The 2015 fire and haze event had severe effects for people and the environment. Since then, governments, companies, local communities, NGOs and donors have engaged in a variety of initiatives to prevent and manage forest fires
Indonesia’s forest fires take toll on wildlife
A national policy dialogue organised by the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) in Pekanbaru (Riau, Indonesia) on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 brought together different stakeholders to share their experiences with the prevention and management of forest fires. Together, they analysed progress so far and discussed a way forward and best practices for legislation, law enforcement, implementation and collaboration.
Local regulations are more effective
Academics and researchers at the event highlighted that regulations are more effective at the provincial, regency and city levels, issued in the form of local laws (Peraturan Daerah, or Perda). The advantage of this type of legislation is that it is binding and enforceable.
Local regulations should focus on offering incentives not to burn forest land; improving coordination among farmers for fire prevention and restoration; strengthening law enforcement; developing water management and infrastructure; and improving initial responses to fire. New legislation should be based on solid scientific evidence and support community-based restoration.
“We are happy that our research outputs can be used by all stakeholders to inform public debate, policies, regulations and best practices,” said Dr. Herry Purnomo, a scientist at CIFOR on behalf of the team of researchers. “We expect that the insights shared today will contribute to the reduction of fire and haze, not only in Riau but also in other regions of Indonesia.”
Sharing knowledge and collaboration
Participants agreed that best practices for fire prevention and restoration need to be established and communicated. Governments, corporations, communities and academics must share lessons learned about what works and what does not work. For example, ‘fire-free village’ programs run by different stakeholders must be evaluated and compared.
Partnership and collaboration across sectors is also essential to improve law enforcement and the implementation of best practices on the ground. At a regional level, bilateral and multilateral cooperation between ASEAN member states and stakeholders will also support fire prevention.
Property developers, suppliers and owners recently got the opportunity to showcase their best projects and services from across sub-Saharan Africa at the Africa Property Investment (API) Awards held on Thursday, August 24, 2017.
Gugulethu Cele, CNBC Africa (First), Charles Haba, Centrury Rwanda (Second), Michael Idusso, Kigali Heights Development Company (Third), Daniel Kamau (Forth)
The awards, which were held at the API Summit and Expo 2017 in Johannesburg, South Africa, recognised innovation and outstanding achievement across the entire property industry in seven categories. The categories include Best Retail Development, Best Mixed-Use Development, Best Commercial High-rise Development, Best Architectural Design, Best Green Building in Sub Saharan Africa, Best Hotel Development and Best Housing Development. The winning developments came from Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Mozambique, Namibia and Rwanda.
The projects were judged on a wide range of criteria including location, infrastructure and transport access, integration into the environment, originality of the concept, technical and architectural quality, services offered, sensitivity to the local community, innovation, sustainability, corporate staff involvement, response to market demands, financial performance, occupancy, and the impact of the project on economic convergence.
The calibre of entries was world class and the judges had a challenging time selecting the winners, nevertheless they managed to hone in on the best projects. Here are the winners for each category from the 2017 Africa Property Investment Awards.
Kfir Rusin, Managing Director of API Events, said: “We congratulate all the winners and finalists as well as their respective project teams. They have set an exceptionally high standard for real estate developments across sub-Saharan Africa and continue to shape the African built environment landscape. API Events is proud to be associated with these companies and wishes to aid in further pushing the boundaries of excellence for African property development.”
Best Retail Development – Winner: Kumasi City Mall, Ghana – Atterbury (Developer) and Boogertman & Partners (Architects)
The 18,000 sqm Kumasi City Mall is the first one stop shopping destination for Kumasi in the Asokwa region of Ghana. The project, developed by Atterbury, includes innovative features such as composite timber as cladding and breezeblock walls. The design stays architecturally sensitive to the region and includes green building features like natural ventilation, wastewater harvesting and LED lighting. The building was based on the African notion of gathering under the trees and as such is rooted within a Ghanaian forest analogy and the context of Kumasi.
Best Commercial High-rise Development – Winner: Accra Financial Centre, Ghana – RMB Westport (Developer)
The Accra Financial Centre offers 14,648m2 of prime office space in Accra Ghana. The project was developed in line with international health and safety requirements and includes sustainable features such as energy efficient lighting solutions, isothermally insulated cavity walls to help maintain internal temperatures that reduce the building’s dependence on artificial air conditioners. The development includes a ground floor retail bank, nine floors of A-grade offices, ample parking and an additional 314m2 of retail space on the ground floor.
Best Mixed-Use Development – Winner: Kigali Heights, Rwanda – Kigali Heights Development Company (Developer), Fusion Capital (Financier-Kigali Heights), Century Real Estate (Property Managers – Kigali Heights)
The Kigali Heights Development comprises a world class office block with 12 750 sqm of Grade A office space, 5 250 sqm of prime retail space and 300 parking bays. The 18 000 sqm development was designed with flexibility and energy efficiency at its core. Kigali Heights features green building solutions such as solar powered lighting that augments the national grid and an in-house sewerage treatment plant both firsts for any commercial building in Rwanda. The development boasts a series of functional spaces which have a strong identity.
Best Green Building in Sub Saharan Africa – Winner: Garden City, Kenya – Actis (Developer)
Garden City is East Africa’s first integrated residential, retail and office development. Set on 32 acres the development includes an approximately 45,000m2 shopping mall, over 200 residential apartments and 20,000m2 built-to-suit office space. Developed by Actis in line with the Kenyan government’s Vision 2030 the project has sustainability at its core and features the largest solar paneled carport in Africa on the mall’s rooftop parking area. The developer’s vision was to create a “live-work-play” environment to cater to the community in the North-East suburbs of Nairobi.
Best Hotel Development – Winner: Strand Hotel, Namibia – DHK Architects (Architects) The Strand Hotel has become a landmark in the seaside town of Swakopmund, Namibia. The development includes 87 luxury suites and 28 upmarket apartments, 610m2 promenade retail space, more than 1,000m2 of conference, business and banqueting facilities as well as 1,000m2 of health and spa facilities and a restaurant. The design of the hotel meets the requirements of the local heritage council and responds sensitively to the existing indigenous landscape. To avoid directly imitating the existing architecture a functional contemporary design approach was adopted resulting in a unique aesthetic.
Best Housing Development – Winner: Karibu Homes, Kenya – Karibu Homes (Developer) Project Description: Karibu Homes is a leading Kenyan developer of mass market affordable housing with 1,000 homes currently under development. The developer has successfully delivered the first community of affordable housing in Nairobi having already completed Phase 1 of the project with 285 homes built and sold. Work on Phase 2 has started with 500 homes under construction. Since inception the development has had a significant systemic impact on the affordable housing ecosystem in general with both public and private institutions actively seeking to learn something from the development through site visits, panel discussions and scholarships.
Best Architectural Design – Winner: Torres Rani Towers, Mozambique – DSA Architects (Architects)
The Torres Rani Towers development in downtown Maputo, Mozambique is a two-tower structure that spans 775,000 sq. ft. The development includes office space, a residential tower of 181 furnished and serviced residences, a two-storey secured parking garage, and a retail area that will service both towers. Within the residential tower, 117 one-bedroom and studio units will be fully managed by Radisson Blu. Amenities include two swimming pools, a children’s play area, restaurants as well as lounges and a state of the art gymnasium.
Suspected billionaire kidnapper, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike, popularly known as Evans, on Wednesday, August 30, 2017 pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy and kidnapping at the Lagos High court, Ikeja.
Evans
Evans, who was arraigned on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping before Justice Hakeem Oshodi spent 82 days in detention at police station after his arrest.
The Lagos State Government arraigned him alongside five accomplices.
His accomplices are Uche Amadi, Ogechi Uchechukwu, Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu, Chilaka Ifeanyi and Victor Aduba on a two-count charge of conspiracy and kidnapping.
Evans, Amadi and Nwachukwu pleaded guilty to the charges, while Uchechukwu, the only female defendant, Ifeanyi and Aduba pleaded not guilty to the charges.
They were brought to the court amidst tight security within and outside the court premises.
The trial judge, Oshodi ordered that all the male defendants be remanded at Kirikiri Maximum Prison while the female defendant, who pleaded not guilty be kept at the Kirikiri Female Prison.
The judge subsequently adjourned the matter to October 19, for review of facts for those who pleaded guilty and commencement of trial for those who claimed innocence.
This followed the prayers of the prosecution team led by Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Adeniji Kazeem, for an adjournment.
Evans had raked in millions of dollars as ransoms paid to him by his victims’ families before his arrest on June 10, 2017, in one of his mansions at Magodo, Lagos State.
The notorious kidnapper had, through his counsel, Olukoya Ogungbeje, filed for the abuse of his fundamental human rights before a Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, contending that his continued detention since June 10 without charge amounts to an infringement on his fundamental human rights.
He argued that the respondents ought to have charged him to court in line with Sections 35 and 36 of the Constitution.
A 27-paragraph affidavit in support of the motion deposed to by Evans’ father, Stephen Onwuamadike, he averred that the applicant had been subjected to media trial.
The father had said the media trial and news orchestrated by the respondents continued to generate reactions in both print and electronic media without his son being afforded fair hearing and trial before a court of law.
Justice Abdulaziz Anka had adjourned till September 5 to hear arguments from Evan’s lawyer and police lawyers on why he should not deliver judgment on the fundamental rights application brought by Evans.
The charge against Evans and his accomplices reads in part: “That you, Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (M), Uche Amadi (M), Ogechi Uchechukwu (F), Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu (M), Chilaka Ifeanyi (M) and Victor Chukunonso Aduba (M) are charged with the following offences; Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, to wit; kidnapping contrary to Section 411 Criminal Law CAP C17 Laws of Lagos State 2015.
“Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (M), Uche Amadi (M), Ogechi Uchechukwu (F), Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu (M), Chilaka Ifeanyi (M) and Victor Chukwunonso Aduba (M) on the 14th February 2017 at about 7:45pm along Obokun Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, in the Ikeja Judicial Division conspired to commit a Felony to with kidnapping.
“Count 2: kidnapping contrary to Section 271(3) of the Criminal Law CAP C17 Laws of Lagos State 2015.
“Chukwudumeme Onwuamadike (M), Uche Amadi (M), Ogechi Uchechukwu (F), Okwuchukwu Nwachukwu (M), Chilaka Ifeanyi (M) and Victor Chukunonso Aduba (M) on the 14th February and 12th April 2017 along Obokun Street, Ilupeju, Lagos, in the Ikeja judicial Division while armed with guns and other weapons did capture, detain and collect a ransom of 223,000 Euros from one Dunu Donatus (M) for his release”.
A constitutional lawyer and author, Chief Sebastine Hon (SAN), has challenged Mr. Femi Falana (SAN) for saying chief judges are empowered to free prison inmates, insisting that chief judges, including the Chief Justice of Nigeria, have no constitutional powers to embark on prison amnesty.
Femi Falana
Hon said such amnesties, including the power of the Attorneys-General to enter nolle prosequi, are deliberately left by the framers of the Constitution in the hands of politicians, to avoid the sacredness of the Judiciary being muddied or messed up with, by permitting Judicial officers, through administrative actions, to order the release of politically-exposed persons from criminal prosecution.
The Senior Advocate was responding to a statement credited to Falana, where he (Falana) stated in a rejoinder to his (Hon’s) earlier position that Chief Judges have powers to order release from prison detention.
He said: “I ordinarily would have kept quiet; but I think the good people of Nigeria need to know better. In other words, Mr. Falana’s reasons for taking that position are, with respect, not known to law. The position itself is completely wrong.
“In the first place, from his language, Mr. Falana has suggested that my press statement on the subject matter targeted the recent prison releases made by the respected Chief Judge of Lagos State. How wrong he is! Nearly all the State Chief Judges have at one time or the other undertaken this exercise. I do not entertain sentiments when interpreting the Nigerian Constitution.”
According to him, Falana, after admitting that he had relied on sections 35(4), 175 and 212 of the Constitution, further shockingly stated thus: “It is curious to note that in the press statement credited to Mr. Hon no reference was made to the relevant laws on the subject matter.”
“What, in his judgment, is more ‘relevant’ than the Constitution of Nigeria – the fons et origo (source) of all laws?” Hon queried.
The constitutional lawyer said Falana is the person who is running away from the Constitution and taking refuge under laws that are lower to the Constitution!
He insisted that it was wrong to say that state chief judges have never granted pardon to convicts or criminal suspects awaiting trial before.
His words: “Another shocking submission made by Mr. Falana is that since the Prisons Act, 2004 and the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) (Special Provisions) Act fall under Item 8 of the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution, they are constitutional!
“I quote him: ‘Since prison is item 48 in the Exclusive Legislative List in the first schedule to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, it is undoubtedly clear that both the Prisons Act and the Criminal Justice (Release from Custody) Act cannot be said to be inconsistent or (sic) impugned on ground of inconsistency with the Constitution.’ This is my first time of hearing this constitutional theory! Listing of legislative items under the Legislative Lists is only intended to draw the line, in a federal setup like ours, between what the Federal Government on the one hand and the federating States on the other hand have competence to legislate on and is not a licence to enact unconstitutional legislation.
“The Constitution cannot under section 1(3) be providing that an Act or a law will be unconstitutional if it conflicts with the Constitution and at the same time, under the Legislative Lists, be saying the opposite of this. And before we forget, it was the same Mr. Falana, SAN, who a couple of weeks ago stated that the provisions of the EFCC Act which required confirmation by the Senate of the appointment of the EFCC Chairman, were unconstitutional. Was the EFCC Act not made pursuant to the powers granted by the Constitution in the Legislative List?”
Hon maintained that section 35(4) of the 1999 Constitution has covered the field on what should be done to any person accused of an offence; and there is no room for any administrative action by the Judiciary.
Only judicial actions, he said, can lead to the release of detained persons, hence any administrative action, apart from the one in sections 175n and 212 will be directly in conflict with the said section 35(4).
“Finally, if Chief Judges are permitted to release persons from custody, what is the legal implication of that action? Do the detainees get the reprieve of pardon that only the President or the Governor can grant? No! They are merely released, while the charges against them are pending!
“What then happens to those charges, judging from our Constitution or even the Acts cited by Mr. Falana, SAN? Nothing! But if the President or a Governor grants pardon, section 36(10) of the Constitution comes in handy to erase the conviction or even accusation in view of the phrase ‘concerned with an offence in sections 175 and 212,” he stressed.
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State will deliver the News Express 5th Anniversary Lecture on Thursday, September 28, 2017, the newspaper’s Management said on Thursday, August 30, 2017 in Lagos.
Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello, Governor of Niger State
News Express Publisher, Isaac Umunna, said that Governor Bello would speak on “National Unity and the Demand for Restructuring – A Governor’s Perspective.”
“We are delighted to have His Excellency, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, deliver the News Express 5th Anniversary Lecture. Perhaps no issue is engaging the attention of Nigerians at the moment more than national unity and restructuring.
“We have chosen the right man to speak on this crucial issue at this moment of heightening agitations across the country. His Excellency, Governor Sani Bello, is a distinguished newbreed Nigerian leader whose state, Niger, has over the decades played a very significant role in promoting national unity. We are sure that he will bring fresh and interesting perspectives to the issue on the lecture day,” Umunna said in a statement.
He added that the lecture would hold in Lagos at a venue soon to be made public, and would be graced by a galaxy of personalities whose identities would be unveiled in due course.
News Express, which debuted on August 29, 2012, is one of Nigeria’s most popular and influential online dailies. It is read by hundreds of thousands of people around the world and records annual traffic of upwards of 100 million.
The Green Climate Fund (GCF) appears to be helping to level the playing field of climate action with the launch on Tuesday, August 29, 2017 of its first gender guide to climate finance.
Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF), Howard Bamsey, and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate, Isabella Lövin, launch the Fund’s first gender guide to climate finance
GCF Executive Director Howard Bamsey and Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Climate Isabella Lövin (who is also the country’s Deputy Prime Minister) unveiled the gender manual during World Water Week, currently being held in Stockholm, Sweden.
“Mainstreaming Gender in Green Climate Fund Projects,” developed with UN Women, guides GCF partners on how to include women, girls, men and boys from socially excluded and vulnerable communities in all aspects of climate finance.
Minister Lövin said it is natural for Sweden, as home to the world’s first feminist government, to consider gender equality as a priority in all decision making and resource allocation.
“Gender equality is part of the solution to society’s challenges such as climate change,” she said. “It is thus of utmost importance that the GCF integrates a gender perspective into all its activities, something this manual will help to achieve.”
Mr Bamsey said the manual is a logical step stemming from the central place of gender consideration in GCF’s operations since the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) set up the Fund in 2010.
“The release of the manual comes at a key juncture as GCF ramps up its implementation of climate finance projects,” said Mr Bamsey. “It will help ensure gender consideration lies at the heart of all GCF-supported initiatives.”
Climate change is one of a range of topics being addressed at World Water Week, where more than 3,000 participants from a variety of different fields are currently gathered.
There is a clear link between water and climate change-gender issues, Oyun Sanjaasuren, Chair of Global Water Partnership (GWP), said on the sidelines of the event.
“Water and climate-related disasters are intricately linked, especially floods and droughts,” said Ms Oyun, a former Mongolian Member of Parliament who is currently President of the United Nations Environment Assembly.
“For example, women often have less access to water supply for irrigation, which in the current context of increasing droughts, constitutes a real threat to their food security,” she said.
Ms Oyun stressed climate action needs to consider gender equality as women and girls are disadvantaged in a range of areas including water and sanitation issues, food security, health and migration.
“So when it comes to climate breakdown, what is an already bad situation becomes worse for those at most risk,” she added.
Encouraging global action to support clean water and sanitation, United Nations General Assembly President, Peter Thomson, on Monday, August 28, 2017 underscored that when it comes to the environment, everything is connected.
United Nations General Assembly President, Peter Thomson, addressing the 2017 World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden
“None should imagine that the state of sanitation and coral reefs are anything but directly connected,” Mr. Thomson said, delivering the keynote address at special event in Stockholm to start the World Water Week. “It makes no sense to consider terrestrial environmental issues, fresh water challenges or climate change in isolation.”
He urged the international community to take an “inclusive, integrated approach,” and put to use all skills, idea and energies.
Water and sanitation are among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which were adopted by the 193 Members of the UN in September 2015, and which are guiding the work of the development efforts of the international community through 2030.
Combined with the Paris Agreement on lowering the impact of climate change, the SDGsrepresent “the best chance our species has to achieve a sustainable way of life on Planet Earth before it is too late,” Mr. Thomson said.
He commended World Water Week for bringing together more than 3,000 participants from nearly the entire world. The 2017 edition of the week will address the theme ‘Water and waste: reduce and reuse.”
Experts, practitioners, decision-makers, business innovators and young professionals from a range of sectors and countries come to Stockholm to network, exchange ideas, foster new thinking and develop solutions to the most pressing water-related challenges of today.
In his address, Mr. Thomson noted that The Ocean Conference, which, held in New York in June, was meant to raise attention and start working on stopping marine pollution – mainly plastics – ocean acidification, ocean warming, overfishing, damage to biodiversity and ecosystems, and strengthen governance on these issues.
The Conference resulted in a political declaration, partnerships dialogues and nearly 1,400 voluntary commitments to help overcome these issues.
“North and south east and west, the ocean unites us and we have to bring humanity back into a relationship of balance and respect with the water: that great reservoir of H20 which is of course shared by clouds into the rivers and lakes that give us the fresh water that we drink,” Mr. Thomson said.
He said The Ocean Conference gave a boost to a global movement to deliver on SDG14, or the so called Ocean Goal, and similarly, it is time to push for world action on SDG 6, related to water and sanitation.
“SDG6, the water and sanitation Goal, is in need of a major push. The time is right, thus I encourage you all to join together to develop concerted global action to deliver on the targets of (that Goal),” Mr. Thomson said.
The Norwegian municipality of Arendal has pledged to become climate neutral, as the first municipality in the world to join the United Nations Climate Neutral Now initiative. This means that it will measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the greatest extent possible, and offset all emissions that cannot be avoided.
Arendal, Norway
Urban areas represent an estimated 70% of energy-related global greenhouse emissions, and their total population is projected to double by 2050; so municipal climate action is critical for the success of the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
The municipality of Arendal is concerned about the effects of climate change, which range from threats to drinking water and agricultural supplies to sea level rise, and it is working hard to reduce its emissions in line with the central goal of the Paris Agreement.
Under the Paris Agreement, governments have agreed to shift the planet toward a pathway that keeps the maximum global average temperature rise to as close as possible to 1.5 degrees Celsius. A balance, known as “climate neutrality” must be achieved in the second half of this century between global emissions and removals in order to achieve this goal.
Arendal has been a pioneer when it comes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions for some time. The municipality’s own operations have been climate neutral since 2008.
Robert Cornels Nordli, Mayor of Arendal, says: “We consider it a natural next step to work towards climate neutrality for the community as a whole. Some of our services are focused on climate, energy, and environment. In addition, Arendal is founded on the industries of shipping, forestry and mining, and tourism. Therefore, an additional contribution we want to make is to inspire other sectors.”
Examples of what the Arendal municipality has been doing to become climate neutral so far include the phasing out of all fuel oil consumption for heating purposes, acquiring efficient electric technology, and increasing use of online business meetings to avoid emissions from travel.
To step up work toward climate neutrality, Arendal will work on reducing fossil fuel consumption in transportation, along with increasing the use of biofuels and electric vehicles; and purchasing renewable power to cover emissions from purchased electricity while increasing energy efficiency.
UN Climate Change welcomed Arendal municipality’s announcement to go Climate Neutral Now. Niclas Svenningsen, who heads the agency’s Climate Neutral Now initiative, said: “It’s great that Arendal municipality is moving forward toward becoming climate neutral. Municipalities have an important role within society in promoting action to tackle climate change. We sincerely congratulate Arendal for its efforts and for the goals it has set for the coming years, and at the same time, we encourage other municipalities to follow this initiative.”
Financing climate change is a major concern for Nigeria in its quest for sustainable development and transitioning to a green economy. Delivering on the Paris Agreement requires countries to effectively implement their national climate plans as well as increase their ambition over time. Achieving both of these goals requires a key item – finance.
Ibrahim Usman Jibril, Minister of State for Environment
Historically, Nigeria has not been as successful as many other developing countries in accessing available international resources to help meet these needs. A lack of understanding of climate finance funding opportunities; difficulties in crafting concept notes and applications that reflect the requirements of providers; and challenges in coordinating activities across the government so as to present a coherent vision of Nigeria’s climate finance priorities have all held back climate finance flows.
However, in the last few years, important advances appear to have been made.
The Clean Technology Fund is supporting the development of transformative public transport schemes in Lagos, Kano and Abuja.
The Department of Climate Change has established a pioneering Climate Finance Unit that will enhance knowledge and information on climate finance opportunities and help develop robust project proposals.
The Bank of Industry is in the final stages of seeking accreditation as a National Implementing Entity to the Adaptation Fund. If successful, this will allow a national organisation to be responsible for implementing projects funded from this source, substantially enhancing country ownership.
In anticipation of a successful accreditation, efforts to develop a cross-cutting project concept to support the climate resilience of poor and vulnerable Nigerians have begun.
Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world, has been classified as a developing nation (lower-middle incomes) according to World Bank 2016 Report. The country has a robust population growth with the attendant need for massive infrastructural development in the key sectors.
However, Nigeria is experiencing huge infrastructural loss in areas such as energy, healthcare, transport, housing, roads, and other social amenities that make life comfortable, and these have contributed in slowing the growth and development of the economy.
It is a well-known fact that climate change presents a lot of challenges which affect the entire world in no small measure. The consequences of this ugly monster with its far-reaching effects have been felt by both the developed and developing nations. Nigeria is battling with the difficult task of achieving stable economic development in the face of a massive infrastructural deficit, alarmingly growing population, and inadequate financial resources to tackle her immediate needs.
Mobilising climate finance from different climate finance sources at the international levels will depend on the country’s ability to satisfying the conditions precedents in assessing such funds and the countries developmental priorities with respect to climate change. At times it could be that the readiness process needs to be robust and implementing entities are well established. Also, bankable projects and proposals for accessing such finds are well prepared.
At the national level the situation is quite different, as national budgeting process needs to be engaged to ensure that priorities set forth in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) are taken account of by the budgets. Climate vulnerable sectors identified and climate issues are mainstreamed and translated into budgetary allocations of such sectors. Issuing climate bonds is another way of mobilising climate finance from the private sector either at national or international level.
Climate finance refers to the arrays of financial flows in terms of activities and projects which aim at achieving progress towards climate objectives. In fact, climate finance has been seen as a measure to respond to the threats posed by climate change to developing countries.
Developed countries have made a commitment with the aim of raising jointly $100 billion a year by 2020 to tackle climate needs of developing nations.
Adaptation funding is among the most promising outputs of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), but it’s also one of the ways climate assistance could fall flat. While wealthy nations have pledged nearly $10 billion to the Global Climate Fund (GCF) to help vulnerable populations, ensuring funding meets the adaptation needs of communities remains a challenge.
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) can help governments and communities make better use of adaptation funding by monitoring and strengthening adaptation finance accountability to ensure local community needs are being met.
To conclude, if the government takes action, then Nigeria can prepare a credible, robust pipeline of funding opportunities and pursue the necessary steps to join the 2-degree pathway. If we do not take action now, we might end up losing quite a lot to global warming.
By Olumide Idowu (Team Lead, Climate Wednesday; @OlumideIDOWU)
As part of activities lined up to improve vehicular movement and to mitigate against crashes during the Eid-El-Kabir celebration, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, has approved the deployment of 33,000 personnel, both regular and special marshals, to address wrong road usage by motorists which results in high number of Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) during festivities and ensure a downward trend in the number of RTCs.
Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) marshall, Boboye Oyeyemi. Photo credit: premiumtimesng.com
The Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, emphasised that the operation would focus on traffic control, excessive speeding, dangerous driving/overtaking, clearance of road obstructions, seatbelt use violation, zero tolerance for use of phone while driving, lane indiscipline and route violation as, according to him, these have been identified as reoccurring factors of RTCs.
In a press statement made available to EnviroNews on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, Kazeem stated that the 2017 Eid-El-Kabir Sallah Special patrol operation is scheduled to commence from August 31 to September 6, 2017 and that personnel have been briefed appropriately to perform their duties which include public enlightenment, traffic calming, traffic control, enforcement and rescue services. For ease of operation and prompt rescue services, 859 patrol vans, 106 ambulances, 267 motorbikes and 22 towtrucks have been deployed to cover critical routes and crash-prone areas.
According to him, the holiday is for celebration with family members and loved ones especially for the Muslim faithfuls. He advised motorists to bear in mind the need to adhere to stipulated traffic rules and regulations to and fro their travel destinations as over 200 mobile courts will be set up to prosecute erring offenders.
Kazeem further urged the motoring public to practice safe road use culture and give their maximum cooperation to FRSC personnel for the desired success. He also called on the general public to notify FRSC in the event of an emergency through its emergency line 0700-CALL-FRSC (0700-22553772) or toll free number 122 for prompt response as road safety is a shared responsibility.
The Corps Marshal wishes Nigerians happy Eid-El-Kabir celebration and assured them that personnel will be on ground 24 hours, while Road Side Clinics and Ambulance points across the country will be open to emergencies. He also thanked all military and paramilitary agencies for their sustained support as they have equally been placed on standby for effective collaboration.
