Radio Report: Maternal and child health in Kaduna
WASCAL, ECOWAS in bid to mitigate climate change effects
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) have renewed their commitment to combat climate change and mitigate its impacts in the region by implementing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between both organisations.
Marcel de Souza, the ECOWAS president, who was represented by Tchambakou Ayassor, Commissioner for Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources, emphasised the need for all the ECOWAS member states to partner with the WASCAL in a bid to combat the adverse effects of climate change in the region.
In his remarks during a meeting which was held on Monday, May 15, 2017 in Abuja, Nigeria’s federal capital city, Ayassor stated that, due to the population of West Africa, it was a priority of the commission in collaboration with the WASCAL to build the capacity of the region on a national and institutional level in order to achieve significant results.
“With the effects of climate change cutting across various sectors of the economy and affecting the lives of Community citizens, the signing of the MoU between ECOWAS and WASCAL in April 2016 highlights the importance placed on this challenge,” he said.
Similarly, Peter Dery, the chairman of the WASCAL Board of Directors, noted that its technical team would liaise with ECOWAS in order to strategise on an implementation plan for the MoU with focus on climate services, climate research and capacity building.
To this end, “the WASCAL Capacity Building Programme facilitates academic education amongst 10 West African universities in collaboration with German institutions. The activities focus on the training of Doctoral and Master’s Programmes in climate change thematic areas,” he said.
Furthermore, Jimmy Adegoke, the WASCAL executive director, informed the commissioner that with the support of the German government, 50 automatic weather stations and 20 automatic hydrological stations had been procured and would be distributed to member states to enable them generate relevant climate information.
The delegation from the WASCAL requested the ECOWAS to use its influence to ensure that member states which are also members of the WASCAL fulfil their financial obligations by remitting their dues.
The WASCAL was established in May 2012 with the aim of providing information and knowledge at the local, national and regional levels to its West African member countries in order to cope with the adverse impacts of climate change.
It currently has 10 West African member countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d‘Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo), with Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau in the process of joining the organisation.
Also in attendance of the meeting were Johnson Boanuh, the ECOWAS director for Environment, and Alain Sy Traore, the director for Agriculture and Rural Development.
World Hypertension Day: Seven out of 10 Nigerians are hypertensive, says expert
Prof. Modupe Onadeko, a former Reproductive Medicine Consultant at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, has said that no fewer than seven out of 10 Nigerians are hypertensive.
Onadeko made this disclosure while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, on the occasion to commemorate the 2017 World Hypertension Day.
According to the consultant, 50 per cent of the affected people are unaware of their condition while the remaining ones do not even bother to seek any medical help.
NAN reports that May 17 of every year was being observed as the World Hypertension Day, which began in 2005 by The World Hypertension League, a health organisation.
The day is not a work free day but it was set aside to increase public awareness about hypertension and why everyone should maintain a normal blood pressure.
The theme of the 2017 occasion is: “Know Your Blood Pressure”.
Onadeko said in order to avoid complications arising from hypertension, one of which is stroke, patients should avoid certain habits such as smoking and alcohol intake.
She said that it was better for the patient to adopt low sodium (salt) intake of 1.5 to 2.5 g, low-fat and high-fiber diet, fruits and green vegetables.
She said: “Treating the disease also involves proper physical exercise: aerobics, healthy weight, regular pulse, and low cholesterol level as well as a record of healthy family history among others.”
Onadeko advised that people should adhere to their doctor’s instruction on healthy diets and physical exercise because hypertension is a “silent killer”.
The UCH Mortality Report and Statistics indicated that, from January to December 2014, stroke due to High Blood Pressure was the leading cause of death.
In the report compiled by Prof. Temitope Alonge, out of the total 1,915 deaths recorded in UCH, stroke came first with 201/10.5 per cent of the record.
France, IUCN collaborate to support global environment, development efforts
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has signed a new framework agreement with France for 2017-2020, which aims to support the Union’s work to conserve the planet’s biodiversity and achieve sustainable development.
The new agreement focuses on improving the protection and management of the oceans, islands and coasts, conserving ecosystems to combat climate change, reducing the negative impacts of business activities on the environment, and strengthening global biodiversity governance.
“France has been one of IUCN’s key strategic partners for over a decade,” says IUCN Director General, Inger Andersen. “Our collaboration has demonstrated the importance of nature conservation in addressing global challenges the world is currently tackling including climate change, and food and water security. It is with great satisfaction that we renew this unique partnership.”
IUCN’s partnership with France aims to contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and implementation of the Paris Agreement on climate change. The agreement commits almost €9 million for the next four years, and will support projects in French overseas territories and provide secondments to contribute to IUCN’s technical expertise, among others. The agreement involves the French Ministry of Environment, Energy and the Sea, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Ministry of Overseas territories and Ministry of Agriculture, as well as the French Development Agency. It builds on IUCN’s long standing partnership with France, which dates back to 2005.
“The France-IUCN partnership on nature and development has achieved exemplary outcomes. For instance, it contributed significantly to work on oceans and nature-based solutions to climate change during COP21 in Paris. One cannot mention all projects facilitated by this partnership in areas of research, training or fieldwork,” says Xavier Sticker, French Ambassador to the Environment, adding:
“France has invested heavily in IUCN since its creation in Fontainebleau in 1948. The strategic partnership initiated in 2005 structured our cooperation into a long-lasting partnership. The 2017-2020 framework now provides a new impulse. Thanks to IUCN’s expertise and the contribution from its extended network of scientific experts and civil society organisations, our human and financial investments are amplified.”
Countries share climate achievements, highlight benefits of action
Some 17 developed countries and 10 developing countries presented their actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to date and highlighted key achievements, challenges and benefits of climate action.
One of those developing countries was Mauritania, the first LDC participating in this type of forum and presenting a clear plan of action on climate change.
During the presentations by the 17 developed countries, it became clear that amongst this group, the overwhelming majority are confident that they will meet their 2020 quantified economy-wide reduction targets.
For many of them, the 2020 emission levels are now expected to be lower than projected two years ago as a result of their climate actions.
In a fifth session of the so-called “multilateral assessment”, the developed countries including, Canada, Cyprus, France, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Japan, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain and the United States of America presented progress on their climate actions.
Next to progress on their 2020 targets, these countries clearly showed that green growth in view of a climate neutral future drives a higher GDP and creates jobs. For example, France showed positive GDP impacts and employment effects due to their Energy Transition for Green Growth strategy, which is likely to add between 108,000 and 350,000 new jobs a year by 2035.
To meet their targets, this group of developed countries are implementing a wide range of policies and measures to drive progress and many of these policies have been instrumental in delivering sizeable emission reductions. Carbon pricing, in a form of carbon tax or emissions trading, was presented as a backbone of climate policies for most of these countries.
For example, Canada has successfully introduced a carbon pricing benchmark as one of the pillars of its Pan-Canadian framework on clean growth. Luxembourg has been very successful in implementing energy standards in buildings to increase the efficient use of energy. The Russian Federation is successfully moving forward its forestry sector development programme, which includes reforestation, as a contribution toward reducing the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. Another example is Japan, which is widely deploying electric cars as part of its ‘Highly energy-efficient vehicles’ campaign.
Lastly, many of this group of developed countries highlighted that they are preparing long-term strategies towards a climate neutral and resilient future to guide near- and mid-term policy and investment decisions.
In addition to the developed countries, ten developing countries presented updates on the status of their actions to reduce emissions and to report on these in a transparent manner.
In a third session of the so-called “facilitative sharing of views”, India, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Mauritania, Moldova, Montenegro, Morocco, Thailand and Uruguay presented updates on their climate actions and the status of their greenhouse gas emissions and removals.
The experiences shared by some countries include actions and policies to decouple economic growth from the growth of greenhouse gas emissions to achieve the goals set out in their national climate action plans (Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs.
Importantly, many also focused on identifying ways of reconciling their priorities for economic growth and poverty eradication with emission reductions.
One remarkable example of what developing countries are doing was India. India presented its ambitious renewable energy plan of increasing the target of renewable energy capacity of 175,000 MW by 2022 mostly on solar power plants, with the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (100,000 MW) being central in achieving this target.
Many also shared experiences with the use of market-based policy instruments in promoting renewable energy sources. Examples include the Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) and renewable energy source certificate scheme in India and Israel respectively.
Some countries also provided information on innovative approaches in promoting support of local governments in implementing national climate change policies, as well as the promotion of private-public partnership and incentive structure to promote climate technologies and innovation.
Action is also happening in the land use, land use change and forestry sector where, for example, Indonesia presented a large number of mitigation measures that are expected to reduce 600 Mt CO2e by 2020, in particular on REDD+ (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) policies.
Malaysia also provided information on its Sustainable Forest Management and strengthened National forestry and Biodiversity Policies.
Countries including Uruguay, Montenegro, Thailand and Morocco identified their capacity building needs for the implementation of several emission reduction measures in different sectors such as technology to efficiently use energy. Another capacity need highlighted by both countries is the development and consolidation of existing institutional arrangements to integrate climate change into national policies, programmes and plans.
Both the multilateral assessment of developed countries and the facilitative sharing of views by developing countries took place in a cooperative and positive atmosphere. Developed and developing countries clearly see both processes as essential in sharing experience and enhancing international co-operation.
It was also clear that several Parties are looking at how to strengthen the policy infrastructure to implement a long-term vision on climate change.
All countries involved showed their determination to implement their national emission reduction plans defined in their NDCs and to keep working to enhance their capacity and institutions for the future transparency framework under the Paris Agreement.
COP23 to bring worlds of climate, art, science together
Delegates to the 23rd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP23) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holding in Bonn, Germany this autumn from November 6 to 17, along with the general public, will be able to experience a major exhibition about weather and climate at the Bundeskunsthalle (the Art and Exhibition Hall of the Federal Republic of Germany). The show is designed to highlight the linkages between climate, science and art.
Christened “Weather Report – About Weather Culture and Climate Science”, the exhibition will be located just a few minutes walk away from the COP23 venue and is supported by the UNFCCC as part of a broad programme of cultural events to coincide with COP23.
The exhibition at the Bundeskunsthalle will feature top of the line artistic, historical and scientific exhibits from around the world. These exhibits will include paintings by William Turner, John Constable and Otto Modersohn, the first waterproof rubber shoes by Macintosh, an original thermometer by Daniel Fahrenheit, and traditional artworks from Fiji. Fiji has the Presidency of COP23, and is extremely vulnerable to the effects of rising sea levels and storm surges.
Prominently on display will be an 8-metre traditional Fijian sailing canoe (drua). Of highly symbolical value, the canoe will be presented at the COP23 venue as a symbol of the need to protect islands and oceans, and of sustainable transport.
Speaking at a presentation of the initiative during the May UN Climate Change Conference in Bonn, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, Patricia Espinosa, who is a patron of the exhibition, said: “Science underpins our work and it is science that illuminates the risks of inaction and the opportunities from realising the Paris Climate Change Agreement and the related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Culture and art have a major role in changing hearts and minds and catalysing change among a broader public, so is also fundamental to bring the science of climate change to the people in the context of culture. This exhibition brings home the many dimensions of what climate change is about, and I hope it can inspire people to take the right decisions, also at personal level.”
Rein Wolfs, the Bundeskunsthalle’s director, said: “As a national institution also working at the international level, we are proud to be part of the overall cultural programme of COP23. Our exhibition clearly wants to serve educational purposes, but also aims to reach our visitors emotionally and aesthetically in order to raise awareness for the beauty of all weather phenomena and their essential importance in our everyday life and during our entire life times.
“Weather is the actual experience of climate. The term ‘climate’ comprises the statistical gathering of meteorological events over a certain period. The exhibition ponders the extent to which short-term meteorological occurrences and long-term climate changes influence nature, human civilisation and culture.”
The exhibition will offer interactive ways for people to experience different weather phenomena. Along with the many cultural exhibits, an interactive “Weather studio” at the end of the exhibition will introduce techniques of weather forecasting and show long-term climate trends and projections.
The exhibition, which comprises around 400 loans from more than 100 lenders from all over the world, was developed in close collaboration with the Deutsches Museum in Munich and its branch in Bonn.
Along with scientific instruments and major European art works, visitors will be able to see ethnographic objects such as weather gods, the earliest water resistant rubber shoes, other protective objects such as parasols and umbrellas from around the globe. Some exhibits from the Deutsches Museum will also showcase the role of clean technology in combatting climate change.
“The worlds of art and science are only seemingly divided. The real world is not divided in disciplines: Art can provide strong intellectual insights, and science can be stunningly beautiful. Our aim is to show the beauty of all weather and climate phenomena in order to raise awareness for the immediate urgency of protecting them,” said Henriette Pleiger, exhibition curator at the Bundeskunsthalle.
The exhibition “Weather Report – About Weather Culture and Climate Science” will be accompanied by an extensive supplementary programme, and will run from October 7, 2017 to March 4, 2017.
The Eagle Online announces short break for better service
The Management of The Eagle Online has announced a short break in its online news service. According to the management, the break is to allow for a change of its host.
In a statement signed by the Managing Editor of the online newspaper, Dotun Oladipo, on Wednesday, the break will commence from 12am on Thursday.
Oladipo said the management was initially considering skeletal services during the period, but it was discovered that owing to the large number of files to be moved, access to the news portal could become frustrating.
The statement added: “However, we shall keep our esteemed readers update via all our social media channels with headlines of major stories during the period of the break.”
Oladipo said the process should, hopefully, be completed by the weekend, with full services to be back on Monday morning.
He added: “The essence of the change of host is to serve our readers better.”
Transparency lacking in process of rehabilitating Lagos waterworks, group alleges
The Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN) has alleged that the planned rehabilitation of dilapidated water infrastructure in Lagos State is shrouded in secrecy, even as it urged Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to allow transparent and competitive bidding in the selection of companies to carry out the repair works.
Gov. Ambode had announced funding to the tune of N760 million for the rehabilitation works following a host of actions by civil society culminating in the rejection of water privatisation by the Our Water Our Right coalition led by ERA/FoEN at a protest march on World Water Day 2017 (March 22). In all, 48 mini and micro water works across the state have been selected for rehabilitation.
ERA/FoEN, while commending the Lagos government for harkening to the yearnings of residents on the issue of funding public water sector, however, frowned at unconfirmed reports that the bidding process for rehabilitation of the waterworks has been hijacked by politicians and people close to the government scheming to get a slice of the funds through companies known to have obtained contracts for similar repairs in the past and yet failed to deliver.
ERA/FoEN Deputy Executive Director, Akinbode Oluwafemi, was quoted in a statement made available to EnviroNews on Wednesday, may 17, 2017 as saying: “In as much as we find it heartwarming that the Lagos government has agreed to commit public funds to rehabilitating the existing waterworks in the state, we find it very disturbing that the process being put in place to achieve this has so far not been transparent and people-centered. Public consultation in the ongoing process has been nil.”
Oluwafemi explained that “citizens of Lagos are tired of figures of deficit in the provision of water that the state government continues to announce and the eulogy it accords the false solution that Public Private Partnership (PPP) represents, while ignoring the known fact that inconsistency and lack of sustained budgetary allocation to the water sector led to the current quagmire that citizens now face”.
The ERA/FoEN boss insisted that Lagosians reject in entirety the “strange silence” around the bids and allowing the same companies that failed to implement repairs in the past to get fresh contracts when they should actually be under probe and monies diverted retrieved from them.
He pointed out that in the document – “Lagos Water Crisis: Alternative Roadmap for Water Sector” – which the Our Water Our Right coalition has delivered to key ministries and the office of the governor, integration of broad public participation in developing plans to achieve universal access to clean water was recommended.
He therefore stressed that Lagos citizens will no longer be fooled by words but, instead, demand that the bidding process for rehabilitation of the mini and micro water works be made public.
“We must know the companies selected, their track record in the field relevant to the subject matter, as well as those behind them. Lagosians refuse being hoodwinked by the same enemies of the people who want to introduce PPP through the backdoor. Transparency in the current process is non-negotiable,” Oluwafemi insisted.
Nigeria ratifies Paris Agreement, becomes 146th Party to treaty
Forty-nine days after President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 in Abuja signed the instrument of ratification of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, Nigeria’s endorsement of the global treaty took effect on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 when the country officially presented the authorisation.
According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Nigeria’s ratification of the pact will enter into force in a month’s time on Tuesday, June 15, 2017.
Consequent upon this development, Nigeria has emerged the 146th country to endorse the Paris Agreement, says Mr Santiago Villalpando, Chief of the Treaty Section of the UN, at the presentation of the Climate Change Endorsement instrument by Nigeria’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UN, Prof. Tijjani Bande.
By presenting its endorsement to the UN, Nigeria has deposited its instruments of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession with the depository.
Villalpando, at the historic event in New York on Tuesday, commended Nigeria for taking the bold decision and for its commitment to implementing the Paris Climate Change Agreement.
Speaking after the presentation, Bande said Nigeria had always lived up to its commitment to the UN and other international obligations.
“This presentation of the Climate Change Endorsement is our living up to our commitment.
“We have ratified this agreement and President Muhammadu Buhari has signed it and we have deposited the instrument.
“This is to underline our commitment to the agreement in Paris and this is important for the world.
“Climate change is really important, there’s no doubt about it and we are glad that we have become the 146th member of the UN to ratify it.
“So this is good for Nigeria,” the Permanent Representative said.
He assured the UN and the international community that Nigeria would fulfill its own part of the agreement but called on other countries to live u to their own commitments.
“We operate within the commitment of the agreement and we also expect others to do the same.
“It is important and that is why it took a long time to agree to but we have passed it now. It is just to begin to act within the agreement
“Nigeria has always shown commitment to international obligations, there’s no question about that. Even through our difficult period, we’re still a very reliable member of the international community,” Bande said.
The presentation of Nigeria’s Climate Change Endorsement was witnessed by the Deputy Ambassador, Samson Itegboje, Mr Alex Ajayi Minister and Mrs Eunice Umezurike, First Secretary.
Buhari had signed the Paris Agreement on Sept. 22, 2016 on the sidelines of the 71st UN General Assembly, saying it “demonstrated Nigeria’s commitment to a global effort to reverse the effects of the negative trend”.
By signing the agreement, Buhari committed Nigeria to reducing “greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions unconditionally by 20 per cent and conditionally by 45 per cent” in line with Nigeria’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The president had also signed the instrument of ratification of the agreement on March 28, making the country one of those that had ratified the agreement.
The Paris Agreement builds upon the Convention (UNFCCC) and – for the first time – brings all nations into a common cause to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to assist developing countries to do so. As such, it charts a new course in the global climate effort.
The Paris Agreement’s central aim is to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change by keeping a global temperature rise this century well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Additionally, the agreement aims to strengthen the ability of countries to deal with the impacts of climate change. To reach these ambitious goals, appropriate financial flows, a new technology framework and an enhanced capacity building framework will be put in place, thus supporting action by developing countries and the most vulnerable countries, in line with their own national objectives. The Agreement also provides for enhanced transparency of action and support through a more robust transparency framework.