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Marion Island is one of the most remote islands on Earth
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY FISHERIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Marion Island team to be evacuated after polar diesel shortage delays SA Agulhas II voyage

The environment minister has ordered the evacuation of the Marion Island overwintering team after shortages of fuel additives delayed the SA Agulhas II relief voyage to the…

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
Systemic pesticide-related abuses include farmworkers exposed to hazardous chemicals without protective gear or training and contamination of rural water sources. (Flickr)
AGRICULTURAL REMEDIES ACT

Agriculture minister bans toxic pesticide tied to Soweto child deaths

SA has banned the toxic pesticide, terbufos, after the deaths of six Soweto children and hundreds of poisoning cases linked to the chemical

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
Africa’s lithium boom won’t last forever. Photo: Dianah Chiyangwa
ALL RISE ATTORNEYS

KZN coastal communities demand withdrawal of SA Lithium mine expansion over legal, environmental concerns

A coalition of KwaZulu-Natal coastal organisations is calling for the withdrawal of SA Lithium’s Highbury Mine expansion near Umzumbe, citing alleged legal flaws, water risks,…

  • Sheree Bega
8 min read
A scene from the floods that killed more than 450 people in KwaZulu-Natal in April 2022 shows the damage. (Delwyn Verasamy)
BELEM HEALTH ACTION PLAN

Study: Linking climate change to health doubles support for public action

New research shows that health-based climate messaging significantly increases public support for government action, especially in South Africa where concern over children and…

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
Roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint now under strain.
AFRICA

Iran war triggers global shockwaves across energy, food and finance systems, analysts warn

The US-Israel war on Iran is sending shockwaves through global energy, food and financial systems, exposing deep structural vulnerabilities in the world economy, according to the…

  • Sheree Bega
7 min read
Of the 848 wastewater treatment plants assessed nationwide, 396 are in a critical state, while only about a quarter are performing at a standard that meets regulatory requirements. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
ARTICLE

‘We have the skills but not the system’: Water Institute of Southern Africa on SA’s wastewater crisis

Nearly half of South Africa’s wastewater treatment plants are in a critical state, with untreated sewage polluting rivers and dams

  • Sheree Bega
4 min read
Ecocide: Neighbourhoods targeted in airstrikes reportedly carried out by US and Israeli fighter jets in March 2026. Photo: Behnam tofighi
BLACK RAIN TEHRAN

When war poisons the earth

The conflict in Iran is causing severe environmental damage, from black rain and toxic smoke to threats to water, soil and climate, warn faith leaders and environmental experts

  • Sheree Bega
8 min read
The findings of the Green Drop 2025 report, released alongside the latest Blue Drop and No Drop progress assessments, highlight mounting strain across the country’s water sector. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy
BLUE DROP

SA is moving backwards with water, says WaterCAN

The latest Green Drop report shows how the country’s rivers are being “turned into sewage channels”

  • Sheree Bega
3 min read
In recent years, research Wright and colleagues led has highlighted how prolonged heat exposure places outdoor workers, children, older people and low-income communities at increased risk of dehydration, heat stress, respiratory illness and other adverse health outcomes. The risks are expected to intensify as temperatures continue to rise. (Envato Elements)
ACADEMY OF SCIENCE OF SOUTH AFRICA

Extreme heat is becoming Southern Africa’s defining climate and health threat, report warns

Extreme heat is no longer a future problem. A major new report warns it is intensifying inequality, illness and climate vulnerability across Southern Africa and the worst-hit are…

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
Freshwater ecosystems are rich but fragile. Of the new fish species discovered, many are critically endangered. Among the standout species is Yang’s plateau loach, a cavefish from China’s Yunnan Province whose expanded swim bladder chambers protrude visibly from its body, giving the impression of a built-in lifejacket.
AFRICAN FRESHWATER FISH

From Congo to China: 309 freshwater fish species uncovered last year

Freshwater ecosystems are rich but fragile. Of the new fish species discovered, many are critically endangered

  • Sheree Bega
5 min read
AWARDS

Nominations for the M&G Greening the Future awards are now open

The awards will coincide with COP28

  • Lesego Chepape
1 min read