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		<title>Conservation news</title>
		<atom:link href="https://news.mongabay.com/feed/?location=kenya&#038;post_type=post" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
		<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/kenya/</link>
		<description>Environmental science and conservation news</description>
		<lastBuildDate>Mon, 25 May 2026 18:36:17 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<title>Kenya environmental news</title>
	<link>https://news.mongabay.com/list/kenya/</link>
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				<item>
					<title>Kenyan communities protest planned nuclear plant near Lake Victoria</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-communities-protest-planned-nuclear-plant-near-lake-victoria/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-communities-protest-planned-nuclear-plant-near-lake-victoria/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>22 May 2026 21:47:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elodie Toto]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/22214609/View_of_Lake_Nalubaale-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
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											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Climate Change, Energy, Fish, Food, Freshwater, Freshwater Ecosystems, Freshwater Fish, Invasive Species, and Nuclear Power]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[On May 21, residents of Sakwa, in southeastern Kenya, gathered to protest the government’s plan to install a nuclear power plant near their homes, along Lake Victoria. Sakwa, in Siaya County, is home to the Luo tribe and lies along the shores of Africa’s largest freshwater lake, which Kenya shares with Uganda and Tanzania. In [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[On May 21, residents of Sakwa, in southeastern Kenya, gathered to protest the government’s plan to install a nuclear power plant near their homes, along Lake Victoria. Sakwa, in Siaya County, is home to the Luo tribe and lies along the shores of Africa’s largest freshwater lake, which Kenya shares with Uganda and Tanzania. In late March 2026 during the International Conference on Nuclear Energy, Kenyan President William Ruto announced the construction of a 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in the area. There is currently no information about the plan available on the national Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) website. However, Ruto said construction would begin next year, and the plant is expected to start producing electricity by 2034. “No country in the world has ever achieved its development ambitions without adequate and reliable energy,” Ruto said. He also stressed nuclear energy is considered by the United Nations to be a low-carbon source of energy and integral to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “The integration of nuclear energy into our national grid therefore represents a strategic transition towards securing a stable long-term solution for Kenya&#8217;s rising electricity demand,” he said. In his speech, Ruto said he had already consulted residents of Siaya County and suggested that local communities supported the project. However, the recent protest indicates the reality on the ground is quite different. Additionally, a petition against the project launched in April gathered more than 400 signatures before being submitted to NuPEA and the county governor. Mongabay reviewed&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-communities-protest-planned-nuclear-plant-near-lake-victoria/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Rising waters and mounting pressures collide on Kenya’s Lake Turkana</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/rising-waters-and-mounting-pressures-collide-on-kenyas-lake-turkana/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/rising-waters-and-mounting-pressures-collide-on-kenyas-lake-turkana/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 May 2026 08:04:12 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christopher Clark]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
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					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319666</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation, Climate Change And Food, Conservation, Drought, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Flooding, Food, Food Crisis, food security, Freshwater Ecosystems, Freshwater Fish, Hunger, Lakes, Overfishing, Poverty, and Regulations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KALOKOL, Kenya — Rake-thin with teeth stained a deep brown from decades of drinking untreated lake water high in fluoride, 62-year-old John Esirite sits in the shade outside the small office of Kalokol’s Beach Management Unit, or BMU, the community-run body that oversees local fisheries. “The old office used to be down there,” the fisherman [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KALOKOL, Kenya — Rake-thin with teeth stained a deep brown from decades of drinking untreated lake water high in fluoride, 62-year-old John Esirite sits in the shade outside the small office of Kalokol’s Beach Management Unit, or BMU, the community-run body that oversees local fisheries. “The old office used to be down there,” the fisherman says, pointing toward the western shoreline of Lake Turkana, the world’s largest permanent desert lake, just visible a couple of kilometers away. “But now it’s underwater.” Over the last 15 years, Lake Turkana has risen by about 8-10 meters (26-33 feet). That’s increased its surface area by around 10%. In and around the fishing hub of Kalokol, hundreds of people have been displaced by this steady advance. In Esirite’s case, the village where he grew up, Natole, has long since been abandoned. The fisherman has had to relocate three times since 2014, pushed ever farther from his ancestral land and the nearshore breeding grounds he has fished for most of his life. “We are suffering, but no one is helping us,” he says. “We can only pray to God for assistance.” But even the church where Esirite used to pray is underwater. What is happening in Kalokol is part of a wider trend. Since the early 2010s, many lakes across Kenya’s Rift Valley have flooded, their expansion accelerating after particularly heavy rains in 2020, forcing tens of thousands from their homes. But here, in this long-neglected northern corner of the country, the human and environmental&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/rising-waters-and-mounting-pressures-collide-on-kenyas-lake-turkana/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>‘Turkana has always adapted to change’: Interview with environmentalist Ikal Angelei</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/turkana-has-always-adapted-to-change-interview-with-environmentalist-ikal-angelei/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/turkana-has-always-adapted-to-change-interview-with-environmentalist-ikal-angelei/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>19 May 2026 08:02:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christopher Clark]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/18184413/061A3230-scaled-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319676</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation, Climate Change And Food, Conservation, Drought, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Flooding, Food, Food Crisis, food security, Freshwater Ecosystems, Freshwater Fish, Hunger, Lakes, Overfishing, Poverty, and Regulations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Lake Turkana in northern Kenya is often portrayed as a region in perpetual crisis due to climate change. But for the Indigenous groups who have lived here for centuries, environmental change is not new. Local livelihoods have long shifted between pastoralism, fishing, farming and trade as people adapt to a landscape defined by fluctuation. What [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Lake Turkana in northern Kenya is often portrayed as a region in perpetual crisis due to climate change. But for the Indigenous groups who have lived here for centuries, environmental change is not new. Local livelihoods have long shifted between pastoralism, fishing, farming and trade as people adapt to a landscape defined by fluctuation. What has changed is the scale and intensity of pressures now converging on and around the lake — from increasingly erratic climate patterns and mounting strain on fisheries, to oil development, resource conflict, and the political decisions now shaping the lake’s future. In 2008, Ikal Angelei was working as a program coordinator at the Turkana Basin Institute, a pioneering research center focused on human origins and the environment, when she first heard from visiting scientists about a huge hydroelectric dam being built across the border in Ethiopia. Concerned about the Gibe III Dam’s potentially devastating impact downstream, on Lake Turkana and the communities that depend on it, Angelei founded a grassroots organization called Friends of Lake Turkana to amplify the voices of people who had been excluded from the consultation process and fight the project. In 2012, Angelei was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize for her advocacy. Her organization continues to work with and on behalf of communities within the greater Turkana Basin to demand collective social, economic, cultural, environmental and territorial justice. Mongabay spoke with Angelei about resilience, reductive narratives, and what Turkana’s history might reveal about its future. This interview has been lightly edited&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/turkana-has-always-adapted-to-change-interview-with-environmentalist-ikal-angelei/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Elephants return to Mount Elgon side of Uganda after four decades</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/elephants-return-to-mount-elgon-side-of-uganda-after-four-decades/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/elephants-return-to-mount-elgon-side-of-uganda-after-four-decades/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 May 2026 10:03:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Benjamin Jumbe]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/18062559/Mount-Elgon-Uganda-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319622</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, Kenya, and Uganda]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[animal tracking, Animals, Biodiversity, Conservation, Corridors, Elephants, Endangered Species, Environment, Fences, Habitat, Habitat Degradation, Habitat Loss, human-elephant conflict, Human-wildlife Conflict, Infrastructure, Mammals, Migration, Protected Areas, Tracking, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, and Wildlife Corridors]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[According to monitoring with tracking collars by the Mount Elgon Foundation (MEF), last year at least 60 elephants crossed from Kenya into the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon, a vast volcanic mountain that straddles the border, returning to a part of their natural range where they’ve not been seen for over 40 years. MEF funds [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[According to monitoring with tracking collars by the Mount Elgon Foundation (MEF), last year at least 60 elephants crossed from Kenya into the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon, a vast volcanic mountain that straddles the border, returning to a part of their natural range where they’ve not been seen for over 40 years. MEF funds community projects aimed at reducing forest degradation and raising awareness of environmental issues, as well as a team of 18 community scouts on the Kenyan side of the mountain, part of the East African Wild Life Society’s Mount Elgon Elephant Project. MEF’s chair, Chris Powles, told Mongabay that back in 2022, scouts tracked four elephants crossing the Suam river, which marks the border between the two countries. Drone footage of elephants on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon. Image courtesy of UWA. In an email interview, Powles said a number of factors could explain the elephants’ return, though it’s impossible to say for certain what’s prompted them to reestablish themselves. “[These] include the growth of the elephant population on the Kenya side, the increasing human pressure on the Kenya side, the relative safety for them on the Uganda side as it is all national park (unlike in Kenya),” he wrote. “And, maybe, the elephants alive from the time when others of them were killed in Uganda have now died naturally and so their memory of what happened in Uganda may have passed.” In the late 1970s and 80s, elephants in Uganda and other parts of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/elephants-return-to-mount-elgon-side-of-uganda-after-four-decades/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Kenya’s Ruto rejects “raw mineral export” future for Africa</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/kenyas-ruto-rejects-raw-mineral-export-future-for-africa/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/kenyas-ruto-rejects-raw-mineral-export-future-for-africa/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>13 May 2026 17:28:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[David Akana]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/13165332/692856381_1576502047164396_2018090776161810834_n-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319365</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, cobalt, Critical Minerals, Economy, Energy, Energy Politics, Environment, Governance, Government, and mine]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Kenyan President William Ruto has called for a new economic model for Africa’s green transition, warning that the continent must not repeat the historical pattern of exporting raw materials without local value addition. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, co-hosted by France and Kenya, Ruto said Africa’s growing reserves of critical minerals, vital [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[Kenyan President William Ruto has called for a new economic model for Africa’s green transition, warning that the continent must not repeat the historical pattern of exporting raw materials without local value addition. Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, co-hosted by France and Kenya, Ruto said Africa’s growing reserves of critical minerals, vital to the global clean-energy economy, must be developed in a way that directly benefits African citizens. “We cannot accept a future in which Africa simply exports raw green minerals while industrial value addition, advanced manufacturing and technological innovation take place elsewhere. That model belongs to the past,” Ruto told delegates on May 12. “Green industrialization presents our continent with an opportunity not only to contribute meaningfully to global climate solutions but also to create jobs, expand manufacturing capacity, strengthen exports, deepen regional value chains and accelerate structural economic transformation.” A mine in Likasi in the DRC. Image by Glody Murhabazi/ AFP. Africa holds more than 30% of the world’s critical minerals — including cobalt, lithium, manganese and rare earth elements vital for producing batteries and solar panels and building wind turbines — according to the African Green Mineral Strategy. As the world transitions from fossil fuels to renewable energy, experts argue demand will surge. Estimates from the African Union show that demand for these minerals is set to double by 2040. The Nairobi summit brings together leaders, investors and climate policy experts from across Europe and Africa. Ruto emphasized that Africa possesses some of the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/kenyas-ruto-rejects-raw-mineral-export-future-for-africa/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Teen innovators in Kenya turn farm waste into award-winning vehicle exhaust filter</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/teen-innovators-in-kenya-turn-farm-waste-into-award-winning-vehicle-exhaust-filter/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/teen-innovators-in-kenya-turn-farm-waste-into-award-winning-vehicle-exhaust-filter/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 May 2026 04:00:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Malavika VyawahareMary Mwendwa]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/11161329/671088-DSC_0355-1-545e44-original-1777544287-1-e1778516030451-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319145</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Air Pollution, Earth Science, Economy, Environment, Governance, Government, Pollution, Solutions, Technology, and technology development]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NAIROBI — Two 17-year-old students from Kiambu county in Kenya were declared winners of the Africa region Earth Prize on May 12, for a low-cost maize- and coconut-based vehicle exhaust filtration system they developed. Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo, students at M-PESA Foundation Academy, developed the system, HewaSafi, meaning “clean air” in Swahili, after [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[NAIROBI — Two 17-year-old students from Kiambu county in Kenya were declared winners of the Africa region Earth Prize on May 12, for a low-cost maize- and coconut-based vehicle exhaust filtration system they developed. Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo, students at M-PESA Foundation Academy, developed the system, HewaSafi, meaning “clean air” in Swahili, after watching friends and family suffer from diseases linked to air pollution. The Switzerland-based Earth Foundation grants the annual Earth Prize, now in its fifth year, to 13-to-19-year-olds working on solutions to environmental challenges. The HewaSafi team is now a contender for the global prize, for which public voting opens on May 18 and closes on May 27. The winner of the international edition will be announced on May 29. “The problem of air pollution was very personal to us, and that is why we started thinking about coming up with a solution,” Kariuki told Mongabay. “It was a passion before it became a project.” An image of the HewaSafi 3D prototype model. Image courtesy of Fredrick Njoroge Kariuki and Miron Onsarigo. Kariuki, who grew up in an industrialized area of Nakuru county in Kenya, developed a chronic lung disease at age 10 that still requires him to take medication weekly. Onsarigo, who grew up in western Kenya, witnessed deaths and serious illnesses associated with polluted air. Air pollution causes 4.4 million premature deaths globally each year, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Vehicular exhaust is a major source of pollution in urban areas. The&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/teen-innovators-in-kenya-turn-farm-waste-into-award-winning-vehicle-exhaust-filter/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>From Africa to Central Asia, the European roller’s migration builds relationships</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/from-africa-to-central-asia-the-european-rollers-migration-builds-relationships/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/from-africa-to-central-asia-the-european-rollers-migration-builds-relationships/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 May 2026 07:05:56 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/08162937/European.roller.Coracias.garrulus_BostonliqUzbekistan_bereztletikINaturalistBYNC4.0-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=319029</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, China, Europe, India, Kenya, Somalia, South Africa, Southern Africa, Tanzania, and Uzbekistan]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, Corridors, Ecosystems, Environment, Habitat Loss, Migration, Research, Species, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, and Wildlife Corridors]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The European roller is a small, striking migratory bird that breeds in open woodlands — or farms and orchards — across Europe and Central Asia. Coracias garrulus is also well-known to Southern and South Africa&#8217;s avid birdwatching communities, including many citizen scientists who participate in the Southern African Bird Atlas Project. But the rollers that [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[The European roller is a small, striking migratory bird that breeds in open woodlands — or farms and orchards — across Europe and Central Asia. Coracias garrulus is also well-known to Southern and South Africa&#8217;s avid birdwatching communities, including many citizen scientists who participate in the Southern African Bird Atlas Project. Image courtesy of Lourenço Afonso. But the rollers that spend November to March in South Africa appear to be mostly the C. g. semenowi subspecies. The routes these populations follow to their breeding grounds as far as 10,000 kilometers (6,200 miles) away in Central Asia are not known. Image courtesy of Ma Ming. Since 2024, scientists at BirdLife South Africa have fit tiny 3.8-gram (0.1-ounce) trackers to seven birds to investigate the birds’ migration routes and stopover sites. Image courtesy of Jean-Richard Snoer. The tagged rollers traveled north through Tanzania and Kenya, paused in Somalia, and then flew on to Central Asia via Oman and India. One individual ended up in China, two others in Uzbekistan. Image courtesy of BirdLife SA One year&#8217;s tracking of just seven birds has connected South Africa to bird clubs in Gujarat, India, and a Chinese researcher studying the rollers&#8217; breeding behavior in Xinjiang, China. Image courtesy of Ma Ming. BirdLife SA&#8217;s tiny staff dedicated to the European Roller Monitoring Project is supported by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds. The tracking devices are paid for by individual donors. Image courtesy of Jean-Richard Snoer. In the years ahead, Flyway and Migrants Project&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/from-africa-to-central-asia-the-european-rollers-migration-builds-relationships/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Up to half the bird species using the African-Eurasian flyway are declining</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/up-to-half-the-bird-species-using-the-african-eurasian-flyway-are-declining/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/up-to-half-the-bird-species-using-the-african-eurasian-flyway-are-declining/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>08 May 2026 16:40:32 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Wilson Odhiambo]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/13142100/Balearica_pavonina_-_Maroparque_01-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=318965</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, Egypt, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Biodiversity, Birds, Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, Corridors, Ecosystems, Environment, Habitat Loss, Migration, Species, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, and Wildlife Corridors]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Each year in May, World Migratory Bird Day draws attention to the billions of birds that migrate long distances with the changing of the seasons, a living braid of ecosystems separated by thousands — even tens of thousands — of kilometers. According to Kariuki Ndang’ang’a, BirdLife International Africa’s regional director, about 2 billion birds fly [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Each year in May, World Migratory Bird Day draws attention to the billions of birds that migrate long distances with the changing of the seasons, a living braid of ecosystems separated by thousands — even tens of thousands — of kilometers. According to Kariuki Ndang’ang’a, BirdLife International Africa’s regional director, about 2 billion birds fly along the African-Eurasian flyway every year: the populations of between 40 and 50 percent of these migratory bird species are in decline. Ndang’ang’a told Mongabay added that the birds that travel furthest are at greatest risk. Some species, like Abdim’s stork (Ciconia abdimii), migrate relatively short distances within the continent, but palearctic migrants — those coming from distant landscapes in Europe or Asia — are particularly vulnerable, experiencing over a 30% decline in the past 30 years. “Because these birds depend on specific stopover sites (like Lake Chad or the Nile Delta), the loss of even one small wetland can cause an entire population to collapse,” Ndang’ang’a wrote in an email. Abdim&#8217;s stork at Masai Mara NP, Kenya. Image by tsowerby via iNaturalist (CC BY-NC 4.0) According to Ndang’ang’a, habitat loss, climate change and infrastructure collision stand as three of the main reasons for the decline in migratory bird species. “For instance, the drainage of wetlands for agriculture or urban expansion has greatly affected migratory birds as they search for resting and feeding ground,” he said. Lake Chad, on the southern edge of the Sahara Desert, has lost 90% of its surface area since the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/05/up-to-half-the-bird-species-using-the-african-eurasian-flyway-are-declining/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Suspected chemical pollution threatens Nairobi Nat’l Park &#038; key water sources</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/suspected-chemical-pollution-threatens-nairobi-natl-park-key-water-sources/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/suspected-chemical-pollution-threatens-nairobi-natl-park-key-water-sources/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>05 May 2026 01:34:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elodie Toto]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/04214840/WhatsApp-Image-2026-04-30-at-16.04.32-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=318718</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Cities, Health, National Parks, Parks, Pollution, Protected Areas, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A suspected chemical discharge is flowing into Nairobi National Park, raising concerns over the vulnerability of a unique protected ecosystem and the growing pressure of urban-industrial activity at its borders. On April 30, 2026, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) reported in a press release sent to Mongabay “abnormal foamy water inflows” entering the park through [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A suspected chemical discharge is flowing into Nairobi National Park, raising concerns over the vulnerability of a unique protected ecosystem and the growing pressure of urban-industrial activity at its borders. On April 30, 2026, the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) reported in a press release sent to Mongabay “abnormal foamy water inflows” entering the park through the Mlolongo drainage corridor. In a statement sent to Mongabay, the agency described white, effervescent bubbles, continuous discharge and unnatural coloration, all “consistent with possible chemical contamination”. What makes the situation particularly alarming is the location. Established in 1946, Nairobi National Park is the only national park in the world located within a capital city. The park covers 117 square kilometers (45 square miles) of savanna, forest and wetlands. It’s home to four of the “Big Five”: lions, buffalo, leopards and rhinos (missing only elephants). The park also hosts a rhino sanctuary and an animal orphanage where injured wildlife are treated. But its proximity, surrounded by Nairobi’s expanding industrial zones, has long made it vulnerable. KWS warned that the risk goes beyond wildlife, noting, “The affected system feeds into the Mbagathi and Athi Rivers, placing Athi Dam a critical ecological and water resource at significant risk, alongside aquatic biodiversity and downstream water users, including communities, agriculture, and livestock.” Authorities have urged the public to avoid fishing and using water from the rivers. An investigation has been launched to determine the source of the contamination. Preliminary findings suggest that “the runoff may have interacted with nearby&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/suspected-chemical-pollution-threatens-nairobi-natl-park-key-water-sources/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Kenyan Court allows landmark BP toxic waste lawsuit to proceed</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-court-allows-landmark-bp-toxic-waste-lawsuit-to-proceed/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-court-allows-landmark-bp-toxic-waste-lawsuit-to-proceed/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>01 May 2026 12:46:29 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Dalle Abraham]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/05/01114408/3T9A4048-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=318573</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Environmental Law, Environmental Politics, Governance, Green, Oil, Pollution, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Environment and Land court at Isiolo has ruled that a class action lawsuit against British oil giant BP can proceed to a full hearing, in a case that alleges toxic waste left behind from oil exploration in the 1980s contaminated groundwater in northern Kenya, killing more than 500 people and thousands of livestock. The [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Environment and Land court at Isiolo has ruled that a class action lawsuit against British oil giant BP can proceed to a full hearing, in a case that alleges toxic waste left behind from oil exploration in the 1980s contaminated groundwater in northern Kenya, killing more than 500 people and thousands of livestock. The matter shall be taken up on May 6. The lawsuit, filed in February by 299 petitioners at the Environment and Land Court at Isiolo, was brought by residents of Kargi and Kalacha, two remote settlements in Marsabit county. It alleges that oil exploration activities conducted between 1985 and 1993 in northern and northwestern Kenya by Amoco Corporation, which was acquired by BP in 1998, improperly discharged hazardous and toxic contaminants into the environment, contaminating groundwater that communities depend on for drinking water and to rear livestock. Court documents allege that drilling waste containing radium isotopes, arsenic, lead and nitrates, was dumped in unlined pits or left exposed on the ground. The petition names British Petroleum PLC as the first respondent, alongside 11 other respondents including the National Oil Corporation of Kenya; the cabinet secretaries for environment, water, health and mining; the Water Resources Authority; the county government of Marsabit; the attorney general; the National Environment Management Authority; the Kenya Nuclear Regulatory Authority; and the Kenya Medical Research Institute. BP&#8217;s press office told Mongabay via email that it had no comment on the case. The High Court&#8217;s April ruling does not establish liability but clears the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/05/kenyan-court-allows-landmark-bp-toxic-waste-lawsuit-to-proceed/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>After 110-kilo ivory bust, familiar questions over Kenya’s follow-through</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/after-110-kilo-ivory-bust-familiar-questions-over-kenyas-follow-through/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/after-110-kilo-ivory-bust-familiar-questions-over-kenyas-follow-through/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>23 Apr 2026 09:38:25 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Charles Mpaka]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Shreya Dasgupta]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/23091633/617701933_1343288071175205_2890541981384418369_n-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=317983</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Conservation, Crime, Elephants, Endangered Species, Environment, Environmental Law, Ivory, Ivory Trade, Law, Mammals, Organized Crime, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, Wildlife Crime, Wildlife Trade, and Wildlife Trafficking]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In late January, Kenyan authorities arrested two men in possession of more than a hundred kilos of ivory in the town of Namanga, on the border with Tanzania. According to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), police and wildlife officers were on a covert operation at a hotel when they caught three men — identified [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In late January, Kenyan authorities arrested two men in possession of more than a hundred kilos of ivory in the town of Namanga, on the border with Tanzania. According to Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), police and wildlife officers were on a covert operation at a hotel when they caught three men — identified as Imani Manasi Msumbwa and Justin Mwalima, both Tanzanian, and Alton Jilaoneka, a Kenyan — likely negotiating a deal. Mwalima escaped; the remaining two led investigators to a car with 20 pieces of elephant tusks, weighing a total 110 kilograms (243 pounds). They were arrested, and news of the seizure made headlines. Since then, however, it’s not clear what progress has been made, either in finding the escaped suspect or in identifying the prospective buyer or the wider trafficking network. Despite repeated inquiries from Mongabay, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) officials have declined to confirm whether those arrested were granted bail or if they remain in custody. Chris Morris, founder of Nairobi-based wildlife crime monitoring group Saving Elephants through Education and Justice (SEEJ), told Mongabay that the suspects are scheduled to appear in Kajiado Magistrate’s Court on April 28. SEEJ monitored more than 100 elephant ivory trafficking prosecutions between 2023 and 2025 to assess the integrity of law enforcement in pursuing trafficking cases beyond the headline arrests. Some of the offences date back to 2015. By the end of its two-year monitoring period, only 72 of the 125 cases had concluded, with a conviction rate of&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/after-110-kilo-ivory-bust-familiar-questions-over-kenyas-follow-through/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>BP sued in Kenya over alleged toxic waste from 1980s oil exploration</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/bp-sued-in-kenya-over-alleged-toxic-waste-from-1980s-oil-exploration/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/bp-sued-in-kenya-over-alleged-toxic-waste-from-1980s-oil-exploration/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Apr 2026 20:33:01 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Associated Press]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/16203218/AP26106502506670-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=317681</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Chemicals, Health, Oil, Oil Drilling, Pollution, Toxicology, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The High Court in Kenya ruled Thursday that a class action lawsuit can move forward against multinational oil and gas company BP alleging that decades-long toxic waste disposal contaminated drinking water in northern Kenya. The lawsuit, filed by 299 petitioners in February at the Land and Environment Court in Isiolo, alleged [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The High Court in Kenya ruled Thursday that a class action lawsuit can move forward against multinational oil and gas company BP alleging that decades-long toxic waste disposal contaminated drinking water in northern Kenya. The lawsuit, filed by 299 petitioners in February at the Land and Environment Court in Isiolo, alleged that BP caused serious environmental pollution by improperly disposing of and discharging toxic waste from oil exploration activities in parts of northern Kenya. It claimed that the waste, which contained radioactive materials, contaminated ground water and sickened or killed hundreds of residents and livestock nearby. “During operations at the sites, hazardous and toxic contaminants were improperly disposed, discharged and released into the environment,” the petition said. The exploration work was carried out in the 1980s by Amoco Corporation, which was later acquired by BP in 1998. In that period, Amoco drilled several dry wells near Kargi and Kalacha in the Chalbi Desert in northern Kenya. The petition alleged that more than 500 residents living near the exploration sites died from cancers and other illnesses linked to drinking water contaminated with heavy metals and carcinogens. Court documents cite contaminants including radium isotopes, arsenic, lead and nitrates allegedly dumped in unlined pits or left exposed. The suit also accuses multiple Kenyan government ministries and agencies responsible for environment, water, mining and health of failing to act despite evidence of contamination. The case is scheduled to resume in May. BP has not issued a public response and declined&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/bp-sued-in-kenya-over-alleged-toxic-waste-from-1980s-oil-exploration/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>Strait of Hormuz crisis should catalyze African biofertilizer production (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/strait-of-hormuz-crisis-should-catalyze-african-biofertilizer-production-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/strait-of-hormuz-crisis-should-catalyze-african-biofertilizer-production-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>16 Apr 2026 00:44:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Susan Chomba]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2025/09/23081210/44366384701_940bc33dc5_k-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317598</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Kenya, and Nigeria]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[agribusiness, Agriculture, Agrochemicals, Agroecology, Biochar, Business, Conflict, Fertilizers, Food, food security, International Trade, Subsistence Agriculture, Sustainability, Sustainable Development, Trade, and War]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[In early mornings across rural Kenya, as the long rains approach, farmers are already at work. Fields are being cleared, seeds checked, and planting plans quietly rehearsed. But this year, alongside the usual uncertainties about soil quality, rain and pests, there is a more pressing question: will there be enough fertilizer, and will it be [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[In early mornings across rural Kenya, as the long rains approach, farmers are already at work. Fields are being cleared, seeds checked, and planting plans quietly rehearsed. But this year, alongside the usual uncertainties about soil quality, rain and pests, there is a more pressing question: will there be enough fertilizer, and will it be affordable? Reports from the Middle East echo through their favorite radio stations as they wonder about the war’s effect on their lives. As tensions disrupt food, fuel and fertilizer flows through the Strait of Hormuz — a key artery for global exports and imports into Iran — Africa’s dependence on imported synthetic inputs is once again exposed. For many countries, from 20% to more than 50% of fertilizer supplies originate from Persian Gulf nations. Besides the production of fertilizer, fossil fuels are also crucial for driving farming machinery such as tractors, irrigation pumps, and of course vehicles that transport food from farms to markets. Africa is aware of her vulnerability as a result of the war in Iran and the previous disruptions from COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, which have triggered policy and economic consequences. Frameworks such as the Africa Fertilizer and Soil Health Action Plan 2024-2034 aim to reduce reliance on imports by fostering local production. Currently, the Dangote Group, which operates Africa&#8217;s largest chemical fertilizer manufacturing complex, based in Nigeria, plans to triple its production to 9 million metric tons per annum. The group is also starting the construction of a $2&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/strait-of-hormuz-crisis-should-catalyze-african-biofertilizer-production-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Exploring giraffe-human conflict in Kenya</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/exploring-giraffe-human-conflict-in-kenya/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/exploring-giraffe-human-conflict-in-kenya/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Apr 2026 22:08:54 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[David Brown]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/14220234/Reticulated_giraffe_in_Kenya_national_park-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=317560</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Giraffes, Human-wildlife Conflict, Mammals, Wildilfe, and Wildlife Conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Reticulated giraffes are an endangered species across their primary range in Kenya, most commonly threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. Conflicts with people are also rising as giraffes sometimes eat crops like mangos and compete with local people for water. A group of researchers investigated emerging human-giraffe conflict (HGC) in northeastern Kenya found that, [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Reticulated giraffes are an endangered species across their primary range in Kenya, most commonly threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting. Conflicts with people are also rising as giraffes sometimes eat crops like mangos and compete with local people for water. A group of researchers investigated emerging human-giraffe conflict (HGC) in northeastern Kenya found that, despite tension, there is widespread local support for giraffes by local people, and opportunities to reduce conflict. Fewer than 20,000 reticulated giraffes (Giraffa reticulata) are estimated to remain in the wild, roughly a 56% population decline over the last 30 years, according to the IUCN, the global wildlife conservation authority. The research team worked in the Bour-Algy Giraffe Sanctuary, which was created along the Tana River in northeastern Kenya to protect the local population of reticulated giraffes. The sanctuary was created by volunteers from Bour-Algy village in 1995, but before this study there was little formal understanding of how local people felt about the giraffes and what impact giraffes had on their lives. The researchers conducted 400 interviews with households around the sanctuary. Their goal was to learn about local attitudes toward giraffes — whether people perceived them as a risk, what caused conflicts with giraffes and determine local strategies for coexistence. The team found that there was a relatively high tolerance for giraffes in the community. “Most respondents viewed giraffes as low-risk and over half reported no damage to land or property,” Abdullahi Ali, first author of the study, told Mongabay in an email. “Importantly, the&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/exploring-giraffe-human-conflict-in-kenya/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>In northern Kenya, a shifting Lake Turkana reshapes traditional livelihoods</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-northern-kenya-a-shifting-lake-turkana-reshapes-traditional-livelihoods/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-northern-kenya-a-shifting-lake-turkana-reshapes-traditional-livelihoods/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>14 Apr 2026 11:18:58 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christopher Clark]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/14102303/Kute-Hero-right-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317473</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Adaptation, Climate Change And Food, Conservation, Drought, Environment, Fish, Fisheries, Fishing, Flooding, Food, Food Crisis, food security, Freshwater Ecosystems, Freshwater Fish, Hunger, Lakes, Overfishing, Poverty, and Regulations]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KOMOTE, Kenya — At sunrise on Komote Island, 36-year-old James Lekubo walks his two children down a rocky hillside to the water’s edge, where they clamber into a small fishing boat with a couple of dozen others to journey across a stretch of lake that didn’t exist a few years ago. On the other side [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KOMOTE, Kenya — At sunrise on Komote Island, 36-year-old James Lekubo walks his two children down a rocky hillside to the water’s edge, where they clamber into a small fishing boat with a couple of dozen others to journey across a stretch of lake that didn’t exist a few years ago. On the other side lie their school and the nearest clinic — services that were previously within walking distance. Lekubo is a member of the El Molo, Kenya’s smallest and most marginalized ethnic group, who have lived here along the stark eastern shores of Lake Turkana for centuries. But in more recent years, the world’s largest desert lake has begun to turn against them, threatening not only their traditional livelihood but the very fabric of their cultural identity. According to a 2021 report by Kenya’s environment ministry, over the preceding decade, Turkana’s water levels rose by several meters, expanding the lake’s total surface area by around 10%, largely due to heavier rainfall in the Ethiopian highlands that feed it via the Omo River. Since then, the lake has continued to grow, submerging up to 1,000 square kilometers (about 390 square miles) of the surrounding landscape — an area half the size of London — including roads, grazing land, ancient burial sites, and even entire villages. Primary school children getting off the boat that now ferries them to school. Image by Christopher Clark for Mongabay. Lekubo watched helplessly as Komote was gradually cut off from the mainland. “Most people left&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-northern-kenya-a-shifting-lake-turkana-reshapes-traditional-livelihoods/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/in-northern-kenya-a-shifting-lake-turkana-reshapes-traditional-livelihoods/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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					<title>Christianity can be an ally for Kenyan conservation (commentary)</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/christianity-can-be-an-ally-for-kenyan-conservation-commentary/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/christianity-can-be-an-ally-for-kenyan-conservation-commentary/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>10 Apr 2026 15:25:31 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Peter Rowe]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Erik Hoffner]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/10145100/PRowe_HeaderImage-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317342</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Commentary, Community-based Conservation, Conservation and Religion, Environment, Forests, Green, Religions, and Spirituality and Conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The influence of Christianity in public life in Kenya is undisputed. Indeed, for more than a century, everyday life in the country — from education to health care and politics — has, in many ways, been shaped by the faith. From missionary origins to indigenous expressions, Christianity has been, and remains, “one of the most [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The influence of Christianity in public life in Kenya is undisputed. Indeed, for more than a century, everyday life in the country — from education to health care and politics — has, in many ways, been shaped by the faith. From missionary origins to indigenous expressions, Christianity has been, and remains, “one of the most powerful sociocultural forces” in Kenya. Interestingly, however, despite the prominent place of Christianity, the entanglements between Christianity and conservation — itself a major sociopolitical contour in Kenya — have been sorely understudied. In this sense, Stuart Butler’s 2024 article for Mongabay exploring the dynamic intersection of Maasai traditional religion, Christianity, land privatization, and conservation in the Naimina Enkiyioo (Loita) Forest is, in part, a breath of fresh air. For too long, religious faith (of any kind) has been on the margins of mainstream conservation thinking and practice. While some major players in conservation have begun to increasingly partner with faith communities and faith-based organizations (see for example WWF and UNEP), the task of getting (mainly Western) conservation practitioners and organizations to take faith seriously remains an uphill battle. Perhaps part of the difficulty in mainstreaming religious faith into conservation thinking and practice are the popular, but often partial, narratives concerning how faith — and for the purposes of this piece, Christianity — relate to conservation. In particular, the narrative concerning the negative impact of Christianity on the environment has been well-circulated for over a half-century, popularized and propelled most notably by the publication of Lynn&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/christianity-can-be-an-ally-for-kenyan-conservation-commentary/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/christianity-can-be-an-ally-for-kenyan-conservation-commentary/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>On the shores of Lake Victoria, a youth-led campaign to revive a wetland</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/on-the-shores-of-lake-victoria-a-youth-led-campaign-to-revive-a-wetland/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/on-the-shores-of-lake-victoria-a-youth-led-campaign-to-revive-a-wetland/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Apr 2026 11:51:48 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Achieng’ Otieno]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Malavikavyawahare]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/09101708/Photo-2-768x512.png" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=317251</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Birds, Environment, Environmental Activism, Governance, Government, Lakes, Plastic, Pollution, Tourism, and Water Pollution]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KISUMU, Kenya — On a December morning, the early sunshine casts a golden sheen on the waters of Lake Victoria in Kenya’s Kisumu county. The breeze from the lake carries the melody of birds, as a small wooden boat bobs gently on the languid waves. Occasionally, an African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) strikes, trapping a [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KISUMU, Kenya — On a December morning, the early sunshine casts a golden sheen on the waters of Lake Victoria in Kenya’s Kisumu county. The breeze from the lake carries the melody of birds, as a small wooden boat bobs gently on the languid waves. Occasionally, an African sacred ibis (Threskiornis aethiopicus) strikes, trapping a fish in its beak. The atmosphere at Dunga Beach, on the lake’s shore, is serene. In a few hours, fishmongers will arrive to haggle with fishers who have spent the night pulling up their nets. Victor Ochieng’ Didi, 32, leads a group of Kenyan tourists down the wooden boardwalk on the lakeshore. They’re bird-watchers, here at the culmination of a full year’s planning to catch a glimpse of the papyrus gonolek bird (Laniarius mufumbiri), a near-threatened species found only in the wetlands of Central and East Africa. The possibility of bird-watching at this spot is the result of years of efforts by conservationists, especially youths from this region. Momentum to preserve the Dunga wetland, identified by scientists as a Key Biodiversity Area (KBA), has ebbed and flowed, but activists say they hope a push to designate it as a gazetted wetland under Kenyan law will bring more lasting protections. Bird-watching guide Victor Ochieng’ Didi. Image by Achieng’ Otieno for Mongabay. A home for rare wildlife Dunga Beach is part of the wetland that’s also known as the Dunga swamp. It’s not only a habitat for rare species, but also an important carbon sink. The papyrus&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/on-the-shores-of-lake-victoria-a-youth-led-campaign-to-revive-a-wetland/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
										<wfw:commentRss>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/on-the-shores-of-lake-victoria-a-youth-led-campaign-to-revive-a-wetland/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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					<title>Wildlife concerns remain after Kenya court ruling over luxury safari camp</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/wildlife-concerns-remain-after-kenya-court-ruling-over-luxury-safari-camp/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/wildlife-concerns-remain-after-kenya-court-ruling-over-luxury-safari-camp/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>07 Apr 2026 09:13:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Elodie Toto]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Elodietoto]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/01192301/a.-BANNER-Wildebeest_Jumping_Into_the_Mara_River-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=316695</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, Kenya, Serengeti, and Tanzania]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Biodiversity, Conservation, Environment, Law, Mammals, Tourism, Traditional Knowledge, Wildlife, and Wildlife Conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[This is the end of a saga that has stirred nature and tourism enthusiasts in Kenya for the past six months. The Environment and Land Court at Narok dismissed a petition filed in August 2025 by Meitamei Olol Dapash, director of the Institute for Maasai Education, Research and Conservation. The environmentalist had opposed the opening [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[This is the end of a saga that has stirred nature and tourism enthusiasts in Kenya for the past six months. The Environment and Land Court at Narok dismissed a petition filed in August 2025 by Meitamei Olol Dapash, director of the Institute for Maasai Education, Research and Conservation. The environmentalist had opposed the opening of the Ritz-Carlton, Masai Mara Safari Camp, operated by Lazizi Mara Ltd. “The Court finds that it lacks jurisdiction to deal with this matter as there are relevant alternative disputes resolution mechanisms, which were not employed by the Plaintiffs and therefore this suit was prematurely filed, and the Court is divested of Jurisdiction. Without Jurisdiction, the Court’s hands are tied,” the court decision states. The Narok court, in its ruling, specifies that the plaintiff, before filing a claim, should have filed a complaint under Section 117 of the Wildlife Conservation and Management Act, which stipulates that all remedies, including community-based ones, must be pursued, and also appealed under Section 129 of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act. For further information, Mongabay contacted the Narok court and county authorities, but they did not respond to our interview request. From the perspective of environmentalists like Johnson Yiamat, the ruling is sending the wrong message. “I feel that procedural outcomes should not overshadow the substance of the concerns that were raised,” he said in a message to Mongabay. Yiamat is a Maasai and founder of Osotua Green Alliance, a community-led organization focused on biodiversity conservation, climate action and&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/04/wildlife-concerns-remain-after-kenya-court-ruling-over-luxury-safari-camp/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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						<item>
					<title>Kenya to receive 4 mountain bongos from European zoos</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/kenya-to-receive-4-mountain-bongos-from-european-zoos/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/kenya-to-receive-4-mountain-bongos-from-european-zoos/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>03 Apr 2026 20:42:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lynet Otieno]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/04/03203525/Critically-endangered-mountain-bongo-at-Chester-Zoo13-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=316965</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Antelope, Captive Breeding, Endangered Species, Wildlife, and Zoos]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) is on track to receive four male mountain bongos from European zoos, a move aimed at helping boost the population of one of Africa’s most endangered antelope. The transfer was led by experts from Chester Zoo, in England, in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the European Association [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[The Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC) is on track to receive four male mountain bongos from European zoos, a move aimed at helping boost the population of one of Africa’s most endangered antelope. The transfer was led by experts from Chester Zoo, in England, in collaboration with Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) and the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums. In a statement sent to Mongabay, the Chester Zoo said its experts spent more than 11 years coordinating a breeding program across European conservation zoos. “The four males now selected &#8211; chosen on the basis of age, health and genetics &#8211; will be the first to ever be transferred from European zoos to Kenya as part of a rewilding effort.” &#8220;Collaborations like this are absolutely essential if we are to prevent this magnificent species disappearing altogether,” Nick Davis, mammals general manager at Chester Zoo and coordinator of the European breeding program, said in a statement. “They demonstrate how modern, science-led zoos play an important role in bringing species back from the brink.” The most recent IUCN assessment in 2016 found the forest-dwelling antelope were critically endangered with just 70-80 adults remaining in the wild at the time, all of them in Kenya. In the last decade, mountain bongos (Tragelaphus eurycerus ssp. isaaci) briefly experienced a surge in the wild population. The Kenyan national wildlife census report states that in 2021, there were roughly 150 wild mountain bongos, but by 2025, there were just 66. Kenyan experts attribute the species’ decline to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/04/kenya-to-receive-4-mountain-bongos-from-european-zoos/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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						<item>
					<title>A Kenyan ranger’s lasting imprint on Africa’s anti-poaching efforts</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/a-kenyan-rangers-lasting-imprint-on-africas-anti-poaching-efforts/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/a-kenyan-rangers-lasting-imprint-on-africas-anti-poaching-efforts/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Mar 2026 19:02:39 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lynet Otieno]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/27173730/Image-from-iOS-e1774633379901-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=316482</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Obituary, Technology, Technology And Conservation, and Wildlife]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As John Tanui was being laid to rest in Kenya’s Rift Valley on March 25, stories and praise poured in for a man people would have loved to have lived longer. Tanui served as a security communications officer at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya from 1995 to 2024. He helped transform the operations of the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As John Tanui was being laid to rest in Kenya’s Rift Valley on March 25, stories and praise poured in for a man people would have loved to have lived longer. Tanui served as a security communications officer at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya from 1995 to 2024. He helped transform the operations of the anti-poaching and ranger teams, the conservancy stated in an impact report published in 2017. He also had an impressive knowledge of wildlife and birds and often served as a guide to Lewa’s guests. Despite decades of fieldwork, Tanui never lost his sense of wonder for wildlife. One evening, he and a visitor watched a group of lions climbing around on a fallen tree. Tanui’s awe at the lions’ agility captured the attention of the visitor, Jes Lefcourt, director of the conservation NGO EarthRanger. “I&#8217;ve never seen him as excited as when watching the lions. That&#8217;s what true love and dedication looks like,” Lefcourt said in a statement he shared after Tanui’s death from a blood clot complication. Tanui met and briefed many visitors, including actors, politicians and icons like David Attenborough, an English broadcaster, author and naturalist. Commonly referred to as “Tango,” Tanui spent three decades protecting wildlife at the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, but his  conservation work extended beyond Kenya, as he collaborated with international NGOs including EarthRanger and Tusk. The knowledge he gathered placed him at the intersection of tradition and innovation, as he helped to bring modern tools into ranger operations. According to&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/a-kenyan-rangers-lasting-imprint-on-africas-anti-poaching-efforts/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>New strategy to reverse Kenya’s shark decline tries to bring fishers on board</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/new-strategy-to-reverse-kenyas-shark-decline-tries-to-bring-fishers-on-board/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/new-strategy-to-reverse-kenyas-shark-decline-tries-to-bring-fishers-on-board/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>27 Mar 2026 07:00:59 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Anthony Langat]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Latoya Abulu]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/26222601/AP22187496377359-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=316390</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Oceans]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, Indian Ocean, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Solutions, Environment, Marine Animals, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Conservation, Marine Protected Areas, Ocean, Oceans, Sharks, Sharks And Rays, and Solutions]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NAIROBI — On Kenya’s eastern coast, a small-scale fisher lugs the day’s catch onto a table for processing and selling. Chances are, mostly threatened species like the scalloped hammerhead shark and the white-spotted guitarfish will appear on the table. This is just one example of a wider trend, conservationists say, of how deeply intertwined the [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[NAIROBI — On Kenya’s eastern coast, a small-scale fisher lugs the day’s catch onto a table for processing and selling. Chances are, mostly threatened species like the scalloped hammerhead shark and the white-spotted guitarfish will appear on the table. This is just one example of a wider trend, conservationists say, of how deeply intertwined the fate of endangered sharks and rays is with fishers making a living in the Western Indian Ocean. In February, to lay out an actionable working plan for shark and ray conservation in Kenya, a group of policymakers, scientists and a community leader published a 19-goal strategy. In it, are over a dozen that directly involve small-scale fishers or try to get them on board to make it a success. The goals include the creation of more locally managed marine areas, the involvement of fishers in conservation decision-making and calls for more effective enforcement of regulations on fishing gear and fishing of endangered species. Since 2023, Kenya has already had a policy on the conservation of sharks and rays — the National Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks (NPOA-Sharks). However, the action plan is still awaiting government approval. The strategy proposed by stakeholders proposes a way to implement it. Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), photographed in Yonaguni, Japan. According to a study, the species is frequently caught by small-scale fishers in Kenya. Image by Masayuki Agawa via Ocean Image Bank. A dozen stakeholders, Kenya’s Fisheries Service and the IUCN Species Conservation Planning&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/new-strategy-to-reverse-kenyas-shark-decline-tries-to-bring-fishers-on-board/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<title>Kenya marks World Meteorological Day amid dozens of flood fatalities</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/kenya-marks-world-meteorological-day-amid-dozens-of-flood-fatalities/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/kenya-marks-world-meteorological-day-amid-dozens-of-flood-fatalities/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>24 Mar 2026 20:01:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Lynet Otieno]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Bobbybascomb]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/24195603/Vehicles-partially-submerged-in-at-a-flooded-parking-lot-in-Nairobi-Kenya-after-days-of-heavy-rainfall-on-March-06-2026.-Photo-Courtesy-of-AA.com_.tr_-768x487.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=316220</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[March 23 was world Meteorological Day, which celebrates the science of helping humanity understand and predict the weather. However, in eastern Kenya, the day came as families were mourning the deaths of lives lost to ongoing heavy rains. Two people died after a rain-soaked wall collapsed on them, a little girl was swept away while [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[March 23 was world Meteorological Day, which celebrates the science of helping humanity understand and predict the weather. However, in eastern Kenya, the day came as families were mourning the deaths of lives lost to ongoing heavy rains. Two people died after a rain-soaked wall collapsed on them, a little girl was swept away while grazing livestock, and more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) away in Baringo county, a woman and a 4-year-old child were killed after a landslide swept away their house. More than 80 people died nationwide. At least 21 of the country’s 47 counties were affected, including the capital, Nairobi, with at least 37 fatalities. Many more people have been forced to leave their homes. Almost 70,000 people have been displaced, according to Relief Web. The Kenya Meteorological Department forecasted heavy localized rainfall, above 20 millimeters (0.8 inches) in 24 hours, across multiple regions, cautioning floods, landslides and poor visibility. It has continued to share more forecasts daily. Experts attribute the heavy rains to climate change, rapid urbanization and land use change. There have also been claims of gaps in governance. Cabinet secretary for environment, climate change and forestry (ECCF), Deborah Barasa, recently underscored the need to conserve critical ecosystems such as the Mau Forest Complex and encouraged the use of seasonal forecasts and agro-meteorological advisories to improve planning and productivity. Festus Ng’eno, a principal secretary with ECCF, said reliable weather and climate information were critical for safeguarding lives. “Kenya continues to experience climate variability … with&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/03/kenya-marks-world-meteorological-day-amid-dozens-of-flood-fatalities/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>At dusk in Kenya’s caves, scientists study the hidden lives of bats</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/at-dusk-in-kenyas-caves-scientists-race-to-understand-the-hidden-lives-of-bats/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/at-dusk-in-kenyas-caves-scientists-race-to-understand-the-hidden-lives-of-bats/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Mar 2026 14:44:03 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Sharon Muzaki]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/17142523/Hildegardes-Tomb-Bat-2-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315843</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Bats, Biodiversity, Caves, Conservation, Deforestation, Endangered, Endangered Species, Environment, Forests, Infrastructure, Mammals, Protected Areas, Tropical Forests, Wildlife, and Wildlife Conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[As the afternoon fades at the Three Sisters Caves in Kenya’s Kwale county, David Wechuli’s team begins setting up nearly invisible nets along the hillsides in the coastal forest. “When dusk arrives, bats begin pouring out of the caves,” Wechuli says. “Some fly straight into the nets. We quickly remove them, carefully untangling each bat [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[As the afternoon fades at the Three Sisters Caves in Kenya’s Kwale county, David Wechuli’s team begins setting up nearly invisible nets along the hillsides in the coastal forest. “When dusk arrives, bats begin pouring out of the caves,” Wechuli says. “Some fly straight into the nets. We quickly remove them, carefully untangling each bat before taking morphometric measurements such as body size, weight and wing length.” The captured bats are carefully placed in small cotton bags, allowing them to breathe while preventing escape over the next two or three hours. The research team from Bat Conservation International (BCI) will work into the night, measuring each animal, determining their sex, and taking tissue samples to check for the presence of disease, before photographing each one and releasing it back into the night. Earlier in the afternoon, the team will have inspected the site, moving carefully through the dark cave filled with thousands of bats clinging to the cave’s roof and rock walls. “Some caves are deep tunnels, more than 100 meters [330 feet] long,” Wechuli tells Mongabay in a phone interview. “Others have bats roosting very high. You have to know the cave before you even start capturing anything.” Wechuli and other researchers are working to better understand how bats live, the role these flying mammals play in ecosystems, and how human activities are reshaping their habitats. His research and conservation work is focused on the coastal caves in the Shimoni region of Kwale county, as well as in volcanic&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/at-dusk-in-kenyas-caves-scientists-race-to-understand-the-hidden-lives-of-bats/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Kenya’s renewed oil push faces a tainted legacy</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/kenyas-renewed-oil-push-faces-a-tainted-legacy/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/kenyas-renewed-oil-push-faces-a-tainted-legacy/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Mar 2026 14:33:42 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christopher Clark]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/17142440/061A3019-scaled-1-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315795</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conflict, Corporations, Energy, Environment, Governance, Government, Industry, Oil, and Oil Drilling]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KAPESE, Kenya — At first glance, there is little to suggest that Kapese, a dusty settlement of traditional manyattas and free-roaming livestock scattered across the parched landscape of northern Kenya’s Turkana region, is the epicenter of the country’s oil ambitions. Beyond a couple of boreholes and a small primary school bearing the logo of Tullow [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[KAPESE, Kenya — At first glance, there is little to suggest that Kapese, a dusty settlement of traditional manyattas and free-roaming livestock scattered across the parched landscape of northern Kenya’s Turkana region, is the epicenter of the country’s oil ambitions. Beyond a couple of boreholes and a small primary school bearing the logo of Tullow Oil, the Anglo-Irish company that first discovered significant crude deposits here near the town of Lokichar in 2010, little of the development once promised to residents has materialized. Since Tullow halted operations in 2020 after more than a decade of setbacks and spiraling debt, much of the extractive infrastructure that punctuated the surrounding scrubland has also been dismantled. Locals have stripped gates and fencing from the well pads for scrap metal. Heavy plastic liners, once used to store drilling waste, now stretch across the roofs of many nearby manyattas. Yet, as one approaches the Twiga oil well, where several waste pits sit in long rows like burial sites behind a chain-link  fence topped with coils of razor wire, a faint, acrid smell of petroleum still hangs in the air. “That smell — you used to be able to smell it from 500 meters away,” said Enock Paule, a local community leader from Kapese, squinting into the harsh midday sun. “You couldn’t even go near this fence.” He recalled bringing a team of Kenyan journalists here some years ago, and several of them vomiting from the stench. Today, Paule and other residents point to these pits as&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/kenyas-renewed-oil-push-faces-a-tainted-legacy/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Study finds livestock pushing lions away from shared rangeland in Kenya</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-livestock-pushing-lions-away-from-shared-rangeland-in-kenya/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-livestock-pushing-lions-away-from-shared-rangeland-in-kenya/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Mar 2026 20:05:24 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Charles Mpaka]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/12195736/Lions_Kenya_MaraPredatorConservationProgram-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315684</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Big Cats, Biodiversity, Cats, Cattle, Cattle Pasture, Community-based Conservation, Conservation, Conservation Solutions, Endangered Species, Human-wildlife Conflict, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous Rights, Land Conflict, Land Rights, Land Use Change, Lions, Mammals, National Parks, Pasture, Predators, Top Predators, Tourism, Wildlife, and Wildlife Conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Lions, Africa’s largest predators, are a near-universal source of fear for the continent’s wildlife. But in Kenya, it’s the king of the jungle that’s now becoming fearful — of domestic livestock. In Kenya, most wildlife is found outside formally protected areas. The lions, zebras and elephants that attract tourists mostly live in pastoralist rangeland. For [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Lions, Africa’s largest predators, are a near-universal source of fear for the continent’s wildlife. But in Kenya, it’s the king of the jungle that’s now becoming fearful — of domestic livestock. In Kenya, most wildlife is found outside formally protected areas. The lions, zebras and elephants that attract tourists mostly live in pastoralist rangeland. For farmers and herders, this can be both a curse — coexistence is hard work where predators sometimes attack livestock and cattle compete with wild herbivores for grass — and a blessing — many community-owned conservancies profitably lease portions of their land to tourism operators for safaris and lodges, generating revenue for their members. In most conservancies’ grazing plans, herders can make use of the entire landscape. This allows grazing pressure to be more evenly distributed, but it also assumes that when herders and their livestock aren’t present in an area, other herbivores and the predators that hunt them make free use of the space. Niels Mogensen, a biologist with the Mara Predator Conservation Program, a Kenya Wildlife Trust initiative aimed at preserving large carnivores, says no one had actually checked to see if this was true before now. A lioness with cubs, Mara Conservancy, Kenya. Image by Ross Pollack via Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0).  Between 2015 and 2023, he and his colleagues carried out surveys at seven community-owned wildlife conservancies in the Mara ecosystem. They covered nearly 69,000 kilometers (43,000 miles) in total, collecting data about the presence of lions, and wild and domestic herbivores.&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/study-finds-livestock-pushing-lions-away-from-shared-rangeland-in-kenya/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Outlook for migratory species worsens amid habitat loss &#038; avian flu, report finds</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/outlook-for-migratory-species-worsens-amid-habitat-loss-avian-flu-report-finds/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/outlook-for-migratory-species-worsens-amid-habitat-loss-avian-flu-report-finds/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>12 Mar 2026 16:03:11 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Gloria Dickie]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Sharon Guynup]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/12132145/Sea-Turtle-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315646</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Arctic, Asia, Central Asia, Chad, East Africa, Europe, Global, Kenya, Serengeti, and Tanzania]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Birds, Climate, Climate Change, Conservation, Corridors, Diseases, Environment, Fish, Fishing, Freshwater Fish, Habitat Loss, Hunting, Jaguars, Mammals, Mapping, Migration, Mining, Poaching, Sea Turtles, Sharks, Sharks And Rays, Species, Turtles, Wildlife, Wildlife Conservation, and Wildlife Corridors]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[From shorebirds flying between their Arctic breeding grounds and southerly foraging ranges to freshwater fish returning to native spawning streams, migratory animals are struggling. About half of all migratory species populations protected under a global treaty are now in decline, with the situation worsening in just the last two years, according to a new United [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[From shorebirds flying between their Arctic breeding grounds and southerly foraging ranges to freshwater fish returning to native spawning streams, migratory animals are struggling. About half of all migratory species populations protected under a global treaty are now in decline, with the situation worsening in just the last two years, according to a new United Nations-backed report. When the first State of the World’s Migratory Species report was published in 2024, 44% of migratory species populations listed under the U.N. Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) were declining, according to data from the IUCN Red List, the world’s most comprehensive guide to global extinction risk. Since then, the proportion of imperiled CMS-listed species rose to 49%, according to updated Red List data and new research. Though the next status report isn’t due until around 2030, conservation advocates said the deteriorating situation required an interim report, as many countries are moving in the wrong direction when it comes to conserving wildlife that depend on various habitats to complete their life cycles. “This [interim report] is saying there are some alarming trends in the meantime; that we don’t want to wait six years to talk about this,” said CMS executive secretary Amy Fraenkel. Jaguars have no subspecies. Their range extends from Mexico to Argentina, but some populations are cut off, at risk of inbreeding and the demise that comes with it. Image by Gregoire Dubois. The convention, established in 1979, aims to conserve migratory species by protecting&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/outlook-for-migratory-species-worsens-amid-habitat-loss-avian-flu-report-finds/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Can Kenya finally deliver on Turkana’s oil promise?</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/can-kenya-finally-deliver-on-turkanas-oil-promise/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/can-kenya-finally-deliver-on-turkanas-oil-promise/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>02 Mar 2026 13:13:19 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Christopher Clark]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/03/02130209/061A2973_TurkanaKenya_ChristopherClark-BANNER-2-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=315045</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conflict, Corporations, Energy, Environment, Governance, Government, Industry, Oil, and Oil Drilling]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[LOKICHAR, Kenya — On a recent Sunday afternoon in Lokichar, a small town in Kenya’s northern Turkana region, the expansive grounds of the Black Gold Hotel are deserted, aside from a couple of housekeepers seeking shade in the leafy courtyard beside the conference center. Just beyond the hotel gates, a four-lane highway linking Lokichar to [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[LOKICHAR, Kenya — On a recent Sunday afternoon in Lokichar, a small town in Kenya’s northern Turkana region, the expansive grounds of the Black Gold Hotel are deserted, aside from a couple of housekeepers seeking shade in the leafy courtyard beside the conference center. Just beyond the hotel gates, a four-lane highway linking Lokichar to the nearby regional capital of Lodwar is similarly empty. A long-promised oil boom remains stubbornly on the horizon. In 2010, the Anglo-Irish firm Tullow Oil PLC discovered oil deposits estimated at more than 500 million barrels in the arid landscapes surrounding Lokichar. Hailed as a major breakthrough by then-president Mwai Kibaki, this was meant to usher in a new era of prosperity for Turkana and its people, whose history of systemic neglect dates back to the colonial era. A wave of internal migration and a frantic construction boom followed in the remote pastoralist trading town. But after more than a decade of setbacks and spiraling debt, Tullow effectively halted its operations in 2020, leaving behind a trail of stalled infrastructure and lingering uncertainty. A Nairobi-based petroleum trader, Gulf Energy Ltd., acquired Tullow’s entire Turkana stake in a $120 million transaction finalized in September 2025, with the Kenyan government retaining a 25% stake. The company has since pledged to invest approximately $6 billion in developing Turkana’s oil fields. At a parliamentary committee hearing in early February, the company&#8217;s chairperson, Francis Njogu, said the firm aims to begin commercial production by Dec. 1 this year, signaling a&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/03/can-kenya-finally-deliver-on-turkanas-oil-promise/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Why so many mangrove restoration projects fail</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/why-so-many-mangrove-restoration-projects-fail/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/why-so-many-mangrove-restoration-projects-fail/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>18 Feb 2026 21:12:22 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/18211017/COBEC-seatrees-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=314441</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Global and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, Mangroves, Ocean, and Reforestation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[Mangroves have become a favored solution in climate and conservation circles. They absorb carbon, blunt storm surge and support fisheries. Funding has followed. Yet outcomes often lag ambition. In parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America, research suggests that roughly 70% of restoration projects struggle to establish healthy forests. Seedlings die. Sites flood incorrectly. Community [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[Mangroves have become a favored solution in climate and conservation circles. They absorb carbon, blunt storm surge and support fisheries. Funding has followed. Yet outcomes often lag ambition. In parts of Southeast Asia and Latin America, research suggests that roughly 70% of restoration projects struggle to establish healthy forests. Seedlings die. Sites flood incorrectly. Community interest fades. The problem is not enthusiasm. It is execution. Much restoration is driven by small, community-based groups with deep local knowledge but limited access to capital, technical advice or long-term support. Catherine Lovelock, a mangrove ecologist at the University of Queensland, points out that success depends as much on social and economic conditions as on planting techniques. Mangroves, she notes, thrive only when tides inundate them for a few hours at a time. Too much water or too little can doom a site. Just as important are land tenure, livelihoods and incentives to protect restored areas once planting ends. A growing set of nonprofits is positioning itself as an intermediary between funders and communities. One example is Seatrees, which does not run projects directly but backs local partners with funding, scientific guidance, monitoring support and communications. Over the past five years, it has supported mangrove work in places as varied as Kenya, Mexico, Indonesia and Florida, Mongabay’s Marina Martinez reports. The approach is selective. Seatrees looks for groups that already have experience and local legitimacy but face capacity gaps. Projects must have permission to operate and clear buy-in from communities and Indigenous stakeholders. In&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/why-so-many-mangrove-restoration-projects-fail/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Scientists can’t agree on where the world’s forests are</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/scientists-cant-agree-on-where-the-worlds-forests-are/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/scientists-cant-agree-on-where-the-worlds-forests-are/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 17:42:43 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Rhett Ayers Butler]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Rhett Butler]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/17172325/cape-york-satellite-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=314385</guid>

											<reporting-project>
							<![CDATA[Founder's briefs]]>
						</reporting-project>
					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, Brazil, East Africa, Global, India, Kenya, Latin America, South America, and South Asia]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Conservation, data, Environment, Forests, Green, Rainforests, Remote Sensing, satellite data, Satellite Imagery, Temperate Forests, and Tropical Forests]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[A deceptively simple question underlies many global environmental policies: where, exactly, are the world’s forests? A new study suggests the answer depends heavily on which map one consults—and that the differences are large enough to reshape climate targets, conservation priorities, and development spending. Researchers Sarah Castle, Peter Newton, Johan Oldekop, Kathy Baylis, and Daniel Miller [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
																					<content:encoded>
							<![CDATA[A deceptively simple question underlies many global environmental policies: where, exactly, are the world’s forests? A new study suggests the answer depends heavily on which map one consults—and that the differences are large enough to reshape climate targets, conservation priorities, and development spending. Researchers Sarah Castle, Peter Newton, Johan Oldekop, Kathy Baylis, and Daniel Miller compared ten widely used global forest datasets derived from satellite imagery. These products underpin everything from carbon accounting to biodiversity assessments. Yet they rarely agree. Across the area identified as forest by at least one dataset, only about 26% was classified as forest by all of them. Even after adjusting maps to a common spatial scale, agreement improved only modestly. This divergence stems partly from differing definitions. Some datasets count areas with sparse tree cover as forest; others require dense canopy. A threshold of 10% canopy cover, for example, will include savannas and woodland mosaics, while a 70% threshold captures only closed forests. Resolution also matters. High-resolution imagery can detect narrow forest strips or small patches that coarser data miss. Methodological choices—such as sensor type, machine-learning algorithm, and training data—introduce further variation. A) Spatial agreement of forest cover classifications between eight land cover datasets. Spatial agreement is defined as the number of datasets that define a pixel as forest, between 1 and 8. Full agreement between all eight datasets corresponds to a value of eight (dark green), and no agreement between the datasets corresponds to a value of 1 (dark purple). No color (gray) indicates&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/scientists-cant-agree-on-where-the-worlds-forests-are/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
						</content:encoded>
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					<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
														</item>
						<item>
					<title>Kenya launches a carbon registry to boost climate finance and credibility</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/kenya-launches-a-carbon-registry-to-boost-climate-finance-and-credibility/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/kenya-launches-a-carbon-registry-to-boost-climate-finance-and-credibility/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>17 Feb 2026 16:31:55 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Associated Press]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/17162908/AP22250553546350-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=314379</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Carbon Credits, Climate Change, and Land Use Change]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya has launched its first national carbon registry, a centralized system to track carbon credit projects, prevent double counting and strengthen transparency in climate markets. The platform positions Kenya to attract global climate financing as demand grows for credible carbon offsets under the Paris Climate agreement. Officials say the registry will [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya has launched its first national carbon registry, a centralized system to track carbon credit projects, prevent double counting and strengthen transparency in climate markets. The platform positions Kenya to attract global climate financing as demand grows for credible carbon offsets under the Paris Climate agreement. Officials say the registry will ensure emissions reductions are verified and that communities benefit from carbon trading. Backed by international partners including Germany, the system is meant to boost investor confidence and align carbon projects with national climate targets. Africa holds vast carbon sinks but gets only a small share of global carbon market investment. By Allan Olingo, Associated Press Banner image: Fisherman Guni Mazeras, 62, casts a net backdropped by mangrove trees in Vanga, Kwale County, Kenya on Monday, June 13, 2022. Locals living in once-heavily forested regions across Africa are starting to find their land in high demand as governments and companies seek to improve their climate credentials through carbon credit schemes, where tree-planting offsets carbon dioxide emissions. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/kenya-launches-a-carbon-registry-to-boost-climate-finance-and-credibility/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>In Kenya’s Jomvu Creek, women help restore a vanishing coast through crab farming</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-kenyas-jomvu-creek-women-help-restore-a-vanishing-coast-through-crab-farming/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-kenyas-jomvu-creek-women-help-restore-a-vanishing-coast-through-crab-farming/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>11 Feb 2026 18:13:17 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Asha Bekidusa]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Terna Gyuse]]>
					</author>
							<category><![CDATA[africa]]></category>
										<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/11041126/Scylla.serrata_MidaCreekKenya_Titi-UuiNaturalistCCBYNC4.0-768x512.jpeg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?p=314071</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Africa, East Africa, and Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Animals, Aquaculture, Coastal Ecosystems, Community Development, Community-based Conservation, Farming, Food, Gender and Conservation, Marine, Marine Animals, Marine Biodiversity, Marine Conservation, Marine Ecosystems, and Women in conservation]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[MOMBASA COUNTY, Kenya — Five minutes’ walk up the hilly road from the mangroves lining the tidal flats of Jomvu Creek, the sharp scent of sea water fills the air. A dozen women fill a small hall with laughter and conversation. In the coastal villages of Mombasa county, these gatherings of women to manage informal [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[MOMBASA COUNTY, Kenya — Five minutes’ walk up the hilly road from the mangroves lining the tidal flats of Jomvu Creek, the sharp scent of sea water fills the air. A dozen women fill a small hall with laughter and conversation. In the coastal villages of Mombasa county, these gatherings of women to manage informal savings and loans schemes are known as chamas. But this is no ordinary chama. Here, discussions revolve around tides, crab feed, cage repairs and mangrove seedlings. The women, aged 35-60 years, are members of Jomvu Women in Fisheries and Culture, a community-based organization determined to transform their livelihoods and their environment through an unlikely venture: mud crab farming. Four years ago, these same women were scattered across the village. Most worked as what is known locally as mama karanga, the Swahili term for the women who fry fish over charcoal fires for sale near the beaches where fishers land their catch. Some would have been selling fresh fish, and a few were at home, tending to children and grandchildren. But dwindling fish stocks, health problems from cooking smoke and the daily uncertainty of small-scale trade had begun to take their toll. When a Kenya Marine Fisheries and Socio-Economic Development (KEMFSED) project offered grants for blue-economy enterprises in 2021, a few of these women decided to take the opportunity. The women have converted crates used for transporting bread into cages for their crabs. Image by Asha Bekidusa for Mongabay. New concepts Crab farming was a completely&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2026/02/in-kenyas-jomvu-creek-women-help-restore-a-vanishing-coast-through-crab-farming/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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					<title>Animals dying in Kenya as drought conditions leave many hungry</title>
					<link>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/animals-dying-in-kenya-as-drought-conditions-leave-many-hungry/</link>
					<comments>https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/animals-dying-in-kenya-as-drought-conditions-leave-many-hungry/#respond</comments>
					<pubDate>09 Feb 2026 18:20:23 +0000</pubDate>
											<dc:creator>
							<![CDATA[Associated Press]]>
						</dc:creator>
										<author>
						<![CDATA[Mongabay Editor]]>
					</author>
															<enclosure url="https://imgs.mongabay.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/20/2026/02/09181811/AP26040362852890-768x512.jpg" type="image/jpeg" />
					<guid isPermaLink="false">https://news.mongabay.com/?post_type=short-article&#038;p=313989</guid>

					
											<locations>
							<![CDATA[Kenya]]>
						</locations>
					
											<topic-tags>
							<![CDATA[Agriculture, Climate Change, Drought, and Extreme Weather]]>
						</topic-tags>
					
					
											<description>
							<![CDATA[KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Drought conditions have left over 2 million people facing hunger in parts of Kenya, with cattle-keeping communities in the northeast the hardest hit, according to the United Nations and others. In recent weeks, images of emaciated livestock in the arid area near the Somali border have shocked many in a region [&#8230;]]]>
						</description>
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							<![CDATA[KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Drought conditions have left over 2 million people facing hunger in parts of Kenya, with cattle-keeping communities in the northeast the hardest hit, according to the United Nations and others. In recent weeks, images of emaciated livestock in the arid area near the Somali border have shocked many in a region that reels from the effects of climate change. In recent years, rainy seasons have become shorter for some communities, exposing them to drought. Normally, animals are the first to die. The livestock losses echo what happened between 2020 and 2023, when millions of animals died in the region that extends from Kenya into parts of Ethiopia and Somalia. At the time, a famine predicted for Somalia was averted by a surge in international aid. Four consecutive wet seasons have failed in parts of the Horn of Africa, which juts into the Indian Ocean. The wet season from October to December was one of the driest ever recorded, according to the U.N. health agency. Because the rains were brief, parts of eastern Kenya were the driest they have been during that season since 1981. Some 10 counties in Kenya are experiencing drought conditions, according to the National Drought Management Authority. The northeastern county of Mandera, bordering Somalia, has reached the “alarm&#8221; classification, which means critical water shortages have led to the death of livestock and the wasting of children. The suffering extends into Somalia, Tanzania and even Uganda, where many are threatened by similar weather patterns and water&hellip;This article was originally published on <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/02/animals-dying-in-kenya-as-drought-conditions-leave-many-hungry/" data-wpel-link="internal">Mongabay</a>]]>
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