Almost 41 million people have been affected by flooding and landslides in India, Bangladesh and Nepal and there is possibility the situation could deteriorate further as rains continue in some flood-affected areas, a UN agency said.
Millions of people have been affected by flooding in India, Bangladesh and Nepal
United Nations humanitarian agencies are working with the Government and partners in Nepal to bring in clean water, food, shelter and medical aid for some of the 41 million people affected by flooding and landslides in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
Nearly a thousand people have been killed, and tens of thousands of homes, schools and hospitals have been destroyed in Bangladesh, India and Nepal.
“There is the possibility that the situation could deteriorate further as rains continue in some flood-affected areas and flood waters move south,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said recently in an updated note.
The note said governments in all three countries are leading the response with support from in-country humanitarian agencies, national Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies, private sector and militaries. However, many areas remain inaccessible due to damage to roads, bridges, railways and airports.
In India, rescue operations are ongoing in many flood- affected areas, with those stranded being rescued by helicopter. More than 600 people have died and 32.1 million people have been affected with the floods, OCHA said.
Rescue operations are ongoing in many flood-affected areas, with those stranded being rescued by helicopter. Flood relief camps have been established for those displaced by the disaster where they are being provided with food and shelter.
The number of camps is increasing as the flood-affected area continues to expand. The government recently announced additional funding for relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction and flood mitigation.
In addition to people suffering, Indian authorities also reported large parts of a famous wildlife reserve park destroyed, with endangered animals killed.
In Bangladesh, nearly 2,000 local medical teams have been deployed, even as one-third of the country is reportedly underwater. Aid workers are concerned about waterborne diseases, such as diarrhoea and malaria.
“Their most urgent concern is to accessing safe water and sanitation facilities,” OCHA said earlier this week, citing national authorities.
It also warned of dangers to women and children, who are at increased risk for abuse, violence and sexual harassment.
Pascal Mittermaier, Global Managing Director, Cities, The Nature Conservancy, underlines the need to plant more trees in order to protect vulnerable settlements. He stresses that, in rapidly heating cities, climate change is an environmental justice challenge
Tree planting at the LUFASI Nature Park, Lagos, Nigeria
If you want evidence of climate change’s devastating effects, just look at the news over the last few weeks. Phoenix, Arizona got so hot planes couldn’t land. Iran set a new record temperature of 54°C. Perhaps most frightening, a devastating heatwave continues to grip much of Europe, killing at least five people so far and causing droughts, wildfires and transit shutdowns – Italians have dubbed the weather event “Lucifer.”
One can argue there’s nothing new or remarkable about summer heatwaves, of course. But what isnew and remarkable is their frequency and intensity, and they’ll likely get worse if we don’t take steps to curb climate change. Cities will be particularly hard hit, as the urban heat island effect – caused by sparse vegetation and heat-absorbing surfaces like asphalt – can result in temperatures as much as 12°C higher than in less-developed areas nearby. While the heat island effect will remain consistent as the climate changes, the additive challenges of higher temperatures and paved cities will make many neighborhoods less livable.
And for certain neighborhoods within cities, the situation is even worse. The urban heat islands are most prevalent in lower income neighborhoods, where residents are also less likely to have air conditioning or easy access to public cooling centers. In our fast-heating cities, climate change is threatening those who are already most vulnerable.
Urban planners and public health officials are grappling with the best way to approach this complicated issue. But there’s one solution we can implement now with a big impact: plant more trees. Trees and other vegetation naturally cool the air around them by shading surfaces and releasing water vapor. And while the effects are local – most of the improvement is within 100 metres – they can still be meaningful, reducing temperatures by up to 2°C.
The Nature Conservancy has carried out a study of 245 cities around the world that stand to benefit from tree-planting initiatives, assessing their efficiency and return on investment. Compared to other ways to cool outdoor air temperatures, such as white roofs, trees deliver similar benefits per dollar spent. Urban trees can also reduce fine particulate matter air pollution, a problem that contributes to 5 percent of all deaths worldwide each year.
Given that the most significant effects of trees are highly localised, we found that densely populated megacities in Pakistan, India, and other parts of South and Southeast Asia would benefit most. Yet this also means that within cities there are will be individual neighborhoods that could benefit, depending on their density and existing level of vegetation. This is an advantage both for efficiency and from a social equity standpoint, as planting can be targeted directly to those neighborhoods with greatest need.
Trees also offer a huge range of other benefits. In addition to the cooling and air quality benefits, trees provide habitat for wildlife, reduce storm-water runoff, and sequester carbon from the atmosphere, which helps to mitigate climate change. There is also a growing body of research showing that exposure to trees and other vegetation has a positive effect on mental health, especially for children.
Trees are not a cure all, of course – it will take a comprehensive set of solutions to make our cities cooler and healthier, and it will take concerted action on the national and international level. Because our climate science indicates that heatwaves will only get worse: a new report from the European Commission predicts that if we don’t limit climate change, much of the world could regularly experience heat indices (a measure of the combined impacts and heat and humidity) as high as 55°C – significantly higher than those in the 2003 heatwave that killed 70,000 people across Europe.
Trees are only a small part of the complex solutions required to reduce the possibility of such heatwaves and the deaths that would surely accompany them. In order to keep the climate in safe boundaries, we’ll have to both decarbonize our economies and invest more in natural climate solutions – strategies such as avoiding forest loss, reforestation, investments in soil health and coastal ecosystem restoration that maximise nature’s carbon storage potential.
But local communities don’t have to wait to take action – when it comes to mitigating the effects of climate change for city residents, municipal leaders can lead the way. Planting trees is a strategy that can be implemented now, and one that is particularly beneficial for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged urban populations. If we want cooler, safer communities, now is the time to plant them.
A professor of Virology, Oyewale Tomori, has said that the recent outbreak of Lassa fever at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) simply shows the country’s weak surveillance of the disease.
Prof. Oyewale Tomori
Professor Tomori who is also the immediate past president of the Nigeria Academy of Sciences (NAS), spoke exclusively to EnviroNews at the end of a two-day meeting organised by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to track the cause of recent outbreak.
“Come 2019, less than two years from now, Nigeria would have been under the control of Lassa Virus for 50 years, yet, we still do not have answers to important questions as to the when, the who, the why, the how, and the what of the disease. We have set up as many Committees on Lassa Fever as the number of reported cases with no much progress.”
According to him, the virus is spreading rather than being controlled because funds released to implement recommendations of past years have been misappropriated.
“We can boldly say that past governments have paid lip service to and neglected the control of Lassa Fever in Nigeria,” he said.
“In the past 10 years, many more states are reporting the occurrence of Lassa Fever, whereas, when it was first discovered in 1969, and until 2005 or thereabouts, we had, on the average, only 4 states reporting such cases. In the last 5 years, up to 20 states reported Lassa Fever cases. Last year there were 23 states reporting and in the first 7 months of this year, no less than 18 states have reported Lassa Fever cases.”
It will be recalled that two patients died of Lassa Fever at LUTH in early August. No less than 100 different hospital workers were exposed to this index case are currently being monitored.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting which held in Abuja on Tuesday, August 22, 2017, the virologist stated: “The meeting was a recognition of the fact that we have made little progress on our Lassa Fever control efforts. There was a renewed promise by the government to make positive changes. Aside of that, we had a chance to really appreciate how unprepared we have been in dealing with Lassa ventures.”
Reacting to the likelihood of the recent dirts in Lagos as being a trigger for the outbreak, he remarked: “First, I do not think Lagos State is dirtier or filthier than other towns in Nigeria. I think on the issue of filthiness, our states and towns are involved in a keen competition to see who wins the title of the filthiest state /town. In any case, I understand that the index case did not reside in Lagos. She was brought in to LUTH from another town in another state. So if we talk of filth, we should check the original source of infection and not blame Lagos State.”
Explaining further, he said, “We know that filth attracts rats and some rats are natural hosts of Lassa Virus. Therefore it is not surprise that as we grow filthier, so are we likely to have closer and more intimate contacts with rats, increasing the chances of getting Lassa Fever, if the rats in question are those that are natural hosts for the virus. It is likely that the filth all around us has attracted and brought rodents closer to our living areas, increasing rodent-human contact and exposure to Lassa Virus infected rodents. This is a subject we need our scientists to study with adequate support from the government.”
Some of the recommendations for better control of the disease he said are as follows: “…getting a reliable national disease surveillance system backed by efficient and rapid laboratory diagnosis, not just for Lassa fever alone; improving patient care and protecting health care workers from nosocomial infections through effective infection control practices and taking the lead in the conduct of Lassa Fever vaccine trials in Nigeria. The government must take the community as allies in these ventures. My hope is that the current government will re-visit those recommendations,” he added.
Lassa fever, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), is an acute viral haemorrhagic illness of two to 21 days duration that occurs in West Africa. The Lassa virus is transmitted to humans via contact with food or household items contaminated with rodent urine or faeces.
Person-to-person infections and laboratory transmission can also occur, particularly in hospitals lacking adequate infection prevention and control measures.
Professor Tomori noted: “To improve surveillance and laboratory support, we need to provide the adequate resources and funds annually for infrastructure, reagents, supplies, transportation for surveillance officers, personnel at all levels – federal state and LGAs.”
As the Federal Road Safety Corps held its 7th annual lectures series on Thursday, August 24, 2017 members of the international community have rated Nigeria among countries with robust road safety strategic agenda, with calls on other nations to emulate it.
Corps Marshal Federal Road Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi (right) looking through a document with the UN Secretary General Special Envoy on Road Safety, Jean Todt, during the 7th Annual Lecture Series of the Federal Road Safety Commission at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja. Photo credit: Abayomi Adeshida
This was the main focus of this year’s annual lecture delivered by the United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Road Safety, Jean Todt, who was the Guest Speaker at the FRSC 7th annual lecture series held at the Banquet hall of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
According to the Corps Public Education Officer, Bisi Kazeem, in the lecture, titled: “Achieving the Goals of the UN Decade of Action For Road Safety in Africa,” Todt stated that in his past meetings with Presidents of other African countries, one of the issues that had continued to top his discussions with them was the need for them to promote issues of road safety in their countries.
This, he said, was because of the debilitating effects of road traffic crashes on the social and economic wellbeing of the people of the African continent.
He however expressed happiness that Nigeria is not only operating a road safety lead agency, but has been at the forefront of campaigns for safer road environment within the West African sub-region and African continent at large.
The UN Envoy described the situation of road traffic crashes in Africa as very disturbing and called on governments of the region to devote more resources in tackling the menace.
He stressed that if Nigeria could sustain its commitment to road safety through increased investment in the campaign, the country stands the chance of attaining the target set by the United Nations in its Decade of Action of Action For Road Safety: 2011-2020.
Todt said: “Nigeria is doing well in road safety agenda in Africa, and it should sustain its investment for the effects to become manifest.”
Speaking on the importance of road transportation in Nigeria, the UN Envoy declared that for a nation whose citizens depend largely on road for their transportation needs, the only way to contain the menace of road traffic crashes was for the government to ensure that it invests adequately in road safety, adding that the nation must do more to move road safety agenda forward through various means including legislation and public awareness creation.
He also called on the Nigerian government to do more in streamlining its data collation system to make it align with that of the World Bank for a harmonious data from the country.
“Nigeria could serve as an example for other nations through credible data management; but this cannot be achieved without some level of investments in data processing and cost,” he stated.
Furthermore, Todt disclosed that as part of the commitment of the United Nations to tackling the issues of financing road safety programmes, a special road safety fund is being conceived by the UN General Assembly.
He called on the Nigerian government to support the initiative to make it a success and create a situation where accessibility to safe and affordable road infrastructure could reach majority of the people by 2030.
In addition, he called on the people to support road safety activities as a national agenda, noting that road safety is an all inclusive programme.
In his address, the Special Guest of Honour and Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, who was represented at the occasion by the Minister of State for Works, Power and Housing, Alhaji Suleiman Hassan, congratulated the leadership of the FRSC for the success it has achieved through the FRSC annual lecture series, which serves as an avenue for creating public awareness on issues of road safety in the country.
According to Osinbajo, the vision behind the establishment of the FRSC as Nigeria’s lead agency for road safety management and administration 29 years ago, has been vindicated, adding that the menace of road traffic crashes remains a source of concern not only to the country but most developing economies of the world and attracting the attention of the UN General Assembly.
The Vice President disclosed that at the First Global Conference on Road Safety held in Moscow, Russia in 2009, member states of the UN agreed on the need to dedicate the next decade to road safety with focus on campaigns against the menace of road traffic crashes and massive participation of governments, non-governmental organisations, communities, religious and traditional institutions as well as the media on how to contain the menace.
“The declaration of 2011-2020 as Decade of Action for Road Safety by the United Nations General Assembly in 2010, was therefore, the most audacious demonstration of the commitment of the world body to tackling the challenges which road traffic crashes pose to mankind,” he stated.
Osinbajo maintained that Nigeria as an active member of the United Nations has been unrelenting in its commitment to fighting the scourge of road traffic crashes in the country and the West African sub-region through evolvement of various measures.
He further noted that aside having a road safety lead agency saddled with the responsibility of ensuring safer road environments in the country with full legislative powers and autonomy of enforcement, Nigeria was the first nation in the Africa Continent to activate the UN Decade of action campaign in 2010 under the auspices of the Federal Road Safety Corps to set the roadmap for attainment of the goals.
“The FRSC Annual Lecture Series, inaugurated some years back, forms part of the nation’s activities aimed at creating public awareness on issues of road safety among various stakeholders,” he added.
The Vice President commended the United Nations for giving prominence to issues of road safety in the country and across the world as demonstrated by the choice of Todt, assuring that Nigeria remains committed to sustained investment in road safety.
“Let me state that part of Nigeria’s commitment to the success of the UN Road Safety campaign is the nation’s continuous and expanding scope of legislative review of the law setting up the FRSC to enhance its capacity to enforce and boost the competence of its personnel through their capacity development as well as massive logistics support by the Federal Government,” he stated.
He further assured that as a leading nation in Africa with Afro-centric foreign policy objectives, Nigeria will continue to render necessary support to the FRSC to make it possible for it to extend technical assistance to the neighbouring countries in Africa for them to establish their road safety lead agency in saving them from threats of road carnage.
“I must however stress that keeping the road safe is not a responsibility which one government agency can successfully handle alone, except with the support of all citizens and stakeholders who must join hands in the spirit of shared responsibility,” Osinbajo said.
In his welcome presentation, the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, expressed worry at the rate at which road traffic crashes affect the social and economic wellbeing of the people of the country.
According to Osinbajo, road transportation remains the most dominant mode of transportation in the country.
The Corps Marshal disclosed that in the determination of the FRSC to tackle the menace of road traffic crashes in the country, FRSC took the strategic decision to key into the Accra declaration of 2007-2015 and the African Road Safety Charter, 2011-2020, all of which aligned with the national development agenda of Vision 20:2020.
The goals of these declarations, he said, were to assist in combating the road safety challenges of the country and the African continent at large.
These include development of safe system approach, activities and multi-sectoral involvement and an all inclusive approach.
Oyeyemi pointed at the adoption of the Nigeria Road Safety Strategy Document 2014-2018, which aimed at achieving 35 per cent fatality reduction as one of the strategic outcomes of government interventions in matters of road safety in the country.
He commended the Federal Government for sustaining its support for the FRSC, saying the investment in road safety by the government has yielded positive result as evidenced by the reduction of the rate of death, which was 16,382 in 1982, but down to about 5,053 in 2016.
The FRSC boss expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the FRSC’s adoption of Safe System Approach, saying it led to reduction of Nigeria’s fatality rate to about 6,000 death per annum.
The Corps Marshal further stated that FRSC will continue to make efforts that could result in improvement in its crash data capturing mechanism and analysis while the nation strives to meet the target of crash without death.
“Sustaining the safe system approach will set Nigeria among the top of the 20 safest nations in the world by 2020,” he stressed.
Other speakers at the event, which attracted huge foreign and local participants, included the Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. Habibat Lawal; the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Mohammed Bello; and the Chairman of the occasion and Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.
The pioneer Chairman of the FRSC Board, Prof. Wole Soyinka, added his voice to the call for people to take personal ownership of issues of road safety.
Among those that graced the seventh edition of the FRSC Annual Lecture Series were the UN Representative in Nigeria; the former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed; some past Chairmen of the FRSC Board; top government officials; road safety practitioners from home and abroad; representatives of military and paramilitary organisations in the country. members of Diplomatic Corps; Civil Society Organisations; transport unions; and stakeholders from the public and private sectors.
It would be recalled that the idea of the FRSC Annual Lecture Series was conceived some years back as part of the strategic initiatives for creating public awareness on issues of road safety.
Accordingly, eminent scholars, road safety experts and transport administrators as well as top government officials have always been selected to present lectures on various topics that could engender people’s consciousness on issues of road safety.
Most African nations have been dragging their feet in the development of their power systems owing to the prime reason of upfront cost of erecting new power plants as well as electricity grids. However, the benefits derivable from energy as a tool for development cannot be overemphasised. Fortunately, its significance to industrial growth in Nigeria is being appreciated now.
Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN)
Likewise, many governments have been slow to pass and implement policies to attract investment in the power and energy sector. The icing on the cake is that generating power from renewables such as wind and solar is now as affordable as using fossil fuels in various places. So, a great opportunity exists for Nigeria to open its arm and embrace the clean energy revolution.
Africa is seeing a great revolution in the energy sector as Kenya, Ethiopia, and South African nations are championing the development of the renewable energy systems. The benefits of renewable energy utilisation to a developing nation such as Nigeria cannot be overstated. This is because the population growth in Nigeria is very robust with increasing industrial activities as well as the attendant economic challenges and environmental pollution.
The Need to Abandon Fossil Fuel
It is a well-known fact that the Nigeria’s industrial activities have been powered by the dirty fossil fuels such as coal, gas, and oil for many decades, with the many negative consequences to both human health and the environment, with the exception of hydro power. The overall energy production consists mainly of hydroelectricity and the exploitation of the nation’s vast oil reserves.
So, Nigeria is in immediate need for rural electrification as well as improving its existing power infrastructure. Erratic power supply and intermittent outages coupled with associated risks of using fossil fuels remain a great challenge to the sector. This has forced Nigeria to look at alternative energy sources to power small and off-grid systems.
Renewable Energy – solar, wind, biomass is the answer!
Renewable Energy in Nigeria
Renewables have already been taken up in Nigeria with hydropower as the major viable source of renewable energy, but solar energy is yet to be massively exploited for street lightings mostly in the cities. Although Nigeria has little investment in renewable energy, it really has some favourable conditions in place to attract clean energy investment.
About 60% of the people in Nigeria are living off the grid, and these are the population that is facing highest electricity tariffs in the whole of Africa. This challenge coupled with the poor electrification of rural areas should make way for investment in renewable energy such as solar power in off-grid and micro-grid applications – as a reliable alternative to take the country to greater heights.
The targets of achieving clean energy are threatened by energy produced from gas which accounts for 81.6% of the total energy production in Nigeria, and the lack of trust in Nigeria’s currency by foreign investors as the country is mainly dependent on its exported oil. Besides, Nigeria has one of the top 10 natural gas endowments globally and is the biggest in Africa.
But these threats are surmountable.
However, the Nigerian Government through its Ministry of Power is committed to making a sustainable energy available for up to 75% of her population by the end of 2020 and all her citizens by the end of 2030 by linking an average of about 1.5 million homes in a year.
Equally, the feed-in tariff regulation approved by the Nigerian Government aims to use Nigeria’s vast and mostly untapped resources for Renewable Energy as well as stimulate investment in the energy sector. So, a total of 2,000 MW is expected to be generated through Renewables such as solar, wind, biomass, and small hydro by the end of 2020.
Renewable Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa
Power generated in most parts of Africa is by old fossil fuel plants and generators, while 65% of the total amount of energy produced in 2012 came from either coal or gas source. The techniques employed in the process are highly unsustainable and have proven to be very expensive for both the government and the end user. This has paved way for industry experts and researchers to look for alternative energy sources.
The most popular renewable energy source in sub-Saharan Africa is hydro-electricity which accounts for 22% of the total energy produced in the region. This energy source has proven to be a major competitive alternative to fossil fuels as a result of its high energy yields and low consumer costs.
The sub-Saharan Africa region is one of the largest and relatively untapped areas with respect to energy investment. Although dysfunctional grid structures and low overall infrastructural development are common issues in the sub-Saharan region which need to be addressed for development to take place, there is the need to invest in renewable energy to fuel economic growth as the region is economically viable.
However, the region is heavily plagued by low electrification rates, lack of access to the main grid of the host country coupled with the fact that the costs of solar PV are declining while projects are becoming attractive; this has provided a lot of better opportunities for solar PV projects within the region.
The region’s inherent prominent qualities have proven that solar energy can be a reliable solution to meeting the increasing energy requirement. Notably, the region contains nations that have the highest irradiation levels in Africa such as Tanzania, Ethiopia, and Kenya. These potentials are already been exploited on a micro-level through the mini-grid and off-grid ideas.
At the moment, about 37% of these projects contain solar energy component, which is expected to increase to 47% by the year 2040 as a result of new policies in the region.
In the bid to reduce greenhouse gas in the energy sector, every country in the sub-Saharan region has incorporated components of renewable energy in its power sector reforms which are expected to increase in the years ahead.
“Ethiopia is one of the few countries in Africa that is rated as having enough INDIC, and it has developed an elaborate Green Economy Plan and is strategising for a carbon-free status by 2025, making it a highly ambitious country in controlling climate change,” according to Climate Tracker.
Also, “the Ugandan government has shown initial support for Renewable Energy by making a policy in 2007 with the overarching objective to increase the use of modern Renewable Energy from the current 4% to 61% of the total energy consumption by the end of 2107,” says IRENA.
Conclusion
The problem of providing electricity for Nigeria in particular and sub-Saharan Africa, in general, is rapidly taking the most important position of investment in the developing world and will remain a reference point in the region’s economic future. So, energy experts are of the opinion that countries in this region should collaborate more on a local level to solve the climate change and energy crisis problems.
Prime Minister of Fiji, Voreqe Bainimarama, believes that the country’s aim as the incoming president of the COP23 is to build greater resilience for all vulnerable nations against extreme weather events and rising sea levels.
Prime Minister of Fiji, Voreqe Bainimarama, speaking about COP23 at the Methodist Church Conference at Centenary Church. Photo credit: Fijian Government
While addressing the members at the Methodist Church Conference at Centenary Church on Thursday, August 24, 2017 in Suva, Bainimarama says that government has implemented the Environment Levy to ensure plastic bag usage is reduced but leaders in church can make a far greater impact if they continue to emphasise on climate change issues in the community or at home.
Bainimarama says that Fiji’s vision is to advance the work of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and preserve the multilateral consensus for decisive action and address the underlying causes of climate change.
He believes this will harness innovation, enterprise and investment to fast track the development of climate solutions that will build future economies with net zero greenhouse gas emissions.
Bainimarama has acknowledged the work that Ambassador Nazhat Shameem and Agriculture Minister Inia Seruiratu is doing to negotiate with bigger nations to agree to Fiji’s proposal on climate change.
He says that Ambassador Shameem, who is the Chief Negotiator for the COP23 Presidency, plays an important role in overseeing the formal negotiation process on behalf of Fijian Presidency.
Bainimarama says that if we do not act, then we are prepared to see low lying areas gets flooded and government will spend more money in relocating villagers.
Early this year, government identified 63 villages in the country to be relocated after Tropical Cyclone Winston last year.
Bainimarama urged the members of the church to stand with him in fighting for the future generation and stand up for the other Pacific island nations.
Speaking at the UN Summer Academy in Bonn, Germany, the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa, believes that impacts of climate change can help families and communities protect their livelihoods, even as climate action also offers a path towards good jobs in the green economy. Excerpts:
Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa (left), speaking at the UN Summer Academy in Bonn, Germany
We live in a moment of multiple sources of concern for humanity.
Peace and security seem out of reach due to instability around the world.
We see worrying trends like population growth, food and water scarcity and chaotic urbanisation. We see threats from climate change impacts in both the developed and developing worlds.
And there are mounting development concerns and challenges as we look to what the future holds.
It is unacceptable that today – in 2017 – we still face this reality.
In a world that is increasingly smaller and more connected, where science, technology and innovation are part of our daily lives, multilateralism and human resolve are being tested.
The very good news is that we have the tools, the framework and the institutions to move forward.
We have unprecedented agreement to move towards resilient and sustainable development powered by low-emission energy. We have unprecedented consensus on the path forward. And we have unprecedented political will to move forward together.
We have a framework for action – in the United Nations and multilateral institutions, and in each country’s national contribution to the Paris Agreement.
We have modern negotiated instruments – in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement, among others.
We have a path forward – towards sustainable development that is good for the planet and for the wellbeing of every woman, man and child. And towards a world where average global temperature rise is held to as close to 1.5 degrees as possible.
This path implies a deep transformation of societies, of how we grow and develop.
Climate change action is central to achieving this deep transformation and for getting on this path right now.
Climate change is Goal 13 of the Sustainable Development Goals, but as we look across all of the sustainable development goals, it is quite evident that climate action contributes to the success of the 17 goals altogether.
Look at Goal Number One – the goal to end poverty – and also Goal Eight related to decent work and economic opportunity.
Adapting to the impacts of climate change can help families and communities protect their livelihoods. Climate action also offers a path towards good jobs in the green economy, a fact that is underscored by the millions of new clean energy jobs worldwide.
Speaking of renewable energy, it is the critical path to affordable and clean energy for all – Goal Seven of the SDGs.
We see this here in Germany, where windmills dot the landscape and solar power is a way of life. And we see it across the developing world from Bangladesh to sub-Saharan Africa and the Pacific Islands.
In many of these places, climate action is improving the health and wellbeing of people – Goal Three of the SDGs.
Solar power allows women to cook on stoves that avoid indoor air pollution from burning wood. It gives children a light to study by that does not come with the health impacts of burning kerosene.
Electric vehicles and clean energy can reduce the air pollution in major cities and reduce emissions, which in turn slows the spread of vector-borne diseases. This makes cities and communities more sustainable and safer. That is Goal 11 of the SDGs.
And of course, as we witness the dying of the Great Barrier Reef, the destruction of our rainforests and the warming of the arctic, climate action is a clear path towards protecting life below water and life on land, Goals 14 and 15.
With this understanding of the interconnected nature of all the Sustainable Development Goals and the climate change goals laid out in Paris, the question that arises is – how do we get from agreement to deep and complete transformation?
The simple answer is that it requires action by all.
Countries must develop institutional policies, planning and programmes that fully incorporate the aims of the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and other agreements.
Some160 nations have now ratified the Paris Agreement, so we should start to see more of these policies as countries look to fulfill their contribution to the agreement.
But national governments alone cannot deliver this agenda.
Climate change and sustainable development policies must also be enacted at the regional and city levels. The good news is that this is happening.
California in the US has bold emission reduction targets, a carbon market and a host of climate-smart policies due to leadership by the current and former governors.
The Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is also the Chair of C40, a group of cities that are acting on climate change in line with the Paris Agreement.
Here in Bonn we have electric busses and incentives for renewable energy. Delhi has a robust and multifaceted climate action plan. Cities are acting on climate and sustainability because of the benefits to their citizens. I could list hundreds – even thousands – of examples.
Businesses and investors – key groups for transforming our on-the-ground reality – also support climate and sustainability action. Not only because it is a good thing, but because it is a smart thing.
For example, Ikea has committed one billion euros to renewable energy, putting solar panels on stores lit by energy-smart LED lights. They have also committed to grow more trees than they use.
Apple recently raised one billion dollars through the largest corporate green bond to help meet their 100 percent renewable energy goal.
Google and Microsoft see great value – in terms of cost and corporate responsibility – from renewable energy and greening their operations.
From electric vehicles to energy efficient buildings to sustainably sourced materials, the private sector is openly and explicitly aligning with the Paris Agreement and SDGs. This is historic: for the first time, non-State actors voluntarily adjust and follow a multilateral agreement. It is truly inspiring to see.
This movement, this momentum, is something that each person here can accelerate and amplify. Individuals have an incredibly important role to play in the deep transformation we need.
People are driving this transition away from the unsustainable path. For some, it is buying an electric car because the fuel and maintenance costs are so low. For others, it is recognising the opportunity for entrepreneurship that solar power offers in Asia or Africa or Latin America.
People now understand that our lives and lifestyles cannot come at the expense of other people, the planet or future generations.
This is where you can make a difference – by spreading the message on how every part connects, by raising awareness and by enabling local climate and sustainability action.
In spite of the overwhelming evidence – both social and scientific – of the need to act, we will no doubt face challenges and skepticism. Deep transformation is not easy.
Here at the UN Summer Academy, you have been given tools to build a better future based on the blueprints from the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement.
I am sure you will be strong allies of this agenda, advocating that every local climate action contributes to the growing global momentum towards a sustainable, resilient and low-emission future.
Every step towards sustainability is a step towards a stable, secure future where peace and prosperity flourish and opportunity is open to all.
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has charged officials and members of the newly-reengineered National Anti-Corruption Volunteer Corps (NAVC) to mobilise and create awareness on the devastating effects of corruption, while enlightening the people on the laws governing the behaviour of public officials and their responsibilities towards citizens.
Ekpo Nta, Chairman of ICPC
The charge was given by the NAVC National Coordinator, Mr. Mike Sowe, who represented the Commission during the inauguration ceremonies of officials of NAVC in Makurdi, Owerri and Port-Harcourt cities of Benue, Imo and Rivers states respectively recently. The inaugurations witnessed crowds of volunteers who came out in their hundreds to join the anti-corruption crusade.
Mr. Sowe called on volunteers of the three state chapters to act as vanguards for the enthronement of good governance in their individual states’ social and political institutions.
He added that part of their duties was to assist ICPC in the dissemination of information on its anti-corruption campaign while also reporting acts of corruption to the Commission.
The National Coordinator advised the volunteers not to deviate from the ideals and core objectives of NAVC, declaring that any of them who engaged in any criminal act would be prosecuted.
“In carrying out your duties and responsibilities, remember that you cannot investigate on your own. All reports must be forwarded to ICPC for investigation and possible prosecution. You must remain above board, as the Commission will not hesitate to prosecute any volunteer that commits any criminal offence,” he warned.
Speaking at the inauguration in Makurdi, Benue State, the Acting Coordinator of Benue State Chapter, Benjamin Nungwa who is also the member representing Kwande Constituency at the Benue State House of Assembly, admonished the volunteers against using NAVC for extortion and impersonation of ICPC operatives.
“No member of NAVC should impersonate ICPC staff. NAVC should rather serve as the eyes and ears of ICPC. We are whistle-blowers and watchdogs, our job is to assist by reporting all corruption cases to ICPC,” the Honourable Member cautioned.
Other volunteers who spoke at the events in Imo and Rivers states revealed that even though there were no materials or financial benefits attached to the duties of the members of the Corps, they were joining it because of their passion for a corruption-free Nigeria. They also pledged to carry out their responsibilities with commitment and dedication according to the Corps’ guidelines.
Also speaking in Owerri at the inauguration of the Imo State Chapter, the Coordinator of Abia State Chapter, Rev. Blessed U. Amalambu, cautioned the new volunteers to guard against acts that led to the disbandment of the Corps in the first place.
It will be recalled that NAVC was initiated in 2008 by ICPC to provide a platform for ordinary Nigerian citizen volunteers to get involved personally and actively in the anti-corruption fight.
After its inception, the Corps was inaugurated in most states of the Federation, with each chapter headed by a Coordinator. All state chapters were under the supervision of a National Coordinator at the ICPC headquarters.
As NAVC gained popularity across the country, some volunteers deviated completely from the principles of the Corps and resorted to arrests and interrogation of citizens, while some even set up detention centres.
In view of these abuses, the Commission in 2014 ordered for the suspension of the activities of the Corps nationwide in order to restore its ideals and noble objectives as well as maintain the Commission’s integrity.
In 2015, NAVC was rebranded which led to the dissolution of all existing structures in all states of the Federation.
The new officials for the three state chapters who were inaugurated were elected in conformity with the new operational guidelines after their vetting as prospective members.
Poverty, hunger, sickness, regret, rape, sorrow, misery, wretchedness, death pool; these are probably what first comes to mind when you hear “IDP camp” – or Internally Displaced Persons Camp. Well, that’s partly true, because that is what you see on the pages of the dailies, the screen of your television sets, and the timeline/feeds on various social media platforms, maybe?
Women and children in a IDPs camp. The displacement was informed by the Boko Haram insurgency. Photo credit: channelstv.com
Having spent plenty of time in different IDP camps recently; a part of me agrees that the IDP camp is not a place to be, a part of me also agrees that comfort and health is a stranger, sometimes; most times, actually. Nonetheless, a greater part of me is eager to share the untold story of the IDP camps – a place that is beyond just an enclave for refugees.
I am tempted to paint a picture. A picture of leaking “batchers”, of bare-footed, of scantily dressed children, of pregnant young girls, of despondent aged men. A picture of mothers, each with a baby on her back – nudging another for gift items from a relief agency. I am tempted to paint such sad picture, but I won’t. That’s if I haven’t.
An IDP camp is more.
It is a place for little children to hold hands happily and run through the green field without carrying the bitterness of who or what displaced them from their father’s land. It is a place for teenagers to learn skills like barbing, soap making, bead making, tailoring, cards making, catering/baking and every other profitable skills they have an opportunity to learn.
It is a place for young men to indeed let go of the past, to practice true forgiveness, to channel their energy productively, to restore their hope in Nigeria and to move on boldly with life. It is a place that reminds us of why we should promote harmony and the things that unite us over our differences or things that could divide us – if we permit. It is a place to listen to the stories of the elderly; stories that help us appreciate the priceless worth of peace over war or strife.
It is a place to remind us of patience, of courage, of contentment, of appreciation and the value of things we take for granted. It is a place of hope, even to strangers. It is a place to show a suicidal person two million reasons why it isn’t over, yet.
It is a place to volunteer one’s self, to engaged unemployed youths, to share resources, to network with like-minds, to find one’s purpose for living and to identify ways Nigeria can be rebuilt and become a nation we all can be proud of.
It is a place to inspire and be inspired too.
An IDP camp is a place to put together the broken bits of our lives – as individuals, as groups, and as a nation.
I don’t know what you think about an IDP camp, but I know there are untold stories about the IDP camps and other places of refuge, especially in Nigeria. And these stories can’t be told in just one article.
Pakistan’s northwestern province, Khyber Pakhtunkhaw (KPK), has planted an unprecedented one billion trees in just more than two years and surpassed an international commitment of restoring 350,000 hectares of forests and degraded land.
One of Pakistan’s greenest provinces is becoming greener still, thanks to the “Billion Tree Tsunami” initiative
The massive effort aims to turn the tide on land degradation and loss in the mountainous, formerly forested KPK, which lies in the Hindu Kush mountain range.
Imran Khan, head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party governing the province, launched the reforestation campaign, dubbed “Billion Tree Tsunami,” in 2015.
Goal reached early
The cricket-star-turned politician reveals to VOA that the goal of adding one billion trees by planting and natural regeneration had been achieved in August, 2017, well ahead of the original deadline of December 2017.
He says his party plans to organise a special event in Islamabad in August to celebrate the successful completion of the project, and experts as well as foreign diplomats will be invited.
“We will show them by coordinates, on Google map you can go and see where these trees have been planted, one billion trees, this is now the model for the rest of Pakistan,” Khan said.
High deforestation rate
Pakistan is seventh on the list of the countries mostly likely to be affected by global warming and has one of the highest deforestation rates in Asia. Decades of tree felling have reduced the country’s forests to less than 3% of its land area. About 40% of the remaining forests are in KPK.
Khan hopes his reforestation drive will decrease the effects of global warming and natural disasters like floods that cause devastation in KPK and elsewhere in Pakistan every year.
“If you plant trees, we have discovered, by the river banks it sustains the rivers. But most importantly, the glaciers that are melting in the mountains and one of the biggest reasons are because there has been a massive deforestation. So, this billion tree is very significant for our future,” Khan says.
