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Laser scanning may help prevent urban trees from falling

For the first time, a group of biologists and engineers from the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil applied LiDAR (light detection and ranging) technology to investigate the health of trees and optimize pruning with the aim of reducing the risk of trees falling.

Ntombi Maphosa

Some of South Africa's most important climate battles are being fought in courtrooms and Ntombi Maphosa, 33, is among those helping to lead the charge. The attorney in the Centre for Environmental Rights's Pollution and Climate Change Programme is using the law as a tool to protect communities living on the frontline of industrial…

Dr Xola Nduku

The future of agriculture will be shaped as much by innovation as by the farmers who feed the nation. For Dr Xola Nduku, 34, science is not confined to laboratories - it is a tool for solving real-world challenges, from food security to environmental sustainability.

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