Dear Africans, Protect Wetlands
To be specific, research finds that Nigerians, Liberians, Guineans, Egyptians, Algerians, and Kenyans are destroying wetlands at a faster rate.
Around March this year, I circled around Kampala with a friend trying to map wetland destruction. What we saw was disheartening. One wetland was being turned into an industrial park and we found big trucks ferrying soil to cover it. I am guilty that I haven’t written the story yet.
That was the effect of human beings. Where people grow, wetlands shrink.
A new study has found that wetlands in Africa are breaking into smaller pieces, especially in areas with large populations. Africa’s big cities are now hotspots where wetlands are being severely damaged.
The research, published in Nature Communications, is the first to map all of Africa’s wetlands in such fine detail. It shows that the continent has nearly 948,000 square kilometers of wetlands–about 10% of all the wetlands on earth.
These wetlands are not just beautiful landscapes. They are incredibly important. They help clean polluted water, protect towns from floods, support agriculture, and store vast amounts of carbon, which helps slow down climate change. In fact, Africa’s wetlands store about 54 billion tonnes of carbon–much more than Europe’s wetlands.
But as towns and cities grow, wetlands are being cut into smaller and smaller patches. This weakens them and makes them more likely to disappear.
The researchers found that in countries like Nigeria, Liberia, Guinea, Egypt, Algeria, and Kenya, wetlands are being fragmented at alarming rates.
To measure this, they used a tool called the Wetland Fragmentation and Population Index (WFPI). It compares the number of wetland patches with the size of the nearby human population.
Some of the worst-hit places include:
Lagos and Rivers State in Nigeria
Monrovia in Liberia
Conakry in Guinea
Cities in Egypt, Algeria, Kenya, Cameroon, and Gabon
In Rivers State, Nigeria, one 10 km area had 209 wetland patches and over 130,000 people–the highest score on the index. Other cities like Lagos, Monrovia, and Conakry also showed very high levels of wetland damage.
What’s causing the damage?
Mostly, it’s:
Clearing land for farming
Building houses, roads, and other infrastructure
Pollution
Diverting water for irrigation or dams
In some places, the damage has already been done. In Kenya, the Yala and Kingwal wetlands are in poor condition. In Uganda, the Nakivubo wetlands have been completely transformed. In South Africa, the Ga-Mampa swamp is gone–turned into farmland.
But not all wetland fragmentation is caused by people. In the Congo Basin, which contains Africa’s largest wetland area, the wetlands appear fragmented but are far from cities. Scientists believe that natural features like rivers and landscape patterns are responsible there.
Still, the Congo Basin is incredibly important. It holds the largest area of peatlands in Africa–about 165,000 square kilometers. Peatlands are special types of wetlands that store massive amounts of carbon. Even though they only cover 22% of Africa’s wetlands, they hold 41% of all the carbon.
If wetlands are drained or destroyed, they release that carbon into the air. The study found that damaged African wetlands could release up to 260 million tonnes of carbon per year–almost ten times more than what healthy wetlands can absorb. That’s about 2.4% of the world’s annual carbon emissions.
This is a major threat to the global climate. When wetlands are broken apart, they lose their ability to store carbon, purify water, and support wildlife.
Where are Africa’s wetlands?
Most wetlands are located in West and Central Africa, especially in areas that receive a lot of rainfall. But these regions are also experiencing fast population growth, which puts even more pressure on wetlands.
The study says that 13,000 square kilometers of wetlands in Africa are already at high risk due to human activity, and another 28,000 square kilometers are at moderate risk.
In contrast, areas like the Great African Lakes region are still in relatively good shape. Their wetlands remain large and less disturbed by human activity.
So, from me to you: if you know anyone destroying a wetland, tell them–it’s not just bad for the environment. It’s dangerous for the whole community, and for the world.
VISUAL OF THE WEEK
A new analysis using data from 10 global climate models shows that Tanzania’s temperatures will rise significantly by 2100, depending on how much greenhouse gases are emitted. If emissions stay low, temperatures may rise by about 1.2°C, but under a high-emission scenario, the increase could reach 5°C, pushing average temperatures above 31°C. This would lead to more extreme heat, affecting farming, health, water, and nature.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“With less than 1 km2 of glacial mass remaining, it is almost certain that Africa will be the first continent to entirely lose its glaciers because of global warming,” Cymene Howe and Dominic Boyer in Science.
RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS
Land use change and infectious disease emergence: a study points out how changing the way land is used–through deforestation, farming, mining, and expanding cities–is closely linked to the rise of new infectious diseases in Africa. When forests and wild habitats are cleared, people come into closer contact with animals, which increases the chance of diseases jumping from animals to humans (a process called spillover). This has contributed to outbreaks of dangerous diseases like Ebola, Marburg virus, Lassa fever, and monkeypox. The study also points out that urban areas with poor health systems and crowded conditions face higher risks, and that factory farming can make disease spread worse. The authors call for a “One Health” approach–which treats human, animal, and environmental health as connected–to prevent future outbreaks. Africa is especially at risk because of its rich wildlife and fast-changing landscapes. [Reference, Review of Geophysics]
Ancient apes thrived in Kenya’s lush tropical forests: About 20 million years ago, the Koru region in western Kenya was a warm, wet tropical forest with both open and closed canopy patches. A new study used fossils, soil layers, and volcanic ash to understand what the climate and environment were like at that time. The area got a lot of rainfall–around 2,000 mm per year–and had a tropical temperature above 25°C. Fossil leaves and tree stumps show that it was a semi-deciduous forest, meaning some trees lost their leaves seasonally. This kind of forest supported a variety of animals, including early apes, reptiles, and other mammals. The site’s history was shaped by repeated volcanic eruptions, which helped preserve the fossils. These findings suggest that early apes lived in rich, varied forests, and highlight how important detailed local studies are in understanding their evolution. [Reference, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology]
The science behind maasai jumping power: A recent scientific study explored the jumping ability and leg structure of Maasai men from Tanzania and Kenya, known for their traditional jumping dances. Researchers compared 22 Maasai men with 12 Norwegian men of similar age. Although both groups reached similar jump heights, the Maasai showed faster and more powerful jumps. Their legs had longer tendons and shorter muscles, which helped them jump efficiently using less energy. During repetitive jumps, the Maasai used slower, more controlled movements with longer contact times, possibly due to their unique leg structure or cultural jumping style. These features may also help the Maasai move more efficiently while walking and running. The study suggests that the Maasai’s physical traits–like longer legs, more flexible tendons, and muscle placement–may offer advantages in daily movement, even if they don’t jump higher than others. [Reference, Scientific Reports]
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