Category World News

Human activity has caused some rainforests to switch from being a solution for climate change, to a source of it, a new study has found.

The study, published in the scientific journal Nature, discovered that Africa’s forests and woody savannas, which “historically acted as a carbon sink, removing atmospheric carbon and storing it as biomass” made “a critical transition from a carbon sink to a carbon source between 2010 and 2017”.

Using satellite data, researchers at the National Centre for Earth Observation at the Universities of Leicester, Sheffield and Edinburgh in the United Kingdom were able to track the changes in the amount of carbon being absorbed by trees and woody areas.

“The implications of this shift are profound. Africa’s forests and woodlands have historically served as a carbon sink. Now, they are contributing to widening the global greenhouse gas emissions gap that needs to be filled to stay within the goals of the Paris Agreement,” the report stated.

The 2015 Paris Agreement is a treaty between 196 countries acting to mitigate climate change and to keep the world’s temperature from rising more than 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

What has the study found?

In short, Africa’s forests are facing “increasing pressures” which have led to a decline in their ability to remove carbon from the atmosphere.

Currently, Africa’s forests are responsible for about one-fifth of global carbon removal. The largest of the continent’s forests is the Congo rainforest – the second largest in the world after the Amazon, and often dubbed the “lungs of Africa”.

The report found that between 2011 and 2017, Africa’s forests lost 106 million tonnes in biomass – living organisms such as plants – each year. This means their ability to absorb carbon from the atmosphere has been severely reduced.

The worst-affected areas were reportedly the tropical broadleaf forests in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and other parts of West Africa.

What has caused this?

Carbon output has risen exponentially in the industrial age and is largely caused by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gas.

While forests were adept at absorbing this excess carbon for some time, their ability to do so has been impacted by increased logging to make way for agricultural land and to provide materials for infrastructure projects.

“The observed trends may be further exacerbated in the future by population growth in Africa, the increasing export demand, particularly from Asia, and the resulting pressure on natural resources (agricultural expansion for commodity crop, timber and fuelwood),” the report found.

“The long-term persistence of these trends will depend on local governance and whether resources are used sustainably,” it added.

What is a carbon sink, and how does it work?

A “sink” is any area of land or sea that absorbs more carbon dioxide than it produces.

On land, these areas tend to be abundant in bio material such as plants and trees, which absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and store it in their biomass and in the soil. Farming, however, can disrupt this process in the soil.

The largest carbon sink in the world is the ocean, which absorbs about one-quarter of the Earth’s carbon output, according to ClientEarth, an environmental organisation. Carbon dioxide dissolves on the surface of the water and marine organisms absorb it via photosynthesis.

Which other areas of the world are at risk?

The Amazon rainforest is another area of concern.

Last year, the United States-based nonprofit Amazon Conservation found that deforestation in the Amazon rainforest was also eliminating trees that could absorb carbon.

Cleared land is often used for farming and livestock. These also tend to produce more emissions of greenhouse gases, which trap heat and produce carbon dioxide.

But due to the Brazilian government’s crackdown on deforestation, fears that the Amazon could also stop being a carbon sink have so far been averted.

According to the World Resources Institute (WRI), an environmental non-governmental organisation, the loss of the world’s forest carbon sinks will have “catastrophic consequences for people and the planet”.

What’s the solution?

The authors of the report noted that a Brazilian initiative, known as the Tropical Forest Forever Facility (TFFF), is trying to raise $100bn, which will be used to compensate countries that leave their forests untouched. So far, however, only $6.5bn has been raised by a small number of donor countries.

The report, therefore, called for more efforts to be focused on protecting Africa’s carbon sink and countering climate change.

“The world otherwise risks losing an important carbon sink needed to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement,” the report found.

“Reversing biomass losses in Africa requires actions in the political, economic and societal spheres, to promote capacity building [and] improve forest governance,” it added.

Ultimately, however, more must be done to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, experts say.

Fighting between Cambodia and Thailand has entered its fifth day, with Cambodia accusing the Thai military of continued shelling and Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul confirming that he is scheduled to speak with United States President Donald Trump.

Thai forces allegedly carried out new attacks in three Cambodian provinces in the early hours of Friday morning, according to Cambodian news outlet The Khmer Times.

The newspaper reported that Thai forces opened fire in the Ta Moan, Ta Kra Bei and Thmar Daun areas of Cambodia’s Oddar Meanchey province.

It also reported Thai shelling in the Phnom Khaing and An Ses areas of the country’s Preah Vihear province, as well as the areas of Prey Chan Village and Boeung Trakuan in nearby Banteay Meanchey province.

No new casualties were reported following the renewed fighting.

At least 20 people have been killed across both countries, with nearly 200 more wounded, since fighting resumed on Monday.

An estimated 600,000 people have also been displaced on both sides of the Thai-Cambodia border since the breakdown of a peace agreement brokered by Trump in October.

In a Facebook post, Cambodia’s Ministry of Defence also rejected as “fake news” a claim from the Thai military that it was using foreign mercenaries to operate suicide drones in its attacks on targets in Thailand.

“The Ministry of National Defence of Cambodia would like to reject propaganda disseminated on the Thai 2nd Army Area Facebook page, which accused Cambodia of using foreigners to help launch FPV [first person view] drones in the Cambodian-Thai border conflict,” the ministry said.

Separately, the ministry also rejected accusations from Thai media outlets alleging that it was preparing to launch Chinese-made PHL-03 missiles in the border dispute.

The PHL-03 is a truck-mounted multiple rocket launcher that can fire guided and unguided rockets with a range of 70km to 130km (43.5 miles to 81 miles), according to a US military database, while Cambodia’s BM-21 Soviet-designed multi-rocket launchers have a range of just 15km to 40km (9.3 miles to 25 miles).

“Cambodia demands the Thai side to deliberately stop spreading false news in order to divert attention to its violations of international law by painting Cambodia as a pretext to use more violent weapons on Cambodia,” the Defence Ministry said.

The Southeast Asian neighbours accuse one another of reigniting the conflict that centres around a centuries-old border dispute along their 800-kilometre (500-mile) frontier, where both sides claim ownership over a smattering of historic temples.

The continued fighting involving artillery, fighter jets, tanks and drones comes as Thailand’s caretaker Prime Minister Anutin confirmed he was scheduled to speak with President Trump at 21:20 local time (14:20 GMT) on Friday.

Trump promised on Wednesday to reach out to the leaders of both countries, saying he thinks he “can get them to stop fighting”.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Thursday that Trump had yet to call the Thai and Cambodian leadership, but added that “the administration is obviously tracking this at the highest levels and is very much engaged”.

Thailand’s top diplomat Sihasak Phuangketkeow spoke with US counterpart Marco Rubio on Friday ahead of the planned call between Trump and Anutin, Thailand’s foreign ministry said.

Sihasak told Rubio that Thailand was committed to a peaceful resolution, but said sustainable peace must be backed up by actions and genuine commitment, the ministry said in a statement, adding that Rubio confirmed US readiness to constructively promote peace.

Anutin also said his decision to dissolve parliament on Thursday – earlier than expected – would not affect the management of the ongoing border conflict.

The move comes following a breakdown in relations between Anutin’s Thai Pride Party and the opposition People’s Party, the largest bloc in the Thai legislature.

Government spokesperson Siripong Angkasakulkiat said a legislative impasse had paralysed the government’s agenda, meaning Anutin’s party “can’t go forward in parliament”.

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn endorsed the dissolution, the country’s official Royal Gazette announced on Friday, making way for early elections.

In the large displacement camps of Gaza, rows upon rows of makeshift tents blanket debris, empty lots and what remains of flattened neighbourhoods. With Storm Byron descending upon the enclave, a sense of terror has seized a population already exhausted from two years of Israel’s genocidal war with its unrelenting bombardment, starvation and chaos.

For the 1.5 million Palestinians living under plastic sheets and tattered tarps, the storm means something more than just bad weather. It’s another danger piled on top of the current battle for survival.

For several days, meteorologists have warned that heavy rainfall and strong winds could hit the strip today, tomorrow and over the weekend, risking flash flooding and significant wind damage. What is certain, though, is that Gaza is not facing this storm with ready infrastructure, stocked shelters or functioning drainage systems.

It faces it with tents propped up with pieces of scrap metal, paths that become mud rivers after only one night of rain and families who have nothing left to protect.

Solidarity a survival strategy

In the camps of Gaza City, the scenes of vulnerability are everywhere. Most tents are constructed from aid tarpaulins, pieces of plastic salvaged from rubble and blankets tied to recycled wooden poles. Many sag visibly in the middle; others are erected inadequately, so much so that they quiver and flap violently under the slightest breeze.

“When the wind starts, we all hold the poles to keep the tent from falling,” said Hani Ziara, a father sheltering in western Gaza City after his home was destroyed months ago.

His tent was flooded last night in the heavy rain, and his children had to stay outside in the cold. Hani wonders painfully what else he can do to protect his children from the rain and strong winds.

In many camps, the ground was already soft from previous rainfall. Wet sand and mud stick to shoes, blankets and cooking pots as people shuffle through. Trenches dug by volunteers to divert water often collapse within hours. With nowhere else to go, families who live in low-lying areas are preparing for the worst: that floodwaters will be pushed directly into their tents.

Stocking up on food, storing clean water and securing shelter are the most basic steps when people prepare for a storm, but that is considered a luxury for the displaced of Gaza.

Most families receive scant water deliveries, going sometimes days without enough to cook or wash. Food supplies are equally strained, and while irregular aid distributions provide basics like rice or canned beans, the quantities seldom last more than a few days. Preparing for a storm by cooking ahead, gathering dry goods or storing fuel is simply not possible.

“We could not sleep last night. Our tent was flooded with rainwater. Everything we had was flushed out by water. We want to prepare, but how?” asked Mervit, a mother of five children displaced near the Gaza port. She added, “We barely have enough food for tonight. We can’t save what we don’t have.”

Despite poverty, solidarity has become Gaza’s strongest survival strategy. Neighbours, with whatever they have, help secure the tents. Young men go through the rubble and scavenge for metal and wood remains to serve as temporary posts. The women organise collective cooking so that hot meals can be distributed to families in need, particularly those with young children or elderly family members, whenever possible.

These unofficial networks become more active the closer a storm gets. Volunteers trudge from tent to tent, helping families raise sleeping areas off the ground, patch holes in canopies with plastic sheets, and dig drainage channels. Crowds try to move those who are in precarious, extremely exposed areas to other locations, sharing information about safer places.

‘We are exhausted’

Beyond physical danger, the psychological impact is deep. After months of displacement, loss and deprivation, another crisis – this time, not war, but forces of nature – feels overwhelming.

“Our tents were destroyed. We are exhausted,” said Wissam Naser. “We have no strength left. Every day there is a new fear: hunger, cold, disease, now the storm.”

Many residents describe the feeling of being sandwiched between the sky and the ground, exposed on both ends and unable to protect their families from either.

As clouds mass along Gaza’s shore, families prepare to take a hit. Some weigh down tent walls against the wind with rocks and sandbags. Others push children’s blankets to the driest corner, hoping a roof will last. Most don’t have a plan. They just wait.

The storm will not be another single-night affair for the displaced in Gaza. It would be a further reminder of how fragile life has become, how survival depends not on preparedness but rather on endurance.