Geographical Magazine January 2024 Vorige editie

In this issue we look at the people who leave their homes in the Middle East or Africa to seek a better life in Europe. Jennifer Carlos (page 52) spent months in Senegal talking to people who made the journey and ultimately failed, having to return home due to lack of money, or being forced to return by the authorities. She found a cohort of returnees struggling to fit back in and often treated as failures by their communities. 

Elsewhere, in the coastal Italian town of Pozzuoli, residents haven’t yet been forced to leave. But, as Bryony Cottam reports on page 40, it could happen, due to the fact that the town rests atop Europe’s largest active volcanic caldera. While the risk of a large-scale eruption is deemed small, the truth is, no-one really knows if and when it will happen due to the complex nature of analysing this type of volcano. 

And finally this month there’s at least a portion of positive news. Mark Rowe reports (page 25) on the UK’s efforts to go green, and while it’s a mixed picture, with serious improvements still needed when it comes to heating and transport, on power generation we’re doing well, largely thanks to our windy weather. Nature as both friend and foe.