Howard Bamsey has officially begun his duties as new Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund Secretariat. He was selected last year by consensus during the Board’s 14th meeting, following an extensive global recruitment process to select a new head of the Secretariat.
Howard Bamsey, Executive Director of the Green Climate Fund (GCF)
Ambassador Bamsey is said to be a prominent figure in climate change diplomacy. With more than 30 years of experience in international negotiations, he has been instrumental in forging global endeavors on climate change action.
Mr. Bamsey will head up the GCF Secretariat, which was established in Songdo, Republic of Korea, in 2013 to serve the GCF Board. The GCF was formally established in 2010 to contribute to the achievement of the ultimate objective of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by financing climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives in developing countries.
Welcoming Mr. Bamsey’s appointment, GCF Board Co-Chair Ayman Shasly, representing Saudi Arabia, said the GCF would benefit from the new Executive Director’s wealth of international experience. “This is an exciting time to become the GCF’s leader. I am confident Howard’s appointment will help the GCF scale up climate finance in the months ahead, after its commitment of more than $1.3 billion in 2016,” Mr. Shasly said.
Developed country Co-Chair, Ewen McDonald (Australia), added: “Howard’s leadership and negotiating experience will be of great value as the GCF consults its growing array of climate finance partners to ensure we match the needs of developing countries.”
Mr. Bamsey will work closely with the 24 members of the GCF Board, equally representing developed and developing countries, to oversee the Fund’s investments and management.
Bamsey succeeds Hela Cheikhrouhou, a Tunisian, who was the Fund’s first Executive Director. She is credited with setting in motion GCF’s first resource mobilisation process and overseeing the establishment of the body’s headquarters in the Republic of Korea.
In between Cheikhrouhou’s stepping down and Bamsey’s selection, Javier Manzanares, GCF’s chief financial officer, was the Executive Director ad interim.
Bamsey, former Director-General of the Global Green Growth Institute, has a career spanning decades in international climate change, environment and sustainable development, both in the diplomatic service and academia.
He co-chaired the United Nations “Dialogue on Long-term Cooperative Action on Climate Change” from 2006 to 2007 and served as Australia’s Special Envoy on Climate Change and Deputy Secretary at the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency from 2008 to 2010. He has also served in a variety of senior government and executive positions.
The GCF was established to support low-emissions and climate-resilient development in developing countries in the context of sustainable development and poverty reduction. The Executive Director will lead the Secretariat of the Fund, headquartered in Songdo, Incheon City, Republic of Korea.
The mangrove is a very unique specie of plant that helps in protecting our coastal area from certain disaster. It is also a plant that most communities depend on as their source of livelihood.
The mangrove is fast depleting due to human activities and an invasive specie of plant called the Nypa palm. There is a serious cry-out for all communities to be given orientation on the need to stop wood logging as this action may aid in wiping out the community in future.
Alternative use of fuel efficient stove should be encouraged to detach community members from the use of firewood to cook even though it is seen as their lifestyle.
Cash incentives should be the motivational factor for many communities to key into the ecological restoration programme of the mangrove.
The Federal Neuro-psychiatric hospital’s School of Occupational Therapy is appealing to the public to help fund the school. The profession was almost extinct in Nigeria until the school was established 14 years ago.
I attended their matriculation ceremony for the new batch of students.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that two million adolescents are living with HIV/AIDS worldwide, and that 82% of them are in sub-Saharan Africa.
Advocates say anti-HIV/AIDS campaign should be made compulsory in schools.
The National Demographic Health Survey estimates that Nigeria loses about 2,350 children everyday because Nutrition Malnutrition is one of the major causes of these deaths.
The country also loses 145 women of child-bearing age everyday due to pregnancy-related complications.
Malnutrition is one of the major causes of these deaths.
Vivienne Irikefe looks at how nutrition can address the staggering statistics.
Nigeria is yet to have any climate change specific law enacted by the National Assembly (the legislative arm of government) and assented to by the President, the Climate Scorecard has said.
Environment Minister, Amina Mohammed, briefing the press in Abuja recently
Climate Scorecard, a not-for-profit that operates an interactive site where concerned parties can participate in post-Paris Agreement efforts to reduce emissions in the 25 top greenhouse gas (GHG) emitting countries, stated however that the country has adopted several environmental and sectoral policies, strategies, and plans where climate change adaptation could apply. But it adds that, at present, their use in enabling and supporting climate change adaptation is limited.
It points out that, in 2012, the Federal Executive Council adopted a comprehensive strategy policy on climate change: the Nigeria Climate Change Policy Response and Strategy, adding that its overarching objective is to promote low-carbon, high-growth economic development and build a climate-resilient society through the achievement of the following targets:
Implement mitigation measures that will promote low carbon as well as sustainable and high economic growth;
Enhance national capacity to adapt to climate change;
Raise climate change related science, technology and R&D to a new level that will enable the country to better participate in international scientific and technological cooperation on climate change;
Significantly increase public awareness and involve private sector participation in addressing the challenges of climate change; and
Strengthen national institutions and mechanisms (policy, legislative and economic) to establish a suitable and functional framework for climate change governance.
It notes that, through the policy, Nigeria intends to foster sustainable development by means of national initiatives that strengthen the country’s strategies on climate change preparedness, adaptation and mitigation across all sectors of society including vulnerable groups. But the site stresses that the success or failure of the policy is still too early to determine, given that it has only been recently adopted.
Nonetheless, it adds, a number of studies on climate change vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies have been conducted by civil society groups, academia, faith-based organisations, the private sector, government agencies and international donor organisations, leading to the publication of the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action for Climate Change Nigeria in 2011, a document that describes strategies, programmes and measures for 13 important economic and social sectors.
Climate Scorecard believes that even though the policy document did not find official support, the efforts of the aforementioned groups contributed to the adoption of a National Climate Change Policy and Response Strategy by the Federal Executive Council.
According to the site, there have been calls to establish a National Climate Change Commission that would coordinate climate issues nationwide, but bill on setting up the commission is yet to be approved.
In the meantime it discloses, there is the Department of Climate Change, domiciled within the Federal Ministry of Environment, which is responsible for the handling of climate change issues. The Federal Government of Nigeria is also said to have established the National Climate Change Trust Fund and the Environmental Sustainability Group to design and attract financing mechanisms for adaptation initiatives.
“Given its recent adoption, it is yet to be seen if there is need to increase the capacity of the policy to improve reduction of greenhouse gases and what lessons, if any, there are for possible adoption/adaptation by other countries,” the Climate Scorecard concludes.
Besides Nigeria, the top GHG emitting countries include: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland and Russia.
Others are: Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and the United States.
Climate Scorecard proposes that each of these countries be responsible for achieving six results listed below:
Country ratification of the Paris Agreement
Strengthens country greenhouse gas emission reduction pledge made to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement
Implements measures to reach the target of 20% unconditional greenhouse gas emission reductions by 2020
Implements measures to reach the target of 30% unconditional reduction by 2030
Adopts the UN suggested baseline year of 2010 from which to calculate its future emission reductions
Puts in place policies that reach the goal of 100% renewable energy by 2050
Makes all aspects of its process to further reduce emissions transparent and inclusive
These results are based on recommendations in the COP21 Agreement (Results 1, 2, 5, and 7) in benchmark standards for the GHG emission targets set by pledges made by the EU (Result 4) and by the Climate Scorecard Project (Results 3 and 6).
The United Nations has designated 2017 as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism Development. According to the global body, the year is an opportunity to look at how tourism is affected by climate change .How emissions from the sector can be curbed, along with finding ways for the industry to better adapt to the inevitable impacts of rising global average temperatures.
Cancun, Mexico: A popular tourist destination
Over one billion international tourists travel the world each year. Tourism provides millions of jobs and is crucial for national and local economies, not least in the developing world.
More than many other industries, tourism relies on a stable climate, and is already being impacted.Also increased incidents of storms and heatwaves, desertification, fresh water loss, rising sea levels that threaten coastal resorts, and diminished snowfall in alpine skiing areas.
The UN’s World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) estimates that tourism is responsible of about 5% of global CO2 emissions. Accommodation accounts for approximately 20% of emissions from tourism. This involves heating, air-conditioning and the maintenance of bars, restaurants and pools.
The transport sector, including air, car and rail, generates the largest proportion, with 75% of all emissions. Transport can be avoided by choosing the most sustainable form of transport at least for inland travel, which is rail, says the UNWTO.
Tourist and business travelers, along with companies and organisations, can offset the carbon footprint of their trips by plane or car by purchasing UN-certified offsets provided through the UN’s Climate Neutral Now Initiative, discloses the UN.
It adds that Climate Neutral Now is also active in helping entire sub-sectors of the tourism transport industry, such as airports, measure, reduce and offset and their emissions.
Kicking off the sustainable tourism this year is the International Tourism Fair in Spain (FITUR), taking place on January 18-22 in Madrid.
The fair comprises a number of events organised by the UNWTO including the official presentation of the International Year on January 18.
Also on January 18 is the 13th Edition of the UNWTO Awards on Innovation and Excellence in Tourism. The awards will commend some of the best examples of sustainable tourism around the world.
In addition to the presentation of the International Year Sustainable Tourism for Development and the awards, more than 20 ministers of tourism from Africa will debate the opportunities that the sector can bring to the continent.
The potential of tourism in the MENA region (the Middle East and North Africa) and how to strengthen the resilience of tourism in the region will be also discussed at the fair by the ministers.
The Nigerian government has been told to reconsider its bitumen exploitation ventures as the mining activity has the tendency to degrade the environment.
L-R: Chief Reverend Okwuaji; Chief Toyin Dmendra, the Lisa of Agbabu; Akinbode Oluwafemi, deputy executive director of ERA/FoEN; and Baale Adepitan Ola James of Ijebu-Mushin in Ogun State, at the Consultative Meeting on Bitumen Exploitation in Akure, Ondo State
This submission formed part of a list of resolutions agreed on by participants at a recent forum in Akure, Ondo State, where the corrosiveness and dirty nature of bitumen extraction was decried.
At a Consultative Forum involving communities in the bitumen belt from Ondo, Edo and Ogun states held last month at the instance of the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), government was told to halt any agreements with unknown companies, breaking free from fossils and explore safe and clean renewables that are cheap and community-driven.
They underlined the need for the convening of a national forum of bitumen communities with adequate representation from all communities that fall under the bitumen belt, adding that an institutional structure or agency that the communities can interface or engage with should be put in place.
They also want an updated geo-mapping and conduct of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study in the communities to address the genuine concerns of the communities.
“The Nigerian government should leave the tar in the sand to avoid the crisis in the Niger Delta repeating in the bitumen belt. Before bitumen extraction, there must be a review of the Mining Act 2007 to reflect existing realities and concerns by the local communities. There must be transparency and accountability in the entire bitumen belt,” reads a communique issued at the close of the gathering on December 22, 2016.
The communities, who say that there has been no consultation or formal agreements with them as the Federal Government ploughs deeper into its plans to exploit bitumen within their doorsteps, want the immediate commencement of the process of engaging them in a dialogue so as to create awareness and unity amongst them in their agitation for a better environment.
They likewise clamour for the clean up of Ogoniland as a first step and other communities across the country impacted by fossil fuels, pointing out that, in doing this, the government must ensure the protection of the people and the sustainability of a healthy environment.
The Nigerian bitumen deposit, put at some 42.74 billion metric tons, is said to be the second largest in the world. Discovered in 1900, it covers 120 kilometres costal belts of Lagos, Ogun, Ondo and Edo states.
Naturally occurring or crude bitumen is a sticky, tar-like form of petroleum which is so thick and heavy that it must be heated or diluted before it will flow. Bitumen is also mixed with granite to produce asphalt, which is the major product used for road construction.
Deputy Executive Director of ERA/FoEN, Akinbode Oluwafemi, explained that the meeting was called to examine new developments in the light of President Muhammadu Buhari’s plan to finally start bitumen exploitation and exploration.
In a presentation titled: “Time to Leave Tar in the Sand!”, Oluwafemi explained that despite all the government had said about diversification, the kind of diversification community people want in the energy sector is one that is clean, safe, community-driven and cheap. He noted, however, that bitumen is not any of these things since it is heavy crude and considered dirty energy.
During the deliberations that ensued, participants observed that:
The Nigerian economy is still highly dependent on fossil fuels and this has given undue powers and influence to the extractive industry as government continues to place revenue generation above lives and livelihoods.
Fossil fuels continue to pollute the environment and this continues to impact on livelihoods of the local people cause violent conflicts.
In the planned extraction of bitumen the Nigerian government has not learnt from the examples of oil extraction in the Niger Delta where non consultation with locals has led to crisis, oppression and deaths.
The Nigerian government is about to or may have signed contractual agreements with some new companies, and the contents of these agreements have not been made public.
Like the earlier companies, the so-called new investors in the planned bitumen extraction have been meeting with communities and signing agreements with local communities that they understand nothing about.
There are no institutional frameworks or structures in place to engage the communities. Such structures for engagement and interface must be located in the community.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies are yet to be carried out in the communities identified in the bitumen belt and, by` implication, there is lack of information on government’s plans to exploit bitumen. This is causing apathy among the people as they fear forced relocation.
Examples abound that all forms of bitumen extraction leaves irreparable scar on the environment.
The whole process of bitumen extraction, as currently ongoing, is devoid of transparency and accountability and shrouded in secrecy.
“You teach me, I forget. You show me, I remember. You involved me, I understand.”…Edward O. Wilson, a two-time winner of the Pulitzer prize for Non-fiction(NITP:Healthy and pollution-free environment ).
Lekwa Ezutah, First National Vice-President of the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP)
Readers are reminded that the first part of this article was published in the Monday, January 2, 2017, edition of EnviroNews an online platform for news on the environment, human settlement, climate change, renewable energy, sustainable development, science and technology, water and sanitation etc.
In that article, the central focus was on law and constitutional matters as they affect the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP). We argued then that although there is a subsisting law known as the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992, that law is in obscurity. It has suffered a serious setback due to the Supreme Court judgment of 2006, which rendered some of the law’s provisions nugatory. As a result, the law was not effectively implemented, as it should be. The three tiers of government in Nigeria (Federal, State, and Local governments) have been lackadaisical about the roles they are expected to play in matters of urban and regional planning at their respective levels.
We expatiated on the way forward to resolve the legal knotty issue, most especially the roles the NITP must play to change the tide. The pivotal role we suggested was that the NITP must, through extensive lobbying, enlist the support of both the House of Representatives and the Senate so that the required amendment to the law is effected with minimal delay. The central and most important provision of the extant Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992 which the lawmakers ought to consider for an accelerated review or amendment is to make matters of planning a “tripartite participation” by all tiers of government in Nigeria for the good of the country. Such move will be in line with global best practice.
Therefore, the leadership of the NITP should get up, reach out, and get the nation’s lawmakers involved and informed. “If the Institute teaches the lawmakers, they may forget. If it shows them, they may remember. If you really engage and directly involve the lawmakers, they will understand the necessity for the amendment of the imperfect law.” (apologies to Edward O. Wilson whose famous quote at the beginning of this article is adapted). By having more people involved in the cause of the NITP makes the Institute stronger and more visible than hitherto.
The second and concluding part of the article will focus on Information, Communications, and Technology (ICT). How does the NITP use such media to the benefit of its member? How effectively does it reach out to over 3000-stronghold members and the reading public? The ICT issue should be a concern to members who try to access the NITP website for planning information or knowledge acquisition. This writer has severally accessed the NITP website online in search of information, which ordinarily was taken for granted that it should be found on that website; but, surprisingly, it was not found at the online portal.
I will give an illustrative example of such personal experience. My visit to the NITP website late December 2016 in search for a copy of the Nigerian Urban and Regional Planning Law of 1992 in order to download the content of the law, met with a brick wall. Two, I also looked frantically without success on the website for a link that could take me to the knowledge/resource centre to acquaint myself with the available information on the Institute’s library, books, specialty publications, planning magazine/newsletter, applied research and other relevant documents essential for planning development for all categories of membership such as student, corporate, fellow and planning practitioners. The missing was beyond comprehension. It is being brought to the notice of those in charge of ICT at the Institute national secretariat to know about it and contemplate the consequence in advancing planning education in Nigeria.
The creation of a knowledge/resource centre on the portal of NITP should be paramount among the sundry information that the Institute incorporates on its website. It will serve as an avenue where visitors to the site can explore the most comprehensive knowledge in the planning profession either to arouse their interest in the subject matter as beginners or as practitioners who want to keep abreast, informed and strive for innovation. As the saying goes…..knowledge is power.
The NITP needs to sharpen its communication skill. It will facilitate in getting its message about “liveable and sustainable cities in Nigeria” effectively across to the larger audience of the reading public. Firstly, its website must be information prolific and user-friendly such that those seeking any minute information about planning in Nigeria can easily access it. Such accessibility must be open to all end-users either town planning professionals, allied professionals, non-professionals corporate entities.
Secondly, in this age of the internet-of-things, the NITP cannot be passive but active. It must be responsive to the needs of its numerous members in Nigeria and in the Diaspora. Planning career development, job oppourtunities, mentoring, emerging issues, planner profiles, cross-country collaboration, public policy advocacy, planners’ communication guide, consultants online, international planning, specialty divisions are many of the suggested topics that the NITP should curate materials and create portals on its website in order to provide useful information on planning for planners and internet users. There must be accountability and transparency about how the Institute is administered and managed. For example, the details of its annual budget are information that should not be kept in secrecy.
The Institute is also enjoined to be data conscious on the annual dues paid by members, the annual breakdown of the membership strength aggregated into gender and a list of academic institutions that offer diplomas/certificates/degrees in urban planning in Nigeria are all desirable statistics the Institute should have in its repertoire of information. There are other useful data that the Institute should endeavor to generate regularly because, in the planning profession, data is the sine qua non. The NITP which blames others for lack of data for planning must not be caught in the web of its own criticism. It must practice what it preaches and religiously imbibe a culture of data generation. As they say….little things matter.
Thirdly, the NITP should start to expand the horizon of its outreach to the public and showcase what planning has been able to achieve in solving any of the problems plaguing Nigerian cities. The notorious among the problems are traffic congestion, environmental pollution, housing shortage and other inter-related problems caused by unmanaged urbanisation.
What is the possible avenue that can be exploited to achieve this end goal? Let ingenuity come on board by establishing the NITP’s version of National Community Planning Month (NCPM) and National Planning Awards (NPA). For the NCPM, a particular month will be chosen in the year for the celebration by sharing. During the celebration, the planner’s work or programme intervention that makes a town, city or region better will be a showcase to the nation.
The NPA will be used to scout for excellent efforts by individuals or corporate bodies in planning, purposely for recognition and token reward as an incentive. This way, other colleagues/practitioners will be inspired, energised and aspired to be nationally recognised.
The ad hoc approach being currently adopted by the NITP does not make such National Award a yearly diary event. It must be on the annual calendar of events of the Institute, which every member should eagerly look forward to witness or participate as an awardee. When a professional body propagates what it does and rewards excellence in the process, it must have made 360-degree accomplishment in terms of publicity, enlightenment, and public relation.
Conclusively, we advocate that the NITP needs to have a modern looking and informative website.
It is no secret that having a professionally upgraded website is a magnet to drawing contemporary readers. Effort must be made to have the website well designed, user-friendly and properly maintained to contain a lot of data in order to draw the most traffic. This would require the expertise of a highly rated website developer, not an amateur.
Additionally, in this digital information age, the Institute must take advantage of what is known in ICT parlance as Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). Modern SEO as a device is the best way the Institute can better promote its website online. Even if the website is information-studded but if it has limited traffic, its purpose will be defeated and useless. It is the application of the SEO that could make a huge difference. SEO utilises “embedded links and keywords to get higher ratings on search engines.” By getting higher in the rankings on search engines the Institute will be more visible to the relevant readers or online information seekers.
A few of the thought-provoking ideas suggested here are suitable and practicable agenda for the NITP in 2017 fiscal year. They are relevant and important in the scale of priority. The Institute should be “evangelical” in its approach to public enlightenment, civic engagement, collaboration with the lawmakers and government officials and to whoever cares to listen. Concluded.
By Tpl.Yacoob Abiodun (Planning Advocate, wrote from Parkview Estate, Ikoyi, Lagos)
A call has gone to the international conservation community to protect the Sepintun forest, a haven for Sumatran elephants, which are critically endangered as their forest home is being destroyed.
Sumatran elephants
Some of the last Sumatran elephants are said to roam the forest of Sepintun – a habitat that is being trashed for oil palm, pulp and rubber plantations, and one which conservationists insist urgently needs to be protected from the threat of industrial plantations.
The Sumatran elephant (or Elephas maximus sumatrensis) is one of three recognised subspecies of the Asian elephant, and native to the Indonesia island of Sumatra. It is a sub-species of the Asian elephant which includes the Indian elephant, the Sumatran elephant, the Sri-Lanka elephant and the Borneo elephant.
The Sumatran elephant is now said to be extremely rare, with estimates in 2,000 putting Sumatran elephant numbers at just over 2,000 individuals. However, the Sumatran elephant population has severely declined as they have reportedly lost more than 80% of their natural habitat to deforestation for palm oil plantations.
Reinhard Behrend of Rainforest Rescue says: “The owners of the plantations on their former habitat consider the elephants to be vermin. Yet there are still forests where the elephants can live: one of them is the forest of Sepintun in Jambi province. This last fragment of primary forest is home to a small herd of female elephants and their calves. They still follow their ancient trails, many of which now lead through plantations.
“While the elephants themselves are protected, companies and authorities are denying that they exist and want to clear their forest for a plantation. That would spell the end of the critically endangered herd.”
Feri Irawan of Marhoni states: “No more than 150 elephants currently live in all of Jambi province. They are critically endangered by the oil palm, pulp and rubber plantations and coal mines that are eating away at their habitat. All but 1,500 hectares of Sepintun’s forests are gone.
“However, as far as companies and the authorities are concerned, the elephants do not exist: Only by denying that elephants still live in the region will they be able to clear the forest of Sepintun for plantations.”
