- 18 hours ago
Tackling plastic pollution in urban Nigeria, staying cool in Cairo, making city tourism more sustainable and using dance to inspire climate action.
Category
🛠️
LifestyleTranscript
00:17Almost half of the world's population now lives in urban areas.
00:22Here in Africa alone, we have three megacities, Cairo, Lagos, and Kinshasa.
00:29Each home to around 20 million people with the corresponding environmental challenges.
00:36But there is no shortage of creative minds and solutions among the residents.
00:41Join us as we explore some ideas that make big cities more livable.
00:46Welcome to Echo Africa. I'm Malama Mukonde in Lusaka, Zambia.
00:51And here's my co-host, Chris Elens.
00:55Hello everyone and greetings from Lagos, Nigeria.
00:58Thanks for joining us today. Here is what we have, coming up.
01:04How citizens in Egypt find simple fixes to cool down their neighborhoods.
01:12How tourism in Berlin is getting greener.
01:17How an entrepreneur from Nigeria turns waste into opportunity.
01:22We all know those TV talent shows. Always entertaining, right?
01:27They can launch new careers.
01:30But how about competition that helps to boost the environment?
01:34In Uganda, we sent our reporter to get the lowdown or the dance-off with a difference
01:40where it's not just about the moves, but also a mission.
01:46The jury is ready. Let the competition begin.
01:53How are we going to do it?
01:57How are we going to do it?
02:00How are we going to do it?
02:03How are we going to do it?
02:07How are we going to do it?
02:08How are we going to do it?
02:10How are we going to do it?
02:12How are we going to do it?
02:13How are we going to do it?
02:14How are we going to do it?
02:14How are we going to do it?
02:15How are we going to do it?
02:15How are we going to do it?
02:16How are we going to do it?
02:17How are we going to do it?
02:18How are we going to do it?
02:18How are we going to do it?
02:18How are we going to do it?
02:18How are we going to do it?
02:19How are we going to do it?
02:20How are we going to do it?
02:20Karangara Wildlife Conservation Group is hoping to qualify for the next round.
02:25Their goal, to become the best performance group in Uganda's southwestern Kanungu district.
02:31The Dancing for Nature competition was launched in 2017 by climate activist Herbert Panovi.
02:38The sweetest dance you can talk about is the dance of nature.
02:44When a tree is being swung by the wind, it is a natural rhythmic movement responding to the force of
02:56the wind.
02:57And I find myself almost moving with the wind, moving with a tree, sharing as if we are in a
03:07Rio Rio dance.
03:08He heads up an environmental NGO and uses performance art to highlight the need to protect the environment in places
03:16where traditional media have little impact.
03:19So our other method, which we think is community friendly and community powerful, is to use the music, dance and
03:30drama.
03:31And then by that we are finding the reasoning capacities of the community to enter into thinking about how the
03:42environment is, was and will be in the future.
03:47In the hills of Kanungu, the changing climate means heavy rainstorms are becoming more common.
03:55That resulting landslides destroy riverbanks, fields and houses.
04:00Farmers are partly to blame as they clear forests and drain wetlands for farming.
04:06Away from the competition, participants learn important lessons.
04:10These planted walls of earth, known as contour bands, stop rainwater gushing down the slope.
04:15Herbert Banoli, a biologist by profession, explains how they work.
04:21So we dig trenches and we make a mound kind of where we put the soil down and when the
04:31water comes, it lands in the trench.
04:34And when it stays there for a day, it now sinks within the soil.
04:40Back to the competition, the Nyakitandara Vision Club is also hoping to reach the next round.
04:47After their dance, they perform a song.
05:13Engaging with these environmental issues has inspired the contestants to take action.
05:21In our village, we formed a group of ten people.
05:25We began by collecting polythene bags and plastic bottles after learning that they harm our soil.
05:31Once we understood their impact, we started gathering them.
05:35We also visited various homes and planted the trees that we had been performing about.
05:45The trees are needed.
05:47The bank of the Nyarwande River has collapsed.
05:50Herbert Banoli's NGO has provided seedlings that they grew themselves.
05:54Once established, the adult trees will prevent further landslides.
05:59The species was chosen especially for its deep roots.
06:03So, this is known as coriander tree.
06:07It has various powerful roots and they go fast.
06:12So, we expect them to go and bind and bind the whole soil so that there is no more erosion
06:18taking away this soil.
06:20Wetlands, wetlands, wetlands.
06:23How wonderful you are.
06:25How useful you are.
06:27Oh, wetlands.
06:28People are proud of you because you are the mother of life.
06:32In the competition, there is a surprise.
06:35Suddenly, a third group appears unannounced, reciting a poem on the importance of wetlands.
06:41It turns out that it's actually the first team of contestants in a different outfit.
06:46The poem should have come earlier.
06:49That loses them points.
06:50The jury then reaches a decision.
06:53And the winner is the second team that sang the song.
06:58So, the best one is that one who has done much more research.
07:02So, that is how the grading takes place.
07:05They told us how we can protect the environment through the song.
07:10And they told us what causes climate change.
07:14And they even told us the importance of the environment when it was still beautiful in the past.
07:19But no one lives empty-handed.
07:22Beehives are given out free of charge, allowing everyone to earn some extra money without harming the environment.
07:29Waste in crowded cities is one problem.
07:33But intense heat is another.
07:35Take Cairo.
07:36By 2050, the Egyptian capital could be seeing summers with more than 40 days in excess of 45 degrees Celsius.
07:46Hot.
07:47An international team of architects and urban planners is joining forces with residents to create simple, eco-friendly solutions for
07:57reducing heat stress that can be implemented locally.
08:00And the results are as practical as they are innovative.
08:08A densely packed neighbourhood.
08:12A team of architects, researchers.
08:16And a local craftsman.
08:19Plus simple everyday building materials from the streets around them.
08:23What brings them together?
08:25They are in Ardaliwa, one of Cairo's most crowded informal housing developments.
08:30And home to an estimated half a million people.
08:35The various experts have joined forces to find low-tech ways of beating the summer heat.
08:41Temperatures in Egypt's capital have been rising due to climate change.
08:45Heat waves last longer and often peak at above 40 degrees Celsius.
08:50And in places like Ardaliwa, it can feel even hotter.
08:55The way streets and buildings are designed really affects how you feel the heat.
09:00And with a population the size of Greater Cairo and the associated conditions,
09:04you can actually feel temperatures that are five to six degrees higher than what's officially recorded.
09:13Ahmed Mokhtar has been living and working here for years.
09:16Some time ago, the local craftsman and visual artist found his own way of staying cool in his rooftop premises.
09:26I started taking apart the conventionally built wooden ceiling.
09:30Then I began adding openings like ventilation gaps placed in the direction of the wind.
09:36And it worked great.
09:38The temperature dropped considerably and the atmosphere completely changed.
09:43But as buildings around Himbrou's taller, the air stopped flowing and the space became stifling again.
09:52Fortunately, Mokhtar is part of the cluster team, the group of architects and urban planners from Egypt and further afield.
09:59With financial support from partners and a Netherlands-based cultural program,
10:04they develop green and affordable solutions for combating heat stress,
10:08with one example being Mokhtar's studio.
10:14Electricity keeps getting more expensive,
10:17and most people simply can't afford to install an air conditioner.
10:21So there's definitely an important economic side to it,
10:24but there's also an environmental aspect.
10:29Mechanical solutions might give you better indoor comfort,
10:32but they also push more heat, pollution and CO2 outside.
10:37So, instead of eco-unfriendly technology,
10:40how about making the most of existing options?
10:45The Marashabia, for example, is a wooden lattice screen that blocks direct sunlight while slowing the airflow.
10:52Traditionally, people will place clay jugs full of water next to it in order to cool the incoming breeze.
10:58The idea now is to update the concept with modern materials.
11:04We're designing screens that can be placed in front of balconies and windows,
11:08and through incorporating also ceramics,
11:12which can be watered,
11:15and then through evaporative cooling can help cool the units on the inside.
11:23As for the heat management in Ahmed Mokhtar's rooftop studio,
11:27the cluster team ended up choosing a design based on the solar chimney principle,
11:32a technique used in ancient times by passion and Roman architects to create passive cooling.
11:42It works like a greenhouse.
11:44The sun heats the metal,
11:46the air inside warms up and stays trapped.
11:49Then it starts to rise and escape through the opening we made for it.
11:57This is where the experimental part of the undertaking begins.
12:01The team starts scouting local stores and workshops for materials
12:04that are low-cost and low-key, such as wood.
12:07Old corrugated metal sheeting and plastic,
12:12all for a prototype.
12:19By the end, it's taken almost eight months from the initial idea to completion of the solar chimney,
12:26until the moment arrives when the structure is hoisted up and installed in the artist's studio.
12:32It might not look perfect, but the point here is not form, but function, and unavailable solution.
12:40Projects like this can be extremely effective.
12:43They offer real, lasting solutions.
12:46And the cultural mindset here is, don't waste time overthinking an idea that works.
12:51So the model could easily spread to other buildings or neighborhoods.
12:57One rooftop, one artist, one prototype, built for a specific space,
13:05but probably transferable to many others like it.
13:09From the narrow alleyways of Cairo to the big, broad boulevards of the German capital, Berlin's rich history,
13:18culture, creative energy, and nightlife have made it one of Europe's most visited destinations.
13:25But that popularity means an extra burden on the environment.
13:29Behind the bars, the city is quietly working to minimize the impact of tourism.
13:37It's a highlight for many visitors to Berlin, exploring the city by boat.
13:43But the solar suncat is a little special.
13:46With zero emissions, it glides silently along the river Spree, powered only by the sun.
13:53Boat owner Louisa Ahrens first had the idea in 2010,
13:57when looking for an alternative to the large diesel-powered vessels.
14:01She says they consume up to 40 litres of fuel per hour.
14:08Solar-powered boats don't damage the shoreline, they don't smell, they're silent,
14:12so I didn't get why they weren't being used.
14:15Features like these make Berlin one of the most sustainable tourist destinations worldwide.
14:22More on that later.
14:24First, a group of U.S. students from Massachusetts is exploring the trendy district of Kreuzberg.
14:31The Kwestad Ein Association offers city tours featuring personal stories
14:37on themes like homelessness or migration driven by climate change.
14:42City guide Mohamed Lamine Jadama was born in Gambia.
14:45He's lived in Berlin for over 10 years.
14:49In his homeland, he saw fishermen returning home with ever smaller catches
14:53and farmers harvesting less and less due to droughts.
14:57Now in Berlin, he's observed a very different way of life.
15:00I was kind of surprised in a sense of over-consumption.
15:06And all these waste mostly end up in my country where I come from.
15:13And to get rid of those waste materials, people just bone them or throw them into the river.
15:20The German capital is home to just under 4 million people.
15:25In 2025, nearly 30 million overnight stays were booked in guest accommodation across the city.
15:34So that's quite an influx of people.
15:38Despite the crowds, Berlin has moved up to fourth place
15:42in the Global Destination Sustainability Index for metropolises and megacities.
15:52GDSI is a ranking system created by an association of international travel destinations.
15:58The association has set a goal to make its locations sustainable
16:02in terms of tourism and event management.
16:05So it basically measures the sustainability performance of a destination.
16:12By measuring how sustainable the hotels are, for example.
16:16This one scores well.
16:18The Vienna House in East Berlin offers charging stations for electric vehicles
16:23and has its own repair workshop.
16:26Admin is largely digital, which saves paper.
16:32There's a beekeeper who keeps bees in the inner courtyard.
16:36They supply the honey for the hotel's breakfast buffet.
16:40Leftover buffet food is sold at a low price via an app to avoid food waste.
16:47Visitors looking for a place to stay in Berlin can search specifically for eco-hotels
16:52or other sustainable accommodations.
16:55Ten kilometers south of the hotel lies Tempelhofer Feld, a former inner city airport.
17:02The last plane took off from here in 2008.
17:05The 300-hectare complex was then opened for Berliners and tourists.
17:09Some new residents have also moved in.
17:14Planes have given way to sheep.
17:16Around 100 animals grazed the area to protect the skylark,
17:21a rare bird that only breeds on the ground.
17:27Lawnmowers would destroy their nests.
17:30Sheep now graze in several of Berlin's parks.
17:33They've become a tourist attraction in their own right.
17:42But it's not all idyllic.
17:44Litter is a problem throughout the city.
17:47Every year, 45,000 tons of waste end up on the streets of Berlin.
17:53Discarded coffee cups are especially plentiful.
17:58A long-term study by Berlin's Humboldt University found that people feel that litter from single-use
18:05products is the biggest blot on the landscape in major German cities.
18:09Even more than dog poop.
18:11And 40% of the garbage in public trash cans is single-use packaging.
18:17Pilot projects are addressing the coffee cup issue with deposit machines.
18:21If users return the cups, they get money back.
18:24However, the machines are still few and far between.
18:29The U.S. students are also getting the message that more needs to be done.
18:34The tour has got many of them thinking.
18:37In their conversations with tour guide Mohamed, many are starting to see the bigger picture.
18:43It makes you almost feel a little guilty.
18:46And I think it makes you feel more conscious of your lifestyle.
18:50And, you know, before you buy something, before you throw something away,
18:54to always be more careful, to understand that it does have effects on people around the world.
19:00Not something passengers on board the boat appear to have thought of.
19:05Most of them told us that their choice of a solar-powered boat was just a coincidence.
19:11It seems sustainability is becoming something many people take for granted.
19:15The fleet now has three solar boats.
19:19All of them are fully booked during the summer season.
19:25Now, we'll meet an amazing woman from here in Nigeria.
19:29Rita Idehai.
19:29She's a dual scientist and social entrepreneur based in Abuja.
19:35And her work spans so many areas.
19:38I don't really know where to start.
19:40She's invented West Africa's first recycling vending machine.
19:44She's a champion of women's empowerment.
19:47And sees waste not as a problem, but as an opportunity.
19:52But let's hear the full story from her.
20:03Every plastic bottle that you trash can either pollute our streets or create value.
20:17My name is Rita Idehai.
20:19I'm the founder and CEO of EcoBatter, where we are turning waste into opportunities.
20:25So what happens to waste, especially household waste in Nigeria, is terrible.
20:30Right now, 90%, according to the World Bank statistics, of the waste that we generate in
20:34our homes end up burnt on open dumps or disposed along drainage ways.
20:38How we manage our waste currently contributes the third largest to our greenhouse gas emission
20:42in Nigeria.
20:51Where we are is a rented property.
20:54And so we've divided the area, you know, to handle different materials.
20:57So here you have the PET plastics.
21:00Over there you have the, we call them art plastics.
21:03So PP, HDPE, different types of plastic.
21:05As you can see, the broken chairs, just add plastics generally.
21:10So this is our sort of processing area.
21:13We have the baling machine that we use in compressing the plastic bottles into bales.
21:18So these are called bales.
21:20So the compressing, it makes the cost of logistics better so that we can then send them over to
21:25Lagos, to the off-takers and manufacturers that use them.
21:35So the women that we work with here, you know, are mostly local community women, housewives,
21:43just some of them are widows, just, again, typically underserved women in Kujie community.
21:50So what the women do here is that they sort out the plastic bags that we collect, so pure
21:56outer sachet, single-use plastic bags, process it and weave it on traditional floor looms into
22:03fabric that we've called plabric.
22:06And then these plabrics, we make them into finished products like bags, like shoes, mats,
22:11and even more recently, clothing.
22:25Because they don't have the requisite skills, the opportunities are way limited for them.
22:31Societal norms also keep them within certain limits.
22:35So these are women that either have children, you know, are from a certain region or a certain
22:39belief and naturally or societally, they can't even go, you know, past their community to
22:44find work.
22:45They have to be around and our program enables them to be able to live their lives the way
22:52the society has, you know, created for them, but also then go the extra length of making income.
23:09The biggest challenge that I faced starting EcoBata was actually knowledge.
23:14When I decided that I wanted to do this, I didn't even know who to sell the material to.
23:19I didn't know anything.
23:19I didn't understand the sales circle.
23:21There was so much information that I didn't know and I couldn't get online.
23:24When I did my research on the technologies that, you know, were important in recycling,
23:29there was vending machines.
23:31I remember calling my tech friends to say, can we build this?
23:34That was the question, right?
23:35Can we build this?
23:35And he, in his stupidities, he said, of course we can build it.
23:38We've not built it before, but if it's something that is anywhere in the world, we can replicate
23:43it.
23:44And so that was how the journey started.
23:50This is a reverse vending machine, the first locally manufactured one in Nigeria and in fact,
23:56in Africa.
23:57So when you come to this machine with your plastic or beverage can, you press on start.
24:02When you press start, then you put in your bottles one after the other, as many as you've
24:07come to the machine with.
24:09You scan the QR code, it takes you to our mobile application where you can then transfer the
24:13money that you've earned into your bank account, buy airtime electricity or data.
24:18Currently in Abuja, we have 26 of this machine and in Lagos, we have two of these machines.
24:27People would think recycling was only for the poor, but with this machine now, like, first
24:32it's neat, it's clean, it's technology, right?
24:35So everybody's interested.
24:36Prior to now, we had, I think, about 3,000 people on our platform.
24:40Now we have close to 13,000 people within one year.
24:43Honestly, I would say that just changing the narrative of who should recycle and what recycling
24:48is about is the biggest impact that this mission has made.
24:53So my hope and vision for the next generation, you know, when it comes to environmental protection
24:58and recycling is that they see that it's everybody's responsibility and you can start from anywhere.
25:04So knowing that from scratch, from zero nearer, from squatting in a place, I've built something
25:09that, you know, is a sort of livelihood to this number of people is something I'm most proud
25:14of knowing that this small girl built something this amazing is a thing of pride for me.
25:23And with those good vibes, it's goodbye from me, Chris Alemse in Lagos, Nigeria.
25:29See you next week.
25:31Well, and it's a goodbye from me, Malama Mukonde in Lusaka, Zambia.
25:37You can find plenty more ECHO Africa stories online and please write to us and share your thoughts
25:43comments at ECHO at DW.com.
25:46See you next week.
Comments