Environmental protests and strikes continued across the globe in the first month of 2022, with demonstrators demanding more decisive action to tackle climate change.

Activists and citizens continued online campaigns and street protests while keeping socially distant due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The events included Fridays for Future's weekly protests, which were launched in 2018 by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, and global campaigns' rallies against anti-environmental practices and attitudes.

Below is a timeline of protests and demonstrations compiled by Anadolu Agency:

Jan. 4:

- Protesters gather at Plaza de Mayo, Argentina after the call of environmentalists against the decision of the Environment Ministry allowing oil exploration in the Atlantic Ocean.

Jan. 7:

- On the first Fridays for Future strike of the year, climate activists and environmental protesters continue to raise awareness about climate change, with nonprofit organizations supporting their efforts.

Jan. 8:

- Extinction Rebellion activists in Poland hold a demonstration against the heavy deforestation by the governmental organization State Forests in Krakow.

Jan 14:

- On the second Fridays for Future strike of January, climate activists and environmental protesters continue to raise awareness about climate change and environmental issues.

Jan. 17:

- Several environmental activists hold a protest after a registered counter-memory appeal relates capital city air pollution at the Jakarta District Court in Indonesia.

Jan. 21:

- Fridays for Future holds the third strike of the month with climate activists and environmental protesters raising awareness about climate change and environmental issues.

Jan. 25:

- Climate Change protesters from the Extinction Rebellion group gather outside the governor's office in New York City to protest Kathy Hochul.

Jan. 26:

- Thousands of Maasai cattle herders in northern Tanzania protest against a government plan to evict them from their ancestral land in a bid to pave the way for trophy hunting and eco-tourism investments.

Jan. 28:

- During the last Fridays for Future strike of the month, climate and environmental activists continue protesting for action on climate change and the environment, demanding more action from world leaders.​​​​​​​

Jan. 30:

- "We can't allow the government to lift the ban on bee-killing pesticides," Greenpeace group says on Twitter, criticizing the British government's approval for emergency use of these chemicals./aa

In the face of severe and unpredictable weather patterns, Tanzanian smallholder farmers who rely solely on rain-fed agriculture have stopped whining about the ultimate injustice of climate change, and instead have turned to radio to protect their livelihoods from the vagaries of nature.

Farmers who have had poor crop yields owing to a combination of extended dry spells, diseases, and extreme weather may now easily learn how to cope with climate change by listening to a radio broadcast.

The interactive radio show, which is broadcast twice weekly by MoshiFM from Moshi town in the East African country's northeastern region, is designed to provide farmers in rural villages in the drought-stricken Same district with relevant weather and farming information to improve their yields and access better markets for their crops.

New farming skills

In most of Sub-Saharan Africa, climate change poses a serious threat to smallholder farmers' food and economic security. Farmers, however, are proven excellent at learning new farming practices and skills, which have helped them build resilience and ultimately adapt to climate change, with the guidance of weather and agricultural experts.

Although collecting information about various climate-smart techniques was a challenging task for small-scale farmers in remote rural areas, experts say radio is a more effective and efficient medium for reaching farmers affected by climate change.

Interactive radio shows such as MoshiFM's "Hekaheka vijijini," which airs on Tuesdays and Saturdays, have been able to provide farmers with the necessary information to help them cope with changing environmental challenges.

The radio station has been working with other partners to produce specific programming on climate change adaptation.

Evans Lyatuu, the program manager of Hekaheka vijijini, said the show aimed at targeting more than 8,000 farmers who grow onions, vegetables, maize, rice, and bananas.

"Our innovative and interactive programs provide farmers with important information they need to cope with climate change, as well as agricultural techniques tailored to their specific needs," he told Anadolu Agency.

According to him, they routinely invite agricultural experts to discuss important issues affecting farmers to minimize the amount of time they spend visiting farmers individually.

"This program is very interactive ... Farmers have the opportunity to call in and ask specific questions about the challenges they are facing, such as prolonged and severe drought," Lyatuu said.

The program has helped farmers immensely gain knowledge and adopt more sustainable farming practices, he added.

Backbone of economy

Agriculture is the backbone of Tanzania's economy. It accounts for more than a quarter of gross domestic product (GDP), provides 85% of exports, and employs about 80% of the workforce.

The country has 29.4 million hectares of land that could be irrigated, but only some 590,000 hectares are currently farmed, according to the Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry.

Although smallholder farmers are disproportionately affected by climate change, there is the reason for optimism because farmers can simply turn on their radios and figure out new ways to adapt to the changing climate.

Every Saturday, Adelina Mbaga sits under a baobab tree, shielding herself from the scorching sun while listening to MoshiFM.

"Most of what they talk about are really relevant to what I do, and they've helped me know when to act whenever the weather is unpredictable," said the 52-year-old farmer from Same's Ruvu village.

She recalled how radio has helped her learn about the invasion of destructive desert locusts in the Kilimanjaro area and prepared herself to spray the farm with insecticide.

"Radio can be a very useful tool for alerting you about an emergency," she explained. "That's why I listen to MoshiFM every day."

Christina Chuwa said the radio program taught her how to conserve water during the dry season and how to use water efficiently through drip irrigation.

"This technique is quite effective. I have earned good money by using the water to grow onions during the dry season," she added./aa

A number of reports on climate change and its growing impact were released in January, while positive steps and pledges toward the protection of the environment were also witnessed.

Following is a list of environmental developments, reports and events compiled by Anadolu Agency.

Jan. 3:

- More than 4,400 migrants die trying to reach Spain in 2021, making it the deadliest year on record.

- The Asir magpie, one of the world’s rarest birds, faces extinction in Saudi Arabia.

Jan. 5:

- A pack of hungry hyenas causes panic in the drought-hit Ushetu district of the Shinyanga region in the East African country of Tanzania, attacking villagers and killing livestock.

- A new law in Spain takes effect recognizing pets as "sentient beings" for the first time in the country.

Jan. 7:

- Researchers in southeastern Turkiye rediscover a critically endangered fish unseen by human eyes for nearly 50 years.

Jan. 10:

- The last seven years have been the warmest on record globally by a clear margin, according to annual data released by the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service.

- The UN Food and Agriculture Organization issues drought alert for Somalia, highlighting the depleted Shabelle River.

Jan. 11:

- Climate failure, growing social divides, increased cyber risks and an uneven global recovery are among the top global risks for 2022, according to the World Economic Forum's Global Risks report.

- Turkiye has to make strong, feasible and effective decisions to attain regional and global leadership in green development, says the country's environment, urbanization and climate change minister.

Jan. 12:

- The British government is sued by prominent environmental groups, --ClientEarth and Friends of the Earth-- for failure to implement its net-zero climate strategy.

Jan. 13:

- Turkiye's Zero Waste campaign is set to expand throughout the country to encourage recycling as the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change will start prioritizing food and unwanted, outdated, or broken products for recycling.

- Researchers in southeastern Turkiye continue their work for the protection of a critically endangered fish unseen by human eyes for nearly 50 years.

Jan. 15:

- Following an underwater volcanic eruption that hit the Pacific country of Tonga, a weather center issues a tsunami warning for the western coast of the US and Canada.

Jan. 16:

- UK and Egyptian officials vow to cooperate on climate change as current and incoming presidencies of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of the Parties (COP).

Jan. 17:

- UK’s Minister for Africa Vicky Ford, who is on a three-country visit to East Africa, announced a $22 million (£17 million) support package for Somalia, Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Sudan to tackle flooding and droughts.

- FAO says millions across the Horn of African region are facing a third season of severe drought.

Jan. 18:

- Plastic pollution is one of the most prevalent environmental pollutants and a "significant driver" of climate change and biodiversity loss, according to a report, published by the Environmental Investigation Agency.

- The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) announces a severe drought in Somalia has displaced 245,000 people as conditions worsen.

Jan. 19:

- The 2020-2022 La Nina events temporarily cooled temperatures, but 2021 was one of the seven warmest recorded years, and Canada logged a Sahara Desert-like temperature of 50 C, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

- An undersea volcanic eruption contaminates the entire water supply in the South Pacific nation of Tonga, says the Chinese ambassador to the island country.

Jan. 20:

- Scientists discover a giant coral reef -- 3 kilometers (2 miles) long and 30 to 65 meters (98 to 213 feet) wide -- off Tahiti, the largest island of French Polynesia, according to UNESCO.

Jan. 24:

- Roughly 1,000 tents used by the UN to shelter internally-displaced persons in northwest Syria are collapsed or badly damaged by snow, according to UN officials.

Jan. 26:

- Nine zebras die in the past 22 days at a safari park in Bangladesh, prompting the government to investigate whether there is negligence.

Jan. 27:

- Malawi’s president declares a state of disaster in the south where a tropical storm left 19 people dead.

Jan. 28:

- UN relief agency chief Martin Griffiths says people of Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso face violence, repeated displacement and difficulties finding sustainable livelihoods for themselves and their families.

- Police arrests two suspected poachers with 14 pieces of ivory which authorities said were taken from seven elephants in western Kenya.

- Australia announces $700 million to protect the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef that is home to more than 1,500 types of fish, over 400 kinds of hard corals and many other species.

Jan. 30:

- A mysterious "bacterial infection" killed two more zebras in Asia's biggest safari park in Bangladesh, taking the death toll to 11 in four weeks./aa

A fresh controversy over wearing hijab-burqa erupted at an Autonomous PG College in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district on Saturday after an M.Com student Rukshana Khan arrived at the college wearing burqa to appear in the exam.

In the mean time, students from other groups, including some associated with Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), students wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), opposed the woman wearing hijab-burqa during the examination.

Sensing that the matter could snowball into a major controversy, the college’s principal-in-charge, Shivesh Pratap Singh swung into action. He not only advised Rukshana Khan not to wear hijab or buqa again in the college, but also took a written undertaking from her that she will wear only college uniform like other students in future.

“We controlled the situation and asked the student to write an apology letter for indiscipline,” Singh was quoted by Hindustan Times as saying.

The political controversy over hijab in Madhya Pradesh had erupted after School Education Minister Inder Singh Paramar supported banning of hijab in schools and also announced that new dress code will be strictly enforced from the next academic year.

Some Congress leaders who belonged to Muslim community opposed the minister’s remarks and said that they would oppose MP government’s proposal to ban hijab-burqa.

On Friday, Bhopal Qazi Syed Mushtaq Ali Nadvi before namaz (prayer) made an appeal to Muslim women to wear hijab-burqa. Qazi said that he is making this appeal because women have stopped wearing hijab-burqa and asked other clerics to make a similar appeal from the mosques.

However, later Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said that the state government has no proposal to ban hijab-burqa in educational institutions in the state./ Muslim mirror

A resolution passed by the National Executive Council of Popular Front of India has stated that the Hijab ban and related controversies in Karnataka constitute another aggression on Muslim identity and denial of religious freedom to minorities. It also denies one’s personal freedom to wear a dress of his/her choice. It is forcing uniformity in the name of uniforms.

Attempts are being made to introduce new cultural practices to pressurise the judiciary to go against Muslim religious freedom. Muslim women across the world deem the headscarf part of their identity for centuries. A cruel and malignant situation has been created that Karnataka Muslim girls are being asked to choose between education and their identity by some educational institutions in the state. When these brave girls assertively stood up for themselves, they were terrorised and heckled by Hindutva boys. Hundreds of boys and girls going to the streets against their fellow students’ rights of religious freedom and harassing women for demanding their rights are a shame on any civilised society. These mobs motivated purely by hate are tarnishing the image of the nation across the globe.

It seems that these institutions that are restricting the Muslim girls are working hand in glow with anti-Muslim forces. Intolerance has been willfully propagated against Muslim symbols for the past few years. Halal food and Muslim prayers were continuously attacked by Sangh Parivar and now they are targeting Muslim women’s Islamic way of dressing. An impression is being created that being Muslim in the country is not okay. They have little regard for the constitutional rights of the citizens or the pluralistic social fabric of the country. This is what fascism looks like.

Our country and its institutions have long maintained a respectful and inclusive approach towards all faiths and were thus able to bring about an organic cohesion of differences. People of all faiths are still allowed to pursue education and participate in their public life without compromising their identity.

Therefore any decision against Hijab will be akin to alienating and excluding Muslims from education and public life. Popular Front stands with the struggle of the Muslim girls and hopes that Karnataka high court will restore their rights to wear Hijab in schools and colleges without facing any discrimination./ By Muslim Mirror Network

Several countries such as the US and the EU bloc have urged their non-essential staff to leave Ukraine amid heightened fears of possible Russian aggression against Ukraine

The US Embassy in Kyiv issued a travel advisory Saturday that said not to “travel to Ukraine due to the increased threats of Russian military action and COVID-19; those in Ukraine should depart immediately via commercial or private means."

The State Department "ordered non-emergency US employees at the Embassy to depart due to continued reports of a Russian military build-up on the border with Ukraine, indicating potential for significant military action."

"Despite the reduction in diplomatic staff, the core embassy team, our dedicated Ukrainian colleagues, and the State Department and US personnel around the world will continue relentless diplomatic and assistance efforts in support of Ukraine’s security, democracy, and prosperity," it said.

Also, the agency "will suspend consular services at the US Embassy in Kyiv" beginning Sunday, according to the travel advisory.

The US warned on Friday that Russia could invade Ukraine "at any time."

Separately, the EU's lead spokesperson for external affairs Peter Stano told reporters Saturday that the bloc urged "its non-essential staff in Ukraine on Friday to leave the country."

According to a EURACTIV report Saturday, Stano said: "We are not evacuating. For the time being, the non-essential staff has been given the opportunity to telework from outside the country."

"We continue to assess the situation as it develops in line with the duty of care we have towards our staff and in close consultation and coordination with the EU member states,” he added.

Stano's remarks came after several EU states, including the Netherlands, Italy and Estonia urged their nationals to leave Ukraine.

The Italian Foreign Ministry's Crisis Unit on Saturday updated its travel advisory on Ukraine.

It called on its citizens to temporarily leave via proper travel means after considering the latest developments while stressing not to travel to Donetsk, Luhansk and Crimea.

On Twitter, Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said the security situation has deteriorated further.

"That is why we call on Dutch people to leave the country as soon as possible and not to travel to Ukraine again," Hoekstra said, adding that there is "a red travel advice for all of Ukraine."

Germany's Foreign Ministry urged its citizens to leave soon if their presence is not necessary.

Berlin also said it is closing its consulate in Donetsk.

A travel and security advisory was issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry on Saturday that said Turkiye has closely been monitoring the security situation.

The advisory called on Turkish citizens to refrain from traveling to Ukraine's eastern regions if not necessary, adding that they should take necessary precautions for their own personal safety and contact the Kyiv Embassy before traveling to Ukraine.

Late Friday, Canada was among countries urging its nationals to leave immediately due to “ongoing Russian threats and the risk of armed conflict.”

“As we continue to work closely with our partners and monitor the situation, I urge all Canadians in Ukraine to make the necessary arrangements to leave the country now,” Foreign Minister Melanie Joy said in a statement.

British citizens were advised not to travel to Ukraine and those who are in the country should leave, according to a Foreign Office travel advice update on Friday.

“British nationals in Ukraine should leave now while commercial means are still available,” said the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Israel advised its citizens to avoid travel and decided to withdraw diplomatic staff and families, according to a statement by its Foreign Ministry.

Additionally, several Arab states, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Iraq, advised their nationals against travel as tension continues to escalate.

South Korea also asked its citizens not to travel to Ukraine and urged those already there to leave, according to Newsweek.com.

- Ukraine-Russia crisis

Ukraine has been plagued by conflict in its eastern regions since March 2014 following Russia’s invasion and annexation of Crimea.

Moscow recently amassed more than 100,000 troops near Ukraine, prompting fears that the Kremlin could be planning another military offensive against its ex-Soviet neighbor.

Russia has denied it is preparing to invade and accused Western countries of undermining its security by NATO’s expansion toward its borders.

The Kremlin also issued a list of security demands to the West, including a rollback of troop deployments from some ex-Soviet states and guarantees that Ukraine and Georgia would not join NATO./aa

Afghanistan's central bank on Saturday rejected US President Joe Biden's executive order to seize half of $7 billion in assets held in US financial institutions, saying the money belongs to the people of Afghanistan, not any government or group.

In a statement, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) stated that the decision to block their foreign exchange reserves and allocate them to “irrelevant” purposes is an injustice to the people of Afghanistan.

It will never accept the country’s reserves being paid under the name of compensation or humanitarian assistance to others, and urged reversal of the decision and the release of all the reserves, it said.

Biden issued an executive order on Friday splitting Afghanistan's central bank's $7 billion in assets, allocating half for humanitarian relief to the poverty-stricken country ravaged by 42 years of war, while keeping the other half available for compensation to victims of the 9/11 attacks.

Al-Qaeda, which the US holds responsible for the attacks, had taken shelter in Afghanistan in the early 2000s, when the Taliban was in power. An interim Taliban administration returned to power last August.

According to the Afghan bank, it is responsible for preserving and managing the country's foreign reserves in line with international law. The foreign reserves are utilized to implement monetary policy, facilitate international trade, and stabilize the financial sector, it added.

"The real owners of these reserves are the people of Afghanistan. These reserves were not and are not the property of governments, parties, or groups and are never used as per their demand or decisions," it said.

It emphasized that the foreign reserves are managed in line with international practices, and the condition of these reserves is regularly and carefully monitored.

The statement noted that a certain portion of these reserves is invested in the US as per the accepted rules to be secure and be available for the bank to achieve its determined objectives./aa

Norway on Saturday announced the lifting of nearly all remaining COVID-19 measures, saying the virus no longer poses a major health threat to most people in the country.

Dutch BNO News said Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference: "Distance between us is no longer necessary. The meter is gone. We’re removing the general advice to keep your distance."

He said the measures are being lifted as the omicron variant is showing less severe symptoms and most Norwegians are protected by vaccines.

Saying that those showing symptoms should still get tested, Stoere said some measures remain in effect in the arctic Svalbard Islands, where healthcare services are limited.

"New waves of infection may occur. The virus can mutate again,” he said, adding: "But today we can go out and be together without being afraid of getting too close to each other."

Since December 2019, the virus has claimed over 5.80 million lives in at least 192 countries and regions, with more than 409 million cases reported worldwide, according to the US' Johns Hopkins University./agencies