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Groundwater is more than just a hidden resource; it is also a source of power, inequality, and survival. This article explores everyday village realities to demonstrate that groundwater governance encompasses more than just water management. It is also about justice, livelihoods, and who pays the cost of conservation in a changing climate. “Water decides everything.”…

Scientists are warning that the Amazon is approaching a tipping point that could transform the rainforest into a savannah. A recent study using participatory, systems-based methods in neighboring areas of Bolivia, Brazil and Peru reveals that, although these countries share a similar landscape, the ways in which they are losing resilience vary. These factors range…

Lessons learned from the ArboEmerge project in Uganda. Where and how do arbovirus-transmitted diseases emerge, and how are they related to biodiversity loss, climate change, and changes in land use? This is a question that the ArboEmerge research project has been exploring and attempting to answer. ArboEmerge stands for ‘Consequences of biodiversity loss and land…

During a three-day workshop from January 21-23, 2026, held in Ouagadougou, capital of Burkina Faso, members of the ZEF HEALTH research division presented and discussed three large-scale collaborative research programs on climate change, nutrition and health, and interacted with policy makers and stakeholders in Burkina Faso to disseminate their research. Over 30 researchers and 40 stakeholders…

In this blog post ZEF junior researcher Nicolas Lara-Rodriguez shares insights from his research on Peasant Reserve Zones in Colombia. In his research he explores how these Zones protect nature and support rural communities. He also examines the Zones’ impact on deforestation and their potential to be recognized as conservation areas. Colombia is one of…

Blog post by Joslyn Muthio Nzau, post-doctoral researcher in the research project Local Dynamics and Integration of UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Outstanding Universal Value: Evidence from Cultural Landscapes in Ethiopia and Kenya. She is based at Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Kenya. The sacred Mijikenda Kaya forests of coastal Kenya tell the profound story of…

In May 2025, a group of ZEF researchers paid a visit to Nepal within the framework of the Bonn Global Cooperation Fund (BGCF) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) of North Rhine-Westphalia. This blog post was written by Isimemen Osemwegie, ZEF…

From Survival to Displacement: Migration in Nepal’s Bajhang District In May 2025, a group of ZEF researchers paid a visit to Nepal within the framework of the Bonn Global Cooperation Fund (BGCF) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) and the Ministry of Culture and Science (MKW) of North Rhine-Westphalia….