Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 3 June 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Dion George, has withdrawn the approval decision for the Industry Waste Tyre Management Plan. The plan aimed to address several challenges faced by the waste tyre sector, including limited local processing capacity, storage depot limitations, and logistical constraints. The department’s spokesperson, Thobile Zulu-Molobi, says concerns have been raised regarding the plan’s alignment with current sector realities and policy intent:

# The World Meteorological Organisation forecasts a high likelihood of record-breaking global temperatures between 2025 and 2029. The organisation says there’s an 80-percent chance that at least one year will surpass 2024, currently the hottest on record. Additionally, there’s an 86-percent probability that a year will exceed 1.5-degrees-Celsius above pre-industrial levels. The organisation says that this trend increases risks of extreme weather events, including heatwaves, droughts, and rising sea levels, impacting societies and economies worldwide.

# And finally: A new study warns that climate change is worsening sexual health risks for young adolescents in Kenya. Drought and floods are driving food, water, and sanitation insecurities, and exposing youth, especially girls aged ten to 14, to sexual violence, transactional sex, and early pregnancies. Researchers urge climate responses to include gender-sensitive, youth-focused health services. The findings reveal how environmental stress and poverty are pushing vulnerable adolescents into dangerous situations that threaten their long-term wellbeing and futures.

Stay tuned for more news………….