Howard Bamsey resigned as executive director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) with immediate effect on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 in a bombshell finish to a fraught board meeting.
Howard Bamsey
The Australian cited “pressing personal reasons” in his resignation letter, adding that it was best he leave before the next round of fundraising started.
It came as the four-day meeting in Songdo, South Korea collapsed with no decisions on 11 funding bids worth nearly $1 billion, or on how to top up the flagship climate finance initiative’s dwindling resources.
Sweden’s Lennart Båge, who led the session single-handed while Nicaraguan co-chair Paul Oquist stayed home to deal with a political crisis, said: “This has been a very difficult and disappointing board meeting for all of us, but most importantly for those people who are most vulnerable to climate change impacts, and who depend on the activities of the fund.”
Board members expressed frustration and disappointment at their inability to make progress, as relations between donor and recipient country representatives hit an all-time low.
“We were hoodwinked by developed countries,” South Africa’s Zaheer Fakir, a former chair of the board, told Climate Home News. “It’s a mess.”
The meeting was beset by procedural problems, with the co-chairs accused of failing to adequately consult before the meeting. It took nearly half of the four-day session to agree the agenda, leaving little time for substantive discussion.
One of the major areas of contention is control of the replenishment process. US representative Geoffrey Okamoto said it should be “donor-driven”, to the chagrin of development campaigners. President Donald Trump is refusing to honour an outstanding $2 billion US pledge to the fund.
“The gall of the Trump guy to say #GCFund replenishment process should be donor driven. Guess he’ll just sit down and shut up then,” tweeted Action Aid’s Brandon Wu. He noted that one of the founding principles of the fund was to give developing countries an equal say.
Money is running low, with just $2.8 billion left to allocate. But Finland’s board member Satu Santala tweeted that was not the reason talks failed. “Governance of GCF needs urgent fixing,” she said.
Amid the political gridlock, observers were broadly positive about Bamsey’s record at the fund and concerned by his sudden exit.
“(His resignation) is understandable on a personal level, but a gigantic loss for the fund and its employees at a time they need stability and reassurance,” said Liane Schalatek of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.
Båge said Bamsey had done an “exceptional job”, leading a period of growth and speeding up implementation of climate projects.
The GCF is designed to be the major conduit for billions of dollars in public climate finance promised to the poor world. Since taking over the struggling fund in 2016, Bamsey has overseen a period of steady progress and the first tranche of major projects receiving cash. A reluctant appointee, he told Climate Home News in March that he took the job because the fund “really had to succeed”.
While this week’s meeting failed to continue recent progress, advocates for the fund said it could survive.
“It was a frustrating meeting, but sometimes things need to get worse before they get better. It is a wake-up call to the board,” said Jasmine Hyman, lead consultant at E Co. “I actually am optimistic that they will come to an agreement about the replenishment process.”
Ian Callaghan of climate finance network NDCI Global, who has been tracking the progress of the fund remotely, said it needed to be to be “de-politicised and professionalised”.
“Let’s hope one outcome of this very public meltdown at the GCF is a proper debate about how such an overhaul could be undertaken, because without it climate finance will remain a backwater rather than the mainstream asset class it needs to become if the trillions are to be mobilised, especially for developing countries,” said Callaghan.
The next board meeting will be in October in Bahrain.
The World Igbo Environmental Foundation (WIEF) says there are over 2,800 active erosion sites threatening to sack most communities in the southeast of Nigeria from their ancestral lands.
Gully erosion in southeast Nigeria
Dr Odili Ojukwu, Chairman of the foundation, made this assertion in an interview with newsmen in Awka, capital of Anambra State, on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
Ojukwu, an engineer, advocated for community participation in the management and protection of the environment from erosion.
He blamed the prevalence of gully erosion on faulty road construction and drainage systems, adding that people must ensure that development activities in their areas do not result to erosion.
According to him, there are over 1,000 active erosion sites in Anambra, 300 in Imo, 500 in Abia, 500 in Enugu and 500 in Ebonyi states.
“We tried to establish the causes of erosion and gully issues within the South-East and South-South Region; these are the areas most exposed to erosion.
“As we speak, in Anambra alone, there are over 1,000 active erosion sites, in Imo there are about 300, Abia 500, Enugu 500 and Ebonyi 500.
“So, if you aggregate it, you will discover that the entire region is at risk of losing its ancestral land.
“WIEF is saying that every community has the right to protect their environment; nobody should come into your land to destroy it unless you allow them.
“Communities need to take ownership of their environment; that is what will enable them see potential erosion and check it to prevent them from becoming gullies.
“Climate change is also a factor but that is after all the anthropogenic issues have been taken care of, that is; all human effect on vegetation must be limited,” he said.
Ojukwu, an Environmental Consultant, underscored need for a holistic approach to addressing the erosion menace.
He said government at various levels had not done enough to check erosion as the institutions and policies that guarantee sustainable environment were non-functional or lacking.
“Historically, governments have not been able to do much to ensure environmental sustainability; this is also made worse by the I-don’t-care attitude of the people.
“Our institutions do not work, that is why there no technocrats who act on issues of environment on constant basis
“Gullies do not begin overnight, there are processes leading to them and they can be stopped with minimal effort at the community level,” Ojukwu said.
Prof. Babatunde Alo of the University of Lagos on Wednesday, July 4, 2018 urged the Federal Government to make concerted efforts to check the high amount of microplastics found in the food chain and cosmetic products.
Prof. Babajide Alo
Alo, a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry of the university, gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.
He stressed that plastic products were not degradable, adding that they were eventually broken down by sunlight into smaller pieces, thereby becoming microplastics.
“The major raw materials for plastics production include cellulose, coal, natural gas and crude oil.
“However, petrochemicals from oil remain the main the main ingredient in plastics production.
“The components of plastics found in the environment, biota and humans are of primary concern due to their potential to interfere with the physiology of living organisms.
“Unfortunately, microplastics have been found to be present in food, water, cosmetics and other products packaged in plastic containers,’’ he said.
Alo said that the government should strictly regulate production processes in the country so as to eliminate microplastics from food and packaged water.
He also underscored the need to phase out products that contained microbeads, adding that such products included cosmetics, soaps and personal care products, among others.
Alo, who is also a Fellow of Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), said that government should provide incentives that would attract investments in the production of biodegradable packaging materials.
He also said that tax breaks and other financial incentives should be given to manufacturing companies which had been able to successfully substitute plastics with biodegradable substances.
He said that plastic bottles, cups, wrapping materials, carrier bags and straws, which accounted for a substantial percentage of plastics waste, should be substituted with reusable alternatives.
The Director of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), South-East Zonal office, Mr Walson Ibarakumo, has warned of impending flood risk in specific areas of Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states.
A flooded street
He disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu on Wednesday, July 4, 2018.
Iberakumo said his warning was based on the forecast by National Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) and Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMET).
The NEMA boss said the reason for the impending flood and storm was due to climate change.
“The heavy rainfall, storm and wind currently experienced in these states is as a result of climate change so, the people should not be taken by surprise whenever they start experiencing it.
“You know climate change has brought about a lot of changes to our environment amongst which is the flood risk that has been forecasted,” Ibarakumo said.
He, therefore, advised that residents of the aforementioned states needed to have a change of attitude especially as regards to energy use until the climate returned to its normal state.
Ibarakumo said that NEMA had started creating awareness in the affected states and would be conducting simulation with other relevant response agencies soon.
The director noted that it was necessary to begin preparations on time in readiness for such disaster as it might eventually become big and devastating.
Ibarakumo went ahead to reel out the names of the forecasted areas describing some as highly probable and probable.
“Enugu South and East are the highly probable areas while Oji River, Udi and Uzo Uwani are the probable flood risk areas.
“In Anambra State, Aguata, Idemili North and Ogbaru are the highly probable flood risk areas while Anambra East and West, Anaocha, Ayamelum, Onitsha North and South, Dunukofia, Orumba North, Njikoka and Oyi are the probable areas.
“In Ebonyi State, Afikpo South, Abakaliki, Ebonyi, Ezza South, Ikwo, Ohaukwu and Afikpo itself are areas prone to flood risk,” he said.
In addition, he said, NEMA had been able to effectively and successfully handled 30 emergency situations from January to June 2018.
Ibarakumo mentioned that these emergency situations involve floods, fire outbreaks, collapsed buildings and communal clashes.
He said that they were able to manage these disasters with the help of the Local Emergency Management Committees at the local government level and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
He said NEMA was facing a big challenge in terms of funding which was limiting its operations.
The Association of Nigerian Geographers (ANG) recently pleaded with the Federal Government to restore geography to the senior secondary school curriculum and make it compulsory for science students.
Prof. Kayode Oyesiku, President, Association of Nigerian Geographers (ANG)
The president of the association, Prof. Kayode Oyesiku, said that the decision to remove geography from the curriculum four years ago and make it optional for students ought to be reviewed.
The association called on the Federal Ministry of Education to restore Geography as a single subject in senior secondary schools across the country to avoid producing youths and leaders without knowledge of basic environment features.
He recalled that in 2013, Geography as a single subject was removed from the Senior Secondary School curriculum and sandwiched within some parts of Social Studies.
“Geography as a discipline provides an integrative knowledge platform between the natural and social sciences that form the basis for the millennium development goals and sustainable development goals to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“It is one of the combinations of subjects for several disciplines in the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) examinations.
“It implies that students will look for some irrelevant subjects that are not directly important to geography related disciplines in an attempt to look for the alternatives,’’ he said.
Oyesiku, the former provost of Engineering and Environmental Studies, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago–Iwoye, Ogun State, also said that the teaching of geography should not be sacrificed for any subject.
“The nation sits on a time bomb as it risks losing geographical information systems used in planning major cities including the Federal Capital Territory.
“Geography is in the front burner in understanding science and social science subjects and is therefore of great importance supporting modern national development in Nigeria.
“It broadens what is traditionally considered as a discipline embracing climate, weather, vegetation, soil and geology.
“It could also enhance technology and information science, help in the understanding of vehicular navigation systems and assist in appreciating cultural settlement patterns as well as better understanding of economics, diseases patterns, urban studies, development population and even history.
“Through the knowledge of Geography, natural resources have become more accessible, particularly in areas often considered as inaccessible,’’ he observed.
Similarly, Prof. Nasiru Idris, Dean, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Nasarawa State University, Keffi, said that, without Geography, Nigeria would not meet the needs of the present environmental standards.
He said that without Geography in the school curriculum, basic understanding of the environment would be in turmoil, as Geography is science, as well as art.
“Geography is one of the backbones of mankind that make one understand basic physical systems that affect life, play important roles in the evolution of life and it will continue to explore more about life.
“Currently, the National Universities Commission (NUC) has introduced Introduction to Environmental Science as a core course for all university students as General Studies.
“This means that Geography is well recognised at university level, so how will students who had no basic knowledge about geography at secondary school level cope?
“Sustainable Development Goals and global climate change are all issues and aspects of Geography, and as such, removal of Geography as a subject at lower levels of education will have significant implications on the entire society as the daily growing environmental challenges observe no political boundaries,’’ he said.
Sharing similar opinion, Prof. Adamu Tanko from Bayero University, Kano and first Vice- President, ANG, said that “a geographer is an informed global citizen.
“It would do us a lot of harm if the subject is removed; the place of Geography in secondary education is such that its removal means students are not going to be exposed to the subject of geography as a whole.
“It could be a catastrophe where foreigners would have to be called upon to plan certain basic things in Nigeria, and where Nigerians cannot be trained locally to take up some key positions.
“In the past, pupils in elementary and primary schools were taught geography, and from the primary school, children would learn about their immediate environment and their country.
“This helped immensely for these young Nigerians to understand and appreciate our differences which made many of us open minded, tolerant and better informed.
“Now that the subject has been removed as a core subject in our secondary schools for some time now, many of the losses suffered as a result are becoming increasingly evident’’.
Tanko said that children were denied the opportunity to take some important professional courses in higher schools such as the universities because geography, which was a necessary requirement for one to take courses in environmental sciences/management, for instance, would be missing on the list of subjects taken.
“Without Geography there are many courses that cannot be offered and for which key environmental issues and problems cannot be addressed, and we cannot contribute to global management of the environment.
“Geography is a primary requirement for the studies of urban/rural environmental planning; land use, land cover management, climate change and development, transportation management, agricultural development and disaster management, among others.
“The removal of Geography will be in contrast to what is happening in global education system, including some African countries, where it is a core subject,’’ he observed.
Tanko said that with the contemporary security crises in Nigeria, it would not be out of place if Nigerian children learned from the foundation about what made up the country and not just about ethnic groups.
He, therefore, called on the agencies of the Federal Government in charge of curriculum development to revert to status quo.
The world’s top cocoa producer, Cote d’Ivoire, said on Monday, July 2, 2018 that it would invest nearly $1.1 billion over 10 years to replace forests that were razed to grow the bean.
Cote d’Ivoire is the world’s top cocoa producer. Photo credit: thebreakingtimes.com
The West African country supplies two million tonnes of cocoa to the world market annually and the commodity is a mainstay of the economy.
Mighty Earth, an NGO, had alleged in an October report that “many of the country’s national parks and conservation lands have been cleared of their forest to make way for cocoa operations to feed demand from large chocolate companies like Nestle, Cadbury, and Mars.”
Ivorian Minister for Water and Forests, Alain-Richard Donwahi, told foreign donors on Monday that the government would spend 616 billion CFA francs ($1.09 billion) in afforestation programmes.
“Between now and 2030 we will recover 20% of our (lost) forest cover. That is our commitment,” he said.
Donwahi said the project would involve both public and private partnerships, saying policy would be changed to ensure “that cocoa production does not destroy forests but actually helps preserve them”.
“We will identify illegal cocoa plantations tucked away in forests and destroy them,” he said, adding that 500 000 tonnes of cocoa were produced in such zones.
Daya Reddy, an internationally recognised mathematician from South Africa, has been elected president of the International Science Council (ISC) at the Council’s founding General Assembly. Peter Gluckman of New Zealand became the President-elect.
Daya Reddy
Reddy was born in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Cape Town, and a PhD degree from Cambridge University. He was appointed professor of applied mathematics at the University of Cape Town in 1989, and served as dean of its science faculty from 1999 to 2005. He currently holds the South African Research Chair in Computational Mechanics at the University of Cape Town, South Africa. He has served as President of the Academy of Science of South Africa, and is an elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and of TWAS, The World Academy of Sciences.
He is currently co-chair of the research branch of the InterAcademy Partnership, a network of some 130 national science academies of science and health sciences. He has held numerous visiting positions, including those of Visiting Faculty Fellow at the Institute for Computational Sciences and Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin, and the Timoshenko Lecturer at Stanford University. He is a recipient of the Award for Research Distinction of the South African Mathematical Society, the Order of Mapungubwe from the President of South Africa, and of the Georg Forster Research Award from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany.
“I am honoured by the confidence ISC members have placed in me at this historic juncture for international science,” he said, adding: “Our task is daunting, but unity is strength and I am confident that the combined forces of our membership across all scientific disciplines will enable us to meet the ambitious goal we have, to assert ourselves as the global voice for science.”
The ISC is a new global organisation representing more than 180 scientific organisations from all around the globe. The new Council will be the only non-governmental global body representing both the natural and social sciences, and results from the historic merger of the International Social Science Council (ISSC) with the International Council for Science (ICSU).
Led by a Governing Board, the Council will develop an impact-oriented agenda focusing on science for policy and policy for science, aimed at enabling international research coordination to contribute more effectively to major issues in the international public domain.
In his acceptance speech, Reddy spoke about the importance of inclusiveness, of involving all regions of the world in the work of the new Council. He called for the involvement of early career scientists in partnerships and agenda setting. “We have set ourselves an ambitious goal to be a powerful, visible, credible voice for science. There’s no time to waste. Let’s get to work!”
Reddy’s research interests lie in the domain of mathematical modelling, analysis and simulation in mechanics. He has made significant contributions to theories of complex material behaviour, and to the development of stable and convergent methods of computational approximation. He maintains an active engagement in biomechanics, including research into aspects of cardiovascular mechanics.
The Council was officially launched this week in Paris, during events hosted by the French Academy of Sciences. The programme includes a public-facing launch event featuring high level keynote speakers as well as representatives of the French government and the scientific community on July 5, 2018.
At the second General Assembly of the new Council, which will be held in Oman in 2021, the Presidency will pass to Peter Gluckman.
The further officers of the Board are Elisa Reis (Vice President), Jinghai Li (Vice President), Alik Ismail-Zadeh (Secretary) and Renée van Kessel (Treasurer). The ordinary members of the Board will be Geoffrey Boulton, Melody Burkins, Saths Cooper, Anna Davies, Pearl Dykstra, Sirimali Fernando, Ruth Fincher, James C. Liao, Natalia Tarasova and Martin Visbeck.
Earlier in the day, Gluckman, the former Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, spoke about his vision for the Council in his remarks to participants before the vote.
He stressed that “The International Science Council must work to become the leading voice of science in leading fora of policy-making.” He added that “this requires a coherent and focused strategy asking where the Council is uniquely positioned – asking what the council should do, and what it should not do.”
The founding events of the International Science Council will continue tomorrow with a public launch event at the Maison des Océans in Paris, with keynote addresses by Cédric Villani, Esther Duflo, Ismail Serageldin, Craig Calhoun and many others.
The ISC is a non-governmental organization with a global membership of more than 180 organiszations, including national scientific bodies, International Scientific Unions and Associations, and Affiliated Members.
The ISC was created in 2018 as the result of a merger between the International Council for Science (ICSU) and the International Social Science Council (ISSC). This makes the Council the unique representative body of both the natural and the social sciences.
Nigeria and France on Tuesday, July 3, 2018 in Abuja signed three agreements worth $475 million on social amenities and reforestation.
President Muhammadu Buhari and visiting French President Emmanuel Macron
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the agreements cover Urban Mobility Improvement Programme of Lagos State, sustainable water supply in Kano city and reforestation in Ogun State.
President Muhammadu Buhari and the visiting French President Emmanuel Macron witnessed the signing of the agreements during their bilateral talks held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The Lagos agreement involved a letter of intent for the financing of urban mobility improvement project through a loan of $200 million. The urban mobility project will involve development of eight priority bus corridors connected to the Lagos mass transit network.
In Ogun, a French firm, in conjunction with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority, is to mobilise from investors about $200 million for land reclamation to correct the massive degradation of arable land being witnessed in the state.
Gov. Ibikunle Amosun, who spoke to State House correspondents on the signed agreement, said the project aimed to reforest 108,000 hectares of depleting forest in Ogun.
Amosun, therefore, hailed the signing of the agreement, describing it as very vital to not only addressing climate change challenges and recreating the forest, but also providing employment to the people of the state, among other benefits.
NAN also reports that France, through its foreign development agency, Whence Francaise de Development (AFD), will also extend a credit facility of $75 million towards improving water supply in the city of Kano.
The concessional loan is expected to help the Kano State Government ensure more residents of the city have access to drinking water while improving the financial viability of the state water board to increase its revenues.
Addressing newsmen after the signing of the agreements, Buhari and Macron, who addressed a joint press conference at the forecourt of the Presidential Villa, expressed the readiness of their countries to continue to promote socio-economic interests for the general good of both countries.
The two presidents pledged to increase the cooperation between Nigeria and France in tackling security challenges occasioned by Boko Haram and ISIS jihadists in Nigeria and the Sahel region of Africa.
Macron said he was more concerned about how African governments organised themselves to effectively tackle the challenges posed by terrorists on the continent.
He said: “The main plan is an African plan and France is not the one to solve or fix African situations.
“So what we want to do is that we will intervene and maintain our presence in Africa and Sahel to fight against terrorism, especially in Mali and in the region.
“What is important to me is how the different African governments organise themselves to fight against terrorism and get rid of these people and especially, jihadism. That is why I do promote the G5/Sahel Initiatives.
“As far as we are organised, Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroon is also very important, it is Boko Haram. I think first we have to increase the operations and the pressure against these jihadists.
“We can fix the situation in the coming months and obviously France will remain present in Africa for as long as they want it.’’
On his part, Buhari thanked French government for its support and assistance to Nigeria’s efforts in combating insurgency and violent extremism in the country and the Sahel region.
He said already Nigeria had cultivated the culture of friendship with all its neighbours with a view to ensuring security and political stability in the region.
Unless you have total disregard for nature or you’re one of the people who value wildlife (both animals and plants in the wild) only in terms of exploitation for timber, game and other non-timber forest products, then you must be commending Ghana for its protected wildlife areas. They remain what are left of the country’s pristine ecological areas that promote biological diversity and thereby contribute to human survival.
Entrance to the Mole National Park
Of the country’s 21 wildlife protected areas, there are seven designated National Parks, six Resource Reserves, two Wildlife Sanctuaries, one Strict Nature Reserve and five Coastal Wetlands of International Importance also known as Ramsar sites, most of which have unfortunately been massively exploited for other uses.
Mole National Park is the largest covering an area of 4,577km². Due to its rich animal, birdlife and plant diversity, the area was set aside as wildlife refuge in 1958, and designated as a National Park in 1971 (along with other areas) under the Wildlife Reserves Regulations, 1971.
As is common to all of such protected areas, Mole National Park provides protection for species from hunting and poaching, among other things. It serves to secure the area’s uniqueness as a naturally occurring refuge island to preserve endangered species in particular and to offer recreational opportunities.
The Park is mainly located near Damongo in Ghana’s Northern Region and extends a little bit to the Upper West Region, stretching across five administrative districts. They are West Gonja, Sawla Tuna Kalba, Wa East, North Gonja and Mamprusi Moaduri Districts. It is 146km south west of Tamale the Northern Regional Capital and 25km from Damongo the Capital of West Gonja District.
Genesis of the Mole National Park
The beginnings of the Mole National Park can be traced to the establishment in 1933 of the Tsetse fly Control Unit of the Ministry of Agriculture for the eradication of the tsetse fly menace that was ravaging large animals both wild and domesticated, and continued to do so for about 20 years. The programme was also to prepare the grounds for large scale cattle ranching. During 1949 to 52 the colonial administration appointed Game Wardens to facilitate gaming in the country. Then in 1957, President Kwame Nkrumah appointed A.R. Charleswick as Game Warden to manage the area that eventually became a Wildlife Sanctuary.
Architects of the Park
There is no doubt that the wildlife officials then known as Game Officers – late Dr. Asibey, Punguse, late Ankunde, Ofori Frempong, Naa Nuhu, Ben Volta, and the host of others including some foreign nationals, who were instrumental in firming up the Park’s establishment did so out of genuine interest and concern for the general welfare of the nation. They looked past the immediate benefits of unchecked hunting and farming, to the long term goals of management for ecosystem protection and eventually for food security and sustainable development.
These people were self-motivated and passionate, because they understood the linkage between a healthy and well-functioning wildlife ecosystem and a vibrant human life and sustainable development. They understood that the term “wildlife,” does only refer to wild animals, but also encompasses all undomesticated life forms including birds, insects, plants, fungi and even microscopic organisms.
They appreciated that for maintaining a healthy ecological balance on this earth, animals, plants and marine species are as important as humans. That the eco-system is all about relationships between different organisms connected through food webs and food chains. So if just one wildlife species gets extinct from the eco-system, it is likely to disturb the whole food chain ultimately leading to disastrous results. For instance, the bee is vital for growth of certain crops as a result of their pollen carrying roles. So, if the population of bees diminishes because of destruction of all types of forests, the growth of food crops will definitely suffer for lack of pollination.
The architects were people who cared more about the welfare of wildlife animals and their habitat, than about their own lives. They formed the early staff of the then Game Department (now Wildlife Division of the Forestry Commission) and set the pace for the management of Mole National Park and indeed all the other protected areas, based on selfless commitment to duty.
It was the lucky day for the writer whose visit to the Zaina Eco-Lodge coincided with that of the juvenile elephant known for his annual trek to the Lodge, purposely for an annual splash
Management of the Park
For proper management, the park is partitioned into four management areas called ranges. They are known as Headquarters, Bawena, Jang and Ducie Ranges. These are sub-divided into beats for effective law enforcement and ground coverage. Each range has at least twenty staff pooled into a range camp and deployed regularly on patrol in the beats to check poaching, unauthorized entry and other illegal activities. There are staff and satellite camps within the ranges used as rest stops and focal points during patrols.
Staffers also gather biological data and all are fed into a computerised Management Information System (MIST). According to Ali Mahama, the Law Enforcement Officer at Mole, “the MIST is used to monitor patrolling effort and effectiveness as well as monitor wildlife distribution and trends.” He explained that the overall objective is to improve Park management and maintain the integrity of the Park.
The Perfect Tourist Destination
The Park admits visitors from all over the world for game viewing, camping, hiking, research and education. Visitors to the Park have gradually increased from a total of 2,322 recorded visitors in 1989 to 17,758 recorded 2017. As at the first quarter of 2018 a total of 5,226 people had visited the Park. The visitors are made up of domestic tourists including adults, students of tertiary and secondary institutions. Others are foreign adults, nature lovers, bird watchers, students and children. Apart from the bogs, duikers, bushbucks, warthogs and baboons, one might also be lucky to watch a team of elephants cooling themselves by smearing mud on their skins or doing their “beauty treatment.”
But you could even get a pleasant surprise from the now known young male elephant, who according to the Manager of Zaina lodge, Andrew Joseph Murphy, “visits the lodge once a year to cool itself with water from the swimming pool at the Lodge.”
Mole also has a historical legacy and Oral tradition says the park has links to the national slave trade route. The ancient caravan route from Salaga to Wa and beyond to Mali, passed through the heart of the park. This route was used for both trading and to transport slaves to coastal markets. The park Headquarters is located right at a place where Samore and Babatu, the two famous slave raiders raided and erased a village to the ground. The Headquarters is named after Samore. There is also a cave in the Konkori escarpment that was used as a refuge from slave raiders by the local people.
The upgrading of the existing boarding facilitates as well as the construction of an eco-lodge facility have helped to revive tourism to Mole following the Ebola scare that caused the numbers to drop in 2013 and 2014.
The writer with one of the Wildlife Rangers sitting on some rocks in the river bed of the Lovi, one of two rivers that pass through the Mole National Park
Contribution to GDP
It is obvious that Mole National Park is a significant contributor to the over 1.3 billion USD, which is a direct contribution of the tourism sector to annual revenue generation representing about 2.8% GDP.
Current threats to Mole’s existence
While, staffers have been able to keep illegal hunting and poaching to the minimal levels, poachers continue to threaten their lives. A number of staffers have lost their lives over the years, with the latest occurring in March 2018, when the leader of a patrol team was hit and killed by poachers.
Such attacks, coupled with inadequate funding and logistics for the sector, have begun to wear out the morale of staffers. Nevertheless, their passion to keep Mole as intact as possible remains key, even in the current fight against illegal logging of Rosewood. The species is one of the dominant trees in the Park and provides food for most of the mammals. Bees love the nectar from the Rosewood flowers that provide the main ingredient for honey in the area. Indeed, fringe communities such as Mognori and Murugu are now famed for producing the best honey in Ghana.
However, the unprecedented illegal logging of Rosewood is threatening not just the Park’s existence, but the local honey industry and the functionality of the Community Resource Management Areas (CREMAs).
Staff Response
Staffers of Mole have responded by cutting up and burning Rosewood logs felled in the Park as well impounded equipment and vehicles. The Park Manager Farouk says, “Though this measure has drawn sharp criticisms from some quarters, it has helped to curtail the menace in the Park for now.” He emphasised that “Mole was created by the passion of our seniors and with our passion we will sustain the Park against all odds.”
Governments at all levels have been told to increase investment in renewable energy and create an environment that will open doors for more local and foreign players in the renewable energy sector. This will make as many communities as possible have access to mini-grid and off-grid energy systems as well as clean and affordable cooking energy.
Participants at the policy consultation
This formed part of the resolutions at a policy consultation on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) held courtesy of the Women Environmental Programme (WEP), on Wednesday, June 27, 2018 in Abuja.
This policy consultation was part of the activities of the Women2030 project, which created a platform for different stakeholders to discuss Nigeria’s SDGs’ plans, policies and programmes, and make necessary recommendations that will help the country realise the SDGs. Stakeholders at the event were drawn from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government, private sector, civil society organisations (CSOs) and the media.
Participants also agreed that MDAs should align their activities with the targets of their relevant SDGs and draw up actionable plans that will be implemented over time to achieve the SDGs targets. Until the MDAs work in line with the set targets of the SDGs, the country will be far from achieving the SDGs at the appropriate time, they stated.
Governments were likewise urged to ensure that all private and public schools are inclusive and have infrastructure for equitable and qualitative education which gives access to education to both the abled and children with disabilities.
“MDAs responsible for provision of water to the citizens should make concrete plans to ensure more Nigerians have access to portable water by expanding their distribution networks and exploiting more, the abundant water resources in the country for provision of portable water to the citizens,” emphasised the participants, adding that government should commit to implementing the Affirmative Action in the National Gender Policy for more involvement and meaningful participation of women in public decisions.
While recommending that the lawmakers translate the Affirmative Action into a law, the executive, they suggested, should be guided by the National Gender Policy in their appointments so as to achieve gender balance.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (SSAP SDGs), Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, in an address presented on her behalf by Mr. Yahaya Hamza explained to the participants the different funding sources available for the implementation of SDGs in Nigeria. She also highlighted the strategies employed by her office as well as the different programmes being implemented by the office towards achieving SDGs.
She listed the funding sources for implementing SDGs in Nigeria to include: Annual Budgets, Debt Relief Gains and Conditional Grants Scheme.
After the Keynote address, participants were taken through the 17 goals and the 169 targets and how the SDGs could be mainstreamed in policies and programmes of organisations by Linda Akpami, an environment consultant.
This was followed by the presentation by WEP on the preliminary results of the assessment carried out on specific goals and targets of the SDGs in 11 states of Nigeria: Lagos, Delta, Rivers, Anambra, Benue, FCT, Nasarawa, Plateau, Kano, Yobe and Katsina.
The assessment sought information against the following SDGs and targets: Goal 1, targets 1.2 and 1.4; Goal 4, target 4a; Goal 5, target 5.5; Goal 6 targets 6.1 and 6.2; Goal 7, target 7.1; and Goal 13, target 13.2. However, only the quantitative results for Goals 1, 4, 5, 6 and 7 were presented at the policy consultation.
The result of the assessment revealed the following:
High poverty rates across the states assessed as income levels of respondents with highest percentage fell within the income category of between N1 and N10,000 which translates to the fact that most respondents live on less than $1 a day.
Many schools assessed had no infrastructure for equitable and quality education: Apart from FCT, less than 50% of schools in the other states had computers for use by teachers, pupils/students. Averagely, 90% of schools assessed had no infrastructure and materials adapted to the needs of children with disabilities. Similarly, many schools had no electricity, drinking water sources, toilets, and handwashing facilities.
Major drinking water sources of respondents were found to be borehole, sachet water and wells across all the states as most respondents had no access to public pipe borne water. Similarly, an average of 10% of respondents across all the states assessed had no toilets in their households.
An average of 80% of respondents had no access to public electricity supply, while over 60% across all the states depended on kerosene, firewood and charcoal as their major sources of cooking energy.
None of the states assessed had a woman as a governor. The states also had by far, fewer numbers of women in their Houses of Assembly and as Commissioners than men.
