Leading web-based environment and development multi-media magazine, EnviroNews Nigeria, was honoured during the 8th Environment Outreach Magazine Public Lecture and Environmental Awards Ceremony that held on Thursday, September 7, 2017 in Calabar, the Cross River State capital.

At the daylong event where other individuals and corporate bodies that have distinguished themselves in various fields of environmental management were also decorated, EnviroNews bagged the “2017 Environmental Media Excellence Award”.

While conferring the award, host of the event and Publisher of the Environment Outreach Magazine, Chief Noble Akenge, said: “The conferment of this prestigious award on EnviroNews is a testimony of your hardwork, dedication to duty, patriotism and love for our environment.

“The Award is also an overt recognition that the little you are doing to preserve the environment for our generation and that yet unborn has gained our admiration and acceptance.

“As you receive this award today, we hope you will rededicate yourself to the service of our common heritage – The Environment. May God continue to bless and protect you as you continue in this onerous task of preserving our environment and futhering the cause of sustainable development in our country, Nigeria.”

The Environmental Awards also include categories such as Environmental Stewardship Award, Environmental Legislative Excellence Award, Environmental Awareness Creation Award, Environmental Protection and Support Award, Environmental Governance Award, and Community Development and Nature Conservation Award.

At the event, a lecture titled: “Nigeria’s Depleting Forests and Its Implication for Forest Resources and Climate Change” was delivered by eminent sustainable development expert, Professor Hilary Inyang, former Vice Chancellor, Botswana University of Science and Technology, Papalye, as well as President/CEO of Global Education and Infrastructure Services (GEISE) LLC.

It will be recalled that EnviroNews in March 2017 emerged the nation’s top online climate change-focused media organisation. According to a report released by Climate Scorecard, the online medium was adjudged Nigeria’s major medium in the online category.

The Republic of Namibia on Wednesday, September 6, 2017 deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby becoming the 75th future Party to the Minamata Convention.

This is on record the first ratification of the global pact after it entered into force and became legally binding on Wednesday, August 16, 2017.

Prior to the entry into force, Brazil on Tuesday, August 8, 2017 deposited its instrument of ratification, thereby becoming the 74th Party.

Earlier, Kiribati (July 28) and Syria (July 26) deposited their instruments of ratification to become 73rd and 72nd Parties, while Jamaica on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 became the 71st Party to the mercury convention.

Hitherto, the Governments of Rwanda, Palau, Thailand, Slovenia and Viet Nam deposited their instruments of ratification, thereby becoming the 66th to 70th future Parties to the mercury treaty.

The depositions were made on Wednesday, June 21; Thursday, June 22; Friday, June 23; and Thursday, June 29, 2017. While Palau deposited on Wednesday and Thailand on Thursday, both Slovenia and Viet Nam did likewise on Friday. Rwanda followed up a week later on Thursday.

Previously, Iran and Estonia had ratified the Convention, which has already entered into force, thanks to the landmark rash of ratifications on Thursday, May 18, 2017 that triggered the entry into force of the mercury accord, having garnered the required 50 ratifications.

On that day, the EU and seven of its member States – Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, Malta, the Netherlands, Romania and Sweden – deposited their instruments of ratification at the UN Headquarters in New York, bringing to 51 that day the number of future Parties.

To commemorate the historic development, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), Ministry of the Environment of Japan, Kumamoto Prefecture and Minamata City on Saturday, July 1, 2017 held “Celebrating Event for the Minamata Convention on Mercury – Voice from Minamata towards the Entry into Force” in Minamata City, Kumamoto, Japan.

The 1st Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention (COP1) will gather governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations from around the world in Geneva from September 24 to 29, 2017.

The Minamata Convention on Mercury (“Minamata Convention”) is a new international environmental convention for global community to work collaboratively against mercury pollution. The Minamata Convention aims at achieving environmentally sound mercury management throughout its life cycle. The Convention was adopted at the diplomatic conferences held in Minamata City and Kumamoto City in October 2013.

Justice Chuka Obiozor of the Federal High Court, Lagos, on Friday, September 8, 2017 fixed September 22, 2017, as the day to possibly entertain the application for the final forfeiture of four building properties scattered across Lagos and River States, and Abuja, valued at N2.611,592,199, linked to the former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke and her associates.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had filed the application seeking to get the properties finally forfeited to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The judge equally declared that same day would be utilised to hear the response of the 3rd, 4th and the 6th respondents in the matter.

Counsel to the respondents, Emmanuel Bassey, had informed the vacation judge that there was a pending application requesting that the EFCC should serve the respondents with the exparte application which was used to secure an interim order of forfeiture of the said properties so that same can be responded to.

Bassey further claimed that the request became imperative sequel to an order made by another vacation judge, Justice AbdulAziz Anka of the same court, wherein he declared that the exparte application be served on the respondents.

But counsel to the anti-graft agency, ABC Ozioko, who stated that there was no such order mandating the commission to serve the exparte application on the respondents, argued that the companies involved have no directors and does not even exist.

“We have obtained an interim order in respect of this suit and the case adjourned until today for report and to also allow the respondents to show cause why the properties should not be finally forfeited.

“But this morning, we were served with a motion on notice by one Mr Nnamdi Eze Anochie. We ask for time to respond and to take the application for final forfeiture,” Ozioko submitted.

Justice Anka had ordered that four building properties scattered between Lagos and River States, and Abuja, valued at N2,611,592,199, linked to the former Minister of Petroleum and her associates be temporary forfeited to the FGN, for being proceeds of corruption.

Justice Anka issued the order while granting an ex-parte application marked FHC/L/CS/1279/17, filed and argued before the court by Ozioko.

Respondents in the suit are Mrs. Diezani Alison Madueke; Mr. Donald Chidi Amamgbo; Chapel Properties Limited; Blue Nile Estate Limited; Azinga Meadows Limited; and Vistapoints Property Development Limited.

The properties ordered to be temporary forfeited to the Federal government of Nigeria are: 21 mixed housing units of 8 numbers of four bedrooms penthouse apartment; six numbers of three bedrooms apartments; two numbers of three bedrooms apartment and one numbers of four bedrooms apartment, all ensuit, located at 7, Thurnburn Street, and 5, Raymond Street, Yaba, valued at N937 million.

Another property a 16 four-bedrooms terrace building, located at Heritage Court Estate, Omerelu Street, Diobu GRA, Port-Harcourt, River State, valued at N928 million.

Another 13 three-bedroom apartments with one room maid’s quarter, situated at Mabushi Gardens Estate, Plot 1205, Cadastral Zone B06, Mabushi, Abuja, valued at N650 million; and six flats of three bedrooms and one boys quarter, located at Plot 808 (135) Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, lagos., valued at N805 million.

It was the position of the commission that the properties were purchased by the former Petroleum Minister, and her cronies.

By Chinyere Obia

The most powerful earthquake to hit Mexico in 100 years struck off the nation’s Pacific Coast late Thursday, rattling millions of residents in Mexico City with its violent tremors, killing at least 32 people and leveling some areas in the southern part of the country, closer to the quake’s epicentre.

About 50 million people across Mexico felt the earthquake, which had a magnitude of 8.2, the government said. In the capital, the force of the temblor sent residents of the megacity fleeing into the streets at midnight, shaken by alarms blaring over loudspeakers and a full minute of tremors. Windows broke, walls collapsed, and the city seemed to convulse in terrifying waves; the quake even rocked the city’s Angel of Independence monument.

A hotel in southern Juchitan in Oaxaca was reported to have collapsed, and rescue crews were working through the night to find people trapped inside buildings.

While Mexico City seemed to have been spared extensive damage to infrastructure, according to the government’s preliminary assessment, the effects in the southern states of Chiapas and Oaxaca were probably more severe. The tally of damage – and death – probably will be difficult to assess initially, given that many areas are remote.

Alejandro Murat, the governor of Oaxaca, told the Televisa network that at least 23 people had died in the state, and local officials said residents were buried under the rubble of buildings.

Luis Manuel García Moreno, the secretary of civil defense for the state of Chiapas, said the toll there had risen to seven, and two children died in the state of Tabasco, one when a wall collapsed, the other after a respirator lost power in a hospital.

The effects were also felt in Guatemala, where at least one person died and homes along the border with Mexico were leveled.

Schools in at least 10 Mexican states and in Mexico City were closed on Friday as the president ordered an immediate assessment of the damage nationwide. In the hours after the quake, the National Seismological Service registered several aftershocks.

Among the dead are two children, one of whom died in a hospital that had lost power. The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicentre was about 100 miles west of Tapachula.

All eyes are on Hurricane Irma as it moves toward Florida, but it’s not alone.

Jose and Katia strengthened in the afternoon of Wednesday, September 6, 2017, bringing the number of hurricanes churning in the Atlantic basin to three.

It’s the first time since 2010 that three active hurricanes have been in the Atlantic.

The closest land mass Jose will approach is the northern Leeward Islands, the same ones Irma devastated recently. It’s not close enough to cause direct destruction but near enough to bring another potential round of wind and rain to the ravaged islands. Isolated amounts of 10 inches are possible.

A hurricane watch is in effect for Antigua and Barbuda, and a tropical storm watch is in effect for Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Barthelemy, St Kitts and Nevis and Saba and St. Eustatius (all of which were battered by Hurricane Irma days ago), according to the hurricane centre.

Hurricane Jose, which is trailing Hurricane Irma out in the Atlantic Ocean, has strengthened into a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph. The National Hurricane Centre announced the change on Friday, September 8 2017, just one day after Hurricane Katia – which is forecast to hit Mexico – strengthened into a hurricane.

Jose sits east of the Leeward Islands and is predicted to move northwest.

Countries in the Caribbean are assessing hurricane damage from Hurricane Irma and deploying sanitary engineers and other experts, with help from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO), to support recovery efforts in the most affected islands, even as the hurricane moves to other islands and toward the US mainland.

Life-threatening winds, storm surges, and rainfall hazards have already impacted Anguilla, Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, St. Martin, St. Bartholomew, and other countries and territories, causing extensive damage to critical services.

“We have seen the health sector severely impacted on many islands, with devastating effects from Hurricane Irma,” said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, who heads Health Emergencies Department of the PAHO, which serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organisation (WHO), and as the health organisation of the Inter-American System.

“Our Disaster Task Force is fully activated and regional response teams are fanning out throughout the Caribbean,” Ugarte added.

Technical experts in water and sanitation, health infrastructure, damage and needs assessment, logistics, coordination, and humanitarian supplies management are being deployed to the most severely affected islands, collaborating with other agencies and often using military transport, Ugarte said.

In a teleconference with PAHO emergency staff in the Caribbean on Thursday, September 7 2017, Anguilla reported extensive damage to critical services including airport, hospitals, schools, fire stations, police stations and prison. One fatality has been reported so far. 90% of utilities (electricity, mobile, cable) are reported damaged and 90% of roads are impassable.

In Barbuda, initial reports indicated major damage to roofs, utility poles, and uprooted trees, with 90 percent of structures destroyed, according to Antigua and Barbuda officials. Access to Barbuda is limited, and damage assessments are set to take place.

British Virgin Islands reported that the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) has been destroyed and operations moved to an alternate location. Many people are in shelters, and damage assessments are underway.

Puerto Rico reported that major parts of the island suffered electrical outages, and may take weeks to restore service. As a result, around 17% of the population is reportedly without access to drinking water. Several hospitals on the island are without electricity, and generators are being sent to support.

Saint Martin and St Barthelemy reported widespread flooding, power outages, and damage to roofs of houses. Government offices in Saint Martin were damaged.

Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 185 mph, continues to head northwest affecting Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Turks and Caicos, before hitting Cuba and the Bahamas.

In Haiti, five teams have been sent out to the northern departments which are likely to be affected by the hurricane, PAHO’s country office reported, and planning is underway for response, with other teams on standby.

PAHO’s Disaster Task Force has pre-positioned emergency supplies for the countries, including Emergency Medical Kits and Cholera Kits in case they are needed.  PAHO is also said to be making available its Emergency Fund for disasters, and has been in contact with other agencies to mobilise additional resources for affected countries.

As the world watches in awe the unfolding extreme weather events around the globe in recent weeks, experts are offering varying views on the situation.

A concerned group of scientists has been discussing the relationship of these extremes to the underlying trend of climate change, and the London, UK-based Science Media Centre collates some of the expert views.

Dr Adrian Champion, of the University of Exeter, said: “The occurrence of two category five hurricanes in the same season hasn’t been known to happen since records began.

“It’s difficult to predict whether Irma will continue to strengthen – they get their energy from warm oceans and, given it’s already made landfall, you could expect it to weaken – but now it’s passing over the ocean again it could re-intensify.

“The question regarding whether Jose will develop into a category five hurricane is mixed. Given that Irma has just passed through, there isn’t as much ‘energy’ to intensify Jose. However, the conditions are similar.

“The climate change projections are that we’ll get fewer, but more intense, cyclones in the future.”

Dr Ilan Kelman, Reader in Risk Resilience and Global Health at University College London, said: “As the scale of devastation from Hurricane Irma emerges, once post-disaster needs are met, we can ask about readiness. The islands which were hit knew they were in a hurricane zone and many run drills every year to be prepared for the hurricane season. In places, it appears to have saved lives. But we always want to strive to help everyone – and to be ready beforehand to reconstruct as soon as the storm has passed.”

Dr Chris Holloway, tropical storm expert at the University of Reading, said: “Hurricane Irma is a potentially life-threatening storm for the Caribbean islands and neighbouring Leeward Islands due to winds up to 185 mph and storm surge up to 11 feet with large swells on top of this. The storm is likely to maintain very strong intensity (category 4 or 5) over the next three days, probably staying just north of the Greater Antilles but still a potential threat to Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. After that, the forecast track becomes more uncertain, with the storm likely affecting the Bahamas and Florida over the weekend.

“Since the storm will begin to turn more towards the north in about five days, but the exact timing of this turn is uncertain, all of the Florida peninsula, the Bahamas, Cuba, and the Carolinas and Georgia should be prepared for a possible landfall or other effects of a severe hurricane. The main dangers with this storm are storm surge and damaging winds.

“For climate change, it’s important to note that climate change has already caused higher sea levels, so any storm surge is happening on top of a higher initial level, leading to more coastal flooding. Also, climate change leads to increased rainfall for a storm of a given strength, leading to increased freshwater flooding. Climate change also likely increases the probability of storms reaching an extremely high intensity.

“Irma is moving faster than Harvey, and has even stronger maximum winds that will affect a potentially larger region, so storm surge and wind damage are the primary risks.  Harvey moved very slowly and dumped rainfall over Texas for days, mostly as a much weaker tropical storm, so freshwater flooding caused most of the damage from Harvey.”

Dr Dann Mitchell, Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Research Fellow at the University of Bristol’s Cabot Institute, said: “Hurricane Irma, following so closely after Tropical Storm Harvey and other extreme weather emergencies, has prompted questions about the role of climate change. The question of whether climate change ’caused’ any particular weather event is the wrong one; instead, we must probe how climate change alters extreme weather.  Aside from the warming atmosphere, rising sea level and surface ocean warming have likely contributed to the impact of both Irma and Harvey. The details of these contributions will be examined by scientists in the coming months and years.

“These events also offer wider lessons on how prepared we are for a warmer future. It is likely that rainfall events, in general, will become more extreme, as will heat waves and droughts. So events like Irma and Harvey also help us understand if we are prepared for them and who will be most affected. Increasingly, the evidence is clear that the poorest, being the most exposed to many climate risks and often being the least protected, will be most affected. Addressing this inequality is at the heart of not just the climate change discussion but all discussions about how we become resilient to risk and hazards.”