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Eco Africa - Adapting to climate change
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00:00now where there's a problem there's always almost a solution and that can sometimes bring
00:21unexpected and exciting opportunities with it now we're really looking forward to sharing
00:27some hope-filled stories with you today on eco africa i'm malama mukonde here in lusaka zambia
00:33and joining me from lagos nigeria is my colleague chris elems
00:37hello malama and welcome dear viewers to our show let's take a peek at what we have in store for you
00:47what south africa's wine bras can do to adapt to climate change
00:57injured sea turtles enjoy a new kind of recovery of tenacia
01:02and how a special gel can remove microplastics from drinking water
01:10single-use plastics they're so convenient for wrapping food and drinking out of but this
01:21convenience comes at a price plastic waste can take hundreds of years to rot this pollution is
01:28bad for people and wildlife and litter also looks awful especially in areas of special beauty like
01:35zimbabwe's victoria's fall people there decided something had to be done
01:41the world-famous victoria falls as seen from zimbabwe cliffs water and plants form a spectacular natural
01:52wonder spanning more than 1.7 kilometers and this is the other victoria falls the town is a gateway to
02:01the world heritage site dominated by stone metal and plastic
02:06the town and the national park are linked by a 10 kilometer highway today's destination for these
02:15waste collectors out on a mission plastic is our number one problem when it comes to waste in all
02:23our cleanups I can almost say that 70 to 80 percent of the waste that we collect is plastic in its various
02:31forms as the custodians of of one of the seven natural wonders of the world we are obviously
02:36beholden to ensure that we keep it clean and pristine at any given time Douglas Musiringofer has
02:43been with the pristine Victoria Falls Society since 2022 it's a small team of six employees but
02:51they've mobilized up to 400 volunteers who are helping them clean up the surrounding area
02:55the Victoria Falls draws 400,000 tourists every year without a functioning waste collection system for
03:09them and the town's 35,000 residents garbage often ends up in nature so the group is also active in
03:17the nearby communities in ten villages including here in Chitobe they've set up cages for residents
03:24to store their waste where the local wildlife can't get added there's the issue of animals consuming
03:33plastic there's issue of humans as well burning stuff which in turn pollutes the air we have issues
03:41where people dig pits and when they dig pits they just you know fill up those pits and then what it
03:48have what happens at the end of the day is you get microplastic going down to the water table and then
03:54you know it's a chain reaction of so many bad things so this is why we decided to have these cages every
04:00week volunteers visit the ten villages to empty the cages together with the cleanups in the streets
04:06they collect around 3,000 bags of garbage a month amounting to 40 tons a year as a result local
04:13residents have become more aware of the problem of environmental pollution if we could get more
04:23of these cage bins in other surrounding communities that would be so helpful because people still
04:29travel long distances to come here we need them in the center number one three four and five right
04:37now we only have the cage bin here at center number two having more of them would really go a long way
04:42the collected waste is taken to the only landfill in Victoria Falls with a support of environmental
04:54groups and tourism companies the pristine Victoria Falls Society has built a solar-powered electric
05:00fence around the dump to keep out animals but smaller species like baboons still find a way to come in
05:08and scavenge for food the local tourism industry is worth millions of euros but despite the landmarks
05:18popularity with visitors local environmentalists complain that the town of Victoria Falls lacks an adequate
05:24waste disposal system and that the local council should do more we are paying our taxes to the
05:30government to make sure that we are protected we live in a clean environment whatever other people do
05:36it's voluntary so when when people volunteer their services they are not replacing those who are paid
05:45to do the job tour operators are supporting the cleanup and have set up garbage bins and one company sells metal
05:53drinking bottles which can be filled up at free water stations around the town a big help as the
05:59average tourist consumes three or four bottles of water a day we decided to basically deal with the
06:05plastic problem beforehand and be proactive than reactive rather and so by giving the clients the
06:12bottle they don't need to get a plastic bottle and we don't need to clean it up so the environmentalists
06:19are walking at multiple levels they also organize regular awareness campaigns to encourage residents
06:25to keep their streets clean so the idea is we actually go out educate them on why it is important
06:35for us to to clean up our space so much that tomorrow we don't have to be finding waste in that space they
06:43still have a way to go but the campaigns are reaching 3 000 homes as well as many tourists so that victoria
06:50falls remains a jewel of pristine nature
06:58now we all know that visible plastic waste is a problem but so is the stuff we can't see easily
07:04microplastics now these tiny particles are everywhere even in the water we drink now effective filtering is
07:12proving to be expensive for most places but a scientist in germany has found what looks like a possible
07:19sustainable solution
07:28water containing microplastics and water without during sewage treatment an environmentally friendly gel
07:35is used it's made mainly from carbon and silica the gel binds the microplastic into clumps making them
07:43visible our hybrid silica gel is like a magic glue that brings the microplastic particles together they
07:52then float to the surface where we can easily skin them off it turns many small particles into just a few clusters
07:59microplastics microplastics typically enter water treatment plants through cosmetics clothing
08:07and industrial wastewater industrial plants emit the biggest share a smaller proportion comes from
08:14private homes the research team regularly collects data at a wastewater treatment plant in
08:20southwestern germany they also test the purified water once it's been fed back into a nearby stream
08:26after two years of research we're now able to remove 85 to 90 percent of the microplastics in the water
08:35that's the kind of results you can work with
08:41in their small laboratory the scientists add fluorescent markers to the water samples
08:46these are activated when light of a certain wavelength is directed onto the sample revealing how much
08:54microplastic is present the more the sample glows the more microplastic it contains determined to make her
09:01discovery available to others kathrin schuen founded a non-profit startup a few years ago to advise
09:08treatment plants and companies the equipment is sold by a partner company and the gel is widely available
09:16companies companies can buy the equipment and build the plants themselves because they're very simple
09:26they're low-tech a basic reactor equipped with a stirrer inside and a power supply and that's enough to trigger
09:33the process wastewater treatment plants and companies including some from abroad are now approaching kathrin
09:41shuen to use the system for their water incidentally once removed the microplastic can be cleaned and
09:49recycled a circular economy that makes a system even more attractive for companies
09:57in recent years climate change driven by human activities has been causing havoc on south africa's
10:03wine industry now vines are very sensitive to shifts in weather patterns now this has led wine
10:09go is there to rethink some of their cultivation methods with some many challenges being faced today
10:15traditional know-how and modern technologies can provide the much-needed solutions
10:25have you ever seen these guys they're runner ducks and their job is to pluck snails and insects off of
10:31grapevines at the hot and back wine estate in stellenbosch south africa wine grower Wilhelm
10:37Jolbert added the duck squad to his team of natural pest controllers for him eco-friendly wine production
10:44starts at the very root so so part of part of regenerative viticulture is is the integration of
10:52of animals into the back into the farm and we use cattle and we use sheep and then this year we added
10:58something else which is the runner ducks ducks specifically because they the way they walk they
11:03walk up straight they can reach into the vine and they can also do bigger distances a day than a normal
11:09duck and then there's the geese and these geese are there like the guardian dog animals instead of
11:18chemicals the trend among south african wine farms is going towards regenerative approaches as much of the
11:24soil has been degraded due to heavy pesticide use cattle are deployed to help restore soil quality
11:33there's a lot of urine and a lot of manure that's being deposited
11:37which has got a massive impact on the on the soil microbes and that gives us more soil activity
11:45more soil health healthy roots healthy plant healthy fruit and healthy wine at the end of the day that
11:52is the aim soil degradation is only one of the challenges that wine growers face climate change
11:59has led to more extreme weather conditions and an already water-scarce area dr anna blankvet and her
12:06students at the university of stellenbosch are researching biostimulants which are substances
12:11similar to fertilizers that can make the plants more resilient the team experiments with biostimulants
12:17made from kelp seaweed a specific one we're interested is the eclonia maxima species which is indigenous
12:26to the coast here here in south africa another product that we're also looking into in the study
12:33is citrus extract so we want to see what the plant responses would be and whether the plant will become
12:39more resistant to climate change or temperature fluctuations during the growing season specifically
12:46here a team member tests whether the biostimulants can help the plant withstand drought
12:53there's two lines running here one line will be with the well-watered line and the one line will be
12:57water stress so the water stress plant will get much lower amounts of water irrigated into the pot
13:03a pressure test on the leaves will tell how stressed the merlot plants are in these two trial groups
13:09this is the pressure that's actually inside the plant and the higher it is the more stress the plant is
13:23in a few months time the team will have gathered enough data to tell how effective the biostimulants
13:28have worked against the water stress most south african wine is produced in the cape floral region
13:35a global biodiversity hot spot for plants and animals around cape town and beyond protecting this
13:41habitat is key hemel anada or heaven and earth valley lies within this region and is considered a hidden
13:48gem for wine lovers
13:52south african wine is known for being top quality and most wineries are eco-friendly too with ninety percent
13:59green certified but retailers abroad often don't want to pay more for it
14:09we have different sustainability issues that we face we are not using so much energy and we are not
14:15using so many resources as global north is using to be honest with you but in the global south one of
14:21the most important things is how do we take care of our people and our communities and i think sometimes
14:27global north wants wines at certain price points what about making sure that we pay everyone really
14:34a decent wage and this is so important that we do that for me that's the most important thing
14:40the south african wine industry employed more than 270 000 people in 2023 many depend on these jobs
14:50you know we have quite a big unemployment in south africa and agriculture is one of the ways that
14:55we can really create jobs for people and we need to take care of the environment but if we're not
15:02if people are not well educated they can't do that easily and they don't really value the land
15:08in 2016 carolyn martin helped set up the pebble center an elementary school for the children of farm
15:15workers which also houses a skill development center for young adults
15:1922 year old maraika van weyke took a wine training course at pebbles which helped her land a job at
15:29the creation wine vineyards restaurant with salsa and speboom chutney through the pebbles project i actually got
15:39um more than i've asked for i grew up really not i'm not going to say poor but with circumstances
15:46a great 11 i got pregnant i stayed at home for a whole year to um tell he was one years old so i can
15:55send him to pebbles project during that time maraika van weyke finished high school and started her
16:01training and she's determined to learn more about wine and sustainability
16:06back at hottenbagg farm and stellenbosch dr blankvat and her students visit their next study site
16:14research has already shown that cattle grazing in the vineyard can help restore the soil now they
16:20want to learn more about the regenerative processes below the surface and share their knowledge with
16:25interested farmers sustainable wine growing in south africa is multifaceted centering on both people
16:33and nature our search for solutions now texas north to the mediterranean sea where fishing is a big
16:44industry in the waters of tunisia for example there are many trawlers and fishing boats unfortunately
16:51they accidentally catch and injure or even kill larger marine creatures such as turtles but help is at hand
17:00this is besma a sea turtle living off the coast of kakena akipelago in southern tunisia besma is free again
17:11after being a patient at this one-of-a-kind facility a floating rehabilitation center for sea turtles
17:18refashioned from an aquaculture enclosure loggerhead sea turtles such as besma are considered a vulnerable
17:26species every year thousands of loggerheads get caught by trawlers and in fishing nets in the waters
17:32of tunisia many of them are left injured but this platform here is to help here it is important that
17:41the sea turtles recover in their natural environment because it is in the seawater also the area where we
17:48put the sea turtles undergoing rehabilitation is large enough for them to move and feed more
17:53comfortably the rescue station can take care of up to five turtles at a time and is open to visitors
18:03today a group of students is here for a field trip with some hands-on experience recovered turtles are
18:11prepared to be released again this is a direct application of the theoretical things that we've
18:22been studying it is also a fast interaction with marine species that we don't usually see in tunisia as
18:29part of our studies whether during practical workshops or in the laboratories it's something new and enriching
18:36rising sea temperatures over fishing and pollution have shifted the migratory routes and habitats of sea
18:47turtles and other marine species over time as well as helping injured turtles get back on their feet
18:54this project also aims to help study changes in their ecosystem and how they can adapt released
19:01turtles turtles get a beacon attached to their shell which helps collect valuable research data in the
19:08future the platform's researchers hope to attract summer tourists to raise awareness about endangered species
19:16and marine conservation
19:23and now we'll take a look at the story from right here in nigeria with some 220 million inhabitants
19:31it's also one country that deals with pollution as much as other countries on the continent
19:36and that has a considerable impact on life expectancy in 2021 debt rate from air pollution
19:43among the under fives we're the second highest in the world but things are changing
19:52can you guess where we are cyclists an electric light railway
20:00and urban planting initiatives all in lagos the mega city is commonly associated with cars
20:07congestions and poor air over 20 million people live in the mega city and some 2.5 million vehicles
20:16take to the roads each day a situation that local initiatives are trying to alleviate let's take a closer look
20:28one project is annual car free days 500 people participated in the event third edition in 2024 organizers are
20:38thinking bigger how can we also have good public transport so hence the sustainable transport festival
20:45it talks about walking cycling other moons of transportation but also sustainable transportation mass
20:51transportation and that starts with plans for cycle parts which have won the backing of local politicians
20:59to get them to put them in the old roads might be a challenge because of size of road for starters
21:04and also the plan but what we've done is where we can still incorporate it we have done that and for future
21:10engagements and future infrastructure applies the long-term goal of the lagos urban development
21:16initiative or ludi is a healthier and more livable city where people can get out and have fun
21:22and their plans are going down well with women here too who don't often ride bikes every time we're on our cars
21:32and the atmosphere gets so dusty with dust smoke that comes out of it it doesn't help us to breathe well
21:38and so we began to learn how to do it on our bicycle
21:42We have to do it on our bikes and our bikes and our bikes and our bikes and our bikes to go to our bikes
21:49Exhaust fumes and industrial pollution Lagos air quality has improved a little in recent years
21:55but pollution levels are still three to four times higher than WHO guidelines
22:05and that has an impact on the city's residents the number of people suffering
22:09from respiratory illnesses and asthma has increased here, as it has in many other African countries.
22:16For a lot of things, especially for children, you would see the effects later on in their life.
22:21It might not even be immediate, which is why things like this are very harmful.
22:26More green spaces could help matters. They're in short supply in the city,
22:30and the environmental experts from Ludi think there is definitely room for improvement.
22:35Inspired by European initiatives, they've launched planting projects
22:41together with volunteers to create community gardens, in particular under highways.
22:56So what are the Lagos authorities doing? They've been building an electric rail network.
23:01The first phase was open in autumn 2023.
23:05The blue line runs from west to east and spans 13 kilometres so far.
23:11The rest is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026.
23:15Meanwhile, the new red line opened in October 2024,
23:18and the mass transit system is set to be further expanded in the years to come.
23:23If you look at the blue line now, we have the train come,
23:26there's a seamless integration between the train and the buses,
23:29that take people to the inner suburb, where they are walking or where they are going to go,
23:32or the displaced of the city. And then on the red line as well, every station of the red line has a bus terminal.
23:39The trains are quite popular. At 40 euro cents a ticket, fares are not expensive,
23:44and it certainly beats being stuck in a traffic jam or walking.
23:48It was amazing. I felt like we shouldn't even get to where we were going to,
23:53because I was enjoying the cool environment and the whole thing. And it was quiet, like,
23:59not normal Lagos noise when you enter the bus or shift, do this, do this. So it was really amazing. I enjoyed it.
24:07And enjoyment is key for sports instructor Ika Kelechi. She teaches circus skills to kids,
24:20and the art of monocycling is a fun way of encouraging awareness of the environment and health here at her academy.
24:26Let them start learning from a young age. So these ones now, they are already having that awareness,
24:38that environmental awareness, the health benefit of it from a very young age. They don't need to start
24:44learning it when they get older and older. Some of them ride bicycles to their school, which reduces the
24:51carbon footprint. Most of them are very healthy because of their engaging. A range of new initiatives
24:59helping to get things rolling and make life in a place like Lagos so much more attractive and enjoyable.
25:11That's all for today's show. Would love to hear your thoughts. So please drop us a line at
25:16eko.dw.com and join us next week to see more people making a positive difference. From me, Chris Alems in
25:24Lagos, it's goodbye. And remember, if you want more inspiring stories from Africa and around the world,
25:31just search for Eko Africa online. I'm Malama Mukonde in Lusaka, Zambia saying goodbye for now.
25:46I'm Malama Mukonde.
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