Africa

8 results

Femme népalaise devant étagères pleines de bocaux remplis de diverses graines

Preserving local and indigenous knowledge to protect biodiversity

In an unprecedented context of declining biodiversity, a team of scientists has just published a paper calling for the preservation of local and indigenous knowledge of biodiversity, alongside that of plants.

Water management, a sustainable development issue

As the source of all life, water is essential to our health, well-being and dignity as well as to the functioning of our ecosystems and societies. Access to water is therefore synonymous with development. However, around the world, water is being overexploited, wasted, and contaminated at...

Genetic variation in chickpeas revealed

An international team of researchers has studied the genome of 3,366 chickpea varieties from different parts of the world. Their work provided a clearer picture of the chickpea’s evolutionary history and the effects of domestication on the genome, while also highlighting interesting genetic...

Biodiversity: between fragility and sustainability

All the indicators agree: erosion of biodiversity has now reached a level not seen in hundreds of thousands of years. Human activity is to blame, and its impact is not just being felt by such emblematic species and ecosystems as the polar bear or Great Barrier Reef. The major health, social and...

The unexpected and little-known figures of Cuba-Africa relations

Time-honoured and varied, the relationship between Cuba and Africa is the focus of a recent scientific publication coordinated by IRD specialists. The work reveals little-known and fascinating aspects of the subject, with new knowledge of Cuban civil cooperation, the destiny of the actors involved...

In praise of glaciers, those dragons of ice viewed with concern and fascination

Group of African women galvanized by prayer, almost in a trance.

Religious Reconfiguration in the Global South

Challenging the simplistic stereotype of a binary geopolitical and religious landscape, defined by the inevitable opposition between the Muslim South and the Christian North, the academic work conducted by IRD and its partners reveals a much more nuanced situation. Their research has explored the...
Petites maisons colorées sur un bout de terre entourée de mer

Islands and island environments faced with global changes

Openness to the outside world, incorporation within the global economy but also the growth in natural risks and rising sea levels.... With their unique characteristics, often under threat, island environments and communities are today faced with unprecedented destabilising factors.