All publications and documents

Over 3 billion people around the world grapple with the consequences of land degradation. Damaged forests, farms, grasslands and mangroves lead to less water and food, declining rural incomes and creeping deserts. In 2019, the world lost 11.9 million hectares of tree cover in the tropics, the rough equivalent of 4 billion trees — an area the size of Honduras or the U.S. state of…

Scientists conducted a sweeping review of nature's contributions to humans in order to present a clear breakdown of global trends since 1970. Not surprisingly, the results are grim International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) It is no secret that over the last few decades, humans have changed nature at an ever-increasing rate. A growing collection of research covers the…

Regreening Kenya embarks on an ambitious journey to bring more than 150,000 hectares of degraded land under restoration Regreening Africa is an EU-funded programme that started in 2017. The programme’s goal is to improve livelihoods, strengthen food security and build resilience to climate change, while restoring degraded ecosystem services in eight countries. In Kenya, the programme is…

NASIANDA, Kenya — Robert Wafula, a 54-year-old farmer from Nasianda village in western Kenya, credits his change in fortune to his three dairy goats that he fondly refers to as his “newfound gold mines.” Three years ago, Wafula was unable to make ends meet after harvesting the maize and beans he grows on his 1 1/2-acre farm. “I used to look for casual labor or borrow money from…

In these days, with environmental collapse seemingly lurking around every corner, there is a story of hope to be told by journalists across the world. The science is clear: Many of the planet’s systems are in decline. The Earth is warming at unprecedented rates. Our aquifers are drying up. The world’s biodiversity is being lost at an alarming pace. And yet, scientists are finding…

This briefing note looks at the long-term impact of COVID-19 on fragility and conflict in Africa. It follows an earlier brief which analysed the immediate impact of COVID-19 on conflict in Africa between March and June 2020. Responding to the long-term challenges highlighted by the pandemic will require sustained and concerted efforts, particularly ahead of the vaccination campaign expected to…