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Population growth is a controversial topic in Africa because it’s been linked with colonial and racist policies in the past. Now that human rights are at the centre of the conversation about family planning, it’s time to address the issue, argues Alex Ezeh. The bottom line is that Africa needs to change the current trajectory. But slowing down birth rates will require empowering women so that they can exercise their right to choose if they want to have children, how many and when.
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It’s projected that Africa’s population will double by 2050.
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Alex Ezeh, Drexel University
Empowered women make millions of decisions that add up to a better demographic situation for themselves, their children and for Africa.
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Natural disasters
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Alice Fothergill, University of Vermont; Jenniffer Santos-Hernández, University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras
Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005, forever changing the lives of the children who survived. Their stories can help Puerto Rico identify and aid the kids most traumatized by Hurricane Maria.
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Diego Melgar, University of Oregon; Xyoli Pérez-Campos, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
Not all earthquakes are made equal. A study on the Sept. 2017 quake that killed 300 in Mexico City found that both its location and cause were unusual.
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Environment + Energy
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Fachruddin Majeri Mangunjaya, Universitas Nasional
This study gives science-based recommendations where exactly the investment for conservation should go.
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Science + Technology
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Jo McDonald, University of Western Australia; Peter Veth, University of Western Australia
They were looking to study rock art at a remote desert site but what they found showed people had been using the place almost since the first people arrived in Australia.
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Politics + Society
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Philip Leech-Ngo, University of Ottawa
Donald Trump's strong defence of Israel might be more boisterous than his predecessors, but it's consistent with the anti-Palestinian policies by previous U.S. administrations.
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Health + Medicine
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Peter Malinowski, Liverpool John Moores University
Science shows that this simple mindfulness technique improves concentration and working memory.
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