Environmental developments worldwide in March 2022

By Burak Bir

ANKARA (AA) – A number of reports on climate change and its growing impact were released in March along with encouraging initiatives and pledges for environmental protection.

A list of environmental developments, reports, and events compiled by Anadolu Agency is as follows:

March 1:

- The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) holds its fifth session in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, with a focus on plastic pollution.

- A remote hospital in Bangladesh's southwestern Satkhira district is recognized internationally as the world's best building and a model structure resilient to the impact of climate change.

March 2:

- The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) endorses a "landmark" resolution in Kenya's capital to end the plastic menace that is endangering the health of the world's ecosystems.

March 3:

- Elephants in India may be at risk of extinction, according to activists, who are concerned that a wildlife protection bill introduced in parliament last year could lead to further exploitation of the animals by legalizing their commercial trade.

March 6:

- Uganda seeks a solution to the capital's garbage crisis, as most uncollected trash is dumped in drainage channels and open spaces in Kampala.

March 11:

- The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) calls for concerted action to mitigate the effects of climate change on South Sudan.

March 14:

- The six main rivers surrounding the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka, considered lifelines of the megacity, are being polluted at an alarming level by industrial and other wastes, experts and officials say on the occasion of the International Day of Action for Rivers.

March 17:

- After doing scientific research as part of Turkiye's Sixth National Antarctic Science Expedition, Turkish researchers return with data and findings and leave behind only pristine footprints in the snow.

March 22:

- The importance of water resources and threats to groundwater take the global spotlight on World Water Day.

March 25:

- Tanzanian authorities ban fishing in the transboundary Mara River after a toxic spill of cow dung and urine killed hundreds of fish and harmed people's livelihoods.

March 26:

- Injured animals that survived wildfires in northern Argentina get treatment to recover from their burns.

March 28:

- The UN migration agency issues a warning that Somalia is on the verge of famine due to severe drought.

March 29:

- Turkish researchers at the Aras Bird Research Center track the amazing journey of a migratory bird dubbed the "little eagle," which has flown over nine countries and 20,000 kilometers (12,400 miles) in six months.

March 30:

- African penguins, whose populations have rapidly declined over the last century, may become extinct within the next few decades.

- Wind and solar, the fastest-growing sources of electricity, reach a record 10.3% share of global electricity generation in 2021 – a milestone reached by 50 countries, according to a new report by think tank Ember.

- Swift population growth and climate change continue to aggravate the water crisis in Africa, according to a UN report.

March 31:

- Under a government decree to fight climate change, the famed outdoor terraces of French restaurants, cafes, bars, and brasseries are barred from using heating or air conditioning systems for the comfort of their patrons.