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Communities in Ghana name environment chiefs to fight climate change. Plus: Mali's motorcycles go electric, and sculptures in Zimbabwe help boost conservation.
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00:00a crowning moment for the environment in Ghana that's happening quite literally more on that
00:24later along with a bunch of other creative ideas for reducing our impact on nature welcome to a
00:31new edition of ecoafrica i am chris a lens in lagos night area and here is my co-host malama mukande
00:42hello everyone and greetings from lusaka zambia it's great to have you along
00:47well here's what's coming up today solar power is helping save babies lives in cameroon
00:56a massive reforestation drive in ethiopia benefits young people and how solar panels can be used
01:06more effectively across rural africa traditional chiefs hold power that shapes the land and the
01:16lives of their people but also often that power is used in a way that damages their environment
01:23rather than protecting it we're off now to northern ghana where a new kind of leadership
01:29is emerging chiefs are trading in regalia for responsibility
01:40this man has been chosen as a guardian of the land to protect the future of the people in this
01:45region chief aiden aglogo is now supreme environmental chief of ghana's northeastern bongo
01:50district a coronation ceremony makes it official he will be in charge of more than 40 junior
01:56environmental chiefs in the area no tree will be cut no bush will be bent i urge the young people
02:07to stop cutting down trees and smoking in the bushes otherwise we will hand you over
02:12to the forestry commission for sanctions the bongo district is facing huge problems three felon has
02:21decimated the forest that along with climate change has made rainfall irregular water levels in the via
02:28reservoir have dropped steadily sand extracted to build homes and rows along with tree felon mean
02:34precious rain water runs off more quickly small-scale farmers like amber bila alagni are struggling to
02:41survive 90 percent of farmers in northern ghana grow peanuts right now the harvest is not looking good
02:50the ground is dry this is food but you can't harvest because it didn't rain enough
02:58even if you try your best to approach it the ground is so hard that you lose the nuts
03:03when you pull the plant out if there are ten nuts only three comes out the other seven remains in the
03:11field we are facing huge problems chief edin is well traveled at the age of 20 he experienced first
03:22hand in the sahara what water scarcity means and how important it is to leave vegetation intact
03:28back home he became a passionate environmentalist he earns his living as a farmer and he also breed bears
03:43everyone in this community respects him over the past five years this community has changed for the better
03:49in the past a tree like this will have been cut by now and there'll be nowhere to sit in the shed
04:06now if you want to prune a tree in this community you need his permission that man commands good respect
04:12here the water resources commission is in charge of protecting surface water bodies in ghana it now
04:24relies on local environmental chiefs they enjoy more influence in rural areas than aspects in the
04:30regional capitals our local communities are saying that when a foreigner comes they look at you with
04:36suspicion but when one of them especially somebody who is an opinion leader comes to them or comes to
04:42show them a way that is different from how they have lived in the past which is detrimental to the
04:47environment they are more receptive and they are more open but it seems there are still people who
04:53don't respect the chief's wishes while out on forest patrol chief edin discovers that firewood has been
05:00cut illegally and stacked on a tricycle track the longest took off as soon as the team appeared the wood and
05:07vehicle will be confiscated if the perpetrators are caught and they will have to pay a fine
05:14no matter what you do they are always going to be some people who won't listen see the destruction
05:21they are causing here we will confiscate the wood and when we catch them the forest commission will decide
05:28or punishment the wood will be donated to schools they can use it to cook meals for the children
05:35but it's often sheer necessity that drives people to break the rules many struggle to earn a living
05:42for women in the bongo region weaving traditional basket is one of the few ways to earn a little money
05:50it takes grace and don't go up to four days to make a basket
05:53there is no business so because of that people cannot buy charcoal or firewood
06:01so they have to go to the forest and steal from the forest and come home and cook
06:07despite the challenges the echo chiefs remain undeterred they are working to reforest the area
06:12with funding from environmental groups like international ngos tree aid and blue deal farmer
06:19amabila alagni donated one of his parched peanut fields to the project the trees are now in their
06:25fourth year once the forest has regrown back it will retain moisture in the ground he also hopes
06:33it will eventually lead to increased rainfall aspects are optimistic this place used to be
06:41uh very degraded less trees and exposed to the weather bad weather and so with the presence of tree aid
06:53since 2021 the area has been restored and this contributes to the ecological function of the river
07:04we are doing this to protect the place forestry and then protect the environment the erosion
07:12there's a galley here which this one started is unlocking it now we are seeing changes
07:18in the neighboring village chief aidan's strict approach is already bearing fruit vegetation is
07:23slowly returning to over 20 square kilometers of protected land offering a dream of hope for nature
07:29and the people in this region
07:34my impression after following these environmental changes for the past few days has been positive
07:39i noticed that they are not engineers they are not government officials they just step forward to
07:47accept the title of environmental chiefs to reverse the environmental situations they found themselves in
07:53they are reversing erosion they are reversing environmental degradation and they are achieving quite
08:00significant results it means that with just our dedication we can even improve our situations
08:11we go now to cameroon where a power outage is nothing unusual in some hospitals a sudden blackout
08:19can be a matter of life and death especially for the tiniest patients in our doing your bit this week
08:26we'll see how innovation and determination are improving newborn care and offering hope for families
08:35we'll see how innovation and we'll see how innovation and we'll see how innovation and we'll see how innovation
08:40little najma was born three months premature she owes her life to this incubator
08:45it creates a microclimate in which humidity and temperature are regulated
08:50her body has everything it needs to grow just like in the womb
08:53the fact that incubators function non-stop at this hospital in the town of fumbu
09:05is not a given here in cameroon power outages are common
09:14before we got these hybrid incubators we used imported ones
09:17but they were too sensitive to power cuts the incubators are beat locally in cameroon
09:28they can run on solar-powered batteries and mains electricity the idea came from the entrepreneur
09:35sergeant jujo he witnessed firsthand how a mother lost five babies because of a power outage the tragedy
09:42spurred him into action we knew that for a viable solution for us here we needed to use renewable
09:50energy which is cheap and reliable so we opted for solar power and built a hybrid incubator that can
09:57function fully even in remote areas or places with no reliable power supply thus saving lives
10:04the locally made incubators are also creating long-term jobs production of the mawao incubators
10:14started in yonde two years ago the models have proven effective and more than 200 have solved so far
10:21they are also boosting the use of solar power
10:25the hospital in fumbu for example now operates three words with solar power one of which is the maternity ward
10:34the incubators were financed by an ngo they cost the equivalent of around 4 500 euros that's a lot
10:43of money but that's nothing compared to the many lives that have been saved
10:49najma is also coming on well she's already breastfeeding a huge relief for her mother
10:57when i see my child so healthy and how she's developed so wonderfully compared to the first day
11:02so her i'm really proud it's a big change and what better reward for the nurses and the incubators inventors too
11:16you can find good ideas that help the environment literally everywhere and solar is the fastest growing
11:25source of electricity yet engineers are thinking outside the box to make this renewable energy even
11:32more efficient let's take a look at an innovative project in germany in the mist these vertical floating
11:40solar panels are perhaps a strange sight but they can power an entire gravel pit a pioneering innovation
11:48from southern germany what makes them so special the 2600 modules are aligned to catch not just midday sun
11:58but also the morning and evening light and on both sides that spreads electricity production more evenly
12:06across the day conventional systems peak at noon often producing surplus power the solar panels rest on the
12:14water floating like boats a sailboat carries its sail above that's the pv panel below the hull the float
12:22we have that too and the keel drops into the water like sailboats they tilt with the wind and yield when
12:29there's resistance normally systems like this are anchored to the lake bed here ropes stretch across the lake
12:36to hold the platforms that makes installation cheaper that way we need far less material
12:43we don't brace against wind or snow we bend rather than resist the output is 2000 megawatt hours a year
12:52enough to cover two-thirds of the gravel pits demand gravel pits that have a quarry lake are ideal
12:59customers for floating solar panels especially as their energy needs are high the lakes form through wet
13:06pit mining which reaches below the water table germany's southern state of bavaria is key here
13:13it's home to nearly a third of the country's 2600 sand and gravel pits 249 of them with lakes so how big
13:21is the potential the international energy agency estimates that by 2030 global renewable energy
13:29capacity will double to 4 600 gigawatts solar energy will account for 78 of this wind power for 19
13:37percent and hydropower for three percent and floating solar is gaining ground not only in germany pioneering
13:45projects exist in africa too take ghana it's home to the largest floating solar farm in west africa located at the
13:53buoy reservoir on the black volta river panels are resting on the floaters and we are using same floaters as the workway as you can see that i'm standing on one for maintenance purposes we're able to
14:05for maintenance purposes we're able to come and have a daily inspection as you can see my team doing
14:12so each day we do an inspection on the pv models and the cables that we have here
14:20the floating solar power plant currently generates five megawatts at peak output the operating company
14:27says that's enough to power the closest town wenchi with a population of around 40 000.
14:33combined with the electricity from buoys hydroelectric plant and solar panels on land
14:39the plant can supply hundreds of thousands of homes with clean energy
14:46worldwide the output from floating solar farms has jumped from just 10 megawatts to 7 700 in recent years
14:54another advantage water cools the modules boosting efficiency and solar and water doesn't compete with
15:01farmland that matters in regions short on space in germany however floating solar is still rare nevertheless
15:09for hundreds of gravel pits it could open the door to a greener future
15:15how can we get young people interested in protecting the environment certainly not by lecturing them but if
15:22there is something in it for them it's a different story ethiopia is overseeing a huge reforestation
15:30project last year alone the country planted over 7.5 billion supplements according to government sources
15:37but that's not all the green legacy campaign is leading to new green jobs
15:43it almost looks like a religious pilgrimage but the crowds are heading up alamura mountain for a different
15:51reason these people are taking part in a massive reforestation effort the region has experienced
16:01deforestation and erosion now with the rainy season just around the corner conditions are ideal for
16:08planting trees the volunteers are contributing to the green legacy initiative a nationwide
16:15program launched in 2019 its goal to restore degraded landscapes and combat climate change
16:24our village often experiences flats and soil erosion sometimes the flats are so severe that they even
16:31wash away the new trees but the ones we planted recently on the terraces are growing well across ethiopia
16:4032 billion trees have been planted in five years mature trees prevent soil erosion and stop the land drying
16:48out as well as providing a habitat for wildlife this area used to be a plain and hilly landscape with no
16:54trees since the campaign began the environment has become greener and beds are returning
16:59the initiative has helped raise awareness of the importance of trees and led to new businesses too
17:07plant nurseries are booming they help create jobs with a stable income especially for young people
17:18i had no money to support my parents who were sick i had to drop out of school due to financial
17:24problems now since getting a job at the nursery i can support my parents and continue my education
17:42once mature enough the supplements go to government institutions
17:46ngos and private customers we mainly grow fruit trees including avocado papaya and mango
17:53in addition to their importance for protecting the climate the trees are also used for food when
17:59they grow the avocado tree varieties are specially selected and are suitable for the local climate
18:06in this nursery 20 unemployed workers have been given permanent jobs and 70 to 80 other workers have
18:14been given temporary jobs in 2025 the green legacy initiative is once again on track to achieve its
18:22great reforestation goals trees are vital in the fight against climate change they store co2 and help cool
18:30the atmosphere by providing shade and releasing water vapor into the air the survival rate of the
18:36saplings varies while some studies report rates just above 50 percent official figures claim an overall success of
18:4580 to 80 to 90 percent planting in suitable locations and ensuring proper aftercare are key
18:55the village administration and the local community are working together to hire people to protect the
19:00young saplings my friends and i have also found employment by caring for the trees and protecting them from
19:07damage caused by people and domestic animals the scale of the campaign is certainly remarkable it's an
19:19investment in ethiopia's future that aims to improve the climate in the region and raise awareness of the
19:26importance of trees the initiative is creating jobs and boosting food security and bringing the whole community
19:33together one tree at a time zimbabwe's capital harare is facing considerable ecological challenges
19:42from flooding to pollution and a drop in biodiversity now since 2008 the city has lost more than half
19:52its valuable wetland areas that naturally act like sponges rampant construction continues to eat up
20:00other green spaces too but there are people trying to stop or even reverse that trend sometimes very creatively
20:12in the shapungo sculpture garden in the heart of zimbabwe's capital harare nature and art are closely
20:19intertwined and this fruitful symbiosis is expanding and growing a tree with its blossoms fruit and leaves
20:27is a masterpiece created by nature it's a source of inspiration for the women and men who make their
20:35own creations from stone in its shade in turn the park in the artist colony of shapungo is designed to
20:42protect nature we decided to grow indigenous trees because some of the species might actually be wiped out
20:51due to the random felling of trees for firewood if they vanish they're gone for good so we decided to
20:57grow them so people can actually come and learn about them as they're vital for our existence
21:05nicholas katzangura is a sculptor and the manager of the sculpture park he frequently gives guided tours
21:11for young art lovers many works here deal with zimbabwe's natural environment and the threats it faces
21:18one piece by the late artist joseph and dandarika is especially close to his heart he called you the
21:25friend of rhino so that people can get closer to know the rhino and also to protect it the more you
21:33become friends to animals the more you don't kill them you want them to multiply with only some 600 black
21:41rhinos left in zimbabwe it's a desperately urgent matter the shapungo sculpture garden was set up in
21:471970 and is named after the battleur eagle sacred and shona culture the bird is considered a messenger
21:55of the gods and ancestors this ancient indigenous knowledge is passed on during the guided park tours
22:02which highlight the spiritual significance of nature conservation for marcy moshore widow of the park's
22:08founder many sculptures here are animistic symbols of a nature-centered faith i'm an eland that is my
22:17total from my father's life i am not to eat the flesh of the eland my role is to protect the environment
22:30of the eland i am to nurture its life its existence its being now that's a traditional element in our
22:45culture and you'll find that throughout africa for sprawling harare and its 2.4 million people
22:51the 15 acre park also serves as a green lung the high density suburbs it's a big issue pollution
23:02not just land pollution through plastics plastic bottles but the dust then there's not enough
23:08vegetation to protect people from the dust that causes that causes other diseases citizens are also
23:17engaged in saving the city's wetlands drought and construction are threatening these areas and the
23:24vital role they play because of these open grassland wetlands streams are made here and they flow down
23:32into rivers down into lake javaro so if we cover the entire city in concrete we are reliant upon runoff
23:40rainfall in the summer and no replenishment of groundwater very little replenishment of groundwater
23:48to keep us going through the seven dry months of the year at the shopungu sculpture park the hope
23:54is that by combining nature and art with relaxation more people will be inspired to protect nature
24:02you look around you see that the flowers the trees the the lake behind me the ducks that were
24:08swimming there and then someone tells you that this environment might not survive this is the climate
24:14the climate change global warming these things are affecting the things behind me the beauty
24:19then you become concerned you realize no i can do something the little that i can do i can do it you tell
24:26your friends the artists at shopungu are committed to passing on the message about zimbabwe's traditional
24:33stone art with its special connection to nature and to previous generations
24:45nicholas katsangura often gives sculpture courses
24:51the educational programs that we do and the workshops are meant to share the knowledge that
24:57we received from past generations that knowledge must not die with us it must be passed on because
25:04this is not just art for art's sake there are lessons that are meant to be communicated
25:12lessons taught by nature with its wealth of life and forms which along with ancestral wisdom the artists of
25:19shopungu reflect in their work well that's it for today it's now time to say our goodbyes and all the
25:28best from me malama mukonde in lusaka zambia see you next week thanks for joining us goodbye also from me chris
25:37alames in lagos nigeria you can find plenty more eco africa stories online and do write to us and share your
25:44thoughts at eco at dw.com see you next week
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