Current Environmental News: Maintstream and Private Conservation

New MPRDA contradicts NEMA

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Wednesday, 08 May 2013 05:39

South Africa’s recent draft Mineral and Petroleum Resource Development Amendment Bill, which was meant to remove ambiguities in the current legislation and improve the regulatory system, had distanced itself further from international best practice.

Swartkrans: New Heritage Site

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Monday, 22 April 2013 16:24

On 12 April 2013, Swartkrans, a fossil-rich site that lies in the Blaaubank River Valley of South Africa's Cradle of Humankind, joined the ranks as one of the country's National Heritage Sites.

uMngeni Vlei declared RAMSAR SITE

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Wednesday, 17 April 2013 15:16

uMngeni Vlei Nature Reserve, where the uMngeni river rises, is a 600ha wetland situated in the Impendle Municipal district between Dargle and Fort Nottingham. Wetlands are areas where water plays the dominant role in determining plant, bird and animal life within that environment.

New Maps of African Ecosystems

Details: Published on Monday, 15 April 2013 02:41

A team of African and North American scientists led by the U.S. Geological Survey and NatureServe, a conservation non-profit organization, has created a series of continent-wide ecosystem maps that offer the most detailed portrayals of Africa's natural setting yet produced. The new maps and related data on landforms, geology, bioclimates, and vegetation can be used across Africa for conservation planning and resource management, as well as for impact assessments of climate change and changes in land use, such as agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization.

Dargle Nature Reserve - almost there

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Sunday, 31 March 2013 05:56

“The future of biodiversity conservation is in the hands of the landowner. Accolades must go to the landowners who have made such a bold and forward-thinking contribution to conservation in South Africa.”

Never a better time for National Water Week

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Monday, 25 March 2013 08:41

It is hard to imagine a time in which attention on water governance matters was more warranted than during National Water Week 2013, which runs from 18-24 March 2013. The 2nd Edition National Water Resources Strategy due in 2009 is still under construction; we have no Water Tribunal; and the Department of Water Affairs (DWA) has apparently suspended yet another Director-General. And those are just some of the governance issues.

Water Conservation at Maropeng

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Sunday, 24 March 2013 10:20

Water Conservation a Priority at Maropeng

Over the next decade, fresh water supplies on the continent will begin drastically dwindling with many African countries experiencing water shortages by 2025. With this in mind the onus is on all South Africans and particularly businesses to review their operations and consider how they can conserve water, especially now during National Water Week taking place from 18 to 24 March.

Urgent: tackle global sanitation crisis

Details: Parent Category: News; Published on Sunday, 24 March 2013 07:26

United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson calls for urgent action to end the crisis of 2.5 billion people without basic sanitation, and to change a situation in which more people worldwide have mobile phones than toilets.

The call to action on the eve of World Water Day, aims to focus on improving hygiene, changing social norms, better managing human waste and waste-water, and, by 2025, completely eliminating the practice of open defecation, which perpetuates the vicious cycle of disease and entrenched poverty.

“I am determined to energize action that will lead to results,” said Mr. Eliasson. “I am calling on all actors – government, civil society, business and international organizations – to commit to measurable action and to mobilize the resources to rapidly increase access to basic sanitation.

Latest News

Sustainability Ideas

Travel in your EGG

Recently unveiled at the ongoing 2013 Seoul Motor Show, the E4U is a one-seater that can move easily in any direction. It travels on a rotating front sphere and two rear training-wheel-like supports. Propulsion is

Power from a cup of water

Got a cup of boiling water? You can charge your cellphone!

From inventive Kenya comes a solution that puts pay to waste. That kettle you have just boiled, the campfire heat, the used plastic bottle destined for the landfill, all elements that can be put to good use.

The Bottle Charger works day or night,rain or shine to bring el

Re-use paper with the un-prinitng machine

In spite of technology and all the gadgets we now have available to be paperless, paper is still a part of every office. In the future we may be able to re-use the printed page by un-printing it.

The technology relies on nano-second bursts of laser energy to remove the toner from the page. And that can be done up to five times.

Upcoming Events

Revived Water Forum - First Meeting 30/4

The Federation for a Sustainable Environment in collaboration with Sun International and the Legacy Group Holdings hereby cordially invite you to the first meeting of the revived Water Forum, which is to be held a

iSimangaliso MTB: 22-25/8

iSimangaliso MTB (Mountain Bike)

Underwater photography competition: 28-28/9

iSimangaliso Shootout Festival: 2

8th Annual GSSA Congress: 15-19/7

The Grassland Society of Southern

Zoological Society Symposium: 14-17 July

The Zoological Society of Souther

International Mountain Day: 11 Dec

The UN General Assembly designate

World Food Day: 16 Oct

16 October 2012 is World Food Day