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Naked for Murchison

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"We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented." - Elie Wiesel. Amos Wekesa , a veteran in the Ugandan hospitality sector sent shock waves when he threatened to strip naked in protest of the planned giveaway of Murchison falls, a top tourist destination, to a South African company that plans to establish a 360 megawatt hydropower dam. The falls are situated in Murchison falls National Park ( IUCN category II protected area ) named after Sir Roderich Murchison, former president of Royal Geographical Society. The seven-meter wide and forty-three meter high falls is a tourist hotspot because, at this spot, the Nile explodes through a narrow gorge at 300m 3 per second, earning the reputation of the most fierce point on the world's longest river. Thereafter, it cascades down to become a placid river whose banks are thronged by hippos, crocodiles, and buffaloes before flowing westwar...
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Urban Forests Full of Energy

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After three days of vivid engagements coupled with knowledge exchange between delegates of the European Forum on Urban Forestry 2019, held at the German Sports University Cologne, the event came to a close with general satisfaction from participants. During the closing session, Clive Davies, Chair EFUF International Steering group, highlighted the relevance of continuous participation in Urban Forestry conferences at both locally and internationally. Researchers, policy makers, and various stakeholders took part in three days of continuous discussions through plenary sessions, excursions and parallel sessions based on various themes. These were punctuated with interactive events such as the poster session, icebreaker, and social dinner that allowed delegates to reflect on the various topics as well as personally share their perspectives. The feedback from the steering group was positive, with their efforts resulting in a well-organized event, and positive remarks were made about t...
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Spirituality of the Urban Forest

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"When we pay attention to nature’s music, we find that everything on earth contributes to its harmony.”  – Hazrat Inayat Khan Twenty-first-century cities are characterized by tall skyscrapers, high residential densities, improved public transport infrastructure, as well as buildings of historical heritage. More people are moving from rural to urban areas, with the proportion of the global urban population set to increase from 14% in 1900 to over 66% in 2025. It is unfortunate that despite this trend, many urban areas lack adequate green infrastructure thus the ratio of green areas to built-up areas is low. This gives inhabitants the feeling that they live in a ‘concrete jungle’ and are divorced from the natural world, contrary to earlier times when trees had a dominant influence upon human life and were sacred in many cultures.   For a long time, the campaign for increased adoption of urban woodland resources has largely dwelled on the anticipated benefits like cooler a...
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