Climate Change Second Edition 2022 by Peeple of the Soil

MAGAZINE SUMMER 2022

CLIMATE CHANGE EDITION

PO TS

EDITOR’S

NOTE Chimamanda Adichie Ngozi reminds us of the danger of a single story intertwined with power stating that, “It is impossible to talk about the single story without talking about power; the ability not just to tell the story of another person, but to make it the definitive story of that person.”

What stories get told, how stories get told and who they are told by, are all dependent on power. Unfortunately, throughout history, African experiences and narratives continue to be plagued by an erasure. Africa is still seen as a place to be acted on, a place of no history – the dark continent if you will. Today, the globe faces an unprecedented threat: Climate Change.

In the past few decades we have seen record-breaking temperatures, flash floods caused by torrential rains, infernos of devastating fires, cyclones, and droughts that continue to point to the rapidly escalating crisis of Climate Change. For Africa this reality is not new. Not only has our continent been suffering disproportionately from climate change; extractivism has returned in a different guise, threatening to place hundreds of millions of vulnerable populations further on the margins of society, who will once again become victims of a problem not of their making. The climate crisis is just that, a crisis! A crisis which calls on all of us to reflect on the choices, economic structures, social norms, behaviors and events

which has led humanity to this point. More importantly, it calls on us to reimagine our world, re-imagine the relationships we have with nature, with one another and with ourselves. It calls on us to keep going, to find solutions and innovations that will help heal the world in some way. Whilst it may seem like there is no way out; there is always light at the end of the tunnel. This Climate Change edition serves as that glimmer of light. A living reminder of the importance and power of representation and diversity within stories. These stories, which have been curated for and by young Africans, bring forth a diversity of voices that shed light on the complexities, difficulties, potential and opportunities that come with being young and African in the face of climate change. As you read this may you be reminded of the innate power that rests in all of us. May you be left inspired and motivated to reflect on your own choices, perceptions and attitudes. May you join us in rejecting the false narrative and rewrite our stories for the sake of African history.

Koaile Monaheng x Tamika Du Pont

PO TS PEEPLE OF THE SOIL MAGAZINE

RE-IMAGINE YOUR WORLD We are a diverse group of peeple focused on connecting our peeple with inspiring afrocentric stories worth spreading. We understand what stories mean to peeple and how they impact our lives. We stand at the intersectionality of the sustainability conversation and refine afro-centric sustainability knowledge into compelling stories, collaborations, and products. This is Peeple of the Soil. Our brand is founded with the belief that when peeple feel good and look good, they do good. We hope to provide holistic experiences that allow you to take better care of yourself, in hopes that it can teach us to take better care of each other and our precious planet. Holistic experiences and perspectives help us deepen our understanding of ourselves, in turn contributes to our individual well-being and ability to co-exist as peeple and nature. We believe that wellbeing and knowledge of self is our most valuable resource, and are working to create a future where it is accessible to everyone.

CLIMATE EGNAHC EDITION CLIMATE EGNAHC EDI

WOMEN ARE THE REAL CHANGE AGENETS NEEDED IN CLIMATE ACTION

CLIMATE ACTION NOW

HUMAN RIGHTS AT COP 27: BURNING ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

DIASPORAS FOR CLIMATE ACTION

CATTLE BOY & THE PRINCEESS (cover story)

CLIMATE JUSTICE & INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE BEING THE FOREFRONT OF CLIMATE SOLUTIONS

WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATURE, RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY?

KENYA HANGING ONTO HOPE FOR HELP FROM THE UNFCCC SINCE

AFRICA’S FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANG: NIGERIA’S RECENT FLOODS

FORUM DES AMIS DE DEVELOPMENT ET LA PROTECTION DE L’ ENVIRONMENT

34 A WILD REALITY

48 40

IMMERSE THE AFRICAN AESTHERTICS POWER

THE OLD WOMEN AND THE SEA

54 PLANET

earth

RISING FACE: CRISPUS MWEMAHO

pain & joy

peeple

CONTENTS

PO TS

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CATTLE BOY AND THE PRINCESS by Nhlamulo Nkuna

Nhlamulo Nkuna is a Creative Artist born and bred in Pretoria. He is a self-taught professional Photographer and Model making him an all-around creative. He has always found most of his interest in sports, arts, and recreation. From Playing first-team rugby to winning school modeling competitions to also becoming a project manager. After dropping out of High School he pursued project management studies and then ventured into running and curating his own projects, namely The Experience Workshop, The Mustard Seed Magazine, and also managing and assisting with Rivoningo’s (@ri_voningo) creative team. He has assisted the likes such as Andile Mthembu photography & Kandee. Co. He has worked with Clicks, Careers Magazine, PJ Powers, Ntokozo Mbambo, Lekau Sehoana, Netflix, Candi Co, Sobert, Nandi Madida and more. Nhlamulo is an editorial photographer who uses the art of photography to document “Self-awareness” through storytelling. He practises photography because it enables him to articulate himself in a broad sense through visual arts and also pushes him to think out of the box and explore the elements and dynamics of this world.

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ARTIST STATEMENT This photo series is a projection of what I was going through in my relationship with my partner, I realised how much trauma I had in my life and that trauma would’ve allowed me to believe that I’m worthy of love because of where I come from and how I am programmed. A lot of unlearning, learning, and relearning had to happen to find that I have the qualities of a king and I’m worthy of a Queen.

The Princess is a representation of life and death including the challenges it comes with, with every action comes responsibility and in the Princess’s reality, she holds unheardof responsibility for following her heart and choosing who she wants to spend her life with. The princess can see all the qualities of the cattle boy as of a true King and considers herself a Queen in the presence of her King.

Self-appreciation summoned positive thinking about the future and also having my ancestors on my back to assure me that all is well and that I should walk this path to prove to myself that I am a king and worthy of a Queen.

They are protected and guided by the “Spirit” of Motherhood, Mother Gaia, and the Mother Goddesses. She is a sacred reminder of fertility, birth, and nurturing. The spirit knows of what this union could give birth to and it holds gifts for them to continue to express love toward each other. Love is an element which lacks in the environment they reside in. The spirit ensures to lead the two to an open field filled with nature and peace to ensure that this love never dies.

“Cattle boy and the Princess” is a representation of forbidden love and yet they find themselves together and in love. The Cattle boy is set with challenges of understanding ‘Who am I?’ to be in love with a royal descendant and through the process of finding himself, he learns to rather define himself so that when he presents himself to the throne, he can have the confidence to articulate himself in a way that he would be understood. The Cattle boy stands for strength, stubbornness, hard work, loyalty, leadership, abundance, knowledge, and enlightenment. During this love he had for the Princess, he found who he

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PO TS

For the people who find themselves bumping into and trying to break through boundaries they find themselves in; We offer personalised stories of Africa becoming. Come and Become

PEEPLE

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RISING FACES:

CRISPUS MWEMAHO by Sisipho Nstabo

Crispus Mwemaho, 25y/o medical clinician climate and environmental justice activist from Uganda, Cofounder at Abayuuti Climate Action Network a youth led organization offering climate education and climate adaptation projects in frontline communities

Meet Ugandan-born, climate and environmental justice activist, and cofounder of a youth-led grassroots-level organization, Crispus Mwemaho . Raised in Kampala by farmers, his bond with the environment is almost secondary. His activism started in 2018 when he was living in a residency in a poor environment because of poor waste management and pollution. Crispus and his friend began a took action with a community clean-up campaign. In 2019, Crispus started a relief project in the community as a result of the floods in Western Uganda. While he notes that this relief project was successful, he acknowledges that they are not successful. “In Africa, we are victimised (by climate change) versus being threatened.” Says Crispus. Understanding that albeit Africa contributes less than 10 percent to the climate crisis, the marginalized societies suffer the most because of it. This largely manifests in the destruction of the economy; displacement of communities and families and the worsening of the social and economic inequalities already present in these communities. “It’s about life and death now. That is how we should be approaching climate change. People do not even know if they will make it tomorrow.” Crispus tells the tale of a Ugandan husband and father who became the sole survivor (out of 9 family members) of a flood. He stops and silently says, “Nothing new could awaken his soul.”

Often ignored are the long-lasting psychological impact of climate change effects such as depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Crispus started a Mental Health Program because of the mental health impacts seen in families and communities. This program aims to help survivors and victims understand the genesis of their problems and creates a support system where they slowly begin to rebuild and adapt. The program also includes risk assessments, economic empowerment, soap making, tailoring, sewing, and hygiene programs within the communities. Admirable is Crispus’s human-centered and communal approach to his vision and mission. He speaks of how the climate change discussions and talks are unfair and unjust – with unequal representation and an imbalance of power. As we have concluded COP27, the progress of these conversations needs to be seen in the communities they are proposed to help and rebuild. “I want to see communities and our people fully aware of climate change in a language that they understand. Out advocacy and activism are not the same. I believe that Africans must be at the forefront of negotiations on every climate change discussion. We need to have solutions tailor-made by people on the frontlines.”

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Lesotho

WOMEN ARE THE REAL CHANGE AGENTS NEEDED IN

CLIMATE ACTION

by Liapeng Raliengoane Liapeng is a courageous, passionate Journalist based in Maseru Lesotho. Her reporting interests are in Climate Change, Environmental Protection, Human Rights, Women and Youth Empowerment. Liapeng’s climate change reporting achievements include winning the 2021 British High Commission (in Lesotho) Competition on Climate Change and Environmental Protection Reporting and being a Recipient of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP/AWiM) African Women in Media Fellowship 2022.

Climate change affects everyone, one way or another and in developing countries like Lesotho, women bear the brunt of environmental and climate shocks. In spite of all these climate change challenges, women have come out victorious and some have even gone as far as being conferred awards. Women are important decision-makers at home on issues such as; waste, energy, food and much more, therefore, the role of women in the management and use of natural resources cannot be overvalued.

tiative based in Mafeteng, Lesotho. It started in 2013 and produces and sells organic bee products, while also nourishing and restoring the environment which was degraded before the initiation of the project. “Our vision is to provide natural remedies that are of medical and nutritional value, and to develop a friendly environment for both bees and human beings,” she highlighted. JMM Beekeeping produced honey, nine different wines from honey and

Desmond Tutu once said, “If we are going to see real development in the world then our best investment is WOMEN.” The current ongoing Conference of Parties (COP27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, is looking at many issues, including emission reductions, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and climate finance among others. Below are the stories of Basotho women making climate action leaps in Lesotho

Sr. Julia ‘Masina Mafike: The Founder of JMM Beekeeping Farm Sr. Mafike is a Catholic Nun, belonging to the Congregation of the Handmaids of Christ the Priest, (H.C.P). She is making strides in conserving biodiversity by keeping bees. Julia Masina Mafike (JMM) Beekeeping, is a women-led beekeeping initiative

Sr. Mafike is a Catholic Nun belonging to the Congregation of the Handmaids of Christ the Priest, (H.C.P). She is making strides in conserving biodiversity through keeping bees.

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beeswax, propolis, body creams, bee glue, and honey-based herbal flu relief mixtures during the era of covid-19. Mafike also stated, “JMM Beekeeping is also an initiative towards Pope Francis’ call to climate action, as he has emphasized the importance of environmental protection since the beginning of his papacy. For those who do not know, Pope Francis chose his Papal name, Francis to honour St. Francis of Assisi, the Patron Saint of those who promote ecology.”

The farm has also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National University of Lesotho, through the Department of Nutrition, whereby JMM has committed to giving an award to the best performing student (Bachelor of Science in Nutrition) during the graduation ceremonies.

She also revealed in an interview, that the challenges they had in their area entailed; environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity, lack of jobs for the local communities, and a need for their religious congregation to become sustainable in providing food for its congregants without depending on external assistance.

Reitumetse Labuschagne: CEO of Khantša Energy

Also discolousing that many people think bees just produce honey, having no idea that bees do more than that, and that they also pick up pollen from different flowers and spread it, allowing plants, including many food crops, to reproduce so that we all get food. She admitted that the environment is currently thriving and nourished compared to when she first started the initiative and credited the availability of a variety of birds that harbour on trees, and various plants, increased livelihood, and saved soil. Her biggest dream is to see more Basotho women getting involved in beekeeping.

She was raised by entrepreneurs and found herself in love with business and fascinated with the idea of running different kinds of businesses. “I am in Tourism, Art, Security, Property, Construction, and Renewable Energy businesses, which have allowed me to witness how much employment creation can impact the lives of Basotho positively.”

JMM Beekeeping products are currently sold as far afield as Eswatini and many other Southern African Development

5kw solar systems in six health centres in Thaba-Tseka and Mokhotlong, which are only accessible by 4x4 vehicles. In 2020, Khantša acquired solar energy kits and devised their monthly payment called PayAsYouGo, which is specifically aimed at making renewable energy accessible and more affordable for most remote areas. These PayAsYouGo solar kits have also gained momentum in Ha Ramabanta.

Community (SADC) member states. It is now a centre of excellence in Lesotho, and provides training to the youth, emerging farmers, individuals, groups, and organizations.

Labuschagne is the CEO of Khantša Energy, a Lesotho-based company providing mobile solar power to rural communities. It operates in the districts of Roma, Thaba-Tseka, Qacha, and Mokhotlong.

Electricity connections are rendered virtually impossible in the Lesotho Highlands due to the mountainous terrain and lack of infrastructure. “Our aim is to directly address this challenge through renewable energy solutions,” she mentions. “Through access to renewable energy,

In a nutshell, with Besotho women like Mafike and Ms. Labuschagne making strides in their different fields namely biodiversity conservation and renewable energy, Lesotho can go far in curbing the current worldwide climate crisis. we believe we can actively contribute to the social and economic development of Basotho, majority of which are living in poverty. Through their Light up the future strategy, she creates innovative and community-inclusive energy and climate adaptation solutions. Talking about climate change and renewable resources, she said, “There is no path to protecting the climate without changing how we produce and use electricity. Renewable energy minimizes carbon pollution and has a much lower impact on our environment. After observing the plight of the ordinary people in the areas we worked in, the vast majority of whom had no electricity, we turned our focus into providing energy directly to households.” On the projects Khantša Energy has completed, she indicated that in 2018, Khantša Energy started off installing

Abigael Kiprono Kima, 24, is a young energy expert and climate activist from Kenya. She is the producer and host of the new Hali-Hewa podcast (Hali-Hewa is a Swahili term for ‘climate’), profiling African activists and climate experts across eight 30-minute episodes airing through to COP27 on themes including a just energy transition, loss and damage, youth participation in intergovernmental processes and indigenous rights with Climate Home News as a partner syndicating this series. The climate crisis is evidently one of the biggest challenges we are facing across the globe. Unfortunately, different parts of the world continue to feel the weight of the climate crisis with different intensities. The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, shows that about 3.6 billion people live in contexts of vulnerability due to the impacts of climate change.

CLIMATE ACTION

NOW

by Abigael Kima

It is not news that Africa falls under this category, despite the continent only contributing less than 4% to global emissions. This is partially due to climate change affecting rainfalls which Africa’s agriculture highly depends on. We have seen the prolonged drought in the Northern part of Kenya, causing malnutrition in children and deaths of humans and livestock of pastoralist communities, who depend on them as a source of livelihood. We are also aware of the frequent cyclones in Mozambique causing death, and loss of properties with minimal capacity to bounce back after such disasters. The most recent

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was the flash floods in South Africa that took away hundreds of lives. As if this is not enough, a few weeks ago, Uganda experienced flash floods claiming over 20 lives, displacing thousands and leaving them without access to clean water. The list can go on and on. Coming from a small town in Kenya called Iten, where agriculture is the backbone of my community’s economy. My siblings and I were taken through school comfortably because our parents were able to sell their farm produce after the harvest season, to supplement the income from their day jobs. At the moment, a common practice of schools in rural areas of Kenya is that parents are asked to provide food items - such as a bag of maize and beans, and they end up paying subsidized tuition fees. Just this year in April, no one had tilled their farms in readiness for planting because the rains had been delayed. The changing weather patterns continue to affect most farmers because of a lack of education and understanding of the impacts of climate change that adversely affect us, and how to adjust our agriculture in order to survive. From a young age, I always felt the need to help others. I was taught very early to stand up for myself and for others and to speak boldly against injustices. As I grew older, it morphed into what I would now call a strong sense of compassion. I grew up next to a forest, and although we spent most of our time in the urban side of my county, all school holidays had us staying amongst the finest form of nature.

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We would take cows grazing in the morning and they would quench their thirst from a natural stream at the heart of the forest, and were lucky enough to have the stream cut across our farm which allowed us to practice agriculture with plenty of water and good arable soil. When I began High School in 2011, and didn’t get the chance to visit my second home for four years and by the time I went back, a lot had changed. There was mass destruction of the forest and different people had used up some of that land for agriculture, and unfortunately for us, the stream on our land had dried up. I remember thinking to myself, how can we as humans coexist without putting enough pressure on the environment to still gain the immense benefits the earth provides? This led me to conservation and eventually climate activism. As young climate activists from Africa, our engagement in the climate space has largely revolved around deliberative proceedings such as peaceful demonstrations, social media campaigns, and protests where influence in decision-making is not executed. Nonetheless, we cannot fail to recognize that activism contributes to solidarity, building amongst Africans and making their voices stronger. It also adds moral weight to the deliberating proceedings and garners media attention for lobbying. These proceedings on climate change are political thus, the youth through activism are able to influence politics outside of private political meetings. As much

the youth are making progress in finding their place in the climate space, they still face great obstacles, such as still lacking seats at the decisionmaking tables. Their great innovative stories are untold hence the chance of getting support is minimal and with little to no mentorship, thus making efforts to bridge the gap futile. The reality is that activists who partake in the proceedings mentioned above are often seen as the opposite of the intention behind them. With this, the only action we get is over the fence and has very little to do with decisionmaking in those exclusion rooms. Our actions stop at congratulations and tales of how inspirational we are to the generations that have preceded us and those that are yet to come. Contrary to how we are viewed, the youth keep pushing for a seat at the table. We want the ability to make decisions that affect our future and those that will come after us and our participation is crucial because of the future of those who will have to walk in our shoes and save the planet.

very clear that the aspect of storytelling for climate change was missing yet the climate crisis affects real people with real lives. As an African, I felt our stories were not being told enough to influence real change. We often use statistics and numbers yet climate change is a humanitarian issue. This is what inspired me to start the Hali Hewa Podcast. This will be a series of eight episodes with various key players in the climate space speaking on a variety of issues in a soften manner, whilst highlighting the realities of climate change in Africa, and looking at the call to action for COP27 in Egypt this year. The main objectives of the series are to inform a non-specialist civil society audience about the impacts of the climate crisis in Africa, and the relevance of international climate governance. It also aims to amplify African social, political and civil society voices ahead of COP27, and communicate what COP must deliver to protect African communities.

I was privileged to attend the Conference of the Parties - COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland last year and remember feeling lost. I realized that the important information is within the reach of very few people and the people at the forefront of the impacts of climate change are highly underrepresented.

COP27 is happening in Egypt this November 2022 and everyone is calling it an African COP. The truth is, this is not the first time COP that is taking place in Africa, and should only be called an African COP if our priorities are acted upon. Civil societies, activists and other key players in the climate space have been working together to articulate what the priorities are for the African continent during this year’s COP.

I also realized that the discussion revolved around numbers and statistics that were too complicated for an ordinary person to understand. It was alsory

The issues that have come out strongly include financing for loss and damage, delivery of the 100 billion promise, and securing a ‘Just transition’ for

Arica. Regarding COP27, my desire is to see progress on these issues that have been very contentious in the past climate conferences. It is time to put a face to the climate crisis, it is time for Africa to have its voice heard in places that matter, it is time to have our stories amplified to influence change and it is time to act now for the present and future generations.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AT COP27:

BURNING ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM by Aretha Franklin

My name is Aretha Franklin, born and raised in Cairo Egypt. My dream is to become a Human Rights Defender and to never keep quiet in the face of injustice even in a country where any government criticism, no matter how slight, may land one in jail.

November 2002, an overwhelming majority of attendees of COP-27 decided to wear white, during the whiteout day of action, in solidarity with the tens of thousands of political prisoners languishing in Egyptian Jails.

very frontline of the climate emergency and facing severe environmental threats, such as shrinking groundwater reserves, rising temperatures, and degradation of marine health amongst other climate issues.

Alaa Abdel Fattah, whose name you might have heard being spoken during these past couple of days, is an Egyptian programmer and Human Rights Defender, who has been on a hunger and water strike for over 200 days since the beginning of COP. As a symbolic figure of the 2011 Popular Uprising, the Egyptian Arab Spring, which toppled the dictatorial rule of Hosny Moubarak, Alaa is being instrumentalized by the regime to set an example for all those who dare to dream of an unchained Egypt, that will ultimately suffer a similar fate.

For decades, the indigenous and tribal people of the Sinai Peninsula have been subject to forcible displacement at the hands of the military, the destruction of farmland, severe restrictions on their movement and the movement of goods, and above all, a severe crackdown on peaceful expression and civil society initiatives, even if purely based on the environment.

Before thousands of delegates reached the South Sinai resort city of Sharm El Sheikh, they might have probably gotten a “brief” from their offices on the political circumstances in Egypt and specifically Sharm El Sheikh - the city where buses run emission-free, and is enclosed by concrete six-meter wide cement walls and wire fencing. This is paid by billions of Egyptian tax money, to protect Sharm and its residents or to turn it into an open-air maximumsecurity prison? The answer is up to you to decide. You see, it is somewhat ironic that Sharm El Sheikh is welcoming thousands of delegates from all corners of the globe to talk about climate and yet, there are none, absolutely none from the land where the very conference is being hosted - Sinai. It’s not like Sinai communities and tribes are not at the

These scraps of information that one has been desperately seeking to write a small awareness piece about Sinai communities remain mere scraps because of the media siege preventing the flow of information to and from militarized Sinai. As delegates are here, in Sharm El Sheikh to talk about the necessity of finding people-powered, sustainable solutions to the climate crisis, they ought to bear in mind the impossibility of doing climate work in Egypt due to paralyzing restrictions on research, documentation, and above all free, independent and nongovernmental thought. Some argued that for this COP, environment and politics should be kept separate and as such a position has taken Egyptians one step further away from hope, from positive change. One must nevertheless admit that the reluctance of local environmental organizations to publicly endorse the Human Rights calls to action is understandable, due to the fear of losing whatever

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civic space they might have, no matter how heavily state-monitored or small it may be. For those who have the ability to spread the word, however, as they are here to talk about climate change, do shed light on the abysmal Human Rights records of the lawless military State that is Egypt. This poses severe restrictions on civil society work in the environmental, social, economic and political spheres. As they are here to advocate for a better tomorrow, do question the absurdity of not having Sinai indigenous communities present and represented at a climate conference hosted in Sinai. As they are here to talk about climate change activism, they should speak the names of the thousands of arbitrarily detained intellectuals, journalists, lawyers, and everyday Egyptians without whom, our world is a darker place. Break the greenwashing charade that is COP27 with your awareness, presence, and voice. The Egyptian Regime has been trying to use COP27 as an opportunity to un-stain its irredeemable reputation. Do not get fooled by these lies, the regime’s plan is actually slowly but surely backfiring as the world is becoming increasingly aware of its abysmal human rights record , and treatment of civil society actors. Some background context; since the military restored power under the leadership of Marechal Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi, following the 2013 coup d’état, which toppled the democratically elected President Mohamed Morsy, a countrywide violent crackdown against protests has been in effect. Under

the Colonial-era Law on Assembly (No. 10/1914) and the equally absurd Law on Protest (No. 107 of 2013), the gathering of more than five people may be deemed illegal. Additionally, posting any government-critical content on social media may cost you to spend the rest of your life in jail. The otherwise fundamental human right to peaceful assembly and to free speech simply does not exist in the open-air prison called Egypt. Communication and phone companies are obliged under law to provide any user information, records or data to security authorities upon request. That is to say, one must forever remain careful of what they decide to write or share even amongst their closest circles because we live in a mass surveillance State. The COP-27 app, which a big majority of delegates had downloaded, was deemed by cyber-security experts to be unsafe because of its ability to hijack the personal information of its users. Since 2013, tens of thousands of Egyptians have been forcibly removed, detained indefinitely, without trial, and live in inhumane conditions, where detainees are often subject to systematic torture and abuse. The 2011 ideals of a more democratic and transparent government were very well dead and buried along with its martyrs. The Egyptian military apparatus has, in fact, come under fierce criticism for a series of mass and unfair trials since 2013. in which heavy sentences and death penalties were delivered to hundreds of political detainees at once. While a few of those imprisoned in Ayman Moussa’s trial were given presidential pardons,

Ayman remains in jail to this day. While Egyptian authorities have traditionally refused to disclose the exact number of political detainees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights estimates that there are hundreds of thousands of political prisoners in Egypt, a rough approximation that may not begin to reflect a much worse reality. Egyptian prisons are infamous for their inhumane treatment of prisoners through the denial of adequate healthcare, access to nutritious food, sanitation, and other fundamental human rights such as the mere right to receive visits from family and friends. The heartbreaking story of Ayman Moussa ought not to be perceived as bleak and devoid of hope. In fact, having spent more than half of his sentence in jail, Ayman Moussa’s friends have been calling for a half-sentence presidential pardon through social media campaigns and petitions. There is, in fact, a widely held belief amongst Egyptian activists that social media constitutes the only way out, the only solution to resist the military dictatorship. The United Nations Climate Conference is an unprecedented international opportunity where all participating governments should be pressured to let go of their accommodating attitude towards Egypt’s authoritarian regime. They should express solidarity with Human Rights Defenders by calling on the Egyptian Government to end limitations on freedom of assembly, association, and expression and address civil society concerns pertaining to their safe and meaningful participation, not only in COP27 but in

the heavily State-monitored civic space in Egypt. Aretha Franklin is protecting her identity with regards to her role in the written piece above

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DIASPORAS FOR

CLIMATE CHANGE ACTION by Ishraq Abdullah

Ishraq Osman, 22 years old, Sudan. Living and raised in the UAE, currently a fresh graduate practicing advocacy in initiatives in climate action through climate education, climate fundraising and freelancing as a sub-consultant for Climate risk. I research and work to innovate action for flood relief back in Sudan where I still research and connect with potential ways to contribute to action and saving the lives of IDP of climate crisis

The diasporic voice. The voice that recognizes sympathy and challenges one’s responsibility for action. It’s the complexity of being capable of holding concerns for the different cultures you identify with simultaneously, but one strongly calls home being where we view the climate crisis. The crisis that knows no boundaries and affects us all, no matter our social identity or responsibility for action. Coming from Sudan, one of the many lands that faced a gruesome colonial past and now suffers a neo-colonial present, is masked by the promised international aid and support for the economic regrowth of the land destroyed by colonialism. Ten years ago, my concern grew as I envisioned the homes of many internally displaced people that started to show up in the capital Khartoum, where they were lost and without a home. I heard of floods but never saw them until I was 13-years-old when our farmhouse by the Blue Nile River faced damages that were becoming intense every rainy season. I then learned that more than 800,000 of us were displaced with more than just damage to our infrastructure, but as well as a loss for Sudan citizens. Born and raised abroad, I never lived in Sudan, however, connected with its people outside of their birth realm and reality. This instilled a guilty privilege I seemed confused about, but it only piqued my interest to study the larger problem of climate change; using my resources and accessible knowledge to empower myself and do more. During my academic years, I had refocused on a broader scheme

of global action, climate literacy in higher education- an advocacy plan of “promoting sustainability“- which soon felt very temporary and did not include the political scope of concern when I faced the real world. It was great seeing action in the lifestyles of many around me, but I seemed to have disconnected from my inner responsibility to the Sudanese Diasporic identity I had nurtured over the past 10 years. I now embrace that in what I do to build a more resilient Sudan. It allowed me to evolve and voice my own story to fulfill the responsibility that many like me are living through their own diasporic duties in providing sustenance and growth back home. To ensure that the disaster risk of floods or drought is faced with a resilient front that saves lives. The diasporic context comprises sobering towards one’s identity outside their home, the rise of responsibility, and finally the return. We see power in revitalizing our homelands using the flow and exchange of knowledge which will bring up research, education, and independent facilities that make up the machine to climate resilience. If the diaspora coalition has the potential to restore our ambition to drive change, reverse the damage, and build forces against climate change, then we must mobilize towards that. We are empowered by each other and what we can do to help our homeland; as a diaspora, we must enable the very system that drove our families out of their homes to bring us back home and become resilient to what is soon to come.

PAIN AND JOY

Pain & Joy is dedicated to the right brained individual. A space for creatives to thrive. For those who continue to contribute towards Africa’s rich visual history. This section is where we show the world that Africa is on the creative and visionary forefront. Come inspire & be inspired by stories of Africa becoming. Come and become.

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A WILD REALITY a photoseries by Kevin

Ochieng Onyango

Kevin Ochieng Onyango, 24-years-old, is a photographer from Nairobi. Kevin grew up in Dandora slums, which hosts one of the largest dumpsites in East Africa. He was inspired to speak about environmental issues and conservation having been used to a polluted environment. “I use photography as a tool to speak out on issues and matters affecting my environment and the world. I’m privileged to have won multiple awards having been prized, lately the Forest stewardship council climate action photography award, and featured at the COP26 climate change summit in the New York Times climate hub exhibition, as the Environmental Photographer of the Year “climate action category” by CIWEM and NIKON Europe. I have also been featured in multiple exhibitions, the latest being the United Nations 75th Anniversary exhibition that occurs all over the United Nations headquarters in cities like New York, Vietnam, Venice, to name a few.”

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I shot this photojournalistic story in Garissa, Kenya, depicting the immense and adverse effects of drought on animals and nature. Garissa is located in the eastern region of Kenya and has not seen rain for the last two years according to residents there. There is fear that they will lose all their wealth if this drought continues. The people from Garissa are pastoralists and store wealth in livestock, depending on water and pasture to keep them alive and maintain their livelihoods.

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THE OLD WOMAN AND THE SEA

Most of the fishing tools are crude and locally crafted, sometimes her fishnet gets entangled with debris in the water

a photoseries by Eiseke Oluwatosin Bolaji © Eiseke Oluwatosin Bolaji

The beach front for coastal communities like takwa bay are lined with wrongly disposed plastics and other environmental wastes, most of which are washed to the shore from the city front

© Eiseke Oluwatosin Bolaji “A day’s catch,” she complained about the decline in the sizes and numbers of fishes which poses a food security challenge, while saying there are days that she catches nylons and plastics. The United Nations predicted that by 2050 there might be more plastics and micro-plastics in the seas than fishes

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Due to the nature of her work and inability to acquire a working canoe as a woman, she walks into water wearing layers of cotton socks padded with cloths to guard her sole from sharp stones and oysters

A sand dredger actively working close to an oyster’s nest, dredging due to increased request for building materials like sharp sand have led to destruction of various fish and sea habitat, it has also created erosion in the sea bed

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A portrait of Mama Alabo in deep thought as she sets out in the morning for the fishing activities for the day. Mama Alabo lives on the Tarkwa bay island, a lowA portrait of Mama Alabo in deep thought as income coastal community in lagos Nigeria, she has she sets out in the morning for the fishing acbeen fishing with her dragnet close to 40 years tivities for the day. Mama Alabo lives on the Tarkwa bay island, a low-income coastal community in lagos Nigeria, she has been fishing with her dragnet close to 40 years

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The Old woman, a fisherwoman wades into the rising sea water where she sets up her fishing activities. The effects of climate change led to varying temperature, fluctuating level of water bodies, thus contributing to coastal erosion.

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PLANET

a photoseries by Ismail Odetola Do you worry about the world? Because I do. I don’t think prayer can help anyone from this place. What is the point? In a world where there is no protection but just opportunities. Opportunities that had created many calamities, opportunities that gave humans an illusion of thinking they are above. thinking they have some certain power to change the world for the better until it gets worse. This misconception had made humans become something else. But enough can be enough if humanity can preach enough like Jesus is lord, like Mohamed is the only messenger. Enough will be enough if we flip the coin of reality from this dead civilization to see what is possible. Humans, as it is known, are undoubtedly linked to everything that surrounds them, air, water and plant animals, largely they make up our environment which ultimately sums up the planet we live in, and it is a known fact that every human inorganic action creates a banquet of consequences. Today our years of unplanned activities have resulted in pollution of ourselves, the environment and the world at large. The problems in the world today are endless, and humans are still clueless about how and when these problems began. As a young artist, I keep wondering what will be left for my generation and the ones to come after. Human negligence, greed and survival contributed majorly to problems facing the world today and now we have to save what is left. But the question is; are we saving or creating a solution that will become more problems. This is still a hard pill to swallow.

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I use a newspaper as the background for these works because of its universality and political, social and economic appeal. The newspaper carries all the good and bad news of the world. In the first work, I used a knife to show the ripples on the paper and placed the knife at the center. On the second work, I pasted red and black tape of different sizes in no accurate direction and for the third work, I pasted black tape placing an apple in the middle showing beauty amid Chaos. These works show the stage the world is in today. For the fourth work I used just one type of plant to pitch how harmful monoculture is to our planet. And For the final work, I inquire into the natural world and its design, the diversity in nature. By default, we should know the material things are not sustainable but by the wisdom which we stand for we should be able to create a balance since materiality is almost entirely inevitable. I used leaves from different trees and plants as the foreground and a calabash at the center filled with water. This is the world as it is and this is what the world needs to be. To let nature, serve its purpose so we humans can exist within it and imitate its ritual. The final work titled “Planet ritual” stretches beyond the visual representation itself, as the term permaculture which is the natural way of the universe can be applied to all spheres of human life to achieve the political, social, and economic equality of all people. How does nature itself achieve this peaceful coexistence if not through the harmony of differences? Do you worry

about the world, because I do? I don’t think prayer can help anyone from this place. What is the point? in a world where there is no protection but just opportunities. Opportunities that had created many calamities, opportunities that gave humans an illusion of thinking they are above. thinking they have some certain power to change the world for the better until it gets worse. This misconception had made humans become something else. But enough can be enough if humanity can preach enough like Jesus is lord, like Mohamed is the only messenger. Enough will be enough if we flip the coin of reality from this dead civilization to see what is possible. The problems in the world today are endless, and humans are still clueless about how and when these problems began. As a young artist, I keep wondering what will be left for my generation and the ones to come after.

Human negligence, greed and survival contributed majorly to problems facing the world today and now we have to save what is left. But the question is; are we saving or creating a solution that will become more problems. This is still a hard pill to swallow. I use a newspaper as the background for these works because of its universality and political, social and economic appeal. The newspaper carries all the good and bad news of the world. For this particular work I pasted red and black tape of different sizes in no accurate direction. This work shows the stage the world is today, the stage of patching.

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Do you worry about the world, because I do? I don’t think prayer can help anyone from this place. What is the point? in a world where there is no protection but just opportunities. Opportunities that had created many calamities, opportunities that gave humans an illusion of thinking they are above. thinking they have some certain power to change the world for the better until it gets worse. This misconception had made humans become something else. But enough can be enough if humanity can preach enough like Jesus is lord, like Mohamed is the only messenger. Enough will be enough if we flip the coin of reality from this dead civilization to see what is possible. Humans, as it is known, are undoubtedly linked to everything that surrounds them, air, water and plant animals, largely they make up our environment which ultimately sums up the planet we live in, and it is a known fact that every human inorganic action creates a banquet of consequences. Today our years of unplanned activities have resulted in pollution of ourselves, the environment and the world at large. The problems in the world today are endless, and humans are still clueless about how and when these problems began. As a young artist, I keep wondering what will be left for my generation and the ones to come after. Human negligence, greed and survival contributed majorly to problems facing the world today and now we have to save what is left. But the question is; are we saving or creating a solution that will become more problems. This

PLANET RIPPLE

is still a hard pill to swallow. I use a newspaper as the background for these works because of its universality and political, social and economic appeal. The newspaper carries all the good and bad news of the world. In the first work “planet ripple” I used a Knife to show the ripples on the paper and placed the knife at the center. On the second work “Plant patching” I pasted red and black tape of different sizes in no accurate direction and for the third work “Planet Apple” I pasted black tape placing an apple in the middle showing beauty amid Chaos These works show the stage the world is in today, For the fourth work “Plant Harmful” I used just one type of plant to pitch how harmful monoculture is to our planet.

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The crafts of filmmaking and illustration have helped me claim my freedom as an Arab and African woman. Holding a camera gives me the strength to challenge societal norms and follow a path of non-conformity.

IMMERSE THE AFRICAN AESTHERTICS POWER a photoseries by Imen Haddad

My first act of personal liberation was rediscovering my African identity and my passion for film and photography when I became the first Tunisian to attend the African Leadership Academy (ALA) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Shortly thereafter, I joined NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) as a merit scholar. NYUAD’s multicultural and interdisciplinary ethos married academic research with technical film knowledge. There, I pursued film training spanning three continents and produced films addressing topics such as the Asian Ugandan Exile by Idi Amin in 1972, the impact of the French colonialist’s male gaze on depictions of North African women, and the evolution of protest culture post the Arab Spring. As a film student at NYU, I built close creative rapports with award-winning filmmakers who immersed me in the praxis of humanistic creativity. I vowed to use the generous investments in my potential from ALA and NYU in the service of my native continent. Digital art has been a passion of mine, I used the COVID-19 lockdown to learn and expand my graphic design and digital marketing horizons. This practice of selftaught visual art has helped me claim my freedom as an Arab and African woman. Holding a pen gives me the strength to challenge societal norms and follow a path of nonconformity. Over the past six years, I

I have explored the interplay between moments of struggle and freedom, I also dedicated my filmmaking and digital art to represent Africans as leaders and innovators instead of mere objects of otherness. As a filmmaker and an art entrepreneur, I strive to think humanely, comparatively, and critically. I seek an intellectual and artistic environment that, through constructive feedback, empowers me to iterate my ideas. Africans Rising’s close-knit team, diverse community, and panAfrican resources will provide the ideal environment to propel me on the path toward excellence in refined storytelling through committed digital art

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KAMPALA, UGANDA

NAIROBI, KENYA

KAMPALA, UGANDA

SOWETO, SOUTH AFRICA

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EARTH

The heart and soul of what we want to cover: the approachably scientific, the gatecrashing, the cutting edge. Come and illuminate

PO TS

WHAT FUTURE WILL WE

CHOOSE?

Map of multi-model mean results for different greenhouse gas concentration scenarios of annual mean surface temperature change in 2081– 2100. Credit: IPCC Working Group I. COPRIGHTS IPCC WORKING GROUP I. DIAGRAMS ARE USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

CHOICE

These images show projected future sea levels at Blue Train Park in Cape Town, South Africa due to human-caused global warming under two different scenarios. Lifestyle choices in the coming few decades could set the destination, but the timing of rise is more difficult to project: these sea levels may take hundreds of years to be fully realized. COPRIGHTS CLIMATE CENTRAL. DIAGRAMS ARE USED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY

BIODIVERSI TY POINT

RESILIENCE

CARBON CARBON SINK NEUTRAL

SEQUESTRATION

MITIGATION

CARBON OFFSETS

ANTHROPOGENIC TIPPING

THRESHOLD

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CLIMATE JUSTICE & INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE BEING THE FOREFRONT OF CLIMATE SOLUTIONS By Panashe Musarurwa, Nthabiseng Mabetlela, Yashila Govender, and Mohini Govender

Panashe Musarurwa, Nthabiseng Mabetlela,Yashila Govender, and Mohini Govender are 2022 ambassadors of the African Climate Alliance, a youth-led, grassroots group acting and advocating for afrocentric climate justice.

This year COP27 was held in Africa. This provided a critical opportunity to scrutinise how decisions are made at international gatherings, and how such decisions affect those most impacted by the climate crisis in the African continent. This COP, alongside the 26 prior COP events, have fallen short of achieving the targets to curb greenhouse gas emissions needed to avoid catastrophic global warming, and have done little to mitigate the growing impacts of climate change. Leaders from the global north have dominated negotiations and decisions on how to move forward, even though it is those in the global south who face the worst impacts of climate change, compounded by the systemic and structural legacies of colonialism. The neo-colonial framing of ‘solutions’ to the climate crisis perpetuated by leaders in the global north has stifled the creativity, wisdom and resilience of indigenous knowledge systems in Africa and elsewhere. This is leading to an endless rehashing of power relationships which render it impossible to address the impacts of the climate crisis, and to take effective steps to limit it.

The escalating impacts of the climate crisis have dire consequences that disproportionately affect those who are the backbone and future of our society - women and children. The impacts are especially severe for those who are poor and/or living in rural areas. The increase in frequency and intensity of natural disasters such as droughts and floods has caused thousands of families in rural areas to be displaced from their homes, leading to emotional trauma and food insecurity. Long-term consequences of displacement includes an increase in poverty, lack of access to education, adequate healthcare, increased domestic violence, and conflict over scarce resources. Climate change impacts multiple facets of life. It is an intersectional issue compounded by other struggles of colonialism, patriarchy, economic inequality, gender inequality and racism. These intersecting impacts cannot be addressed without climate justice: measures taken to address underlying inequalities while also addressing the compounding impacts of climate change. Climate justice must be guided by the understanding that the climate crisis derives from, and has been fueled by the global north’s colonial enterprise, the industrial revolution, ongoing imperialism, and extractive and exploitative economic policies. Climate justice cannot be achieved without meaningful climate finance and reparations from the global north, to empower African nations with the resources needed to transition to lowcarbon economies and implement climate justice. But it is also critical that the voices of indigenous people

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are in the forefront of crafting policies and solutions to the crisis, and are determining how climate justice can be achieved. Colonialism and the ongoing dominance of the global north has resulted in the marginalisation of indigenous knowledge, culture, and identities. As a result, those who have benefited the least from fossil fuel use, are paying the heaviest price for the consequences, and are sidelined in decision making, knowledge production and creation of solutions to issues affecting them. African nations therefore need both fair reparations (not ‘soft’ loans), and recognition of indigenous knowledge - the skills and understanding of the world informed by indigenous people. Having both the resources and this recognition will enable African leaders and communities to ensure that climate justice measures are truly inclusive and accessible, while stimulating change guided by the ideals of liberation, equality, and equity. Among the stakeholders who worked towards COP27 there has been an increasing acknowledgement of the need to focus on indigenous knowledge. But this must go beyond tokenism and lip service. Indigenous knowledge must be recognised as science based on generations observing the natural world, intertwined with cultural belief systems, nature, art, and spirituality. Far from diminishing our understanding of the world, this interaction enables a more profound appreciation and understanding of it. Indigenous knowledge hashave been developed by multiple generations, and their interactions with the natural environment, while being influenced by various complex socio-political factors.

Knowledge and practices of indigenous people are an underutilised resource for climate adaptation and have been largely ignored in policy implementation. Now and going forward it is essential to take the experiences and wisdom underpinning indigenous knowledge seriously, and ensure that it informs policies and action plans. For example, food insecurity is an increasingly urgent challenge brought about by climate change. Africans have developed agricultural practices over millennia which are resilient and uniquely suited to the poor soils and low rainfall in Africa. These have been sidelined by agri-tech companies from the global north. But they have been critical in sustaining communities that heavily rely on smallholder farmers for their access to food, and can play a critical role in building resilience to climate change. African farmers across the continent have developed practices to improve soil systems, diversify crops and sequester carbon from the soil. These practices should be foregrounded with a focus on how the promotion of indigenous knowledge can be supported and adopted to suit the conditions of various parts of the continent. This knowledge not only needs to be accepted, promoted and respected but sustainably stored. One solution could be digital storage and the use of natural language processing (NLP), which studies how computers process and synthesise data from human languages. By allowing knowledge holders to orate comfortably without restraint, NLP and Affective Computing can accurately capture and sustainably

store indigenous knowledge on the continent and abroad. This can be achieved if the process is executed with dignity. Despite an overalloveral disappointing negotiation process, civil society spaces at COP27 provided an opportunity to amplify the voices of indigenous people, women and youth and all those most vulnerable to the climate crisis. Now we must use the time going forward for the creation of solutions rooted in indigenous knowledge, and sensitive to the nuances of the context in which they are to be implemented. Solutions that can enhance African livelihoods and address the systemic injustice that can only worsen under the impacts of climate change. There is an opportunity here to reimagine our approach and change existing systems for the benefit of the earth and all the people who depend on a healthy environment. Let us work to ensure that this opportunity is not wasted.

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WHAT IS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN NATURE, RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY? By Thandolwethu Gulwa

Electrical impulses zap our cells and light up our neurons to stimulate our bodies. We can only go without air for 180 seconds straight. Carbon in the stones and soils comes alive in us, as the foundation of our carbon-based bodies. As for water? That is 60% of our body weight. It is evident that the four elements—fire, air, water, and earth— represent interconnectedness and the ecosystem’s reliance on each function in our life. What does the fire element symbolise in nature, spirituality, and religion? The fire element is considered to be dominant much like the divine/sacred masculine. It is thus responsible for arousing desire and willingness. Without our inner fire, we cannot summon our ability to arouse and be aroused. Therefore we cannot survive. Consequently, we cannot enter our state to conceive (Ukuzala) and deliver our purpose (Njongo).

In Christianity, especially, the fire element is associated with evil and the flames of hell. It is worth noting that fire is a natural element that humans can produce and harness. As a lit element, it is crucial to deal responsibly with fire because it can be used for both good and evil. If you are a “fiery” person, ask yourself, “Do I use fire energy or power to empower and light up others?” or, “Do I allow my flame to be destructive and burn others’ confidence to ashes?” Fire can catalyse energy and dynamics. However, it can also be destructive if we do not train to manage and, hence, master this element. What are the powers of the air element?

Pyrite is the first thing that strikes flint into fire. Umhlabakazi (Mother Earth) immerses herself in blood-red passion. Her creativity and movement bring us light (Ukukhanya), because heat ignites through her majestic, ivory-hued, and ebony-saturated body.

Our heads, cosmic wombs like amaselwa (calabashes), hang in the air, holding clouds of conscience. Ilizwi—the spoken word—receives the command from the air element: Moya. Every Camagu and Lesedi is brought to life. In this element, we weave ideas (Ulwazi) into understanding (Ukuqonda). We say to the earth, “Vuma!” and milkwhite bark sprouts from the face of the southern hemisphere to bring ability— Ukwazi—into our path.

The sacred symbolism of fire

Breathing in calamity, exhaling fear

Fire is an important element featured within the Hindu religion, Christianity, Chinese culture, African cultures, Judaism, yoga practices and those in the diaspora.

When you inhale, you become calmer and focus better. The air element is the key element that purifies the mental body. In our circulation system, blood, with its water element, blends with the air to purify. This element travels higher, farther away and to purer regions. Through its elementary beings, air

Flames move and spread wildly, symbolising wisdom and discernment.

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brings winds, twisters, and refreshing breezes. What does the earth element represent in nature and belief? This category includes the Amen and Hallelujah that seal prayers for eternity. Langa (the sun) sets and casts a shadow on the horizon, waiting for dawn to break into Umsobomvu (afterglow). In the absence and presence of Nyanga (the moon), the dark shadows of the night swell us into Ubuthongo (the state of sleep). Ubuthongo transports us into the dream state—Ukuthonga. As a result, we are temporarily earthed. We crawl back into Mother Earth’s womb, and we remember subconsciously in the place of dreams—Emathongweni. Why does the earth symbolise spiritually? The Earth transmutes heavy and dense energies for us. This is the very element we use to manifest our physical and material needs. Earth restores and hence grounds us while emitting light and strength. In turn, it shifts our blockages in physical reality. The Earth’s influence is felt in job security, financial success, holistic health, and relationships.

The tools that the Earth places at our disposal are crystals. For African spiritual healers, it can be Imbokodo—a rock with which one grinds Um(u) thi (medicine). Another connection is Ukuxhentsa/Ukugida (to stomp feet in a rhythmic way to Isigubhu—an African drum) to balance the yin and the yang.

The Water element Mother Earth’s back glides freely with water and streams into our relationships, affecting each one. It is, therefore, important that we travel with environmental awareness flowing through our veins. Water energy and its influence on people We must understand how the spiritual environment connects to and affects our fifth element: space (Umoya). We awaken, we come into contact with climate consciousness and the environment. In gaining this understanding, we begin to learn to decipher spiritual ailments, remedies, and solutions to heal a lineage of trauma, for instance. We begin to realise that energy can take on far more forms than we previously imagined. Emotions, like tides, come and go. They reflect fluidity. Imagine the influence of the water element on emotional depth. Tapping into the emotion becomes natural. So can drowning, especially if we are unable to pedal against the tides. Smell the wet ground in the air The aroma that arises when rain falls on previously dry earth has scent known as petrichor. Spending time in nature (after rainfall) heightens our ability to smell certain beneficial scents. All greens also produce beneficial natural chemicals called phytoncides in nature. Phytoncides have a positive impact on our immune system and mood levels.

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Water zodiac signs In astrology, abstract nature characterises the water signs, which are Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces. You probably wonder how best you can connect with this fluid and majestic part of you or a loved one. Silent, unhindered, still, and within water dominates 70% of Earth. We can cleanse away emotions by using running water. Baths, showers, and connecting to rivers or the sea are ways to connect with the body. Water lessons include learning how to flow. How to balance water elements in your body Move through your emotions in healthy ways Water is an unstoppable force that may be replicated by the emotions of water signs. With a water element in your natal chart, part of your spiritual work will be to work on healthy emotional management. Breathwork or tapping can help with this. Frankly, anything that helps move through feelings without stifling or repressing emotions is a move-maker in a water sign’s life. Why climate change is a spiritual issue Dr Anita Sanchez writes, that we have swallowed the idea that we are just “Individual bags of flesh and bone whose purpose is to consume.” Dr Sanchez added that this brought into play the lie of separation. Because we separate ourselves from the earth and our intrinsic connection to its seasons,

mindset that we adopt, causes us to behave toward the natural world as if we are not connected to it. Sanchez says that this breeds the consumerist attitude that the earth is something to own, use, and dominate. Subsequently, this has led to unlimited resource extraction, environmental pollution, and water and food degradation, climate change, species extinction, and much more. It is this consumerism, as Dr Sanchez vouches, that has allowed everything from slavery to colonisation, capitalism, and environmental destruction to flourish. An example of the aforementioned is the recent announcement that the international petroleum company Shell, will commence blasting the seafloor along the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape in search of oil and gas in Southern Africa. Religions and how fire, air, water, and earth define them The four elements transcend Greek and Roman spheres in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Different societies have been maintaining secrecy surrounding the four elements for thousands of years. One can say that failure to understand the beliefs and structure behind ancient texts has led to many misinterpretations. From being limited to fire, air, water, and earth to their roles as gendered gods and goddesses. At times, the elements have been used as evidence to support patriarchal values iIn textual descriptions, masculinity is ascribed to the fire (spirit).

Femininity therefore represents the air (soul). We can say that these were standard methods of defining spiritual theology in narrative contexts. Renée Spencer writes that gendered descriptions of water (life force) and earth (form), are a little more nuanced and ambiguous. Conclusion This age of environmental and ecological awareness in which we find ourselves is an interesting one. Collectively, we are learning and unlearning that the gas lighter is indeed not the first resort. That naturally, the pyrite and the flint log head for fire to spark. Apparently, with technological and human civilization advance, we are learning that the fire element is beyond the bonfire and the lit candle. It is the will within that makes way. We are learning that the Earth is not a place of dirt and mud, and has long been traumatized, ploughed, and bled through wars. The very ground spits out crystals to connect us to the material. Mother Earth throws us boulders that break into a Mbokodo that grinds the African healer Mithi, into specks of dust and grains for us to heal. The flow of things in everyday life is a reminder that a runny tap is beyond a physical human right. However, it is also therapy to soothe the soul, and the burns of fire are as well. We are learning that we are never too old to dance to the heartbeats of those who came before us and came through us. Most importantly, we learn that there is power in the word because it is birthed

through air and into the fifth element of space—Umoya—and finds our purpose—iNjongo.

KENYA

HANGING ONTO HOPE FOR HELP FROM THE UNFCCC SINCE 2017 by Fazeela Mubarak

Fazeela is an environmentalist turned climate activist. She’s the Co-founder of Wild Heart Kenya Foundation that focuses on climate mitigation, nature regeneration and empowering children. She started volunteering in the Tsavo Conservation area where she learned the importance of community conservation and the contribution of indigenous practices in protecting the earth’s biodiversity Alongside her friend Tiju Aziz, Fazeela has worked on major drought mitigation projects in Lamu where the effects of climate breakdown were catastrophic. Communities living next to wildlife areas were the hardest hit. Their work saw implementation of sustainable projects that continue to benefit , both wildlife and communities. She is currently working with communities in the Tsavo Conservation Area and Mombasa, with communities who have been hard hit with the climate crisis by regeneration of deforested areas, empowering girls and climate education in areas affected by the climate crisis. These are some of the lived experiences of my people whose lived realities are heart wrenching

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During the first quarter of 2017, Kenya succumbed to drought, ravaging livestock, crops, and living organisms. According to the UN, Sub-Saharan countries experience more intense effects of climate change, such as prolonged droughts and intense flooding. The climate crisis is already affecting large populations in SubSaharan Africa, particularly Kenya and its civilians. Fazeela Mubarak is an environmentalist turned climate activist, and the co-founder of Wild Heart Kenya Foundation, which focuses on climate mitigation, natural regeneration, and empowering children. She started volunteering at the Tsavo Conservation area, where she learned the importance of community conservation and the contribution of indigenous practices in protecting the earth’s biodiversity. Alongside her friend Tiju Aziz, Fazeela worked on major drought mitigation projects in Lamu, where the effects of climate breakdown were catastrophic. Communities living next to wildlife areas were hit the hardest, who worked towards the implementation of sustainable projects that continue to benefit both wildlife and human society. She is currently working with communities in the Tsavo Conservation Area, Mombasa, and other communities that have been devastated by the climate crisis; by implementing the regeneration of deforested areas, empowering girls, and climate education in areas affected by the climate crisis. These are some of the lived experiences of her people whose lived realities are heartwrenching.

She has worked with communities and wildlife-related causes for over eight years. During her fieldwork, she noted with great concern how changing climate patterns were affecting communities, especially women and girls in rural parts of Kenya. Prolonged droughts have meant dried-up crops and less income for families to support their children, which is resulting in period poverty, early child marriages, and high rates of school dropouts. Droughts also push wildlife out of their habitats and into communal lands causing injuries and destroying properties. It doesn’t end here, being in rural Kenya means that communities are not able to access amenities that would better help them deal with the climate crisis. She also found a small grassroots organization that works on natural regeneration and climate mitigation projects which empower women and the youth. This shows that change is possible and doable on a large scale, however, being in the field is a challenge to get our experiences told on a platform that will push for meaningful change and make her experiences part of climate negotiations that are taking place at a higher level. Fatuma, a young Kenyan girl, sighs as she looks at her small maize farm just outside her small mud hut in Lamu West, the cobs haven’t fully developed and they are drying out. For years she has depended on this farm for her sustenance, she feeds her family from here and any surplus is sold to pay for her children’s upkeep and healthcare. The long rains are overdue by a month and there are hardly any clouds in the sky. The weather reports on the radio

indicate an ongoing drought, meaning that for this current season, she’ll barely have the means to sustain her family and herself. A few kilometers away at Lake Kenyatta, just like Fatuma, Khadija runs a small fishing farm and has had her ponds invaded by hippos – the lake dried up, a lot of the hippos died, some sunburnt and desperate got through her ponds and have made it home, however in the process, her fish farm has been destroyed. Even though she’s suffered losses, she wants to help the wildlife, and with help from her friends they try and refill a section of the lake with water so the hippos can go back and other wildlife can benefit as well. They also dig up rocks on the dried lake bed, so they can try and extract underground water. Up north, not far from the mainland are 4 girls with their mother set out with jerry cans to walk for kilometers. They skip school to search for water as all the waterholes near their home have all dried up. They hear from herders nearby that there’s a bit of water about 10 km away, but they have to hurry up and go early, whilst remembering to be careful because they cross paths with wild animals lurking. On Lamu’s main island, Muhammad takes his dhow and starts to sail it just after fajr (Islamic prayer time). Just like his father and his grandfather before him, he is a fisherman and goes out every morning to catch fish which he sells to the market and hotels nearby. Lately, as he dives down to catch fish he notices the corals are bleached.

A few hundred kilometers down South, Farook gets a call from his neighbors, elephants came in through their farms last night, destroying all their crops. The elephants leave their habitats and venture into nearby communities in search of water, and all the water pans have dried out since there has been no rain. They were depending on this harvest for food, any extras would be sold to fund fees, and medicine should anyone fall ill. Sadly, this meant that they would have to struggle for the next year to keep afloat. Climate change has been impacting Kenya in such a way that the above stories of devastated lives are surely not even half of all the Kenyan civilians who have suffered. Due to the consequences of climate change, what will COP27 bring forth for active change within Africa, as it has long waited for the UN to implement adjustment tactics to help people and livestock that are barely surviving? HEAR KENYA’S VOICE!

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AFRICA’S FIGHT AGAINST CLIMATE CHANG: NIGERIA’S RECENT FLOODS Interview by Andrea Le Goabe

Africa has been suffering from the impact of climate change for who knows how long? before we needed to start paying attention. It is unfortunately no surprise that Nigeria has recently faced some devastating natural crises such as extensive flooding in areas such as the River state, Anambra state, and many other parts of Nigeria. This is due to warmer temperatures causing water on land to evaporate, which then changes the size and frequency of precipitation, hence causing heavy rainfalls which essentially cause flooding. POTS spoke to Gloria Adie, known as Mrs. Zanga; is a humanitarian, mother, and wife, and she too a victim of the floods. She goes into detail about how the people of Nigeria are coping, government involvement, and how her own independent and NGO organisations have helped those impacted by this tragic climate change disaster. Please elaborate more about your organisation known as Five Cereals Tom Brown and the aim behind it. Sekani’s Five Cereals Tom Brown is an organic food brand run by my husband and I here in River state, Nigeria. Tom Brown combines five different grains (corn, guinea corn, millet, soya beans, and groundnuts) with a natural sweetener (dates) and no artificial preservatives. It’s the healthiest whole meal for adults and babies. Sekani’s Five Cereals Tom Brown has been in the market since 2020, and the aim of this company and product is to provide affordable and healthy food for Nigerians and to be accessible to every

community, in every state of Nigeria, and every country in the world. Can you give us some background on the beginning of the floods and how you and your community dealt with them during and in the aftermath? The floods occurred from the 5th to the 9th of October, houses were submerged totally to the roof, children were missing and parents were crying. water could rise from your knee to your waist in 30 minutes. My husband and I were helping people move, and from the 9th of October had to move ourselves and our family, which wasn’t easy having three young children, aged one, three, and 12-years-old, especially having to move them away from the water areas. My husband was out of town making it more frantic and scary, trying to move my children to safety and I had to leave them in the middle of the night to go back and get some things. I had to eventually leave the community and take my children away to an IDP (Internally Displaced People) camp, where my youngest child was still traumatized from seeing something he has never seen before. How have you and your family been impacted by the floods and what are you doing to maintain your ways of living? Such as food security and what resources are at your use in coping with a crisis of this capacity? My family, including my mom and sister, has been affected by the floods. The boat got flooded first, and this happened while we were helping them move and recover, however, whilst this occurred our home was flooded as well

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Over 600 people have died and over three million people are displaced from their homes all over Nigeria, The living conditions of the people affected by the floods, have left people in having to travel in unsafe water levels and consume dirty water which causes illnesses. The roads and village infrastructure has been damaged, and we continue to help those who are in need of a safety net, although there is not much of it.

coordinators,

Is the government intervening and assisting communities who cannot help themselves? What role are they playing in the rehabilitation of this natural disaster?

What information is the rest of the world missing about the floods in Nigeria?

We have not seen any help from the government, we are all on our own. My husband and I can only do so much. on the 9th of October. There is no food security for the flood victims, it’s like a war zone where we struggle to survive; it is survival of the fittest and we get food and water from rare and scarce individuals. Drinking from tap water is not safe as it contains diseases which is not helpful to the victims, however, my husband and I have used social media platforms to raise donations for the IDP camps where people can receive clothes, food, and whatever help we can provide. The IDP camps are not well-kept, people are living in bad conditions, and it is nothing to call home, people are suffering. There’s no security as two children were almost kidnapped, there’s no food, water, healthcare, and no help for the Nigerians in River State.

The prices of food commodity has already sky-rocketed and we already have a bad economy; this flood has broken the road and villages making living conditions worse. The agricultural sector has been affected by the floods whereby food is scarce, we are going through something that the history of Nigeria has never experienced, as all our agricultural products are underwater. On top of the water, we do have that is not safe for consumption or use on our skins, which is also affecting the way in which we live and it’s not something someone should go through. This is disheartening. How many lives have been lost? How many people have been displaced? What are the living conditions of the communities impacted by the floods?

What is your role in helping members of the community that has lost a lot due to the floods? My husband I and started helping flood victims, by getting them to safety by providing canoes to help get their properties out of the water, and we have used social media platforms to raise donations for the IDP camps where people can receive clothes, food, and whatever help we can provide. No IDP camps from the government were open, so we turned our houses into IDP camps and begged people to open up their private buildings for the flood victims. This went on for a week until the local government opened up primary schools for more IPD camps, we coordinated and had to go from camp to camp until the government heard our voices and brought in more

However, they made things worse and herded relief materials brought in for the flood victims and as such, we stepped in to resolve the problem. We are now currently operating and registering a foundation to help the flood victims called Zanga Afrique Foundation, and hope to help flood victims, so help us God.

The fact that Nigerian leaders and contractors do away with the money meant for climate change-related projects is a major issue. Most of these projects are meant to mitigate some of these issues concerning flooding but these projects are not being carried out, funds are rooted and used for personal gain. A flood of this magnitude has affected a lot of lives, farmers and businesses and it’s surprising that the government seems unaware. This is one of the biggest floods that has occurred in Nigeria and its effects cannot be underrated, over 600 people have lost their lives and over three million have been displaced, we are not mentioning over 1 000 residential homes and businesses that have been raised down that has affected the Nigerian populace in a very great way. How can people in other parts of Africa deal with this kind of natural disaster?

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Other African countries can learn from what happened to Nigeria in terms of preparedness when it comes to emergencies, emergency measures and response. What do you think the future holds for the flood victims of Nigeria? If the Nigerian government does not take the issues of climate change infrastructures seriously with what we saw this 2022, the suffering and food insecurity will rise inflation. The economy is going to be affected especially, now that areas are flooded such as areas where people produce food. Conference of Parties 27 hopefully can be an opportunity for African voices to finally be heard. As Nigeria faces this tragic natural disaster, so does the rest of Africa face the most impacts of climate change and the rest of the world needs to intervene and use their well enough resources to help rebuild the millions of lives in Africa. Because this cannot be what the future holds for the youth of an already abandoned continent, which holds such humanitarian value. If you would like to help or donate to the flood victims of Nigeria: Kindly contact Mrs Zanga via email at gloriaadie4@gmail.com, where any form of assistance or donations are highly appreciated and could help save

WHAT FUTURE WILL WE

CHOOSE?

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FORUM DES AMIS DE DEVELOPMENT ET LA PROTECTION DE L’ ENVIRONMENT Interview by Kgalaletso Moerane

My name is Joshua KIKANDI MUFABULE, was born on September 8, 1991 in the Village of Buroha, Masisi Territory, North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Being born in the Village and from my 4 years my parents migrated to the City of Goma which is at a distance of about 35 kilometers, it is in the City of Goma where I start my basic education until I spend my university and in the same town where my passion for animals started and climate. It was in 2008 when I was doing the 5th year of Educational Humanities that my passion for animals started as I spent most of my time watching animal documentaries and climate change. Right after high school, my choice was to do the faculty that would allow me to be alongside animals and that is why in 2010 my choice went to Tourism, Leisure and Nature Conservation. My desire was fulfilled when I studied my first course which is about animals, their life and manners, systematic animal morphology. This course gave me the courage to join environmental and animal rights associations and so since 2012, I have been working in associations and movements. In order to materialize my passion and have the decision-making in what I would like us to do as part of our activities, so in June 2018 when I saw fit to set up the Forum des Amis de Developpement et la Protection de l’Environnement FADPE asbl and at the same time the establishment of the awareness program on environmental education which is carried out in the City of Goma and in the schools

and villages around the Virunga National Park. This program is ongoing. On the same date, I had started by sensitizing people to whom I should work with, in order to achieve our goals. So, I was fortunate to have some people who understood the message and decided to work with me to bring animal rights to our community and fight against climate change. Unfortunately, out of 23 people that I had already found and with whom we were starting to work together, 12 of them had decided to abandon us and today I continue my passion alongside 11 volunteers and animal lovers. All 11, despite the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic which has been declared in DR Congo since March 2020, we have not interrupted our determination but to strict compliance with barrier measures. Since we have reinserted veganism into our program, our joy is great as everywhere we go, our message is welcomed, whether in schools or in the village. With schools with children seen as future managers and decision-makers of important issues for future generations, we show children the trauma and threat that animals experience daily, environmental degradation and the consequences that human activities have caused as climate change and warming. In order to help make the planet better and liveable, we have set up the reforestationproject where we plant the trees in schools and distribute other tree seedlings to the community so that they have the courage to stand up involve in reforestation. We are

delighted to have set up a tree nursery that will be able to provide us with more than 10,000 seedlings to support our reforestation project. The tree is useful for all living beings, the distribution of the last tree is equivalent to the disappearance of the last living being on earth, and this is what prompts us to counter our efforts there. We dare to believe that these children in turn will be able to resolve the mistakes made by current generations because investing in children means hoping for a better and brighter future. My life is happy and perfect since I dedicated myself to a good cause. I am happy to have by my side people of different ages who are able like me to mobilize other people to their supreme being. As the lives of animals will be in danger and their rights neglected and sabotaged, I will remain with the good cause until the end of my days. My passion for animals will and will remain eternal. I focus my time, my energy and my life on our roommates around the world. One day, all living things will live there in harmony.

Pour ceux qui ne connaissent pas votre travail, pourriez-vous me parler de l’EPFD? Il est créé en date du 8Juin 2018 dans la ville de Goma, chef- lieu de la province du nord Kivu, en République Démocratique du Congo, une association sans but lucratif et non gouvernementale conformément à la loi no004/2001 du 20 Juillet 2001 portant dispositions générales applicables aux associations sans but lucratif et de l’utilité publique en RDC, sous la dénomination de Forum des Amisde Développement et la Protection de l’Environnement FADPE FADPE asbl poursuit une série d’objectifs notamment : 1. Participer à la protection de l’environnement y compris la gestion de ressources naturelles; 2. Contribuer à la lutte contre le réchauffement climatique et la protection de la biodiversité naturelle ; 3. Promouvoir le système agro forestier ; 4. Participer à l’accroissement des productions agricoles ; 5. Assister des personnes vulnérables (victimes de conflits de guerre et déplacés internes, conflits armés) ; 6. Participer à la promotion de l’éducation et encadrement des jeunes en art et métiers ; 7. Contribuer à la pacification et à la résolution de conflits ; 8. Participer à la réhabilitation des routes des dessertes agricoles ; 9. Appuyer les initiatives locales de développement ;

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lution de conflits ; 8. Participer à la réhabilitation des routes des dessertes agricoles ; 9. Appuyer les initiatives locales de développement ; 10. Mobiliser les organisations œuvrant dans le domaine environnemental ; 11. Participer à la lutte contre le VIH/SIDA et les MST dans la communauté ; 12. Participer à la réinsertion socio− économique et appui aux activités génératrices de revenus en faveur des défavorisés par le billet d’un centre d’apprentissage des langues internationales et de métiers (CALIM) Quel(s) problème(s) la FADPE tente-t-elle de résoudre?

Dans le cadre du changement climatique, la compréhension de causes et conséquences du changement climatique permet à stabiliser le climat et quand il y a stabilité du climat, le paysan connait bien les périodes culturales et cela contribue à résoudre le problème lié à l’alimentation, aussi le feu de brousse met en péril les nutriments du sols dites pédofaune jouant un rôle important dans la fertilisation du sol. L’implication de tout le monde dans le reboisement permet de lutter contre le changement climatique et saisonnier nature et cela réduit certains problèmes sociaux. L’éducation est-elle un élément important de votre travail?

FADPE asbl contribue aux efforts de la lutte contre le changement climatique, la dégradation de l’environnement, la sous information de la communauté sur le changement climatique et d’autres problèmes environnementaux, le braconnage et le non respect de droit des animaux, l’agriculture saine et le respect de jachère mais aussi le morcellement agricole (rotation de cultures) mais aussi le problème de la vulnérabilité dont fait face les orphelins.

Bien sur, l’éducation est un élément important pour notre travail. Vue que la communauté ne connait pas beaucoup de choses car la plus part n’a pas d’instruction scolaire et cela nous pousse à être à prêt d’eux et régulièrement tout en leur parlant de ce qui nous entoure et le rôle que nous sommes appelé, chacun de nous à jouer. Ainsi, notre éducation s’effectue dans des écoles et dans les villages avec la communauté dont l’age varie entre 6ans et 65ans.

Qu’est-ce qui vous a inspiré à lancer FADPE?

Vos programmes d’éducation à la restauration sont-ils réservés aux écoles?

L’amour de la nature, de la biodiversité et le souci de vouloir contribuer aux efforts du changement de comportement et de mentalité, la sous information que notre communauté a concernant les causes du changement climatique, les droits des animaux mais aussi les droits humains qui sont piétinés, mais aussi la crise alimentaire qui touche notre région. Le souci de montrer à la communauté le rôle qu’elle doit jouer dans la stabilisation du climat, abandonner les activités anthropiques et de dégradation de l’environnement, d’amener l’homme à s’approprier toutes les questions mais aussi de mettre l’homme au centre de toutes les préoccupations. La volonté de faire partir au changement m’a inspiré à mettre en place FADPE asbl.

Nos programmes d’éducation sont réservés aussi aux écoles d’autant que les enfants sont appelés à comprendre les problèmes qui nous guète tous et dont les générations actuelles ont sembles négligé et qui empirent la situation actuellement. Avec ces élèves, nous voulons préparer la relève constitué de personnes qui maitrisent les problèmes et qui sauront régler les dégâts commises par les générations actuelles. Voilà pourquoi notre grande énergie est d’investir dans les enfants d’ages scolaires et qui fréquentent les écoles.

Quel rôle les solutions basées sur la nature ont-elles dans la résolution des problèmes sociaux?

Pouvez-vous nous en dire plus sur les région dans lesquels vous travaillez? FADPE asbl est basée dans la Ville de Goma de Goma et mène ces activités dans la même ville mais dans les territoires de Nyiragongo et de Masisi, tous deux étant de territoires en-

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nvironnants le Parc National des Virunga. Nous ne sommes pas dans d’autres zones suite au moyen financier et technique pouvant nous permettre d’y arriver mais vue notre vision, nous espérons encore aller plus loin. Quelle est la mission et la vision de la FADPE pour le Congo et l’Afrique en général? La mission de FADPE est de susciter l’intérêt de l’implication et la participation des populations au processus du développement local à travers la promotion de l’auto prise en charge basée sur la promotion et la sauvegarde de l’environnement. Vision de FADPE est un monde sans discrimination, respect de valeurs Où le droit de tout le monde est respecté et un environnement sain et protéger par tous En tant que fondateur, un conseil pour ceux qui ont un désir de changer le monde? Il n’est jamais tard de faire ce qui est bon. Tant qu’on a la force et le désire de faire quelque chose, fais-le. La vie est courte, profiter de ce moment afin de mettre votre pierre à l’édifice. Le monde se souviendra de vous à partir de ce que vous avait fait pour lui.

POTS TEAM

GLOSSORY

NATHI DASS

Carbon sink is a mechanism which removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and stores it.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Resilience is the ability of a system to respond to and recover from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage

ANDREA LE GOABE

Anthropogenic means resulting from human activities and is typically used in climate change contexts to refer to the changes to the Earth System that are as a result of human activities

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT

SISPHO NTSABO

Mitigation refers to directly avoiding and reducing emissions of heat-trapping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere to prevent extreme warming

FEATURES EDITOR

NAADIYA HOOSEN

Adaptation refers to altering behaviour, social and economic systems, the built environment to avoid the negative consequences of climate change and climate change related disasters. These negative consequences may already be occurring or are highly likely to occur with continued warming

COPY EDITOR

TSHEGOFATSO NTSHABELENG SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Tipping point refers to a critical threshold in a system that, when exceeded, can lead to a significant and irreversible change in the state of the system.

KGALALETSO MOERANE

Threshold is a critical limit at which a system responds drastically when exposed to change often resulting in cascading effects Sequestration is the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide.ansition- global energy sector’s shift from fossil-based systems of energy production and consumption — including oil, natural gas and coal — to renewable energy sources like wind and solar, as well as lithium-ion batteries. Carbon offsets is a removal of emissions of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to be diverted to storage made in order to “compensate” for emissions made elsewhere Carbon neutral is a state of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions meaning either the amount of carbon dioxide being emitted is zero or the amount of carbon dioxide emitted is equal to the amount that is sequestered Biodiversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic, species, and ecosystem level.

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