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As soot blankets Port Harcourt

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As soot blankets Port Harcourt

The air in parts of Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital city, has been darkened by soot over the past few months, raising a cloud of concerns about the attendant health impacts. Citizens in parts of Port Harcourt are getting worried about the air they breathe. To put it another way, many citizens are afraid to breathe. And that can be deadly.

Air and atmosphere pollution with smoke and fire in Rivers State

Soot is a general term that covers pollutants derived from incomplete or inefficient burning of fossil fuels or biomass (plants or plant-based materials used as source of energy). The major sources of soot include fuels like diesel used in transport and in electricity generators. For the Niger Delta, the sources include the aforementioned and include others such as: gas flares, illegal refineries, the burning of illegal refineries and crude oil, burning of oil spills by incompetent contractors and the burning of sundry wastes. Bush burning can also be a source of soot in our environment.

The burning of illegal or bush refineries, by the Join Military Task Force (JTF), the incendiary acts that have been raised as banners of victory over oil theft, is one source that must be halted immediately. The bush refineries are basic and flimsy contraptions that can easily be dismantled and safely disposed of. The same goes for wooden barges arrested with stolen crude. Dropping grenades on those toxic wares and sending smoke signals above the creeks may be seen as acts of bravado, but they have serious health impacts on the environment and citizens in the area.

The JTF, working with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the oil majors, should set up recovery centres where recovered stolen crude are logged, stored and safely disposed of by the original owners or as agreed. The disposal methods could include sending such crude to the refineries or by exporting them if the quality is not compromised by the process of rough handling.

A variety of soot is one called black carbon. We have also heard of black snow arising from carbon particulates that accumulated in the Himalayas, for instance, and is said to aid the rapid melting of snow by reason of the heat they trap. Dramatic carbon pollution in the winter of 1952 led to the death of about 4,000 persons within five days.

The current situation of soot blanketing the skyline of parts of Port Harcourt is deeply troubling and requires urgent actions from relevant government agencies as well as research institutes. In particular, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), Nigerian National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency (NOSDRA), Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and, in general, the Federal and State Ministries of Environment and those of Health should step up to tackle the emergency situation.

When reports of gathering soot came up a couple of months ago, sources at NESREA confirmed that the soot originated from hydrocarbon or oil-sector related sources. That conclusion rules out bush burning as a possible source. For those that have noticed the thick black smoke belching continuously from the Port Harcourt refineries, those sources are very strong suspects. And then, the bush refineries and the bombing of those rickety refineries by the JTF remain strong contenders. These should all be investigated. The scenario has raised the urgent need for air quality measurement and control in Nigeria. Within accurate measurement of levels of exposure, causal links may not solid and culprits may wriggle out and avoid accountability and responsibility.

It is the duty of our regulatory agencies to pin-point the source of this menace, enforce a cessation of the obnoxious acts and penalise the culprits. We know that the conflicting boundary lines governing the duties of these agencies may complicate the processes for addressing this issue, but joint meetings should overcome territorial defences in the face of the risks our people are exposed to.

This is a serious situation and government cannot afford to remain silent on it. The health impacts of soot and black carbon are well documented and are known to include effects on our respiratory system and bloodstreams. They can trigger cardiovascular diseases such as asthma, chronic cough, sinusitis, bronchitis and colds. The fine particles can also have carcinogenic effects. They can also negatively affect the development of the lungs in children. Life expectancy in the Niger Delta is already precariously low; the effect of soot and black carbon will push those low figures through the bottom.

We should also mention here that Ekpan community at Warri, Delta State, has been suffering extensive pollutions from black carbon emanating from the petrochemical plant located there. The community is more or less heavily coated with soot continually and residents often have to keep their windows shut in futile to keep out the deadly stuff. When the community petitioned the National Assembly over the situation, an order was issued that the plant should be shut down until it was adequately serviced and fitted with devices that would halt the noxious emissions. It does not appear that the order was adhered to as the community is still reeling under the weight of black carbon whenever the machines come alive.

Residents of Port Harcourt, Ekpan and the Niger Delta as a whole deserve a breath of air that is fresh and devoid of soot and black carbon.

By Nnimmo Bassey (Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation – HOMEF)

Where and why land conflicts occur in Africa, by study

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Where and why land conflicts occur in Africa, by study

Sixty-three percent of disputes related to private sector land and natural resource investments in Africa began when communities were forced to leave their lands, according to new research released in Dakar, Senagal on Thursday, February 9, 2017 by TMP Systems and the Rights and Resources Initiative (RRI).

RRI Coordinator, Andy White. He says that Africa is mistaken for a continent of empty, freely, available land open for development

“African governments are competing for investment to spur economic development and improve living standards,” said TMP Systems CEO, Lou Munden. “But most countries need to radically improve the governance of tenure rights to create an attractive and stable investment environment. Companies and investors – who increasingly understand that unclear tenure rights create financial and reputational risks – need to do more to identify and respond to these implicit challenges in emerging market investments.”

The research also found that areas targeted for development in Africa are more heavily populated than similar developments elsewhere in the world. The population density within a 50-kilometre radius of disputed projects in Africa was more than twice the global average: 816,547 people compared with 319,426 globally. For West Africa, the average was over one million people.

“The mistaken belief that Africa is a continent of empty, freely available land open for development has done so much harm,” said RRI Coordinator, Andy White. “No land is unclaimed, and uprooting communities without their consent from their lands and traditional livelihoods creates conflicts and social unrest. Recognising and securing local peoples’ property rights instead provide security for governments, investors and companies – a critical need, given all the political uncertainty in the world today.”

According to the research, the typical tenure-related dispute in Africa occurs:

  • An average of 61 kilometres from national borders, far from the seat of centralised government;
  • In an area with endemic poverty, low access to government services and poor nutrition;
  • In an area that is less developed with little prior change in how the land was used; and
  • In an area with a history of social conflict.

“The fact that disputes were just 61 kilometres from national borders on average was surprising and, in our view, very revealing,” added Munden. “It suggests that tenure dispute is much more likely in areas with low legal accountability and economic development. The point is that investors can be exposed to serious risk in these areas because local people will ensure their interests are heard.”

The suite of reports explores investment-based conflicts in East, West and Southern Africa, and compares them to similar conflicts around the world. They were released at a panel event in Dakar alongside RRI’s Annual Review of the global state of land and resource rights, which found that development finance institutions have emerged as potential leaders in the land rights arena given their significant leverage over investments in the developing world.

While a number of high profile corporations have also pledged to both prevent deforestation and respect human rights, implementation of these commitments is slow at best, given complex supply chains and local suppliers whose reputations are less exposed. Despite the growing number of economic actors that accept the market rationale for respecting community land tenure, rights violations are still commonplace.

“Corporations can prevent conflicts that are costly to investors and devastating for local peoples by working with local communities to secure their property rights,” said RRI Coordinator, Andy White. “But not everyone at the table embraces this approach or applies it effectively.”

 

Palm Oil and West Africa

In West Africa, plantation agriculture – especially palm oil projects – drive a majority of disputes. Community displacement was the primary driver of 70 percent of the tenure disputes examined, while issues related to compensation were the primary driver for 30 percent. Sixty percent of the tenure disputes resulted in work stoppages, which impact companies’ and investors’ profits, and 30 percent resulted in violence.

Munden noted that the Fanaye biofuel plantation project on Senegal’s northwest border was implemented without the consent of local communities. In one case, violent protests in Fanaye Dieri led to the death of two community members and compelled the government to revoke the concession and move it 30 kilometres to the east, to the Ndiael Nature Reserve. But the new location cut off local cattle farmers from their grazing lands, triggering additional conflict. After six years, the concession currently uses only 1,500 hectares out of the 20,000 allocated by the government.

“Because of our soil, many investors are interested in coming to our country,” said Alioune Guèye, President of the Federation of Peasant Landowners, in Senegal. “But some of our most impoverished communities also live on that soil and rely on it for their survival. Too often, companies feel they can cut a deal with the government, raze the land, and create vast plantations while the locals are simply pushed out of the way. Without their land, these communities will have nothing. Their rights must be respected.”

 

Infrastructure and East Africa

Infrastructure and public utilities are driving a majority of the disputes in East Africa, and communities have made use of stronger legal frameworks to bring lawsuits against companies that violate their rights. Community displacement was the primary driver of 36 percent of the tenure disputes examined, while compensation was the primary driver for 27 percent. Seventy-three percent of the tenure disputes resulted in work stoppages, yet only 27 percent resulted in violence.

While wind power has been embraced by many in Kenya as a clean source of energy for its growing economy, conflict over land and resource rights has delayed or derailed a number of wind power generation projects. Three projects are at the heart of this storm of disputes:

  • A wind farm in Kinangop was cancelled after a protracted legal battle and a massive protest that destroyed a wind mast. The developers are now suing the Kenyan government, seeking compensation for their losses.
  • A flagship project at Lake Turkana has been delayed for a decade due to an ongoing legal challenge from nomadic pastoral communities. Four communities are seeking redress because their lands were taken without consent.
  • In Kajiado County, landowners are mounting legal opposition to the Kipeto project whose buffer zone – half a kilometre wide – included much of their lands.

“The lack of detailed consultation and informed consent contribute to conflicts that increase the cost of doing business in Kenya, and investors are starting to look to other countries for new projects,” Mali Ole Kaunga, director of Indigenous Movement for Peace Advancement and Conflict Transformation (IMPACT), noted. “Disputes that end in violence even one-quarter of the time are still too violent for everyone involved – the communities, investors, companies and governments.”

 

Sugar and Southern Africa

In Southern Africa, sugar plantations and mining developments are driving a majority of the disputes and, without strong legal frameworks for communities to assert their rights, significant violence has resulted. Community displacement was the primary driver of 82 percent of the tenure disputes examined. Issues relating to compensation were never the primary driver, showing that companies could not buy their way out of disputes. Seventy-three percent of the tenure disputes resulted in work stoppages, and 73 percent triggered violence – the highest rate of violence in the world.

While a number of major buyers and producers who dominate supply chains in the sugar sector have made commitments on land tenure, efforts to clean up their supply chains have been plagued by issues of transparency and lack of local engagement.

In Madagascar, a sugar plantation that had operated without conflict since 1984 became the site of local resistance in 2005 after the project owners, Complant and Sucoma, attempted to reroute an irrigation system, which would have flooded lands belonging to local communities. Over the next several years, through 2014, strikes, riots and work stoppages ensued – indicating that even seemingly successful projects can become mired in conflict and work stoppages if local tenure rights are not respected throughout project implementation.

 

National Land Commissions as Tenure Rights Champion

Representatives from four national land commissions – Ghana, Kenya, Liberia and Senegal – attended the Dakar event to report on the status of land rights and ongoing tenure reforms in their countries and respond to the report’s findings. These commissions have played a helpful role in channeling efforts for governments exploring comprehensive reform. One such example is in Senegal, where they established an inclusive process for the drafting of the land policy that is now being reviewed by the president’s office.

“Economic developments that fail to benefit local communities have little to zero value because of the conflicts they generate,” said Solange Bandiaky-Badji, RRI’s programme director for Africa. “The land commissions have a great opportunity to create legal frameworks that prevent the root causes of these inequities. Treating local communities as equal partners and respecting their rights is the first step towards creating true economic development.”

The RRI is a global coalition consisting of 15 Partners, six Affiliated Networks, 14 International Fellows, and over 150 collaborating international, regional, and community organisations dedicated to advancing the forest land and resource rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. RRI leverages the capacity and expertise of coalition members to promote secure local land and resource rights and catalyse progressive policy and market reforms.

Indigenous people win centuries-old land battle in Colombia

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Indigenous people win centuries-old land battle in Colombia

The Colombian Constitutional Court has ruled in favour of an indigenous peoples’ centuries-old fight for their territory, granting the petition for the protection of constitutional rights requested by the Embera Chamí people of the Indigenous Resguardo Cañamomo Lomaprieta, in western Colombia.

Resguardo-Cañamomo-Lomaprieta
People of the Indigenous Resguardo Cañamomo Lomaprieta, in western Colombia

The Resguardo’s claim was accepted by the Colombian Constitutional Court, the final court of appeal for constitutional matters in Colombia. The court ordered that the Resguardo’s lands must be delimited and titled within one year, during which time all further permits or formalisation of mining activities must be suspended. Any subsequent mining activities proposed on the delimited territories may only proceed on the basis of the effective participation of the Resguardo.

The court also ordered that the map produced by the Resguardo of their land be registered provisionally until it is officially demarcated. This ruling is also relevant for other indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities whose lands are awaiting delimitation.

In what appears to be a legal first internationally, the court also gave explicit protection to ancestral mining activities carried out by some of the 32 communities within the Resguardo, stating that, although not currently recognised under State laws, this mining conformed to Resguardo laws and could therefore not be considered illegal. Importantly, the court also recognised that the State had an obligation “not to criminalise this type of ancestral activity”.

Responding to the court judgment, Héctor Jaime Vinasco, ex-Governor of the Resguardo, and the principal coordinator of mining issues for the Cabildo, said: “This is an historic judgment for the indigenous Resguardo of Cañamomo Lomaprieta. For centuries, the different leaders of the Resguardo have been defending our collective land rights and seeking to resolve the problem of land titling with the authorities; this judgment orders that the delimitation and titling of the Resguardo is resolved without further delay.

“This judgment is a great opportunity to resolve issues caused by the lack of land titling, including exercising authority over our lands, applying our laws, thinking about economic development, and opposing projects that affect our survival as indigenous people. It supports the rightful claims of the Resguardo and suspends the existing deals that are going on behind the communities’ backs through mining titles, concessions, processes of legislation and licences and makes clear that no mining activity can be carried out in the territory without our consent.”

These requests are in keeping with international human rights instruments that recognise indigenous autonomy and self-government over ancestral territories, and the resources integral to these.

“This is a landmark decision for indigenous peoples in Colombia and globally,” said Viviane Weitzner of Forest Peoples Programme. “It recognises the legitimacy of indigenous self-regulation of subsoil resources within their territories, lifting the label of criminalisation of a spiritually, culturally and economically important activity that has been conducted without the use of harmful substances for centuries. The court is calling on the State to do more to protect indigenous territorial rights, by applying international standards around demarcation and titling and ensuring future decision-making includes the Cabildo’s free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). We remain concerned however that this decision may increase the risks to Resguardo leaders, some of whom have already suffered a number of recent credible death threats. It is important that the Colombian government ensure that members of the Resguardo are protected in light of this decision, and we urge the State to do everything in its power to ensure the safety of land and human rights defenders involved in this case.”

This historic court win is a critically important first step. But now rigorous implementation of the Court orders must take place for it to achieve its potential in upholding indigenous rights. Héctor Jaime Vinasco added: “We call on our allies and supporters to join the next moment of our journey, the implementation of the Court’s orders, which we know will be the hardest part.”

Figures from 2015 showed:

  • Some 29.8% of the national territory of Colombia is occupied by 768 indigenous reserves, with 30,590,599 titled hectares and 1,192,628 hectares still required.
  • Some 343,303 hectares issued in mining concessions overlap with Resguardo lands.

In 2015, the Resguardo submitted a “tutela” (writ of constitutional protection) to the Administrative Court of Caldas claiming, among other things, violation of the Resguardo members’ fundamental collective rights to their territories and natural resources, to self-determination and self-governance within their territories, as well as to effective participation (including free, prior and informed consent) in relation to activities proposed within their territories. This writ was rejected at first instance and on appeal, but the Constitutional Court has overturned these decisions.

For decades the Resguardo, which was established in colonial times, has been seeking official delimitation of its territories through various administrative authorities in Colombia. In the absence of such delimitation, which was never completed, the National Mining Agency continued to grant permits and licences for gold mining without consulting with or seeking the consent of the Cabildo, the traditional authorities of the Resguardo, on the basis that the Resguardo’s territories were not registered in the official land titles register.

Gold mining is an ancestral activity of the Embera Chamí people, who have self-regulated this activity even prior to the formation of the Colombian State. The State’s permits both undermine the Resguardo regulations related to mining in their lands, and threaten the livelihoods of those who continue to carry out ancestral mining activities.

The Resguardo Cañamomo Lomaprieta comprises 32 communities (including one Afro-descendant community, some members of which are seeking separate status) and 24,068 inhabitants, according to a 2014 census. The lands currently claimed by the Resguardo total 4,836 hectares. The current territory claimed is significantly less than the original lands granted to the Resguardo in colonial times (which is in turn significantly less than the traditional territories of the Embera Chamí people).

The Embera Chamí people are an indigenous people from Western Colombia, whose traditional lands extended through the current departments of Antioquia, Caldas, Chocó, Risaralda and Valle de Cauca. Different groups within the Embera Chamí people continue to live across these departments (that is, the people is not solely located within the Resguardo Cañamomo Lomaprieta).

World Desertification Day: Campaign to invest in degraded lands underway

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World Desertification Day: Campaign to invest in degraded lands underway

“Our land. Our home. Our Future,” is the rallying call for this year’s celebration of the World Day to Combat Desertification on 17 June 2017. The slogan draws global attention to the central role productive land can play in turning the growing tide of migrants abandoning unproductive land into communities and nations that are stable, secure and sustainable, into the future.

Monique Barbut
Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Photo credit: www.iisd.ca

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) has also released the campaign logo for use by any group, organisation, government or entity that will organise a celebratory event for the Day.

“Migration is high on the political agenda all over the world as some rural communities feel left behind and others flee their lands. The problem signals a growing sense of hopelessness due to the lack of choice or loss of livelihoods. And yet productive land is a timeless tool for creating wealth. This year, let us engage in a campaign to re-invest in rural lands and unleash their massive job-creating potential, from Burkina Faso, Chile and China, to Italy, Mexico, Ukraine and St. Lucia,” says Ms. Monique Barbut, the United Nations top advisor on combatting desertification and drought.

“The possibility for success today is greater than ever before. More than 100 of the 169 countries affected by desertification or drought are setting national targets to curb run-away land degradation by the year 2030. Investing in the land will create local jobs and give households and communities a fighting chance to live, which will, in turn, strengthen national security and our future prospects for sustainability,” Ms. Barbut added.

Ms. Barbut also announced that Burkina Faso, in West Africa, will host the global observance of the World Day to showcase the political commitment and proactive steps the region is taking to tackle the migration and land degradation challenges.

“Since the early 1980s, we have been rehabilitating degraded land by building on our traditional techniques such as the Zaï or adopting new techniques that work, such as farmer managed natural regeneration. We intend to be land degradation neutral by 2030. We are hosting the global observance on 17 June because we want to show the world, what we have achieved and is possible in order to inspire everyone into action,” said Mr. Batio Bassiere, Minister of Environment, Green Economy and Climate Change of Burkina Faso.

Burkina Faso hosted the 2005 Heads of State Summit for the Sahel-Saharan countries where 11 countries reached an agreement to restored degraded land on an 8000 kilometre stretch of land cutting across the Sahel. The initiative is now popularly known as the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and Sahel.

The United Nations designated 17 June as the World Day to Combat Desertification to raise public awareness about the challenges of desertification, land degradation and drought and to promote the implementation of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those countries experiencing serious drought and/or desertification, particularly in Africa.

Dublin meeting prepares ground for new IPCC report

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Dublin meeting prepares ground for new IPCC report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has put in motion modalities for the actualisation of a Special Report on climate change, desertification, land degradation, sustainable land management, food security, and greenhouse gas fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems. Towards this, a scoping meeting will hold in Dublin, Republic of Ireland, on 13-16 February 2017. The meeting will bring together around 100 experts from about 50 countries.

Hoesung Lee
Hoesung Lee, IPCC chair. Photo credit: reneweconomy.com.au

A media briefing scheduled for the morning of Monday 13 February precedes the opening ceremony session of the meeting at which Laura Burke, Director-General of the Environmental Protection Agency, and Hoesung Lee, Chair of the IPCC, will present a welcome address. Bill Callanan, Chief Inspector of the Department of Communications, Climate Action & Environment, will also speak at the opening session. This Plenary Session is also open to the media as observers, according to the IPCC.

Representatives from the IPCC taking part in the Media Briefing will include IPCC Vice-Chair Youba Sokona, who is the Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee of the Scoping Meeting and Andy Reisinger, Vice-Chair of IPCC Working Group III and Vice-Chair of the Scientific Steering Committee, and other members of the IPCC Bureau.

Sokona, Reisinger are expected to provide information about the IPCC, the Special Report and the purpose and expected outcomes of the scoping meeting.

“The way we manage land is one of the critical influences on the climate system. We need a holistic view so that responses to climate change can enhance other goals such as eradicating poverty and enhancing food security,” said IPCC Chair, Lee. “Adaptation and the mitigation of climate change go hand-in-hand when we manage land sustainably, for example by restoring degraded land or improving agricultural practices. This report provides a unique opportunity to help policymakers develop integrated responses to these challenges.”

The IPCC decided to produce the Special Report in April 2016. It is due to be completed in

September 2019. The meeting in Dublin will draft the outline and indicative coverage of the contents of the report, for consideration by the IPCC when it next meets in March.

The IPCC is the UN body for assessing the science related to climate change. It was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) in 1988 to provide policymakers with regular scientific assessments concerning climate change, its implications and potential future risks, as well as to put forward adaptation and mitigation strategies. It has 195 member states.

New agency, trust fund emerge as Lagos harmonises environmental laws

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New agency, trust fund emerge as Lagos harmonises environmental laws

The establishment of a new agency and a trust fund appears to be the fulcrum of what looks like a new, rubost environmental legislation being promoted by the Lagos State Government.

Lagos-State-House-of-Assembly
The Lagos State House of Assembly in session

Hitherto, the state operated separate regulations on areas such as water, sanitation, waste water, medical waste, among others, but the new “Environmental Law of Lagos State”, if it eventually sees the light of the day, will provide an umbrella that encapsulates all existing rules, edicts and guidelines.

Lawmakers are on Thursday, February 9, 2017 convening a Public Hearing on the environment bill at the State House of Assembly in Alausa, Ikeja.

However, the proposed law, which aims “to provide for the Management, Protection and Sustainable Development of the Environment in Lagos State”, has established the Public Utilities Monitoring and Assurance Unit (PUMAU), making it the nineth agency under the supervision of the Ministry of the Environment.

Others include the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA), Lagos Water Corporation (LWC), Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA), Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA), Lagos State Parks and Garden Agency (LASPARK), Lagos State Wastewater Management Office (LSWMO), Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Agency (LSESEA) and Lagos State Water Regulatory Commission (LSWRC).

Besides coordinating the modalities of billing, revenue assurance, and enforcement of tariff, PUMAU, when operational, will take charge of the issuance of bills, collection of tariffs and disbursement of the funds to private operators.

The Unit will also consistently monitor and evaluate the billing and collection of tariffs in order to promote accountability and transparency.

While ensure that the method of billing and collection of tariffs are in line with international best practices, PUMAU is likewise expexted to provide support and training to personnel including private operators in the billing and collection of tariffs.

The Harmonised Environmental Law also establishes the Lagos State Environmental Trust Fund (or Trust Fund), which will be the depository of all monies received under the Law. These monies, it was gathered, will be managed by an independent trustee or a number of independent trustees.

The Law goes ahead to create the Lagos State Environmental Trust Fund Board of Trustees, a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal. The Trust Fund Board may sue and be sued in its corporate name; and may acquire, hold, manage and dispose of property for the purpose of discharging its functions under the Law.

The objectives of the Trust Fund are listed to include:

  • To promote the development and improvement of the state’s environmental performance and sustainability;
  • To create a system that can attract funds from persons, organisations and authorities in tackling environmental issues;
  • To provide assistance for action-oriented projects with tangible, measurable results, aimed at protecting, preserving and enhancing the state’s natural environment;
  • To promote community based recycling, waste re-use, and waste prevention projects;
  • To encourage the provision, maintenance, and improvement of public parks or other public amenity;
  • To fund the conservation or promotion of biological diversity through the provision, conservation, restoration or enhancement of a natural habitat or the maintenance or recovery of a species in its natural habitat;
  • To promote the innovative use of amenities to enhance, maintain or introduce real community led social, economic or environmental improvements;
  • To fund and promote the creation of job opportunities for the youth in waste management, and waste recycling;
  • To subsidise the waste collection and disposal cost of indigent households under this law;
  • To ensure that the environmental needs of all hitherto underserved areas of Lagos State are catered for;
  • To re-train local itinerant waste collectors on environmentally sustainable ways of collecting, reusing and recycling waste;
  • To promote research in both the public and the private sectors into environmental problems of any kind;
  • To promote environmental education and, in particular, to encourage the development of educational programmes in both the public and the private sectors that will increase public awareness of environmental issues of any kind;
  • To fund the acquisition of land for national parks and other categories of dedicated and reserved land for the national parks estate;
  • To fund the declaration of areas for marine parks and for related purposes;
  • To promote waste avoidance, resource recovery and waste management (including funding enforcement and regulation and local government programmes);
  • To fund environmental community groups on campaigns relating to waste reduction, management, reuse and recycle; and,
  • To fund the purchase of water entitlements for the purposes of increasing environmental flows for the state’s rivers and restoring or rehabilitating major wetlands.

Paris Agreement: ADB plans 2030 climate strategic framework

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Paris Agreement: ADB plans 2030 climate strategic framework

In response to climate action commitments made under the COP 21 Paris Agreement by member countries, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) is developing a Climate Change Strategic Framework, which will spell out the organisation’s future direction regarding climate change from 2017 to 2030.

Takehiko-Nakao
ADB President, Takehiko Nakao

Additionally, the strategic framework will feed into its new corporate strategy toward 2030, which is currently under development. It will also outline how ADB will deliver on its $6 billion goal by 2020 and the anticipated growth in DMC demand for ADB support for climate action to 2030.

This is coming even as the ADB approved $3.7 billion in climate finance investments in 2016, according to recently released figures – marking a 42% boost from the $2.6 billion reached in 2015.

Estimates show that, in 2016, climate finance from ADB’s internal sources reached a record $2.65 billion for climate mitigation and $1.08 billion for climate adaptation.

“ADB is responding to the Paris Agreement by boosting its support to climate action in developing member countries in line with their Nationally Determined Contributions and the Sustainable Development Goals,” said ADB President Takehiko Nakao. “ADB remains committed to scaling up its climate financing to $6 billion by 2020, of which $4 billion will target mitigation and $2 billion adaptation.”

It is expected that ADB’s spending on climate change will increase to around 30% of its overall financing by 2020.

In addition to its own financing, ADB mobilised $701 million from external sources, with $595 million invested in mitigation and $106 million in adaptation. Including financing form external sources, ADB delivered over $4.4 billion in climate finance in 2016.

Among the adaptation projects backed by ADB is a $500 million loan to the Bihar New Ganga Bridge Project in India, which will construct a new road bridge across the Ganges River and an integrated road network in the state of Bihar. A bank-to-bank bridge design was recommended over the alternative of building two smaller bridges and a connecting expressway, which was deemed to be more vulnerable to flooding. $200 million of the project cost is considered as addressing climate adaptation.

Among the mitigation projects, a $47 million loan to the Distributed Commercial Solar Power Project in Thailand will help deploy a total of 100 megawatts of solar photovoltaic systems on commercial and industrial infrastructure at no up-front cost to the host companies.

ADB will continue to work with public and private sector partners to mobilise additional financing for climate projects. In December 2016, the Green Climate Fund announced its support to ADB’s proposed Pacific Islands Renewable Energy Investment Programme. This includes a $12 million grant to help the Cook Islands install energy storage systems and support private sector investment in renewable energy, as well as a $5 million grant to assist seven Pacific island countries to transition to renewable energy sources.

ADB, based in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, ADB is celebrating 50 years of development partnership in the region. It is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region.

Nations urged to devise local strategies for effective natural resource governance

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Nations urged to devise local strategies for effective natural resource governance

African countries implementing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) have been called upon to devise home-grown strategies to tackle transparency and accountability issues bearing in mind the unique and peculiar nature of the region.

Kayode-Fayemi
Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, wants home-grown strategies devised to tackle transparency and accountability

Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, made the call when he received a delegation from the Malawi Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (MWEITI) that came to understudy Nigeria’s implementation of the EITI.

The Malawian delegation visited the Minister in his capacity as the Chairman of the NEITI National Stakeholders’ Working Group, which is NEITI’s board.

Dr. Fayemi advised African countries to bring their traditional notions of accountability and values to interrogate existing institutional mechanisms and frameworks while entrenching the values that will stand the test of time and ultimately influence global initiatives like the EITI and make the initiative attractive for their citizens.

“One value we can add is to make the EITI relevant to our people and the government,” Dr. Fayemi stated. “We joined the initiative voluntarily. We need to have our own clarity of thoughts as to what we will like to see. Annual audits are fine by themselves, but we need to make the issue of transparency tangible for those who are ultimately the victims of lack of transparency especially in the extractive industries. How does what we do in NEITI for instance sit with the African mining vision that African Union Ministers have agreed for the extractive sector in Africa.”

He advised African countries implementing the EITI to use the initiative to help their respective governments by proposing alternatives and options that support reforms in their extractive industries. “Africa needs to deepen the engagements, institutionalise and internalise the EITI,” he added.

Executive Secretary of NEITI, Waziri Adio, advised the team on the need for Malawi to put in place a legal and regulatory framework in order to sustain and safeguard the implementation of the EITI and ensure that Malawians derive maximum benefit from their God-given wealth.

“Though Nigeria is a pioneer member of the EITI, there are things we want to do differently and so we see your visit also as a learning process for us,” Adio added. “The advocacy strategies that we have adopted make our engagement with stakeholders unique and have seen even those who do not want to partner with us, reach out to us of their own volition. The Legislature have also benefited from our reports. You need to work with all stakeholders taking into account their various sensitivities.”

At the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMFAC), the delegation was received by the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Alhaji Shettima Abba Gana, who commended the delegation for identifying Nigeria’s implementation of the global Initiative as worthy of emulation.

He noted the positive role that NEITI is playing in the on-going reform agenda of the government and advised the Malawian delegation to carefully take note of the unique strategies and policies that the agency has adopted towards achieving its objectives.

The Delegation also visited the Minister of State for Budget and National planning, Zainab Ahmed, who was the immediate past executive secretary of NEITI and a member of the Board of the global EITI representing Africa, the Mining cadastral office and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) where they held series of meetings with the officials.

Leader of the Malawian Delegation to Nigeria and Chairman of the MSG, Crispin Kulemeka, said they were in Nigeria to learn how the country recorded its successes and milestones in implementing the EITI.

Mr. Kulemeka said Nigeria is rated highly at the global EITI, adding that the lessons they are taking away will help strengthen Malawi’s EITI implementation and preparation towards releasing its first report which is due in April, 2017.

“We are fascinated at how NEITI has been able to focus people’s attention on issues and engage them on all sides of the spectrum. You made EITI relevant to the people, politicians, civil society, etc. We need to create a network of civil society between NEITI and MWEITI to enable us strengthen our processes,” Mr. Kulemeka added.

National Coordinator of MWEITI, George Harawa, commended NEITI’s relationship with all the stakeholders they interacted with.

According to Mr. Harawa, “NEITI is not a stand-alone entity. There is evidence of team work and command of knowledge.”

The team visited mining sites in Nigeria and met with members of the civil society, the media and miners association.

Malawi joined the global Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative in 2015 and is working towards getting a compliant status while Nigeria has been a founding member of the EITI since 2003, and has published seven cycles of oil & gas audits, five cycles of solid minerals audits and conducted one audit on Fiscal Allocation and Statutory Disbursements. Nigeria gained compliant status in 2011 and was adjudged the best implementing country in 2013.

‘Trump will not build Dakota Access Pipeline without a fight’

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‘Trump will not build Dakota Access Pipeline without a fight’

The battle line appears drawn between U.S. President Donald Trump and environmental campaigners over the construction of an underground oil pipeline in the country, which Trump seems to be in support of, but opposed by some activists and Native Americans.

Dakota-Access-Pipeline
A section of the Dakota Access Pipeline under construction near the town of St. Anthony in Morton County, North Dakota

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers notified Congress on Tuesday, February 7, 2017, that it would allow the multi-billion-dollar Dakota Access pipeline to cross under a Missouri River reservoir in North Dakota, completing the four-state project to move North Dakota oil to Illinois. The Army intends to allow the crossing under Lake Oahe as early as Wednesday, February 8. The crossing is the final big chunk of work on the pipeline.

Indeed, within the next 24 hours, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is expected to grant the final easement for the Dakota Access Pipeline that would allow construction to proceed under the Missouri River in North Dakota, where the route of the pipeline begins in the Bakken shale oil fields.

The decision is coming after the Obama administration ordered the Army Corps to withhold the final easement last year, calling for a full environmental review of the project. But, shortly after taking office, Trump urged the Army Corps to scrap the environmental review process and approve the final permit, a development that has drawn the ire of the activists.

May Boeve, 350.org Executive Director, said: “Trump thinks he’s getting what he wants, but the people who’ve been emboldened by the worldwide fight against the Dakota Access pipeline won’t quietly back away. Indigenous leaders, landowners, and climate activists are ready challenge this decision in the courts and in the streets – as we have each time the fossil fuel industry steamrolls over human rights for their own profits. While the industry’s grip on our government tightens, so does our resolve to keep oil, coal, and gas in the ground and build the clean energy economy we need from the ground up.”

Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director of the Indigenous Environmental Network, disclosed: “Donald Trump will not build his Dakota Access Pipeline without a fight. The granting of an easement, without any environmental review or tribal consultation, is not the end of this fight – it is the new beginning. Expect mass resistance far beyond what Trump has seen so far.

“The granting of this easement goes against protocol, it goes against legal process, it disregards more than 100,000 comments already submitted as part of the not-yet-completed environmental review process – all for the sake of Donald Trump’s billionaire big oil cronies. And, it goes against the treaty rights of the entire Seven Councils Fires of the Sioux Nations.

“Donald Trump has not met with a single Native Nation since taking office. Our tribal nations and Indigenous grassroots peoples on the frontlines have had no input on this process. We support the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, and stand with them at this troubling time.”

Protesters have severally highlighted the potential for spills that could taint drinking water, an issue at the core of the Dakota Access pipeline protest. But the promoters insist that the pipeline is the safest and most environmentally sensitive way to transport crude oil from domestic wells to American consumers.

The pipeline has indeed been controversial regarding its necessity, and potential impact on the environment. A number of Native Americans in Iowa and the Dakotas have opposed the pipeline, including the Meskwaki and several Sioux tribal nations. In August 2016, ReZpect Our Water, a group organised on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, brought a petition to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) in Washington, D.C. and the tribe sued for an injunction. A protest at the pipeline site in North Dakota near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation drew international attention. Thousands of people have been protesting the pipeline construction, with confrontations between some groups of protesters and law enforcement, along with disputes over the facts.

The USACE approved the easement through Lake Oahe on February 7, 2017, allowing for the pipeline to be completed.

The $3.78 billion project was announced to the public on June 25, 2014 and informational hearings for landowners took place between August 2014 and January 2015.

Radio Report: Protesters kick against economic hardship

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Radio Report: Protesters kick against economic hardship
Protesters, against the economic hardship in the country, on Monday marched on Funsho Williams Avenue in Lagos.

The peaceful protest, in respect of which one of the organisers and popular singer, Tuface Idibia, earlier announced had been shelved, took off from the National Stadium, Surulere.
 
Correspondent Innocent Onoh, who covered the protest, now reports.
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