The highway connecting Cameroon and Nigeria has brought economic benefits and forest degradation. Arend de Haas/ACF

A Road Gobbles Up A Forest In Cameroon, But Big Data Helps Build A New Generation Of ‘Forest Guardians’

The road connecting Cameroon and Nigeria and extending the Lagos-Mombasa Trans-African Highway has brought social and economic benefits to the local population. But it has also eaten up a forest along the way.


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A largely unused cycle lane between Sandton and Alexandra in Johannesburg. (Photo/ Njogu Morgan/ The Conversation)

Johannesburg’s Bike Lanes: When Thinking ‘Build It And They Will Come’ Goes Wrong

Bike lanes alone don’t create a commuter cycling culture. Transport systems are shaped by a range of other factors, including social institutions, values, politics and topography.


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Kenyan artist Michael Soi cheekily captures the China-US-Africa relationship. (Photo/ SA Cultural Observatory)

Is China Eating Western Donors For Lunch In Africa? Mostly No. Here’s Why

In practice, China rarely competes with traditional donors. Funding is heavily concentrated in the productive sectors, mainly infrastructure, agriculture and mining.


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Sunset on a rising city: Addis Ababa has been transformed by an infrastructure boom. (Photo/ Flickr/ Jeff Rebiffé)

Infrastructure Is China’s Sweet Deal For Africa, From A Country That Used More Cement In 3 Years Than The US Did In A Century

China is the largest single source of financing for infrastructure development outside of national budgets in sub-Saharan Africa, contributing over $13.4 billion in the region in 2013 alone