the Ministry, to scale up our interventions to stop this cholera outbreak,” he added.

Source: Gavi News

The post Zimbabwe Digs Boreholes to Tackle Growing Cholera Outbreak appeared first on Zambezi Observer.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is sharing the reminder that November is Manatee Awareness Month, a critical time for boaters to be on the lookout for manatees as they travel to warmer water sites around the state.

Manatees need to access water that is warmer than 68 degrees Fahrenheit to survive the winter. As temperatures start to dip in the fall, manatees travel to Florida springs, power plant discharge areas and other warm-water sites to overwinter until temperatures rise again in the spring.

Manatees, though large, can be challenging to see in the water. Boaters and watercraft operators can better spot manatees by wearing polarized glasses, going slow and abiding by all manatee protection zones. During colder months, seasonal manatee zones require boaters and personal watercraft users to reduce speed in or avoid certain areas to prevent collisions that can injure or kill manatees. Manatee protection zones are marked by waterway signs; maps of these zones are available online at MyFWC.com/MPZ.

Boat strikes are a major threat to Florida manatees and FWC law enforcement officers patrol state waters, educating boaters about seasonal manatee speed zones and taking appropriate enforcement actions when necessary. Boaters and personal watercraft users are reminded to comply with the regulatory signs on waterways.

When viewing manatees as they congregate at warm-water sites, it is important to give them space. Disturbing manatees at these sites can cause them to swim out of protected areas and into potentially life-threatening cold water. Manatees are a protected species and it is illegal to harass, feed, disturb or harm them.

If you see an injured, distressed, sick or dead manatee, report it to the FWC’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) so that trained responders can assist. Do not try to physically handle an injured or sick manatee yourself, which can cause more harm to the animal and potentially put you at risk of serious injury.

The FWC and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service continue to investigate and respond to the manatee Unusual Mortality Event along the Atlantic coast of Florida. The FWC and USFWS take manatee conservation seriously by actively implementing science-based conservation measures that are making a difference for manatees and habitat. Learn more about response efforts by visiting MyFWC.com/Manatee and clicking on “Learn More” in the banner at the top of the page.

Educational resources for waterway users and other interested members of the public are available at MyFWC.com/Manatee. The Viewing Guidelines page on this website provides helpful tips on how to respectfully observe manatees, additional guidelines for boat and personal watercraft operators, and information on what you can do to help with manatee conservation.

For those looking to support the FWC’s manatee research, rescue and management efforts, you can purchase a Florida manatee license plate or donate $5 to receive a collectable FWC manatee decal. Both are available from your local Tax Collector’s office.

Source: My FWC

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Jakarta, Surakarta, Berlin (7/12 – 11)

Amid a generally declining period for Germany’s national football team, the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Indonesia has been a shining light for them. Germany is one of the most successful national teams ever in international competition. They have won four World Cups (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014), three European Championships (1972, 1980, 1996), and a Confederations Cup (2017). Nevertheless, in recent years, Germany is suffering a horrid fate.

In 2018, Germany suffered their first-ever first-round exit from the World Cup, since 1938. Germany became the fifth defending champions to be eliminated in the group stages of the World Cup, following Brazil in 1966, France in 2002, Italy in 2010, and Spain in 2014. Again, they were knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage for the second consecutive tournament in 2022.

At the UEFA European Championship in 2020, Germany also fell short. They only managed to reach the round of 16. At the UEFA Nations League, Germany consecutively finished 11th in 2018-2019, 8th in 2020-2021, and 10th in 2022-2023.

This year, poor performances persist, confirming that Germany is in a long decline. They lost six times and only won three times in eleven matches throughout the year. Julian Nagelsmann was installed as new Head Coach on 22 September 2023, but lost to Turkey and Austria last month in his first two games.

In the middle of this crisis, there is finally good news for Germany, from their participation in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Last Saturday, Germany were victorious in the final against France. They lifted the trophy after a hard-fought game, which ended 2-2 in regulation time. Germany went on to beat France 4-3 in a penalty shootout at Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Central Java.

For the first time in history, Germany was crowned as world champions at the U-17 level, completing their World Cup trophies at senior and U-20 level. These young Germans show that they have a lot of potential. They were unbeaten throughout the World Cup tournament in Indonesia.

Worth noting that six months earlier, this team also won the 2023 UEFA European U-17 Championship. Germany has become the first nation to win the UEFA European U-17 Championship and U-17 World Cup in the same year. Some of their players shone and could be counted as stars for the future. Forward Paris Brunner received the Golden Ball award as the best player in the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup. Brunner followed in the footsteps of his fellow countryman Toni Kroos, who won the coveted award in 2007.

If Kroos manages to go on and become the 2014 FIFA World Cup winner, nobody can write Brunner off for not achieving the same. Midfielder and captain Noah Darvich already made a notable name, as Barcelona recruited him in August.

Max Moerstedt, Robert Ramsak, Bilal Yalcinkaya, Eric da Silva Moreira, David Odogu, Maximilian Henning, and Charles Hermann are several other players that could form the backbone of the German national team in the next ten years. “We have got players with incredible talent who also have a great mentality. This combination makes anything possible,” Germany’s coach Christian Wuck said.

Obviously, it’s still a long way for Noah Darvich and Co to prove their worth in the next steps, because success at the youth level doesn’t often translate into success for the first team. Nevertheless, the U-17 team’s accomplishment in Indonesia definitely brings hope that there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel that Germany is in right now.

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In a sharp critique, Nick Mangwana, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Information, has criticized the United States Embassy for its perceived condescension.

Mangwana urged the diplomatic mission to concentrate on enhancing bilateral relations instead of involving itself in the internal affairs of the country.

His comments came in response to a recent statement from the US embassy expressing apprehension about the pre-trial detention and prolonged delays faced by political prisoners.

“You have many black people in your prisons undergoing pre-trial incarcerations, we keep our views to ourselves. Please accord others the same courtesies they accord you, and stop patronizing us,” said Nick Mangwana on X ( formerly Twitter).

Zimbabwe and the USA have been in longstanding disagreement, with the U.S. labeling Zimbabwe as a repressive dictatorship and imposing economic sactions.

 The government led by President Emmerson Mnangagwa has faced accusations of suppressing dissenting voices, particularly since taking over from the longtime ruler Robert Mugabe in a military-assisted takeover. Numerous activists, including former CCC legislator Job Sikhala, have been held in prison awaiting trial, with Sikhala having spent more than a year behind bars.

Source: Bulawayo24

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Today, the Ford Foundation joined the Rockefeller Foundation in support of USAID’s flagship “Democracy Delivers” event at the 2023 UN General Assembly. The event brought together US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, USAID Administrator, Samantha Power, philanthropic and business leaders, and heads of state of countries experiencing promising democratic openings. The gathering highlighted progress made over the past year and mobilized new partners in a collective effort to support the political and economic reforms needed to turn moments of democratic opening into lasting democratic realities. 

The Ford Foundation committed $20 million over four years to support openings for democracy. Grants will include limited, new engagements in Moldova and Zambia that will focus on civic engagement for democracy, and extensions to ongoing work in Tanzania and Nepal that will advance connections between democracy-oriented actors, and grantmaking at these moments of opportunity. The commitment includes funding for Ford’s long standing work to strengthen the pillars of democracy and foster government responsiveness to citizens working across borders to strengthen accountability, participation and democratic values by fostering engagement between people and their governments. 

Darren Walker, President of the Ford Foundation issued the following statement:

“At the Ford Foundation, our longstanding commitment to strengthening the pillars of democracy and fostering greater responsiveness in government has led to a strategic focus on civic engagement. We support citizen-led organizations and movements from Johannesburg to Jakarta as well as national and international nonprofits forming a united front to protect civic space.

“And now, we are committing $20 million over four years to support openings for democracy, seizing on the opportunity of this unique moment. The funding will sustain our core work in this area, further our ongoing efforts in Tanzania and Nepal, and will also go to new engagements in Moldova and Zambia.

“We recognize the importance of being nimble and going where we are most needed. And I am grateful to join this effort with friends and allies who believe, as Ford does, that right now, there is no greater need—and no greater opportunity than investing in democracies that deliver a better future for us all.”

Source: Ford Foundation

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