Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 14 October 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# The Eastern Cape Sustainability Forum says the province is continuing to play a vital role in supporting rural livelihoods, biodiversity conservation, and land restoration. This is in the face of South Africa’s strained economy. The forum’s convener, Cobus Meiring, says the regional citrus industry anticipates a record-breaking harvest this year, providing a welcome boost to the provincial economy. He says at the same time, the wildlife economy continues to perform strongly. Meiring admits that both agriculture and wildlife-based enterprises face increasing challenges linked to climate change.

# The International Organisation for Migration is demanding a decisive shift in global financing priorities, warning that intensifying disasters and climate impacts are driving record levels of displacement. In 2024 alone, nearly 46-million people were displaced by disasters, the highest number ever recorded. According to the IOM, earthquakes, floods, storms, droughts, and heatwaves made up 95-percent of direct costs in the past two decades. The IOM is calling on world leaders to integrate human mobility into risk-informed development and climate finance, ensuring that communities can adapt when disaster strikes. 

# And finally: Banhine National Park in Mozambique, once devastated by war and poaching, is being restored to its former wildlife glory. Nearly 400 animals, including zebra, wildebeest, and antelope, have been relocated from Maputo National Park to Banhine as part of a major rehabilitation effort. The park forms part of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park linking Mozambique, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Conservationists are hopeful that tourism and biodiversity will soon thrive again.

Stay tuned for more news………….