Air and Water Quality under Pressure in Africa: UNEP Assessment

The United Nations Environment Program released on 19 May 2016 its Global Environmental Outlook (GEO-6): Regional Assessments. It includes a four page summary for Africa and the entire regional report as well as those for other world regions. While Africa has 80 percent of the world's reserve of agricultural land, its environment is under pressure from urbanization and industrialization as well as a growing population. This has resulted in the degradation of air, land, and water quality.

The Somali Charcoal Industry-Strange Bedfellows

The Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) Africa Watch published on 10 July 2014 a brief account titled "The Somali Charcoal Industry-Strange Bedfellows" by George F. Ward, research staff member at IDA.

The article, which is based on a major report dealing with global environmental issues by the UN Environmental Program (UNEP) and Interpol, comments on the unusual ties in the illegal charcoal trade involving al-Shabaab, the Gulf States, the Ras Kamboni militia, and the Kenyan Defense Forces in Somalia.