Maps & Graphics Library

Africa’s urban centres are currently growing at an annual rate that is the fastest compared to other regions. The urban expansion is expected to continue, with cities like Abuja and Ouagadougou expecting very high growth in the next decade, while Cairo, Africa’s largest city, is projected to see a comparatively lower growth rate.

Wetlands are essential in providing and storing freshwater, but today more than half of South Africa’s wetlands have been destroyed or degraded and it is estimated that by 2025 South Africa will suffer from water scarcity.

South Africa is recognised as the third most megadiverse country in the world. The abundance of biodiversity found within its borders covers an estimated ten per cent of the world’s plant species, seven per cent of all bird, six per cent of all mammal, and five per cent of all reptile species found on the planet. Due to various causes ranging from unsustainable land use and farming practices, to invasion by alien species and climate change, So...

Illegal transport and organization of illegal logging by syndicates. Much of the timber is re-sold during transport and thus changes ownership en route, obliterating tracking efforts to trace origins and diluting import-export figures.

The Red Knot is a migratory shorebird that travels up to 20,000 km twice a year from its breeding grounds on the high Arctic tundra to its southern non-breeding sites. Along with having one of the longest total migrations of any bird, some populations also fly as much as 8,000–9,000 km between stopover sites in a single flight. As a shellfish-eating specialist avoiding pathogen-rich freshwater habitats, the Red Knot relies on the few large ti...

Protecting the Cheetah’s range also benefits other migratory wildlife, including those not currently protected by international agreements such as Appendix I of the CMS. The Serengeti- Mara-Tsavo landscape, for example, is home not only to a globally important population of Cheetahs, but also to vast numbers of migratory Wildebeest, Zebra, Eland and Thomson’s Gazelle. In 2011, the Tanzanian government ensured that the proposed commercial road n...