Environment wins of the week

June 5, 2026

Drinking from the sea

As global temperature rise continues, intensifying heat waves and water scarcity in many regions, there is a growing need to make our oceans drinkable.

There are currently as many as 20,000 desalination plants around the world, but they often operate at an environmental cost. This new technology could solve that issue.

Keppel Marina East desalination plant in Singapore, seen from above
Some countries are highly dependent on desalinated water, but traditional processing methods generate a chemical-filled brineImage: Rendy Aryanto/Visual Verve Studios

Electric cars surge in Ethiopia 

Two years ago, Ethiopia became the first country in the world to ban the import of fossil fuel-powered vehicles — a move that’s transforming its transport system.

More than 100,000 of the 1.2 million registered vehicles are now electric and the east African country is aiming for a 500,000 EV share by 2030. A model to follow?

Cars on a busy city street, Addis Abeba, Ethiopia
Traffic on the road in Ethiopia is becoming cleaner and quieter following a ban on importing gas-powered vehiclesImage: Seyoum Getu/DW

New life returns to India’s ghost villages

Abandoned as climate change made farming unreliable, rural villages in India’s northern Uttarakhand state are coming back to life.

A new wave of entrepreneurs is moving in and cultivating climate-resilient crops such as hemp and Damask roses, used for rosewater and essential oils. These initiatives create jobs, revive traditional knowledge and offer new hope for rural communities.

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Seahorse poachers become tour guides 

Fueled by a global demand for traditional Chinese medicine, illegal trade once threatened seahorses in Vilankulo, Mozambique. Now a community-led conservation project is reversing the damage.

Former poachers who have turned to protecting the little marine species earn an income by offering guided seahorse safaris.

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