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WISE-UP to Climate project ends with prospect for second phase

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WISE-UP to Climate project ends with prospect for second phase

The “WISE-UP to Climate” project, initiated in April 2014 to demonstrate that natural ecosystems are nature based solutions for climate change adaptation and sustainable development, has now ended. And the thinking among partners on the project is that they have been able to advance knowledge on how to ensure the efficiency of built water infrastructure.

Wise-Up
In Ghana as well as Burkina Faso, the WISE-UP Team used the proposed Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam (PMD) as the case study for improving the functionality of natural and built infrastructure

The research based activities of the WISE-UP to Climate project focused on river basins and was centred on the Volta Basin in West Africa and Tana Basin in East Africa. In Ghana as well as Burkina Faso, the WISE-UP Team used the Pwalugu Multi-purpose Dam (PMD) as the case study for improving the functionality of natural and built infrastructure.

Studies dwelt on the benefit functions of the ecosystem, looking at the socio-economic services it provides for the people; the political economy of water infrastructure decisions and governance; and trade-offs between natural and built infrastructure benefits in the Upper White Volta.

The findings indicated that the natural ecosystem benefit functions included flood recession farming, fishing in riparian ponds, and habitat function represented by the significant population of hippopotamus for tourism. Other ecosystem functions include supporting the Bagre hydropower dam, irrigation dam at Kanonzoe and domestic water supply at Ziga all in Burkina Faso; while in Ghana there is irrigation at Pwalugu.

Proposed future infrastructure activities on this tributary include doubling of water supply from Ziga to Ouagaduogou, expanding the Bagre irrigation and the construction of the PMD. The findings showed that these activities could affect the natural flow regime of seasonal flooding and dry season flows.

Absence of seasonal flooding could reduce income of flow dependent ecosystem services for riparian communities by 20% on average and would require riparian communities to shift livelihood activities to male dominated activities such as dry season irrigation.

But, according to the findings, this situation could be averted if the facilities operate in ways that foster a mixed flow regime. So, depending on how a water facility is made to function, a win-win situation could be created.

The WISE-UP Team is therefore convinced that a project like the proposed PMD could be an example of built infrastructure that could contribute to the two countries economic and development needs while, at the same time, strengthening natural infrastructure that supports rural livelihoods.

The findings established that the efficiency of built physical water infrastructure is enhanced, when its operation is linked to the normal functioning of the natural water ecosystem. This means that the sustainable functioning of infrastructure built for irrigation, hydropower or water supply, is related to healthy ecosystems in well-functioning watersheds. Furthermore, such physical facilities built on natural ecosystems, should equip and position riparian communities to adapt to climate change, which as experts say “will only get worse and worse.”

It also means that decisions made for the building of water related infrastructure, should be based on careful consideration of not just the benefits and convenience of the facility to the nation at large; but likewise on the services that the ecosystems provide for local communities. However, arriving at such decisions may not be that simple according to the findings from Pwalugu.

It will depend on various factors, working at three levels, starting first at the top level  by ensuring that key decision making, regulatory, development planning and implementing institutions main stream climate change and prioritise related issues.

Secondly, grassroots consensus should be generated on pertinent social issues and alternative interventions identified by working through District Assemblies and civil society organisations. At the third level, attention should be given to strengthening and increasing regional cooperation focusing on not just poverty alleviation, but also on the potential for economic transformation.

At the final meeting in Accra, on November 29th 2017 of the WISE-UP to Climate project, partners were reminded of the ultimate goal, which is to “introduce multi-criteria and multi-option modes of working into existing planning and decision-making processes, including consideration of ecosystem services and natural infrastructure.”

They were further reminded of the need to lead the next stage of the project by seizing opportunity for synergy offered by climate change, and additionally align with priorities of political parties, engage development partners as well as the private sector, and capitalise on the decentralised system of local administration and governance.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) head office in Switzerland’s representative on the WISE-UP Team, Dr. James Dalton, talked about the next steps. He said it will demand further research to better address the social dimension to decision making and trade-offs. He said in doing the analysis for trade-offs, partners “need not demonise water infrastructure such as dams,” and urged them to rather highlight the benefits of both built and natural infrastructure to maintain objectivity around possible trade-offs.

Dr. Dalton also touched on the proposed WISE-UP 2, which will implement activities packaged based on the research findings in the just ended now WISE-UP 1 project. He announced that WISE-UP 2 will invest in solutions and moblise additional funding for climate-resilient economic development in river basins. This will purposely support countries to among other things, deliver their Nationally Determined Commitments (NDC) under the Paris Climate Accord.

Dr. Dalton explained that WISE-UP 2 “prioritises vulnerable areas and will deliver activities to revitalise rural economies and invest directly in protecting rivers, streams and wetlands as climate adaptation solutions.” It will be implemented in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Kenya as well as in Mali and Ethiopia.

The New Executive Director of the Volta Basin Authority (VBA) Robert Yaovi Dessouassi commended WISE-UP for initiating measures that are improving the natural resources infrastructure of the basin and addressing poverty among the people. He urged the beneficiary countries to utilize the scientific knowledge generated so far, “to address problems in the area, overcome persisting challenges, and chart a path for our sustainable development by leveraging our own resources.”

The former Executive Director of the VBA, Dr. Charles Biney, who was Chairman for the meeting, described WISE-UP as “the project that has drawn our attention to the potential and usefulness of our natural resources and infrastructure, and has demonstrated that it is profitable to include natural infrastructure in development activities in our countries.”

The Acting Director of the Water Research Institute (WRI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Dr. Kwabena Kankam praised WISE-UP for a good work done so far and said, “our institute is proud to be associated with this project.”

The implementing team in Kenya earlier on held a similar end of project meeting.

WISE-UP is the acronym for Water Infrastructure Solutions from Ecosystem Services underpinning Climate Resilient Policies and Programmes. It is a global partnership involving Ghana’s WRI;  the African Collaborative Centre for Earth System Sciences (ACCESS) of the University of Nairobi, Kenya; and  the International Water Management Institute (IWMI). Others are the UK Overseas Development Institute (ODI); the University of Manchester; the Basque Centre for Climate Change (BC3) and IUCN.

In doing its work, the partnership assembled a wide variety of expertise including resource scientists, engineers, computer modellers, governance and political economists, water managers and climate change specialists. The International Climate Initiative (ITI) of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) funded WISE-UP 1 and is likely to finance the phase two as well.

The project is focused on river basins, because team members are of the view that basin ecosystems provide an environment, where optimum outcomes can be achieved for poverty reduction, ecosystem management, economic growth and climate resilience.

The project acknowledges that water security is vital for a sustainable economic growth and poverty reduction. Therefore, countries make investments in water infrastructure for storage and flood control, water availability and accessibility, and to reduce disaster risks. However, the fact still remains that these investments and their benefits are not always equitably distributed, especially in developing countries.

Consequently, the project was designed and seeks to advocate investments that combine natural and built infrastructure in the areas such as water, food and energy security; and industrial development and wealth generation.

The point being made is that benefits are enhanced when ecosystem services are linked more directly into water infrastructure development. Upstream natural infrastructure services include flow regulation, soil and slope stability, groundwater recharge and provision of river habitat. The downstream ecosystem provides services including river fisheries, floodplain grazing, flood recession agriculture, floodplain fisheries, estuarine fisheries and coastal sediment supply. While the built infrastructure provides services such as energy production, drinking water supply, irrigation, reservoir fisheries, and flood control and protection.

By Ama Kudom-Agyemang

Montenegro ratifies Paris Agreement as 172nd Party

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Montenegro ratifies Paris Agreement as 172nd Party

Montenegro on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 deposited its instruments of ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, making the Balkan country the 172nd Party to the global treaty.

Filip Vujanović
Filip Vujanović, President of Montenegro

According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Montenegro’s ratification will come into force on January 19, 2018.

Previously, DR Congo (171st), Syria (170th), Nicaragua (169th), Switzerland (168th), the Czech Republic (167th), Dominican Republic (166th) and Cape Verde (165th) had deposited their instruments of ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

Before this, Liechenstien (164th), Ecuador (163rd), Myanmar (162nd) and Bhutan (161st) had also ratified the treaty.

The Paris Agreement was adopted on December 12, 2015 at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) held in Paris, France from November 30 to December 13, 2015.

On December 12, 2017 governments and representatives from all over the world gathered in Paris at the instance of French President, Emmanuel Macron, to celebrate the two-year anniversary of the Paris Agreement at the One Planet Summit. The Summit presented an opportunity to reaffirm global climate commitments to combat climate change and to emphasise the transition from negotiation to implementation of the Paris Agreement.

The Paris Agreement entered into force on November 4, 2016, 30 days after the date on which at least 55 Parties to the Convention accounting in total for at least an estimated 55% of the total global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have deposited their instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the Depositary.

The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention (UNFCCC) and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.

The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework.

NiMet warns air travelers, road users, others about effects of harmattan

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NiMet warns air travelers, road users, others about effects of harmattan

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has advised air travelers, road users and the public to exercise caution in their operations to avoid negative effect of the current adverse weather condition.

Sani Marshi
Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NiMet, Prof. Sani Marshi

NiMet’s Weather Alert on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 in Abuja, said the prevailing dust hazy weather would lead to flight delays and cancellations, and urged travelers to always show understanding with the airlines.

It, however, advised road users to avoid over-speeding especially during the early morning period when horizontal visibility is most impaired.

“The expected reduction in visibility due to harmattan dust haze will cause cancellation and delay of flights; this is for the safety of air travelers.

“Thick dust (visibility less than 1000m) is observed over Kano, Potiskum, Gombe, Nguru, Bida, Enugu, Asaba, Uyo, Jos, Minna, Ibadan, Lagos, and Port Harcourt.

“Most parts of the northern cities such as Katsina, Maiduguri, Kano, Gusau, Damaturu, Nguru, Bauchi and Zaria are expected to experience a slight improvement in the horizontal visibilities to 1000m-3000m in the next 24 hours.

“However the visibility over the north western parts especially Sokoto and Yelwa are expected to remain poor; less than 1000m,” NiMet predicted.

The agency further disclosed that a reduction in visibility was expected over parts of the central cities such as Abuja, Bida, Lafia, Jos, Makurdi and Lokoja.

It added that the reduction in the visibility would be in thick dust haze condition with visibilities around 1000m or less in the next 12 hours or less.

NiMet further predicted that the southern cities including Owerri, Enugu, Asaba, Ibadan, Lagos, Akure, Owerri and Port Harcourt were expected to remain under the influence of thick dust haze in the next 24 hours.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that a number of flights had be delayed or cancelled across the country due to the adverse weather situation. (NAN)

According to the agency, the harmarttan dust haze has its attendant health implications.

It advised those that were allergic to dust to take necessary precautions and take their medications to alleviate its effect on their health.

By Sumaila Ogbaje

FG-IFAD value chain programme contributes $37.2m to Nigeria’s GDP

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FG-IFAD value chain programme contributes $37.2m to Nigeria’s GDP

The Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), initiated by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), has contributed $37.2 million (about N13.4 billion) to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

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Youths involved in farming: the programme is said to have facilitated the establishment of group seed production enterprises by youths. Photo credit: smeonline.biz

Mrs Vera Onyeaka-Onyilo, IFAD Communication Officer, recently disclosed this in a document presented to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

The document, titled “VCDP Summary Progress’’, noted that data on the 2016 wet season farming and 2016/2017 dry season farming indicated that VCDP also contributed 58,376 tonnes of rice and 184,378 tonnes of cassava to the national food basket.

The Federal Government is implementing VCDP, which became disbursement-effective in January 2015, in Niger, Ogun, Taraba, Benue, Ebonyi and Anambra states.

The completion date of the programme, whose goal is to reduce poverty and accelerate sustainable economic growth, is Dec. 31, 2019.

Onyeaka-Onyilo explained that from the revenue of N38.5 billion and the implementation cost of N14.7 billion, the income-investment analysis, inclusive of overhead costs, indicated a benefit of N2.5 for each N1 invested from the sale of produce alone.

She said that going by the review, the overall achievements indicated that the VCDP had made appreciable progress in the last two years of effective implementation.

“The programme is planned to increase agricultural income by at least 25 per cent for 45,000 smallholder farmers.

“It is also expected to indirectly benefit up to 320,800 people from the production of rice and cassava along the two value chains,’’ she said.

Onyeaka-Onyilo said that the specific programme development objective was the enhancement of the incomes and food security of rural poor households that were engaged in production, processing and marketing of rice and cassava on a sustainable basis.

She noted that the programme had continued to invest in group and cluster development schemes as a viable value chain business model.

“It has strength working with the private sector to facilitate service delivery to smallholder farmers, identifying viable business opportunities within the commodity chains for the youth.

“It has also ensured arable land development to boost women and youth access to land, while sharing innovative agronomic practices with farmers to enhance their productivity and youth engagement in agriculture,’’ she said.

Besides, Onyeaka-Onyilo said that some of the participating state governments had adopted some aspects of the value chain to enhance their service delivery to smallholder farmers.

She said that the VCDP had also influenced strong state government ownership, which was reflected by the governments’ payment of counterpart funds and policy support in land development to enhance the access of youths and women to land for dry season farming.

“The programme has also facilitated an innovative Commodity Alliance Forum (CAF), which empowers smallholder farmers to engage and transact businesses with major private sector players in each state.

“The forum involves farmers and key private sector operators who meet quarterly to review the stakeholders’ engagement in the selected commodity,’’ she added.

Investigations by NAN revealed that the CAF, which had been empowering smallholder farmers and restoring confidence between off-takers and farming communities, was considered a key pillar in the sustainability of VCDP.

Mrs Laadi Ngbegha, one of the beneficiaries and a rice farmer in Iye Community, Guma Local Government Area in Benue State, said the off-taker arrangement had strengthened the use of value chain action plans (VCAPs) by participating field officials (FOs).

She said that the FOs were those officials facilitating cashless credit services on farm inputs for farmers in Benue and Niger.

Ngbegha said the programme had facilitated the establishment of group seed production enterprises by youths via a partnership with Africa Rice Centre, National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI) and International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA).

“It has introduced the use of private sector extension schemes to promote good agronomic practices and enhance farmers’ productivity.

“The VCDP has demonstrated that value chain is a sound economic investment model for Nigeria,’’ she said.

Some of the beneficiaries in Benue noted that smallholder rice and cassava farmers were now having new market opportunities.

They said that the development marked the farmers’ first steps out of poverty through a contract farming scheme in which farmers were guaranteed markets for their crops.

They emphasised that the VCDP had been able to link over 3,603 rice farmers in Benue to Olam International, an agribusiness company, to buy paddy from rice growers.

“Last year, Olam International bought around 997 tonnes of paddy from rice farmers in Benue; the rice was later processed and sold in the Nigerian market.

“Olam also provided the farmers with necessary inputs; certified seeds, fertilisers, and agrochemicals with a guaranteed ‘buy-back’ of the produce at prevailing market prices at the end of the season.

“Olam International extended financial credit to farmers to meet their equity contribution to the VCDP matching grant through a commercial bank,’’ they said.

Michael Afune, a young rice farmer in Omor, Ayamelum Local Government Area of Anambra, told NAN that empowering young people through agribusiness was a success story.

He said that in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to reducing youth unemployment and poverty, the VCDP had been creating a new generation of young farmers in Anambra, with sound training in techniques that could generate new economic opportunities and boost income.

“I have been cultivating rice for years with poor yields, but learning modern methods of rice farming through the VCDP has led to better yields and better incomes,’’ Afune said.

Eze Michael Ogbonnaya-Ukwa, the traditional ruler of Igbeagu, Izzi Local Government Erea of Ebonyi, noted that the VCDP had constructed 134.5km roads in the six benefiting states.

He said the newly constructed road and bridge in Igbeagu community, for instance, had positively impacted on the social and agribusiness activities of the residents of the community.

“The primary purpose of the road, constructed under the VCDP, is to create access for farmers to transport produce from their farms.

“The road is also facilitating the efforts of large-scale produce buyers to reach farm gates to buy produce directly from the farmers.

“Prior to the construction of this road, our farming experience had been horrendous and we couldn’t do much. We are happy that the road has eased our burden,’’ Ogbonnaya-Ukwa said.

A rice processor, Hadiya Hajara Mohammed of the ZokoYegborolo Multipurpose Cooperative Society in Bida, Niger State, said that the VCDP had significantly increased the quantity and quality of the rice produced in the neighbourhood.

She said the “false bottom’’ parboiling technology was introduced by the VCDP to enhance the quality of locally grown rice and make it to compete favourably with imported rice.

“More than 1,623 participants across the project six states were trained on the use of ‘false bottom’ parboiling technique and it has changed how we process rice.

“We’ve been in rice business for more than 20 years, with nothing to show for it, but within one and half years, IFAD-VCDP has made us rich.

“We are now expanding our business and employing people to work and get paid,’’ she added.

In a nutshell, IFAD-VCDP has been supporting smallholder farmers in the six benefiting states of Benue, Anambra, Ebonyi, Taraba, Niger and Ogun in rice production.

It has also signed 1,106 agreements with major off-takers in rice and cassava value chains, while supporting farmers to increase their production, in efforts to improve Nigeria’s food security.

Mr Samuel Adeogun, Ogun State Coordinator of VCDP, said: “There has been increase in the number of people having access to land, especially women and youths.

“Land development has also provided room for farm mechanisation. We believe that the use of farm mechanisation increases efficiency; reduces cost of production and improves farm yield.”

Mrs Folashade Arijogbade, a cassava farmer in Aiyetoro community in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun, said that through the VCDP intervention on land development; her group now owned a 30-hectare farmland, up from the previous 0.5 hectares.

She said that the land development scheme of the VCDP required land owners or communities to sign a land-leasing agreement for a minimum of 10 years.

“The lands are sourced from either the communities  or the government.

“By this, they will be able to recoup their investment on the lands because land development is a capital intensive venture which is beyond the capacity of smallholder farmers,’’ she said.

NAN learnt that the land development project of the VCDP has facilitated improved mechanisation among the farmers, while creating services for farmers and jobs for farm mechanisation service providers.

It has also developed 1,292 hectares in the six participating states and provided mechanisation at a 50 per cent subsidy to boost farmers’ participation.

In the programme that has a budget of $104.4 million; IFAD is providing $74.4 million, while the Federal Government is contributing $9.9 million.

The state governments are contributing $10.4 million; the local government councils are providing $4.3 million; the complementary financing is $2.8 million, while the beneficiaries are contributing $2.1 million.

By Hawa Lawal, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

How farmers can get bumper harvests with improved seeds

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How farmers can get bumper harvests with improved seeds

The Managing Director of Premier Seeds Nigeria Ltd., Prof. Abraham Ogungbile, has advised farmers to use high-quality, improved seeds for their crop growing so as to generate bumper harvests.

Farming
In northern Nigeria, farming is among efforts meant to curb desertification and drought

Ogungbile gave the advice on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

He said that access to good-quality, improved seeds could be the most important effective ingredient in plans to boost farmers’ productivity.

According to him, significant increases in farm yields can boost the economic empowerment of farmers and facilitate poverty alleviation.

“In all plant-based agricultural systems, seed is the most important input, as it determines the upper limit of yield potential; it also determines the ultimate efficacy of other inputs such as fertilisers and agrochemicals.

“Seeds are the carriers of the genetic potential of crops; no crop can yield more than the potential which its seed carries,’’ he added.

Ogungbile, however, stressed that hitch-free access to quality seeds could only be achieved and guaranteed, only if there was a viable seed supply system that could distribute seeds in sufficient quantities to farmers.

The seed expert underscored the need for farmers to obtain quality seeds from reputable seed supply agencies or seed industries, while seeking advice from agricultural and seed experts.

He said that if the farmers adopted such a tradition, they would be able to obtain good-quality, improved seeds for their cultivation and thus, boost their productivity.

Ogungbile said the production and distribution of improved seeds in Nigeria, regulated by seed laws, were handled through the various activities of the National Agricultural Seed Council (NASC), the agency that was authorised to certify seeds in the country.

He said that if the Federal Government could aid seeds companies to supply high-quality seeds to farmers at subsidised rates, Nigeria would be able to attain self-sufficiency in food production, while the living standards of its citizens would improve.

By Okon Okon

Curb GHG emissions to address high humidity, heat – Study

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Curb GHG emissions to address high humidity, heat – Study

Researchers warned that high humidity will magnify the effects of rising heat from South America to India, affecting people’s ability to work and even survive, unless greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are substantially cut in coming decades.

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GHG emission from a coal-fired power plant

According to U.S. researchers, heat remains underestimated as a threat by governments, aid agencies and individuals, and muggy heat is even more oppressive than the “dry” kind, because it stops people from sweating which takes away excess heat.

A study from the Earth Institute at Columbia University found areas along the coast and others that experience humid-weather patterns will be most affected by higher temperatures unless governments curb greenhouse gas emissions that can raise temperatures and put in place measures to tackle the heat.

The areas likely to be affected include the Amazon, southeastern United States, western and central Africa, parts of the Middle East, northern India and eastern China.

Current and projected “wet bulb” temperatures, which reflect the combined effects of heat and humidity, found that by the 2070s, high wet-bulb readings that now occur maybe once a year could prevail 100 to 250 days of the year in some parts.

“The conditions we’re talking about basically never occur now, people in most places have never experienced them,” said lead author Ethan Coffel at Columbia’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.

“Failure to adopt both mitigation and adaptation measures is likely to result in suffering, economic damage, and increased heat-related mortality.”

Rising temperatures may make low-latitude developing nations in the Asian subcontinent, the Middle East, Africa and South America practically uninhabitable during the summer months, another report earlier this year noted.

With muggy heat, the air is already heavy with moisture, so sweat stops evaporating, halting a process to cool the body.

If there is no air conditioning, organs strain and can start to fail.

According to the new study, this can lead to lethargy, sickness and, in the worst conditions, death.

The study projects parts of the Middle East and northern India may hit 35 wet-bulb degrees Celsius by late century, equal to the skin’s temperature, and the theoretical limit at which people will die within hours without artificial cooling.

“It’s not just about the heat … it’s about how many people are poor, how many are old, who has to go outside to work, who has air conditioning,” said Alex Sherbinin at Columbia’s Centre for International Earth Science Information Network.

Government advised to engage in waste recycling

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Government advised to engage in waste recycling

An environmentalist, Mr Johnson Abang, has urged the government at all levels to adopt measures aimed at converting solid waste into useful substances, so as to boost revenue generation.

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Waste disposal and management has posed a major challenge to authorities in major cities in Nigeria

Abang, an Environmental Health Officer in Odukpani Local Government Council of Cross River State, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 in Abuja.

He decried illegal disposal of solid waste by residents in communities across the country, saying that this had largely contributed to the degradation of the environment.

According to him, solid waste management can be undertaken through waste recycling or composting, energy recovery, treatment and proper disposal schemes.

“This involves the gathering of solid waste and recyclable materials and the transportation of such materials to a landfill disposal site.

“Solid waste collection can lead to wealth creation if properly managed; solid waste can be used to manufacture products or as effective substitutes for commercial products.

“On the contrary, illegal dumping and mismanagement of solid waste can pose problems to the environment in the form of air-borne and killer diseases,” he said.

Abang bemoaned the absence of properly designated dumpsites and waste collection centres in many communities across the country, causing illegal dumping of refuse in those neighbourhoods.

He urged the government to always evacuate refuse at illegal dumpsites, while channelling the garbage to appropriate locations for prompt collection and disposal.

“If that is done, the issue of littering the environment with refuse will appreciably reduce across the country.

“Besides, it will reduce the incidences of communicable diseases that are often caused by filthy surroundings,” he added.

By Fortune Abang

Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano sends hot gas in latest eruption

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Indonesia’s Sinabung volcano sends hot gas in latest eruption

Mount Sinabung spewed searing gas more than four kilometres down its slopes on Indonesia’s island of Sumatra on Wednesday, December 27, 2017 as steam and dark gray volcanic ash billowed from the volcano’s crater.

Volcanic eruption
Volcanic eruption

There were no reports of injuries from the fast-moving rock fragments and gases, known as pyroclastic flows, said Sutopo Nugroho, spokesperson for the national disaster management agency.

“Ashfalls rained down on several villages around Mount Sinabung, affecting thousands of residents,’’ he said.

The 2,460-metre volcano has erupted intermittently since late 2013, displacing thousands of people. Sinabung’s alert level has been kept at its highest since June 2015.

16 people were killed in early 2014 during an intense period of eruptions.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for seismic upheavals and volcanic eruptions.

The country is home to about 130 active volcanoes.

40 homes evacuated as bushfire threatens Melbourne suburb

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40 homes evacuated as bushfire threatens Melbourne suburb

Forty homes were evacuated during a bushfire that broke out in a Melbourne nature reserve on Wednesday, December 27, 2017.

Bushfire Australia
A raging bushfire in Australia

In hot windy conditions the fire quickly got out of control in a nature reserve near a golf club and cemetery in the south-east suburb of Cheltenham, 18 kilometres from the city centre.

More than 70 firefighters, four helicopters and a dozen fire trucks were fighting the flames.

Inspector Bruce Kitchen from Victoria Police told the broadcaster ABC that about 40 houses were evacuated but residents may be able to return to their homes later.

Identifying causes of maternal, infant mortality

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Identifying causes of maternal, infant mortality

In spite of its enormous benefits, medical personnel believe that some women care less about antenatal clinic attendance.

Nigeria
There are concerns over the high infant and maternal mortality rates in Nigeria

Aisha Usman, 28, and few others share their experiences, attributing the occurrences to ignorance and poverty.

“Each night when I go to sleep, I pray not to wake up, for fear of facing the world with my situation. I was married off at the age of 15 to a man old enough to be my grandfather. The first night in my new home was the worse night of my life; my husband was so hard on me.

“When I realised I was pregnant, I was far gone with the pregnancy, I never attended any antenatal clinic or even visited the hospital because we have a traditional doctor that comes to the house to treat us,” Aisha explained.

Aisha would only pray that she had a new life. Her first encounter with her husband was as rough as anything she could imagine.

“That faithful morning, after the rough night experience with my husband I started bleeding,” she said, recalling how the first wife Hajia Mariam Usman rushed to call the family ‘doctor’.

“When he came, he gave me a mixture of herbal drink and after taking it, I got worse but he insisted I will be fine, so I slept off, when I woke up I was told that I had lost the baby.

“I cried but it couldn’t change anything. Weeks later I took in again and similar thing happened; I lost the baby after 34 weeks.

“I lost another pregnancy at 28 weeks that was when the herbal doctor told me I couldn’t get pregnant again. I was never taken to the hospital throughout these episodes.

‘“Today I am childless except almighty God decides to grant me miracle,” she said.

Data from World Bank shows that early marriage is highly prevalent in Nigeria, especially in the rural than in urban areas. The lowest measures can be observed in the south-eastern part of the country while the highest measures observed in the north eastern and north-western parts of the country.

Another housewife, 22-year-old Zainab Yakubu from Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State, shared her story on how she lost five children to meningitis due to illiteracy and ignorance.

“My husband is in Abuja, I lived with our five children alone in Zamfara, I don’t go out of the house without being accompanied by a male, as I must seek the permission of my husband to go out.

Zamfara, a Sharia state, started the implementation of Sharia law in Nigeria currently and has the highest poverty rate in the country if data from Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative is any standard to apply.

For Zainab Yakubu, her experience was also traumatic.

“I called to inform my husband that the children were sick and he told that he will call his brother.

“By the time the brother came, the children became worse but as soon as he came, he went to get a taxi and took the children to the hospital.

“On getting to the hospital that evening, the doctors confirmed that the children were too weak but that he could commence treatment immediately.

“We lost the first three children that night, Hamina Bashiru was three years old, Suwaiba Bashiru two years old and Adamu Bashiru eight years old.

“The other two Sani Bashiru, two years old and Sakiyna Bashiru, died in the early hours of the morning the following day.

“But before calling my husband, I prepared herbal medicine and gave them, I thought it was malaria because the signs and symptoms were similar although it did not work,” she noted.

Mr Yakubu Muhammad, a farmer in Talata Mafara local government area of Zamfara State who also narrated the story of how he lost his wife, blamed it on poverty and ignorance.

According to him, he lost his wife eight years ago to complication in pregnancy.

“When I first got married to the love of my life, we were so happy together and we never had health problems until she got pregnant.

“She got pregnant three months after we got married; we had a community birth attendant where we lived, so she was always checking on my wife.

“She assured us every time we went to see her that everything was fine and she will only prepare herbal medicines for my wife which she said was routine medicine,” Muhammed said.

A lot of women gave birth to their children successfully with the help of her but Muhammad and his wife were unfortunate.

Muhammad explained that his wife usually bleeds whenever she was pregnant but Sadiya was readily available to calm the situation.

“Every time it happened, I will call the attendant; she never hesitated to answer, she checks her after which she will give the herbs and my wife will become well again.

“At about 2 a.m. in the early hours of the morning, my wife started screaming, she was in pain the baby was coming, I was confused I didn’t know how to help her. I quickly ran to her and she followed me.

“When we got home my wife was so weak, she asked me to stay outside and I obeyed her. After about two hours, the attendant came out holding the baby, it was a baby boy but my wife was dead,” Muhammad said.

Corroborating these occurrences, Dr Mustapha Jibril, Commissioner for Health in Niger State, said Nigeria ranked second where women die from complications of pregnancy.

He admitted that poverty and ignorance play major roles in maternal death.

“A poor person is very unlikely to get education or have money to go to the hospital for antenatal and early child marriage also contribute to high maternal mortality and virginal fistula.

“A lot can be done to improve maternal health in Nigeria just as the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole, is doing by revitalising Primary Healthcare system in the country,” he said.

Dr Charles Agugua, a gynecologist with a private hospital in Abuja, also expressed concern that poverty had prevented many women from getting proper and adequate medical attention.

He also identified poverty as a major barrier to human development, noting that high level poverty had limited people’s bid, especially women to have access to quality healthcare.

“More so, Nigeria is reported to have one of the highest occurrences of maternal mortality in the world with figures ranging from 704 to 1,500 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

Agugua also said the relationship between poverty and maternal mortality called for the need to address the reproductive health problem in the country.

He called for focused strategy that would enable pregnant women with complications have access to the medical interventions of emergency obstetrical care.

The expert also called for the upgrading of rural health centers and referral hospitals and stocked them with the necessary drugs and equipment to boost their effort in carrying out obstetrical services.

He also stressed the need to train health workers and develop strong referral systems between communities and health care facilities to check delays in cases that posed threat to life.

He advised government to establish supportive policies that would help the system work better and faster.

Available reports indicate that more  than 70 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria are due to five major complications: haemorrhage, infection, unsafe abortion, hypertensive disease of pregnancy and obstructed labour.

Also, poor access to and utilisation of quality reproductive health services contribute significantly to the high maternal mortality level in Nigeria.

Figures based on the results of the 1999 Multiple Indicators Cluster Survey show a wide variation from 166 per 100,000 live births in the south-western part of the country to 1,549 per 100,000 live births in the north-eastern part, with a national average of 704 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Nevertheless, stakeholders insist that strategies need to be more appropriately focused to enable pregnant women to have access to emergency obstetrical care.

According to them, appropriate authorities ought to train cadres of health workers and develop strong referral systems between communities and health care facilities, since delays in care can be life-threatening.

They recommend that there is need for skilled attendants to be well remunerated in order to improve performance and efficiency.

They also note that Ministries of Health has roles to play in strengthening its health care systems and addressing inequality.

They, therefore,  plead with governments to improve the health sector, especially maternal health, without which many pregnant women will continue to face the problem of access to healthcare that may increase the prevalence of maternal mortality.

By Jessica Onyegbula, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

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