3 #African Cities Restore #Nature to Revitalize Their #Rivers

By Eden Takele, Marc Manyifika, Japheth Habinshuti, Adane Kebede, Alemakef Tassew, Amanda Gcanga, Mulalo Mbedzi and Nikara Mahadeo, March 12, 2025

"Africa’s cities, from large metropolises to smaller towns, are increasingly characterized by growing #UrbanSprawl. #Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, is expanding by about 2,000 people and 5 hectares (10 football fields) every day, according to a World Bank estimate. #Kumasi, an intermediary city in #Ghana, is growing more than 5% every year — at least twice as fast as the capital city, Accra.

As cities and surrounding farmlands expand further into their hinterlands, they encroach upon watersheds essential to water supply and climate resilience.

Watersheds are the natural area of land that drain into a common body of water. The consequences of their degradation are threefold. Without tree cover and healthy soils to absorb rainfall, cities may lose a critical source for groundwater recharge, leading to water shortages. Not only does the quantity of water suffer, so does its quality. Without strong roots to protect and anchor the soil, sediment and the chemicals within it are washed into nearby water bodies, often the primary source for a city’s drinking water. That same runoff can turn into floodwater.

How Natural Infrastructure Supports #WaterSecurity.

Many cities that once depended on their watersheds for water now face both increasing scarcity and heightened vulnerability to #extremeWeather. There are, however, #NatureBasedSolutions to help alleviate these problems.

Through a combination of upland foresting and urban greening, watershed restoration efforts are starting to deliver positive results in three African cities..."

Read more:
https://www.wri.org/insights/nature-based-solutions-river-restoration-african-cities

#SolarPunkSunday #DireDawa #Ethiopia #Kigali #Rwanda #NyabarangoRiver #Africa #MoreTrees #RiverRestoration #WaterIsLife #ClimateChange

I think #GorhamME needs to fire their town government officials! WTF! Also, if Amazon builds their warehouse, you can bet they'll be pushing for the #GorhamConnector as well, which will bring more #UrbanSprawl!!!

Gorham residents push back against #AmazonWarehouse proposal

by Bonnie Bishop, Feb 26, 2026

GORHAM, #Maine — "Gorham residents are trying to prevent Amazon from becoming their new neighbor as a proposal to build a warehouse in the town continues to loom.

"The backlash comes despite the town already giving the company the green light to build a nearly 160,000 square foot warehouse. An Amazon spokesperson said the new facility would create economic growth in Gorham. [BULLSHIT!!!]

"Dozens of Gorham residents gathered Thursday to air their concerns about the project.

" 'I think that this deal is a bad deal for Gorham. It is going to create a lot of negative impacts for the town,' Gorham resident Josh Trombley said. 'We're not going to see a lot of benefit in terms of tax revenue.'

"Anne Bilodeau lives on Shamrock Drive, right up against where the project is set to be developed. She said she worries about more traffic and noise surrounding the neighborhood she's lived in for over 20 years.

" 'I can't imagine opening a window in the summertime anymore with that back there,' Bilodeau said.

"The Gorham Town Council said yes to Amazon's proposal to buy roughly 94 acres for about $4 million over the summer. The citizens' group, #GorhamUnited, said Amazon hasn't finalized the sale and they see why an opportunity to stop it."

Read more:
https://www.wmtw.com/article/gorham-residents-push-back-against-amazon-warehouse-proposal/70525740

#MainePol #TrafficPollution #NoisePollution #ResistBigTech #ResistAmazon

#Florida #WildlifeCorridor linking #StateParks would thwart #development

#LoxaLucie Headwaters Initiative aims to buy #HobeSound land for conservation.

by Timothy O'Hara, Jan. 2, 2026

"At a time when development pressure is pushing north into rural Martin County, conservation groups want to protect a wildlife corridor between two state parks in Hobe Sound.

"The Loxa-Lucie Headwaters Initiative was founded to protect the ecologically important corridor between #AtlanticRidgePreserve State Park and #JonathanDickinson State Park and connect the #LoxahatcheeRiver and #SaintLucie rivers. That would create a preserve for #NativePlants and #wildlife species that would span about 70,000 acres.

"The public owns #Hapatiokee and #PalMar regional parks, but there are thousands of acres of privately owned land in natural conditions that are ripe for development, said Guardians of Martin County Executive Director Greg Braun, whose group is part of the initiative.

" 'If they can connect the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail from Maine to Georgia, we should be able to connect Jonathan Dickinson State Park to Atlantic Ridge Preserve State Park,' Braun told TCPalm."

Learn more:
https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-lagoon/2026/01/02/florida-wildlife-corridor-state-parks-martin-county-jonathan-dickinson-atlantic-ridge-hobe-sound/87397089007/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/nARjr

#SolarPunkSunday #WildlifeConservation #Florida #Nature #Wildlife #UrbanSprawl #InvasivePlants #NativeSpecies #ProtectingWildlife

#UK - How #WildlifeCorridors Are Helping Animals Survive In #Urban Areas

By Sarah Whitmore / 20 May 2025

Excerpt: "How animals actually use these corridors

"Let’s take #hedgehogs. Urban hedgehog populations are declining sharply — partly because their ability to roam has been limited by garden fences, walls, and roads. A hedgehog might need to travel over a kilometre in a single night to find enough food and a mate. The Hedgehog Street campaign has shown that something as simple as a 13 cm hole in a garden fence can turn a neighbourhood into a habitat network.

"#Bats, which are legally protected in the UK, rely on uninterrupted linear features like tree rows and waterways to navigate. When gaps appear in these features — from tree removal, #LightPollution, or #development — their movement is disrupted. Creating corridors that link #roosting sites with feeding grounds can dramatically increase their chances of survival.

"#Amphibians, especially species like common toads, face seasonal danger when crossing roads to reach breeding ponds. #UnderRoadTunnels and #AmphibianFriendly #drainage routes, used in projects supported by organisations like #Froglife, have proven successful at reducing #roadkill and supporting local populations.

"#Pollinators like #bees and #butterflies also benefit immensely from corridors. Isolated #wildflower patches can’t support long-distance foraging. But when these patches are linked — even via #roadside verges or #SchoolGardens — insects can move more freely and establish healthier, more resilient populations."

Read more:
https://thenaturenetwork.co.uk/how-wildlife-corridors-are-helping-animals-survive-in-urban-areas/

#SolarPunkSunday #RewildTheNight #UrbanSprawl #Development #Nature #WildlifeCorridor #UrbanRewilding #NatureCorridors #NatureCrossings #Wildflowers #GardeningForPollinators