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World Earth Day: Groups emphasise climate education, waste-to-wealth sensitisation

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World Earth Day: Groups emphasise climate education, waste-to-wealth sensitisation

Nigeria over the weekend joined the rest of the world to observe the 2017 edition of the World Earth Day.

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Participants at the Climate Aid event to observe the 2017 World Earth Day

The Earth Day is a global event observed on April 22 to demonstrate and promote environmental awareness and calls for the protection of planet Earth. The theme for Earth Day 2017 is “Environmental and climate literacy”.

According to observers, climate change is the most important public policy issue by reason of its negative impacts on economies, social lives, health and the future of children. They note that landmark Paris Agreement reached in December 2015 commits all countries to holding global temperature rise to “well below 2 degrees Celsius”.

“This feat will require economy-wide global and national transformations. A robust, multi-sector response will be a key component of this solution to pivot societies toward a more sustainable future for all – the future we want,” says Oluwatosin Kolawole, President of Climate Aid, a Lagos-based not-for-profit organisation.

He describes climate education is an essential element of the global response to climate change, pointing out that it helps young people understand and address the impact of global warming, encourages changes in their attitudes and behaviour and empowers them adapt to climate change-related trends.

Consequent upon that and in commemoration of Earth Day 2017, Climate Aid, in collaboration with other not-for-profit organisations such as Environmental Law Research Institute (ELRI), Nigerian Environmental Rights Advocacy Group (NERAG), Green Intelligence, Nature Protection and Environmental Improvement Initiative (NAPEIIN) and GreenEducate, with technical supports from the Centre for Environmental Studies of the Lagos State University (LASU), Centre for Planning Studies LASU, Parks and Gardens Unit LASU, and the faculty of social sciences, on Friday, April 21, 2017 hosted out a climate literacy training among 195 students, as well as a tree planting exercise around the campus.

“Students who participated were quite excited to take further actions in preservation their environment,” stated Mr. Kolawole, adding that while the Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) provided the tree seedlings that were planted, the tree planting activity was led by the Vice Chancellor of LASU.

He discloses that, in furtherance of the group’s Earth Day 2017 celebration, Climate Aid will visit the University of Lagos, Akoka on Thursday, April 27, 2017. He lists proposed lines of events to include: climate literacy workshop, Nature walks around the campus, and tree planting around the campus and the lagoon front.

“The Objective of our works is to raise climate change awareness among the students, and equip them with the right knowledge and tools to build their resilience to the impacts that climate change pose to their future,” Kolawole states.

Similarly, the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB), in collaboration with some environmental not-for-profit organisations on Saturday, April 22, 2017 organised a sensitisation programme to educate Abuja residents on how to convert waste to wealth. The sensitisation programme was organised to commemorate the 2017 World Earth Day.

Mrs Dora Laniyi, Executive Director, Abuja Green Class, explained that celebrating the World Earth Day yearly was meant to send message across on the importance of the earth to human being.

Laniyi regretted that the natural earth resources had been destroyed instead of protecting them, thereby making the earth to become unfriendly to man.

Mr Amara Nwankpa, Director, Public Policy Initiative, Shehu Musa Yar’ Adua Foundation and a guest speaker, said Nigeria was one of the countries most affected when it comes to a climate change issue.

Nwankpa explained that this was partly due to Sahara Desert encroachment which has extended into the country because the natural resources are not protected.

Mrs Nwal Fakhry, Manager, Environmental/Conservation, African Community Bridge Foundation (ACBF), who spoke on converting trash to cash, described improper handling of waste as a threat to the environment.

Fakhry added that waste was also a contributory factor to the climate change, adding that ACBF was established to create awareness on how to convert waste to wealth.

Mrs Omolola Olanipekun, Acting Director, AEPB, expressed delight on the response of FCT residents to the sensitisation programme.

Represented by Mr Muktar Ibrahim, the Head of Information and Outreach Unit of AEPB, she said the earth was no more human friendly because its ingredients had been destroyed by man.

Olanipekun identified noise pollution, gas emission, green house effects, erosion, receding of rivers as major human factors contributing to climate change.

World Earth Day: How thirsty Africa can save water, by firm

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World Earth Day: How thirsty Africa can save water, by firm

A German brand in sanitary fittings, GROHE, on Saturday, April 22, 2017 commemorated the World Earth Day through its commitment to innovative design with a focus on sustainability. In keeping with this year’s theme for Earth Day: environmental and climate literacy, GROHE provided key tips for saving water, especially in Africa.

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According to WaterAid, 57 million people in Nigeria don’t have access to safe water. Photo credit: vanguardngr.com

Statistics published by international development organisation WaterAid show that 695 million people out of the 1.2 billion total population of Africa are surviving without basic sanitation and 395 million people are without clean water. With Africa’s population projected to be 2.2 billion by 2030, only 32% of sub-Saharan Africans will have access to sanitation by 2030.

According to WASHwatch, the collaborative monitoring platform set up by WaterAid, 57 million people in Nigeria don’t have access to safe water, over 130 million people don’t have access to adequate sanitation which is two third of the population and around 45,000 children under five years old die every year from diarrhea caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

For GROHE, sustainability is a corporate value with a tradition and a future. GROHE has developed a wide portfolio of advanced product technologies and launched also a series of awareness campaigns and programs to change mindsets and habits.

Since 2009, GROHE has launched the Green Mosque Initiative in many countries, whereby the company partners with local entities to install water-efficient products in the ablution rooms of mosques to help the respective regions achieve sustainable reduction in water consumption. Muslim worshipers’ ritual ablutions consume between 10 and 15 litres of water per day. Every possibility to save water therefore has a great impact on consumption. As mosques play an important role in people’s day-to-day lives.

The initiative has reduced water consumption for the cleansing rituals by roughly 30 percent which is good for the environment and helps cut costs.

“Water saving taps and showers and water saving flush systems are two of the main ways that everyday citizens can contribute to protecting the environment, and sustainability is one of the core values and a top priority in the creation of every GROHE product for bathrooms and from the design to development stages,” says Mohammed Ataya, Vice President of GROHE Egypt, North and West Africa.

Mr. Ataya adds that “quality materials, first-class design and advanced engineering all play an important role in saving water. For example, the group’s hand showers feature either an integrated flow limiter, or an Eco button or spray dimmer which lets you chooses when to reduce the water flow.”

GROHE agrees with the Earth Day ethos that everyone needs to be empowered with the knowledge and the products to inspire action and protect the environment.

The individual choice to reduce water consumption is only one of the many strategies needed to address the issue of water scarcity but it gives each person a role to play in protecting the planet.

Study warns stroke rates rising in young adults

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Study warns stroke rates rising in young adults

The rate of stroke among young people has apparently been rising steadily since 1995, according to a study published recently. Hospitalisation rates for stroke increased for women between the ages of 18 and 44, and nearly doubled for men in that age range from 1995 through 2012.

Stroke
The Ischemic stroke

A stroke is the sudden death of brain cells due to lack of oxygen, caused by blockage of blood flow or rupture of an artery to the brain. Sudden loss of speech, weakness, or paralysis of one side of the body can be symptoms.

Using more-detailed data for 2003 through 2012, the researchers found that rates of hospitalisations for acute ischemic stroke increased by nearly 42 percent for men 35 to 44, while rates for women of the same age group increased by 30 percent over the same time, the study published in the JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Across all adults, including those in older age ranges, stroke was the fifth leading cause of death in 2013. Overall mortality rates from strokes have significantly decreased over the past 50 years due to multiple factors, including better treatment for hypertension and increased use of aspirin, even as incidence of acute ischemic stroke among young adults has been on the rise.

The study also looked at stroke risk factors and whether there were any changes in their prevalence from 2003 to 2012. The likelihood of having three or more of five common risk factors – diabetes, hypertension, lipid disorders, obesity and tobacco use – doubled in men and women hospitalised for acute ischemic strokes.

“The identification of increasing hospitalisation rates for acute ischemic stroke in young adults coexistent with increasing prevalence of traditional stroke risk factors confirms the importance of focusing on prevention in younger adults,” said Mary George, the lead author of the report and deputy associate director for science and senior medical officer in the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers used data from the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample, a large and nationally representative administrative database of hospital discharge information.

The researchers hypothesise that hospitalisation rates kept increasing with time because stroke risk factors such as high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity have been increasing in the general population.

“The high and increasing rate of traditional stroke risk factors among young adults experiencing an acute stroke is quite worrisome,” George said.

The results reinforce the need for physicians to monitor patients for risk factors such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol and treat them early. Young adults and their health-care professional should have discuss engaging in healthy behaviors throughout their lives, such as eating a healthy diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, and if they smoke then what steps they should take to quit, George said.

“Most people think that having a stroke is something that only happens to older people, but the impact of stroke is significant – it is uniquely complex in younger adults, in midst of careers, serving as wage earners and caregivers, who may suffer disability that can impact their lives and the lives of family members and loved ones,” George said.

Previous studies have looked at how stroke rates have increased in young adults, but this was a larger study that looked over a longer period of time, said Diana Greene-Chandos, a neurologist and director of neuroscience critical care at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Centre who was not part of the study.

“It showed us that not only was there an increase but also an increase that was associated with common risk factors in stroke,” she said. “It is an important call to us as stroke neurologists and critical-care neurologists to start to study this more and more because of the way it was done. There are some limitations to it, but I think that it’s enough good data that we should start to spend more of our resources in looking at this.”

By Jia Naqvi, The Washington Post

SDGs: How Nigeria can remain committed, focused, by Fadina

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SDGs: How Nigeria can remain committed, focused, by Fadina

Against the backdrop of government’s recent ratifying of the Paris Climate Agreement, an environmentalist and climate change negotiator has listed a set of next-steps to ensure that Nigeria keeps to her commitment on compliance to the world order, especially as it relates to sustainable development.

Lekan-Fadina
Prince Lekan Fadina (right) with Eric Torres, a Director and Facilitator of ISOS Group in USA, a pioneering corporate responsibility and sustainability consultancy firm that helps drive sustainability for the world’s most innovative brands. Mr Torres was on a visit to CISME Centre in Lekki, Lagos State, on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 to discuss collaboration and co-operation in the spirit of North-South collaboration. He had useful meetings and interactions with CISME officials, who he commended for their leadership role and global recognition

Prince Lekan Fadina, head of the Lagos-based Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME),  in a presentation titled: “Setting the tone: An evolution of sustainable development – Nigeria context” and delivered on Monday, March 3, 2017 at the GRI Standards Training Programme in Lagos, wants the country to:

  • Accept that the content of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have set the scene, they have become narratives and as such we must key into the sustainability trends which make Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) an important globally adopted framework.
  • Recognise that access to global funds and investment opportunities now demand companies to manage their environmental impacts incorporate the sustainability indicators into their projects and provide investors with information on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.
  • Look at all the elements we have learnt from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the gaps that are there and what we need for a transformation agenda.
  • Understand the means of implementation, funding, capacity building, technology, human capital, institutional transformation, attitudinal change and co-operation.
  • Ensure buy-in through implementable legislation and participation of all the arms of government-legislative, executive and judiciary.
  • Address the accountability framework for NDC and SDGs that look at shared responsibility to deliver the Agenda of carbon reduction. This Programme set the way to that path.
  • Urgently push for clean energy innovation. This is one of the recommendations of the International Agency in its released- Energy Technology Report (Technology Perspectives 2015 (ETP2015).
  • Government and private sector must shift their focus to lowcarbon technologies and investment.
  • The climate-focused service and production demand new knowledge and new approach

Fadina, a member of the Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) as well as the AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee, stresses that opportunities abound for enlightened businesses willing to stand up and address inherent development-related challenges.

His words: “We must act quickly, decisively and collectively to ensure a fairer and more prosperous world for all of us. Nigeria cannot afford to be lukewarm to the challenge of sustainability and the need to mainstream green path approach to its development.

“I am aware that a Committee was set up recently on the implementation of the SDGs. We humbly suggest that, in view of the potential threat that the green development approach could pose to an economy that is heavily dependent on fossil fuel, we need to intensify the diversification of our economy. The green economy provides a good opportunity to encourage public private partnerships as well as the involvement of nongovernmental organisations in the process.

“Globalisation, the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals and other initiatives have introduced many challenges. They have made sustainable development an imperative not an option. There is the need to build skills, knowledge, invest in education and change the mindset to ensure proper utilisation of resources and meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of the future. We must all, government, private sector, multinational organisations, and developing partners join hands to face the challenge of creating a better world and improved sustainable livelihood of our people.

“We as custodians of nature resources will be judged by future generations by what we do. This Seminar on Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is the path to achieving the goal of sustainable development. It must be emphasised that reporting, disclosure and accountability are veritable tools for monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV). The Paris Climate Agreement expects each country to keep to her commitment she signed and ratified on the National Determined Contribution (NDC) to limit her carbon emission.”

Post-COP22: African civil society examines role, readiness

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Post-COP22: African civil society examines role, readiness

One of the key outcomes of the 22nd Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that held last year in Marrakech, Morocco was the establishment of a new transparency fund with the injection of some $50 million by some developed countries, to encourage transparency efforts in the fight against climate change.

Samuel-Ogallah-Samson
Samuel Ogallah Samson of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA)

African civil society organisations under the aegis of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) to that effect organised an African regional Post-COP22 sensitisation workshop in Kampala, Uganda, from April 19-21, 2017 to examine the readiness of African countries and improve on the momentum towards the fund project.

It was also geared at seeking to expand participation, broadening efforts to build partnership with government and other stakeholders, breaking from the past to build stronger and global resilience.

According to Sam Ogallah of PACJA, the sensitisation on the cardinality of the GCF was imperative to measure the readiness and highlight the role of civil society organisations in the funding project.

“Civil society organisations have to be accorded the opportunity to be abreast with the operational modalities of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to permit them fully participate in the entire project process and also push their governments to make proposals adapted to the realities of their different countries,” Ogallah said.

Participants during one of the sessions examined the goal, objectives, activities and implementation strategies of the GCF, the climate finance process at national and international level within the UNFCCC.

Also examined was the outcome and decisions of the just ended 16th Board Meeting of the GCF and the way forward especially for civil society organisations.

According to participants, the GCF was in line with the Paris agreement in COP21. The Paris Agreement implementation, they said, should go hand-in-glove with the 2030 Agenda as well as the AU Agenda 2063, “a process which should take the bottom-up approach, be inclusive and transparent.”

It was also noted that the involvement of all stakeholders including government, civil society, development partners, the private sector, youths and women was not only necessary but imperative to drive the agenda to a success.

“It is a partnership of many facets in development in every country,” says Rebecca Muna, a civil society representative. The participation of the different stakeholders, she says, signals the willingness of countries to understand and undertake climate actions that go beyond adaptation and victory for African countries.

Courtesy: PAMACC News Agency

Healthcare: Lagos to build three new general hospitals

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Healthcare: Lagos to build three new general hospitals

Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Friday, April 21, 2017 said plans were underway to begin construction of three new modern General Hospitals in the state this year to improve healthcare delivery.

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Governor Akinwunmi Ambode speaking during the Town Hall Meeting

Ambode spoke while responding to requests of the people at the quarterly Town Hall Meeting held at Shibiri/Ekunpa Area Office in Oto-Awori Local Council Development Area.

He said government was already concluding the necessary paper work ahead of the movement of contractors to site.

Ambode said: “Talking about General Hospitals, in the budget, we have a designated General Hospital for three axes and Ojo Local Government is one of them.

“It is in the pipeline, it is just a matter of time, and we are already closing in on it.”

Ambode also assured the people that efforts would be made to improve healthcare service delivery in the riverine area of Oto Awori.

The governor said the decision to bring the Town Hall Meeting to Oto-Awori LCDA was in continuation of his commitment to leave no community behind in the development of the state.

He said he was also in the area to listen to the requests of the people in the axis and see how his administration could respond accordingly.

He said: “This area is traditionally and historically known to be a major supporter of government, and then we must give them back for the support which they have always been known for.”

Ambode, while highlighting the achievements of his administration in the last quarter, said the state’s Employment Trust Fund had continued to fulfil its mandate of providing subsidised loans to entrepreneurs.

According to him, the fund has now approved loans of N1.7 billion to 1,400 businesses, out of which N1.2 billion has already been disbursed to 800 people.

He said: “By the end of this month, loans to another 1,000 businesses will be approved, taking the total loans approved above 2,000.

“To further serve Lagos residents, the Fund will soon open the application process for skills development and training, to help our unemployed youths take up existing jobs within the Lagos economy.”

The governor said that for this quarter, the implementation of the Cleaner Lagos Initiative would begin, alongside the construction of 181 roads across the 57 LGs/LCDAs.

Ambode said the Abule-Egba and Ajah flyover bridges would be completed, while the government would continue upgrade of road networks in all the three Senatorial zones.

He said: “Furthermore, initiatives for tourism will be intensified by commencing Development of Heritage Centre for Leadership (Presidential Lodge), Lagos History Centre, J.K Randle Centre and Transformation of the Onikan Museum.”

He said the government would ensure development of tourism hubs in Lagos-West and Lagos-East Senatorial Zones.

According to him, the state will construct six cultural theatres to be located in Alimosho, Badagry, Epe, Ikorodu, Ikeja and Lagos Mainland.

Ambode said the government would continue with Epe and Badagry Waterfront development, as well as build on other potentials in the areas.

He enjoined residents to be part of the activities lined for the celebration of the state’s golden Jubilee.

Ambode said: “You have all been part of the success story of Eko Akete, the Centre of Excellence. At 50, we have every reason to celebrate our dear state and our collective achievements.”

China, India lead global renewable energy transition

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China, India lead global renewable energy transition

To reach the Paris Agreement climate goal, and stay under 2°C warming, emissions will need to peak in the coming years and be reduced to zero by 2050. China, India and the US play a key role in achieving this target as they emit over 50% of the global CO2emissions and are by far the largest markets for renewable energies.

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Leading the renewable energy transition: The Dabancheng wind farm in the Xinjiang province in China

The Allianz Climate & Energy Monitor Deep Dive report aims to inform investors and policy-makers on the scale of investments needed in China, India and the US to be in line with the Paris goals; and what recent developments, especially regarding the leadership change in the US, mean for investing in renewable power in the future.

Investments in China and the US need to roughly double, in India even triple, to remain within the Paris Agreement warming limit.

Renewable power investments will need to rapidly grow in the coming two decades to be in line with the Paris Agreement targets. According to UNEP and Bloomberg NewEnergy Finance (BNEF), in 2016, combined investments in renewable electricity in China, Indiaand the US amounted to $134 billion. These accounted for over half of the global investments in electricity supply in 2016.

 

China and India Overshoot their Renewable Energy Targets Regularly and Are Exiting Coal

China and India are currently well on track to achieve their climate targets set for the Paris Agreement.

China aims to increase the renewable energy capacity by 38% in 2020 compared to2015 levels, equaling 680 Gigawatt (GW) of installed capacities and investments of $361 billion in renewable energies. For comparison: Germany, which ranked first in the Allianz Climate & Energy Monitor 2016 for its renewable energy policies, currently has roughly100 GW renewables installed. A new park of 10 wind mills has around 0.04 GW of capacity.

India is also developing its renewable energy capacity at a rapid pace. In 2016, solar and wind installations exceeded the annual goal by 43% and 116% respectively. For 2022, India plans 175 GW of installed renewables. With market forces set into action by a clear policy intent, India is expected to comfortably achieve its climate targets.

Both countries are looking to exit coal-based power generation: China is cancelling plans for new fossil-based power plants and swiftly decommissioning existing coal power plants, while India is considering plans to stop building new coal power plants after 2022.

 

Staunch Support for Renewables in Individual US States

In the US, renewables are booming with more than 16 GW of wind and solarcapacities installed in 2016, accounting for 60% of all new capacity (27 GW). This has been driven by ambitious Renewable Portfolio Standards in various US states and tax credit schemes on federal level as well as the decline in costs for renewables.

“Rapidly falling technology costs for renewables and strong investment conditions at the state-level continue to make the US attractive for institutional investors like Allianz, despite a constraining outlook on support from the federal level from 2020 onwards”, says Thomas Liesch, Senior Project Manager at Allianz Climate Solutions.

 

If US drops out of Renewable Triad Mid-Term, the EU Could Emerge as Third Global Pillar

“With policy retrenchment beginning to take shape under an ‘America first’ energy blueprint, we expect China and India to outcompete the US – for the second-consecutive year – in providing an effective and reliable green policy environment,” says Ritika Tewari, Climate Policy Analyst at New Climate Institute.

China, India and the US can play a leading role on the pathway to a global energy transition. But the outlook for federal policy ambition is worsening in the US from a climate perspective. For achieving the worldwide transformation with stable trends and good conditions another front runner is needed. “The EU could replace the USA and take the economic chances” explains Jan Burck (Germanwatch), co-author of the study. “With the current G20-presidency Germany plays additional a crucial role: The German government needs to convince the other G20 states to set up own climate protection plans and improve their national climate targets next year.”

Lagos-Ibadan rail: Residents in dire straits as demolition begins

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Lagos-Ibadan rail: Residents in dire straits as demolition begins

Residents of Agbado Railway Station Community in Ogun State have appealed to the Nigeria Railway Corporation (NRC) to compensate members of the community whose houses are affected by the ongoing demolition.

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Managing Director, NRC, Fidet Okhiria

The demolition of houses along the rail route is to pave way for the construction of the Lagos-Ibadan Standard Gauge rail.

Chief Sunday Olaitan, the Aro of Agbadoland, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, April 21, 2017 appealed to the government to compensate those whose houses were affected by the demolition.

Olaitan said: “We appeal to NRC to compensate our people because we were not carried along by the corporation.

“We only saw them marking the houses last week; we expected them to communicate with us officially before this time.

“We just saw them demolishing houses; if not that Kabiyesi (the monarch) came out, they would have even demolished his palace fence.

“We want government to help us sand fill the only alternative we have because it is water logged; at least, so that the market woman can have a place to sell their gwares.”

Michael Olusunmade, the Chairman, Olorunsogo Community Development Association, Itoki area, also appealed to government to give adequate compensation to the affected members of the community.

Olasunmade said majority of residents and Landlords were retirees, who built the houses with pension and gratuity.

Olasunmade said: “We appeal to government to help us with other alternatives or compensation.”

He stated that some of the landlords here are hypertensive; so to prevent cases of stroke and sudden deaths, government should come to our aid with alternatives.

Deolu Alake, a resident of Itoki, said the news of the demolitions were a great shock to him.

Alake appealed to government to compensate the landlords whose houses were demolished in the process of constructing the new standard gauge rail.

He said: “Some of us do not have alternatives because the cost of building materials now is so expensive that nobody can confidently boast of building another house somewhere else.’’

NAN reports that the NRC had announced that construction of the Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge rail would begin on Friday, April 14.

Managing Director, NRC, Fidet Okhiria, had advised those who encroached on the NRC land to start packing their belongings, to save them from being destroyed by caterpillars.

Okhiria said that those who were due for compensation would be compensated, as the process was part of the contract.

He said: “Those who encroached on the land have to vacate their premises as soon as possible because the construction work was scheduled to begin on April 14.

“We intentionally did not give permits to so many people because we knew that one day, the land will be required.

“So, we have already mapped out those places we need to remove and they are aware; we have told them to remove their valuables before the caterpillars start work.”

The MD said the project, when completed, would attract more social and economic development to the communities and major towns along the axis.

How climate change strengthens Boko Haram insurgency, by study

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How climate change strengthens Boko Haram insurgency, by study

“As the climate is changing, so too are the conditions within which non-state armed groups such as Boko Haram and ISIS operate. Climate change contributes to creating a fragile environment in which these groups can thrive.”

lake chad
Scientists say the Lake Chad, that borders Nigeria and some other countries, has shrunken by 95 percent over the past 50 years. They have also linked the Boko Haram insurgency to the lake’s situation. Photo credit: AP/Christophe Ena

These few lines appear to capture the essence of the outcome of a recent study that attempts to specifically and comprehensively spell out the links between climate change, fragility and non-state armed groups (NSAGs).

Prepared by Adelphi, International Alert and The Wilson Centre, the report stresses that, around Lake Chad for example, climate change contributes to resource scarcities that increase local competition for land and water, adding that the competition in turn often fuels social tensions and even violent conflict.

Titled: “Insurgency, Terrorism and Organized Crime in a Warming Climate. Analysing the Links Between Climate Change and Non-State Armed Groups”, the study analyses Boko Haram in the Lake Chad region, ISIS in Syria, the Taliban in Afghanistan, and urban violence and organised crime in Guatemala.

The report notes that, as resource scarcity erodes the livelihoods of many people, aggravates poverty and unemployment, and leads to population displacement, NSAGs, in particular Boko Haram, thrive in such a fragile environment.

“In this context of contested authority and legitimacy, Boko Haram can operate more easily and engage not only in acts of violence but also in transnational organised crime,” writes Lukas Rüttinger, a senior project manager at Adelphi, adding:

“At the same time, as climate change degrades yields from agriculture, cattle rearing and fisheries, many people are left unemployed, with few economic opportunities and low levels of education.This makes them extremely vulnerable not only to negative climate impacts but also to recruitment from terrorist groups such as Boko Haram.”

The report concludes that climate change is interacting with NSAGs in three major ways:

  • Climate change is increasingly contributing to fragility, mainly by exacerbating conflicts surrounding natural resources and livelihood insecurity. NSAGs proliferate and can operate more easily in these fragile and conflict-affected environments.
  • Climate change is having increasingly negative impacts on livelihoods in many countries and regions, e.g. through food insecurity. This makes the affected population groups more vulnerable not only to negative climate impacts but also to recruitment by NSAGs. These groups can offer alternative livelihoods and economic incentives and often respond to political and socio-economic grievances. Another interesting finding is the way non-state armed groups leverage the fragile environments arising from compound climate-fragility risks.
  • NSAGs are increasingly using natural resources as a weapon of war. The case studies show that in resource-scarce and fragile environments, NSAGs can use natural resources such as water as a weapon of war. This in turn further compounds and exacerbates resource scarcities. These dynamics might be exacerbated as climate change increases the scarcity of natural resources in certain regions of the world: the scarcer resources become, the more power is given to those who control them.

Rüttinger says: “In the political realm, there is a tendency to frame NSAGs primarily in the context of the war on terrorism. However, these actors are much more complex and diverse. Broadening the perspective and understanding the hybrid and complex nature of NSAGs, the motivations that drive them and the context in which they thrive is indispensable for adequately responding to the security challenges they pose.

“A broader perspective will help to better address the root causes of the rise and growth of NSAGs: While economic, social and political factors remain important, the environmental dimension of fragility and conflict cannot be separated from the other three dimensions. A narrow perspective on NSAGs and the misuse of the concept of ‘violent extremism’ risks downplaying other sources of fragility, delegitimising political grievances and stigmatising communities as potential extremists.”

Government counsels Lagosians over anti-flood measures as rains intensify

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Government counsels Lagosians over anti-flood measures as rains intensify

As this year’s rainy season gathers momentum, the Lagos State Government has allayed the fears of residents over the torrential rainfall witnessed in the state on Thursday, April 20, 2017, saying that necessary steps had been taken to avert any incidence of flood disaster in the state.

Flood-in-Lagos
Flood in Lagos: The city of Lagos susceptible to flooding from rainfall

Commissioner for the Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, in a statement, said that government had in recent times carried out intensive tour of some flood-prone communities in the state to clear up blocked drainages and canals.

The commissioner wondered why any right thinking person would be dumping refuse on water courses and drainages created for free flow of storm water, saying the numerous campaigns against such practice was for the interest of the residents.

“Canal is a storm water channel for the conveyance of storm runoffs, they are God’s natural protection for holding water during massive flood and it is not a place for anybody to build a house or dump refuse. Those in the habit of doing such must stop henceforth,” Adejare said.

Allaying fears of teeming Lagosians apprehensive of the rain, the commissioner said that indiscriminate dumping of refuse in the gutters had caused a lot of environmental disasters, warning that the government would no longer tolerate the building of illegal structures along channel right of ways in the state.

To this end, he said government had since begun demolishing illegal structures and shanties erected on the drains especially in flood-prone areas.

Adejare, however, urged residents living on wetlands and flood-prone areas to be cautious and careful, urging them to limit their movement if possible and to move to higher ground if need be.

He explained that it is government responsibility to protect lives and property, appealing for the cooperation of all Lagosians in the quest to avert any flood mishap in the state.

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