Amazing pineapple leaf powder that fights crime and pollution: new researchBienvenu Gael Fouda Mbanga, Nelson Mandela University
Bats, bushbabies and aardvark edge closer to extinction in southern AfricaJoseph Ogutu, University of Hohenheim
The world is in water bankruptcy, UN scientists report – here’s what that meansKaveh Madani, United Nations University
What makes mountain birds sing at dawn – and why are they sometimes quiet? Ecologists explainMosikidi Toka, University of the Free State
Global power struggles over the ocean’s finite resources call for creative diplomacyJonas Gamso, Arizona State University and Hossain Ahmed Taufiq, Arizona State University
Human-wildlife conflict in Zimbabwe is a crisis: who is in danger, where and why?Blessing Kavhu, University of California, Santa Cruz
Nigeria and South Africa plan to boost fossil fuel production, risking their climate change pledgesEmily Ghosh, Stockholm Environment Institute and Derik Broekhoff, Stockholm Environment Institute
Land reform in South Africa: how new landholders could prosper from wildlife and not just farmingHayley Clements, Stellenbosch University; Alta De Vos, Stellenbosch University; Matthew Child, University of Pretoria, and Siviwe Shwababa, Rhodes University
India and South Africa burn a lot of coal: what they can learn from each other about ending the dependencyCraig McGregor, Stellenbosch University and Varun Pratap Singh, Stellenbosch University
Zambia’s forest communities need finance for solar power – so they don’t have to cut down trees to pay for itHillary Chanda, University of Reading
Secret electricity price hikes in South Africa to be curbed in a game-changing court rulingFelix Dube, University of Venda
Sulfur-based batteries could offer electric vehicles a greener, longer-range optionGolareh Jalilvand, University of South Carolina
Nigeria scores well on electricity reform rankings, but power supply isn’t affordable and reliable. Here’s whyTaiwo Hassan Odugbemi, University of Abuja
Hotter weather thickens the blood of wild mammals: in a world first we traced this in African striped mice using 12 years’ worth of blood samplesLindelani Makuya, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS); University of the Witwatersrand; Antoine Stier, Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS), and Carsten Schradin, Université de Strasbourg; University of the Witwatersrand
Africa’s rarest carnivore: the story of the first Ethiopian wolf ever captured, nursed and returned to the wildSandra Lai, University of Oxford
Great apes are humans’ closest relatives, but many are endangered by illegal trading. Here’s what needs to be doneMatyas Liptovszky, University of Nottingham
Sharks and rays get a major win with new international trade limits for over 70 speciesGareth J. Fraser, University of Florida
75% of Kilimanjaro’s natural plants have been wiped out – and climate change isn’t the biggest threatAndreas Hemp, Bayreuth University
Africa’s drylands need the right kind of support – listening to the pastoralists who live thereClaire Bedelian, ODI Global and Guy Jobbins, ODI Global
Africa’s longest-running grassland research project offers up a wealth of knowledgeCraig Morris, University of KwaZulu-Natal
Factory farming in Africa: development banks see it as a good idea, but it’s bad for the climateDivya Narain, University of Oxford
No space for culture: ‘matchbox housing’ leaves residents unable to honour customs in a South African townSinenhlanhla Memela, Rhodes University; Philippa Irvine, Rhodes University, and Zandile Dlongolo, Rhodes University
Smartphones, women’s rights and coupons: new trends that can boost insurance for African farmersBerber Kramer, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) and Ruth Vargas Hill, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)
South Africa’s water, energy and food crisis: why fixing one means fixing them allThulani Ningi, University of Fort Hare; Alois Mugadza, The University of the West Indies, and Saul Ngarava, University of Lincoln
Ethiopia’s mega dam has taken 14 years to build: what it means for the Nile’s 11 river states and why it’s so controversialJohn Mukum Mbaku, Weber State University
Ghana has a rare treasure, a crater made when a meteor hit Earth: why it needs to be protectedMarian Selorm Sapah, University of Ghana
The solar boom has a dirty secret. Here’s how to avoid another mountain of waste that can’t be recycledRabia Charef, Lancaster University
When polluters don’t pay: still no cleanup at South African oil refinery that’s caused millions in damage but was sold for 6 centsLlewellyn Leonard, University of South Africa
Ecoball: how to turn picking up litter into a game for kidsSolaja Mayowa Oludele, Olabisi Onabanjo University
Nigeria needs 200,000km of durable new roads but it’s expensive: we tested plastic to make them stronger and cheaperIfeyinwa Ijeoma Obianyo, Nile University of Nigeria
Nigeria’s plastic waste could enrich the fashion industry: here’s howSolaja Mayowa Oludele, Olabisi Onabanjo University
