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A Malian photographer is capturing environmental problems on camera, sparking debate – and change. Plus: The giant battery that could end power cuts in Malawi and elsewhere.
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00:09If you had a camera in your hands right now, what would you photograph?
00:15Something beautiful or perhaps something you might normally walk straight past.
00:22A good photograph makes us look closer and really, really notice things.
00:31That's so true Malama, images can be very powerful.
00:36Photographs can make us see the world through a new length and maybe even change the way
00:41we think.
00:49This place feels a little like hell on earth.
00:54And Aliyu Koulibaly ventures right into the middle of it with his camera.
01:17The towering garbage dump is in the Lifi Bamako neighborhood of Badalabougou, known otherwise
01:22for its universities.
01:24It's become a symbol of the Malian capital's failure to manage the trash produced by some
01:29three million residents.
01:38The young photographer wants officials and residents to stop turning a blind eye.
02:06While some people do make a living from selling plastic waste, the conditions they work under
02:10are extremely unhealthy, which the photographer also records.
02:20For nearly a century, Bamako has had a tradition of photography.
02:24Portraits are still the main focus today.
02:27The city also hosts an international photo and video arts biennial founded in 1994.
02:34It's become the premier venue for contemporary African photography.
02:39Only the themes are changing.
02:41More and more photographers in Mali are focusing on the environment.
02:45Like Sedu Kamara, he's been taking photos for more than 20 years and now trains others at
02:52his center, some of whom exhibit internationally.
02:55He and his colleague hold workshops for children in Bamako every year during the school holidays.
03:17Through this interest, the photographers are inspiring the children to take a closer look at the environment.
03:49Through the camera, the children are learning to see the neighborhood of Setuba with friends.
03:53Fresh eyes.
04:12Aaliyo Koulibaly met Sedu Kamara through a West African photo contest that the center organized
04:18for the first time this year.
04:19Aaliyo Koulibaly was the entry for Mali.
04:22His themes?
04:24People.
04:27And nature.
04:33He received additional coaching and professional guidance from Kamara.
04:37Both of them are passionate about protecting the environment.
04:41It's not easy for the young photographer to get his pictures out to the public.
04:46Often, he lacks the money for prints or a venue to exhibit them.
04:50But this time, he's managed to do a street exhibition in the Badalabugu neighborhood.
04:55His representatives are in the U.S.
05:00At the right time, he's located in the district's tower.
05:03I mean, the county is a different home.
05:10The old building is located.
05:11I'm in the city.
05:12He has been a different place.
05:14It's like you're a different home.
05:17But with walking like a taxi to have been parked, you're not in the city.
05:32When he needs a break from the city and all the trash, Aliou Koulibaly heads out on his bike.
05:39He goes to the protected Koulouba forest in northern Bamako.
05:43Every time he comes here, he's reminded of why he does what he does.
05:48I like flowers, I like flowers, I like nature.
05:51And I like to live in a healthy environment and in a magnificent environment.
05:58For him, nature is an important refuge where he can recharge his batteries, ready for his photography work, back in
06:06the urban jungle.
06:13Here in Lagos, park huts are something else many of us know all too well.
06:19Well, it's a problem shared by millions across Africa.
06:22But in Malawi, something new has been put to the test and it could be a game changer.
06:30It's not much to look at, but this is a giant power bank in Lilongwe, Malawi that's helping tackle blackouts.
06:39The country's demand for electricity has grown faster than its ability to generate and deliver power.
06:45For local welder, Hotani Yuda, power cuts can mean lost income.
07:04Businesses in Malawi experience an average of more than seven power cuts a month, each lasting around four hours.
07:13For Yuda, running a generator can cost far more than using electricity from the grid.
07:20At first, in Malawi, there has been no different use, but there are also a lot of inventories in the
07:28environment.
07:28I have been able to try to do the worst job of all the other other than having aina and
07:37sitting on a fish.
07:37I have been able to try to save a lot of information on this area.
07:52So, how can a giant battery help?
07:56Auguste Ninyirenda, an engineer with Malawi's electricity utility, explains how it works.
08:02So, basically, this is like a huge power bank which is storing energy and then later on discharging into the
08:12system when the system requires it.
08:14The system also helps engineers monitor the grid and respond when something goes wrong.
08:22The thing is, if the grid means it's available, the power is there, the alarm, you get the red light
08:30when there's any issue here.
08:32So, the alarm will come and then you come and check what's happening.
08:37Malawi still relies heavily on hydropower, but solar energy is expanding.
08:43Battery storage helps the grid make better use of that growing solar capacity.
08:48Because of the solar penetration on the grid, there will be times when there's a cloud cover or some images
08:55has occurred.
08:56So, the frequency will tend to dip.
08:57So, the battery is meant to provide quick response.
09:01As I said, it can respond within 200 milliseconds and inject that 20 megawatt, 50 megawatt, whatever is required to
09:08support the frequency.
09:10The battery charges when demand is low or solar power is high and it releases the energy when needed.
09:17We have seen the benefit already.
09:18The past month and a half, we are dispatching during the evening peaks 10 to 12 megawatt for three hours,
09:24two and a half hours.
09:25That is reducing the magnitude as well as the duration of the load shedding.
09:30Malawi's $20 million project is funded by the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet.
09:36Battery storage was once expensive.
09:38But as energy specialist Sosten Jigalu explains, falling raw material costs, advances in technology and growing competition have driven prices
09:49down.
09:50The battery energy storage breakthrough has an impact at Malawi, at Southern Africa and at the continent as large.
10:00The battery energy costs have reduced more than tenfold in the past five, seven years.
10:08The battery that was costing $1,000 now is costing less than $100.
10:14Despite the falling costs, large-scale battery systems still require major investments and remain rare across Africa.
10:23They can reduce the need for diesel generators and help make better use of renewable energy.
10:28Energy entrepreneur Edgar Capizabayani explains how this could help the climate.
10:33From a climate perspective wise, it means that over 10,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be avoided just because
10:42we are utilizing this base.
10:45And if we look at it in a more long term, what it means is climate change wise as a
10:56country, we will continue having a lot of renewable energies into the energy mix.
11:02With 74% of Malawians lacking electricity, renewable energy could help close the gap.
11:10As of now in Africa, 600 million people, over half a billion, don't have access to clean electricity.
11:16I mean, that's huge.
11:17So, so far, studies have proven that, you know, most of these can be better connected if renewable energy, especially
11:26renewable energy technologies are deployed, especially in those remote corners of Africa.
11:33So, yeah, it's the future.
11:35For workers like Uhotani Yuda, reliable electricity means fewer interruptions and a chance to grow their business.
11:43I think a lot is more that it could have been our business.
11:48I think that if you want to help me get it, you know, in the future.
11:56I think the government is going to help me get it out.
11:56I think I need to help me get it out of my way.
12:02I think that this is to say a lot.
12:05We get it out of my way.
12:11When I say it out of my way, I'll help you get it out of my way.
12:12As Malawi's demand for electricity grows, the giant battery in Rilongwe could help bring more renewable energy onto the grid.
12:21It could also offer a model for other African countries facing similar power challenges.
12:28See how creepy it is here. There are so many streets in Lagos like this. Why are they not lit?
12:35Well, first, many streets rely on electricity for their streetlights to come on.
12:38But when there is no power, the street stays dark and that is not safe.
12:42Studies have shown two-thirds of all traffic robberies happen after 6pm because darkness supports these types of crimes.
12:48That's why these are getting really popular. Sunlight charges their batteries so they come on automatically at night. It saves
12:53100% on power consumption.
12:55The Lagos state government recognizes this and is now using higher versions of these models on major roads for his
13:00light-up projects since December.
13:01Now, this may not cover all the inner streets.
13:04But you can see people already using models they can afford.
13:06On the cost side, portable ones sell for 35k on average, around the same price as normal LED floodlights.
13:11Some even use sensors that go fully bright only when there is movement.
13:15It further saves battery energy.
13:16That's why you probably see them everywhere now.
13:18So, do you have this on your street?
13:20I'm not the only one with a drawer full of cables.
13:26Everything seems to come with a cable these days.
13:30Oh, you know, they do tend to pile up.
13:33But where we see something to be thrown out, a Nigerian artist sees a world of infinite possibilities.
13:42What do you see here? A striking portrait? A piece of African art? Look closer. They're made from discarded electrical
13:51cables.
14:01I make use of discarded wires and cables to create this artwork in order to reduce the rate at which
14:09waste is being created in our present neighborhood.
14:14Patience finds her supplies in unlikely places, streets, gutters, and electronics workshops.
14:22Broken chargers and damaged cables become raw materials for her art.
14:40Back in the studio, every cable gets a makeover. Patience washes, dries, and sorts hundreds of pieces by color and
14:49texture before carefully fitting them together like a puzzle.
14:53What emerges is not just artwork, but a new life for old materials.
15:00Electronic waste is a growing challenge across Africa and around the world.
15:05Patience Ade Kunle's work won't solve the problem alone, but it does show how creativity can change the way we
15:12think about waste.
15:13I believe that every artist can contribute to sustainable advocacy by making use of sustainable art.
15:20It is not compostry that the materials that they use are recycling at, but making use of sustainable materials they
15:27are able to get in their immediate environment.
15:30I must admit, this is one of my most favorite foods.
15:37But I also love vegetables.
15:41But let's face it, there are many good reasons to cut back on meat.
15:48A juicy steak fresh off the grill.
15:51Is there anything more delicious?
15:53There absolutely is.
15:55For example, a hearty bean stew.
15:59According to Nicola Kagoro.
16:01Back in the day, we never used to sell the meat just because it's there.
16:05But this has changed.
16:07Nowadays, Zimbabweans eat a lot of meat, especially beef.
16:13Can Nicola persuade anyone at one of the city's main barbecue stores to eat less meat?
16:20I think meat is okay, because, well, it's what we grew up eating.
16:26So, each to his own, I think it works that way.
16:30Actually, for me, it's hard to just eat vegetables and leave meat besides.
16:34I don't know.
16:36In fact, for a very long time, Zimbabwe's diet was largely plant-based.
16:41Meat was eaten sparingly.
16:45We had the respect for animals.
16:48And even before we slaughtered the animals, there were rituals that had to be done before that.
16:55It was only with colonization that eating meat became popular.
17:01Today, for Zimbabwe's middle class, it's also a symbol of prosperity.
17:07Nicola eats meat only rarely.
17:09Plant-based eating is neither complicated or expensive, she says.
17:14And that's what she wants to show these two women.
17:17She invites them to a cooking class at her home.
17:20Let's see if they come.
17:22The chef posts vegan recipes on her social media channels that are delicious and cheap to make.
17:48For Nicola, it's not just about protecting animals.
17:52It's also about the environment.
17:54As Zimbabwe's cattle population has grown, so has its climate footprint.
18:00More than 5 million cattle are responsible for around 40% of the country's greenhouse gas emissions,
18:07primarily through the methane produced during digestion.
18:12Anyone who wants to eat more vegetables can simply grow them by themselves, even organically.
18:19Nicola also shares gardening tips, as well as veggies she grows turmeric.
18:24The spice plant helps keep pests and diseases at bay.
18:29And cucumber is a crop that everyone can afford.
18:33Fusing the crops that we use, that we find locally, is deliberate,
18:38because these are ingredients that we use on a daily basis.
18:42And two, they're indigenous, and we're teaching people, again, to go back to their roots.
18:48Today is the day.
18:51Nicola is watching the vegan cookery course for meat-loving nomakosi from the barbecue stall.
18:58This is how Nicola ends her living, along with private dinner events and vegan catering.
19:05Today's class is free of charge.
19:08Her English breakfast involves chickpeas, kidney beans, and cow peas.
19:14We're teaching people that our African ingredients can also be as appealing as the Western world,
19:19and also teaching people how to actually work with them and grow them,
19:23because these ingredients are sourced in Zimbabwe, meaning they're easily grown with our climate.
19:29Lunch is served.
19:31It tastes good for me.
19:33Nomakosi loves the flavors, but still isn't completely convinced.
19:38I think even though vegetables have proteins like kidney beans,
19:44I think nyama is just a stronger protein.
19:50But do you really need tech to be strong?
19:54Zimbabwe's all-female ranger unit protect wildlife from poachers.
19:57They are probably the toughest women in the country.
20:01The Black Poochers are the best ones.
20:06The Black Poochers are the best ones.
20:06And who cooked for them?
20:08Nicola, the vegan chef, set up a completely plant-based camp kitchen for the Akashinga rangers,
20:14including training eight cooks.
20:17My involvement with Akashinga was that I found it very contradictive for an anti-poaching foundation to say that we're
20:25here to protect the wildlife,
20:26and then you come back to camp and then you eat meat.
20:29Therefore, we started the Black to Black Roots Kitchen, which was 100% vegan.
20:35Nicola is taking a message beyond the camp kitchen.
20:39She has organized a food and arts event in Harare.
20:42It's not about cutting out meat entirely.
20:47It's about reduction.
20:48It's about doing what you can at certain points.
20:50If you eat meat every day, reduce it to half a week, you know?
20:54I think that has a massive impact on our society because it's accessible to people.
20:58I started this festival for this particular reason, to showcase that you can eat on a budget, nutritional value, and
21:07also flavorful, and have a good time.
21:10For Nicola, every small step counts. Changing habits, one dish at a time.
21:18Now, keeping homes cool can come at a cost.
21:22Electricity, air conditioning, and fans are essential for many households, but they also drive up energy use.
21:31It's a problem in cities around the world. Here, where I live in Lagos, and also in the city of
21:36Chennai in India.
21:38Well, here's an idea. Could we keep them cool simply by building them differently?
21:46Is it possible to use traditional building techniques and conform to modern construction standards?
21:52Architect Kritika Venkatesh has found a way of doing so.
21:56She and her Chennai-based team plan and make earth-built homes, using centuries-old methods to make energy-saving
22:02and long-lasting mud buildings.
22:04I've learned things like that. I have no problem today. I don't have a problem. I don't have a thermal
22:11comfortable system.
22:12That's why I can't use this anymore. I don't have a lot of jobs.
22:15I can use them as well. If you want to have a party, to have a party or to have
22:16a pilgrimage, it's fine.
22:19This is a basic question.
22:21She was inspired in part by British-born Lori Baker, who was deeply committed to Mahatma Gandhi's principles of simplicity
22:28and sustainability.
22:30Like Baker, she set out to use low-cost, local materials and work with natural lighting and ventilation to cut
22:37power consumption.
22:39So far, Kritika Bengatesh has designed around 20 housing projects across South India.
22:45She had been struck by how much sand and cement was used on conventional building sites.
22:51Concrete, as I said, did not work with concrete.
22:54But I don't know where to choose from.
22:57Now, I've refined some techniques.
23:01Her team uses a traditional alternative to cement, which is very CO2 intensive to produce.
23:11We actually use cement to produce.
23:14We also use cement to make the process of cement.
23:17We actually use a cement material for cement.
23:19Our cement material is in a bag, we use cement.
23:22We use cement and we use cement to pour it.
23:24When we pour it, it will pour it.
23:27If we pour it, it will pour it.
23:27It will pour it later and it will pour it.
23:31We use cement as a cement.
23:34We use cement in bricklay.
23:36granite is used for the foundations rather than steel girders gravel and cement the walls are built
23:42from mud bricks wooden beams and posts ensure stability as well as helping to provide light
23:48and ventilation all the way around the room can be easily sourced in the room
23:56in a developing country like india up to 500 million tons of building and demolition waste
24:11are estimated to be generated each year mud bricks made from clay and organic binding materials are
24:18far easier to recycle and therefore much cleaner but construction requires special know-how
24:26we can see a bit of cleaning the building and a bit of cleaning it when we do it
24:29if we do it, we can see a bit of cleaning it once again
24:34if we have a binding this will be done without the binding
24:35and after doing it, we can just clean it and then we will have to do it
24:39i want to get in the building
24:42this is a new building
24:44we have a small foundation
24:47we have a G plus 2 floors
24:49complete load bearing construction
24:51there are no concrete cement
24:52It's not an outdoor environment.
24:54It's not an outdoor environment.
24:55It's not an outdoor environment.
24:56We can work on this building.
24:59This building is almost 90 lakhs.
25:03Mud breaks regulate indoor temperatures by absorbing heat during the day.
25:08Residents can benefit from big energy savings.
25:19When people go to the country,
25:21they think they will come to the country.
25:24They will come to the country.
25:26They will come to the country.
25:26They will come to the country.
25:34You can find more stories about sustainable living
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25:40Thanks for watching.
25:41And if you have any idea or suggestion for us,
25:46we'd love to hear them.
25:47Just write to us at eco at dw.com.
25:51Thanks for watching and see you next week.
26:04Thanks.
26:06Let's go.