From Ikeja Local Government Secretariat, near Computer Village, to Alausa, the seat of power, thousands of protesters marched peacefully, in an apparent defiance to the some provisions of the new Environment Law, which seemed to favour water privatisation.
The street protest held on Wednesday, March 22 2017 to mark the World Water Day, a day set aside to take action to tackle the water crisis all over the world.
The protest held at the instance of civil society groups like the Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Joint Action Front (JAF), Africa Women Water Sanitation and Hygiene Network, and Child Health Organisation.
Others are Climate Aid, Centre for Dignity, and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
The protestersAchike Chude of the Joint Action Front (JAF) addressing the protestersGovernment officials addressing the protestersArmed police officers form a barricade
Though the new Lagos Environment Law was signed into law by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode some three weeks ago, Lagosians only decided to challenge it through a street protest on Wednesday, March 22 2017, to mark the World Water Day (WWD).
The anti-water privatisation street protest
World Water Day, observed on March 22 every year, is about taking action to tackle the water crisis all over the world.
From Ikeja Local Government Secretariat, near Computer Village, to Alausa, the seat of power, thousands of protesters marched peacefully accompanied by four vans laden with police personnel.
In their sky blue customised T-shirts, the protesters wielded different placards condemning the privatisation of water in Lagos.
The event was made possible by coalition of civil society groups, including Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), Joint Action Front (JAF), Africa Women Water Sanitation and Hygiene Network, and Child Health Organisation.
Others are Climate Aid, Centre for Dignity, and Amalgamated Union of Public Corporations, Civil Service, Technical Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE).
In a statement presented to Governor Ambode at Alausa, the organisers acknowledged the administration’s “giant strides in the delivery of democracy dividends to the citizens of Lagos State in various sectors”. Hence they declared their readiness to support the administration in achieving its set goals, “which will in the long run make life meaningful for all the citizens of the state”.
However, they reiterated their concern on the government’s plan to secure universal access to water through privatisation of Lagos water infrastructure.
“As we have mentioned in our earlier communication on this same issue, evidence abounds showing that countries that have experimented the public private partnership (PPP) model of water privatisation burnt their fingers,” they stated.
But the Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Babatunde Adejare, argued that every developed country in the world is operating on the PPP model in water distribution.
While addressing the supporters at the House of Assembly gate where armed police erected a barricade to ward off the protesters, the commissioner said government’s intention is for the good of Lagosians.
On a sarcastic note, leaders of the protest said PPP means “Public money in Private Pockets”.
The statement, signed by Akinbode Oluwafemi of ERA/FoEN, Achike Chude of JAF, Oluwatosin Kolawole of Climate Aid, Alex Omotehinse of CDHR, Veronica Nwanya, Vicky Urenma among others, reads in part: “The models upon which the PPP is based has failed to uphold the human right to water and has locked governments into long term contracts. Such deals have proven exceedingly difficult for cities to exit, despite rate hikes, service cut-offs and unfulfilled infrastructure promises, and they prevent cities from making crucial progress towards real solutions to water access challenges.
“Your Excellency, Lagos does not need to experience social conflicts or drown in debt to steer clear of this slippery road fraught with booby traps.”
An attempt to open the doors wide for privatisation through legislation, according to them, was the injection of anti-people sections in the initial draft of the newly signed “Laws relating to the Environment for the Management, Protection and Sustainable Development of the Environment in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes”.
“Criminalising the drilling of boreholes and setting fines and prison terms for people who go out of their way to obtain a free gift of nature are practices that only remind us of the long-gone military era. It is on this premise that we are, again using this medium, asking you to reject water PPP projects in the management of Lagos water infrastructure,” they added.
They asked the governor, among other things, to:
remove all the remaining provisions in the new Lagos Environmental Law that opens the doors for privatisation in the form of PPP or any other
institute Water Trust Fund that will expand public financing of the water sector
reject contracts designed by or involving the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which operates to maximise private profit, and
build the political will to prioritise water for the people by investing in the water infrastructure necessary to provide universal water access.
When the government officials, accompanied by men of the SSS, approached the protesters, there were shouts of “We want to see our governor”, “When Ambode wanted our votes, he came to us, we want to see him now”, “This is the way they had been treating us everytime we come here”. But all these fell on deaf ears, as the commissioner eventually addressed the crowd
The Lagos State Government on Tuesday, March 21, 2017 clarified its position on why what it terms “illegal shanties and unwholesome habitation” were cleared around Ilado and seafront areas beside Freedom Road, in Lekki, Lagos.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde. He says government did not flout any court judgment over the demolition of Otodo Gbame
The government in a statement said the Environment Ministry’s action was carried out in order to forestall an environmental disaster and another round of deadly skirmishes that led to the razing of the Otodo Gbame community in November 2016.
In a statement signed by the State’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Steve Ayorinde, the government said the action was informed by the overriding public interest to ensure that the waterfront area is free from environmentally injurious and unsanitary habitation few months after it was consumed by fire and rendered uninhabitable.
The government denied flouting any court judgment as alleged, insisting that it owes a duty to the larger population of the state to ensure that public health and safety is maintained.
According to the statement, the Otodo Gbame community is one of the 39 claimant communities that had commenced action to enforce their fundamental rights pursuant to Fundamental Rights (Enforcement Procedure) Rules 2009 before Onigbanjo. J of Lagos Division of the High Court of Lagos State in Suit No. LD/4232MFHR/2016..AKAKPO & 38 ORS vs. AG L/S & 3 ORS.
It added however that the trial judge did not deliver judgment on the matter but rather referred the parties to Multi Door House for mediation.
Ayorinde said: “The leave granted to enforce their rights was tantamount to an order of status quo ante bellum on the parties, which amongst other things required that the claimants do not take any action within the area after it was destroyed by fire.
“The undisputed fact is that Otodo Gbame was engulfed by fire that razed down the entire community in November 2016, which rendered the area uninhabitable.”
According to the Commissioner, since the claimants had submitted the case for adjudication, it would be unacceptable for them to return to the area or to erect shanties and perpetuate unsanitary and environmentally dangerous conditions, hence, the need for the government to maintain order and public safety.
The statement maintained that the state government was mindful of the welfare of the affected citizens and had indeed expressed its concerns and willingness to explore an amicable resolution insofar that the demands of the claimants are reasonable and lawful.
It insisted that the government would neither be stampeded nor blackmailed into abdicating its constitutional responsibilities to guard against a potential health and environmental hazard in the area by condoning what amounts to a breach of environmental and urban planning laws.
The statement reminded the public that Lagos State Government had swiftly responded through its fire services and emergency rescue operations as well as the Police to assist the residents and nearby locations when the entire community was razed down in November 2016 as a result of inter-ethnic clashes there.
Ayorinde stated that the state government had no interest in the area other than to ensure that the delicate ecosystem of the waterfront remains safe, clean and secure.
He added the state government appreciates the understanding of the general public and assures its unflinching commitment to the development of Lagos State as an ideal megacity that is sensitive to the needs of the public as well as open and continuous dialogue.
In furtherance of its continued commitment to interventions that transform lives and improve the health and well-being of communities in Nigeria, Guinness Nigeria Plc has constructed seven hand pump water boreholes in Bebi Community, Obanliku Local Government Area (LGA) of Cross River State.
L-R: Sustainable Development & Alcohol in Society Manager, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Osita Abana; Director of Water, Cross River State Ministry of Water Resources, Dan Ebri; Corporate Relations Director, Guinness Nigeria Plc, Sesan Sobowale; Country Director United Purpose, Nigeria, Tim Connell; and Area Sales Manager (Cross River/Akwa Ibom) Guinness Nigeria Plc,Chidi Umeh, at the commissioning of boreholes donated by Guinness Nigeria Plc at Obanliku Local Govt Area of Cross River State, recently
The donated boreholes, which will provide more than 7,000 persons with year-round access to safe drinking water, were unveiled recently at a ceremony which the company held to mark this year’s World Water Day.
Guinness Nigeria’s continued commitment to initiatives that improve access to safe water was underscored at the event by the company’s Corporate Relations Director, Sesan Sobowale, who represented the Managing Director of Guinness Nigeria. Sobowale noted that the company would continue to play a leading role in enhancing access to safe drinking water in the country.
He said: “The boreholes we are commissioning today are the latest addition to the range of water projects Guinness Nigeria has delivered in states across the country as part of Diageo’s flagship ‘Water of Life’ programme. Since 2007, our ‘Water of Life’ programme has provided clean drinking water to over 10 million people in 18 countries in Africa. Under the aegis of the ‘Water of Life’ programme in Nigeria, water facilities have been constructed in 35 communities across the country. We are pleased to note that, through these water projects, Guinness Nigeria has helped over 1.5 million Nigerians access clean water and ultimately improve their overall health and wellbeing.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, Dan Ebri, Director of Water at the Cross River State Ministry of Water Resources, commended Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to initiatives that promote access to safe drinking water in Nigeria.
He said: “I commend Guinness Nigeria’s commitment to interventions that tackle the challenge of water scarcity in rural areas especially in Cross River State. I also thank the company for partnering United Purpose to deliver programmes that have helped Obanliku LGA to achieve ‘open defecation free’ status. The impact your partnership has made is laudable.”
The clan head of Bebi Eastward in Obanliku LGA, His Royal Highness Atung Francis, also expressed the community’s profound appreciation for the donated water facility. He observed that, prior to the donation, community members trekked to the hilltop – a distance of about three kilometres to fetch water.
Guinness Nigeria’s latest intervention in Obanliku LGA comes on the heels of a previous pilot project which facilitated the construction of 10 boreholes in rural communities in Cross River State’s Abi, Bekwarra, and Obanliku LGAs. The pilot project (which was also delivered in partnership with United Purpose) helped over 11,000 people in these LGAs to access safe drinking water, and trained 120 community members on basic borehole maintenance and water resource management.
In his remarks at the commissioning ceremony, the Country Director of United Purpose, Nigeria, Tim Connell, acknowledged Guinness Nigeria’s contributions to the SWISH programme in Cross River State, saying: “I am pleased to see the positive impact we have been able to make in Cross River State partnering Guinness Nigeria. Today, Obanliku LGA has become the first LGA in Nigeria to achieve ‘open defecation free’ status, and more persons in the local government area now have access to clean drinking water. I would like to thank Guinness Nigeria for its contributions towards these milestones.”
Guinness Nigeria’s Water Sanitation and Hygiene Interventions in Cross River State have been delivered under the aegis of the “Safe Water and Improved Sanitation and Hygiene”’ (SWISH) programme the company has been implementing in collaboration with United Purpose.
United Purpose is the executing agency of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) programme, a five-year initiative of the UN’s Global Sanitation Fund and the Nigerian government, which uses the empowering “Community-led Total Sanitation” approach to trigger community-wide demand for improved sanitation and hygiene without the use of external subsidies.
Through the RUSHPIN programme, over two million rural people in Cross River and Benue states are taking control of their own health by ending open defecation and washing their hands with soap at critical times.
Last year, Guinness Nigeria commissioned water facilities which it constructed in Gwam, Bauchi state (in partnership with Water Aid) and Tyowanye, Benue State (in partnership with OXFAM). These water schemes are said to be currently providing safe drinking water for over 20,000 people living in beneficiary communities.
In commemoration of the 2017 World Water Day on Wednesday, March 22, the Climate and Sustainable Development Network of Nigeria (CSDevNet) has called on governments at all levels in Nigeria to focus on water issues and match commitments with actions by allocating significant portions of their budget to projects that make safe water available all over the country.
Water supply in Gaya Silkami, Adamawa State. The CSDevNet wants government at all levels to prioritise water
Considering that a significant portion of the country’s population currently does not have access to safe drinking water and that water-related diseases account for almost a million deaths each year, the civil society network affirmed that people’s access to water and sanitation should become key priorities for local, state and federal governments in order to put the country on the path to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
In a statement signed by Sam Jinadu on behalf of the National Network Coordinator, CSDevNet underlined the fact that equitable access to water and sanitation cannot be achieved in Nigeria “without good local governance, sustainable management of natural resources and effective urbanisation.”
According to Jinadu, “Nigeria requires commitment at the highest levels, in order to ensure the availability of safe water resources in every town, village and city.”
With approximately 90% of the world’s wastewater flowing untreated into the environment while more than 923 million people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water, the civil society group believes the focus on wastewater for this year’s World Water Day makes it imperative for government, development partners and non-state actors to explore means of upscaling treatment processes and operational systems that will build Nigeria’s capacity to deploy wastewater in meeting the growing water demand in cities, support sustainable agriculture, and enhance energy production and industrial development.
The CSDevNet is a network of over 300 civil society organisations cutting across the six geo-political zones in Nigeria. The network brings together organisations, comprising grassroots community practitioners, trusts, federations of slum dwellers and pastoralists, youth, media, women and faith-based organisations to commonly promote and advocate pro-poor, climate-friendly and equity-based responses to climate change and sustainable development.
Senegalese footballer, Sadio Mané, has predicted that the Terranga Lions will beat the Super Eagles when the two African super houses clash on Thursday, March 23, 2017 in an international friendly in London.
Sadio Mané
Three-time African Champions Nigeria has not been beaten by their next opponent in the last 15 years, which was in February 7, 2002.
Liverpool striker Mané has turned a blind eye to those statistics, starting that Senegal will beat Nigeria if its current form is anything to go by.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) plans to use the upcoming matches against Senegal and Burkina Faso to prepare the national team for the African Cup of Nations qualifier against South Africa in a few months’ time.
In the update of FIFA rankings, Senegal is ranked second in Africa, while Nigeria occupies the seventh position.
Meanwhile, 16 players under Coach Gernot Rohr had a training session on Wednesday morning. Those at the training session were Kelechi Iheanacho, Alex Iwobi, Carl Ikeme, Noah Obazee, John Ogu, Isaac Success, Chidozie Awaziem, Wilfred Ndidi, Ahmed Musa, and Tyronne Ebnehi, to mention but a few.
As planet Earth celebrates the 2017 World Water Day on Wednesday, March 22 2017, Lagosians are calling on the state government to make potable water accessible to them in order to reduce the huge amount of money they spend in buying water, as well as to check the spread of water-borne diseases and related illnesses threatening lives and livelihood.
Observers believe that the bulk of the Lagos population have limited access to potable water
The theme for this year’s World Water Day celebration is: “Wasted Water”.
“Water has now become a very scarce resource. A 20-litre gallon of water which we used to buy for N20 a few years ago now sells for up to N100, which is an increase of about 400%. For a family of just five like mine, it means the little monthly pay goes to water alone. That makes survival a living hell for the masses,” narrates Philip Ikechi, who resides along Iyabo Street in Sari Iganmu, as he joined neighbours in scampering to harvest rain water.
Our correspondent gathered that, in Sari Iganmu and its environs, as well as Amukoko, Orile and Ijora Badiya, as well as several other communities in Lagos, acute water scarcity has become a way of life, so much so that money spent in purchasing water can be equated with major expenses like house rent and education.
This, perhaps, explains why residents earnestly pray for rainfall even though, elsewhere in the state, the rains are dreaded because of the tendency to accelerate flooding which render many homeless.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says 3.4 million people, mostly children, die annually from water-related diseases, such as cholera, typhoid, diarrhea and dysentery, even as 80% of diseases are attributed to lack of access to portable water.
A cross section of Lagos residents expressed dissatisfaction over the perennial scarcity of portable in their neighbourhood.
“I don’t know why water remains a big challenge in a state that is surrounded by large bodies of water.
“You buy a gallon of water for as much as N70 and sometimes N100 in a family of four, how do you survive?” says a resident.
“With the new Lagos environment law which places restrictions to individuals sinking bore holes, measures should be put in place to cushion the effect on the masses,” intones another resident.
A visit to some communities in the state revealed that most households depend mainly on water from open wells and boreholes provided either by their landlords or by water vendors.
For instance, residents of Mafoloku in Oshodi and Iju Ishaga where there is water corporation presence say government should reduce their sufferings by making public water available.
A resident, Nurudeen Oyewode, explains: “In my area, we have had to rely on private efforts; that is privately generated water supply, not public. It is my landlord that actually provides water for us. And within the community, I can spot about two other places where they have public water. Those public water water spots are private sector-driven and not from government. It just amuses me, my area is close to where you have one of the largest water works in Lagos, that is the Iju area of Lagos, but we don’t benefit from it. It has always been that we had to rely on what the landlord put in place for us. And anytime we don’t have water we have to go and buy. We would buy the roll of truck containing 10 gallons for N500.”
In Ketu and few other areas where people seem lucky to have public water, the residents complain that the water is not good for drinking as the water pipes laid many years ago are contaminated, and thus expose them to health hazard.
Some Residents observed that most public water facilities in the state provided by organisations or individuals including politicians as corporate social responsibility have long stopped functioning due to lack of maintenance.
Those still working are said to be very far from the people, prompting them to engage the services of water vendors popularly called Meruwa to fetch them water at a high cost.
Concerned Lagosians are worried as they likened the water problem in the state to the popular words of the ancient Maraina, which says: “Water water everywhere, but non to drink”.
Records show that 70% of an adult body is made up of water at birth, and it accounts for approximately 80% of an infant’s weight.
To maintain that level, a report says a healthy person is expected to drink about three gallons (48 cups) of water per day, while another has shown that drinking about seven to eight glasses of water daily is important for good health.
For residents in parts of Lagos and people in other areas that lack access to good water, experts say one major consequence is the acceleration of kidndey diseases among those who do not drink enough, while water borne diseases will be rampant.
Director of Children Health and Nutrition, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Folashade Oludara, stresses: “We are in a tropical region, which is very hot. We need water to rehydrate ourselves and it is recommended that every one should take at least two to three litres of water per day for the kidney to function well and prevent renal stones. We need not just any water but potable water. If you dont have access to adequate potable water, you develop water borne diseases like typhoid, poliomyelitis, diarrhea, dysentery, cholera and associated diseases, which the country has been battling to check.”
She advises that while there is need to expand access to water to the greater percentage of the masses, people should learn to conserve water for the available one to go round.
“We have always been advocating that if you use the toilet or whether you go to pass urine, you are supposed to watch your hands. Before you handle your food, you are suposed to wash your hands with soap and under running water to prevent contamination; and, in doing that, you have to conserve water. Don’t open the tap for water to waste,” she counsels.
All the respondents seem optimistic that there will eventually be a society where global best practices would be adopted to make water accessible to all, thereby achieving the Goal 6 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
The United Kingdom and Germany have pre-selected seven NAMA Support Projects from the NAMA Facility’s 4th Call. These NAMA Support Projects will receive funding for their Detailed Preparation Phase.
The Ugandan NAMA project aims at enhancing energy efficiency in schools with improved cook stoves
Germany and the UK have committed to fund up to €60 million for the 4th Call of the NAMA Facility. The NAMA Facility supports the implementation of ambitious Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMAs).
Countries receiving support for the Detailed Preparation Phase are:
The applications received by the NAMA Facility in the 4th Call illustrate the global reach and wide variety of actions targeted at emission reductions. Most national governments directly referred to their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and the Paris Agreement in their applications. NAMAs can function as an important building block to implement NDCs under the Paris Agreement.
The NAMA Facility understands itself as a learning hub and is constantly seeking to increase the uptake of NAMAs under implementation. In this context, the NAMA Facility introduced a DPP Phase with the 4th Call. During this stage, financial support is provided for the detailed preparation of NAMA Support Projects. At the end of the DPP, based on the assessment of the submitted Proposals, the decision for funding for the implementation will be taken.
Global energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions can be reduced by 70% by 2050 and completely phased-out by 2060 with a net positive economic outlook, according to new findings released on Monday, March 20, 2017 by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Director-General, International Renewable Energy Agency, Adnan Z. Amin
“Perspectives for the Energy Transition: Investment Needs for a Low-Carbon Energy Transition”, launched on the occasion of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, presents the case that increased deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency in G20 countries and globally can achieve the emissions reductions needed to keep global temperature rise to no more than two-degrees Celsius, avoiding the most severe impacts of climate change.
“The Paris Agreement reflected an unprecedented international determination to act on climate. The focus must be on the decarbonision of the global energy system as it accounts for almost two-thirds of greenhouse gas emissions,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “Critically, the economic case for the energy transition has never been stronger. Today around the world, new renewable power plants are being built that will generate electricity for less cost than fossil-fuel power plants. And through 2050, the decarbonisation can fuel sustainable economic growth and create more new jobs in renewables.
“We are in a good position to transform the global energy system but success will depend on urgent action, as delays will raise the costs of decarbonisation,” added Mr. Amin.
While overall the energy investment needed for decarbonising the energy sector is substantial – an additional $29 trillion until 2050 – it amounts to a small share (0.4%) of global GDP. Furthermore, IRENA’s macroeconomic analysis suggests that such investment creates a stimulus that, together with other pro-growth policies, will:
boost global GDP by 0.8% in 2050;
generate new jobs in the renewable energy sector that would more than offset job losses in the fossil fuel industry, with further jobs being created by energy efficiency activities, and;
improve human welfare through important additional environmental and health benefits thanks to reduced air pollution.
Globally, 32 gigatonnes (Gt) of energy-related CO2 were emitted in 2015, says the report, stating that emissions will need to fall continuously to 9.5 Gt by 2050 to limit warming to no more than two degrees above pre-industrial temperatures. Ninety percent of this energy CO2 emission reduction can be achieved through expanding renewable energy deployment and improving energy efficiency.
Renewable energy now accounts for 24% of global power generation and 16% of primary energy supply. To achieve decarbonisation, the report states that, by 2050, renewables should be 80% of power generation and 65% of total primary energy supply, it adds.
The report also describes how the energy sector transition needs to go beyond the power sector into all end-use sectors. Renewables need to account for the majority of power generation in 2050, based on continued rapid growth especially for solar and wind power in combination with enabling grids and new operating practices. But also, the buildings, industry and transport sectors need more bioenergy, solar heating and electricity from renewable sources that substitute conventional energy. Electric vehicles need to become the predominant car type in 2050. Liquid biofuel production must grow ten-fold. High efficiency all-electric buildings should become the norm. Deployment of heat pumps must accelerate and a combined total of two billion buildings will need to be new built or renovated.
The report calls for policy efforts to create an enabling framework and re-design of energy markets. Stronger price signals and carbon pricing can help provide a level playing field when complemented by other measures, and the report emphasises the importance of considering needs of those without energy access.
The year 2016 made history, with a record global temperature, exceptionally low sea ice, and unabated sea level rise and ocean heat, according to the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). Extreme weather and climate conditions are said to have continued into 2017.
World Climate Research Programme Director, David Carlson
WMO issued its annual statement on the State of the Global Climate ahead of World Meteorological Day on Thursday, March 23, 2017. It is based on multiple international datasets maintained independently by global climate analysis centres and information submitted by dozens of WMO Members National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and Research Institutes and is considered an authoritative source of reference. Because the social and economic impacts of climate change have become so important, WMO partnered with other United Nations organisations for the first time this year to include information on these impacts.
“This report confirms that the year 2016 was the warmest on record – a remarkable 1.1 °C above the pre-industrial period, which is 0.06 °C above the previous record set in 2015. This increase in global temperature is consistent with other changes occurring in the climate system,” said WMO Secretary-General, Petteri Taalas.
“Globally averaged sea surface temperatures were also the warmest on record, global sea levels continued to rise, and Arctic sea-ice extent was well below average for most of the year,” he said.
“With levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere consistently breaking new records, the influence of human activities on the climate system has become more and more evident,” said Mr Taalas.
The increased power of computing tools and the availability of long term climate data have made it possible today, through attribution studies, to demonstrate clearly the existence of links between man-made climate change and many cases of high impact extreme events in particular heatwaves, he said
Each of the 16 years since 2001 has been at least 0.4 °C above the long-term average for the 1961-1990 base period, used by WMO as a reference for climate change monitoring. Global temperatures continue to be consistent with a warming trend of 0.1 °C to 0.2 °C per decade, according to the WMO report.
The powerful 2015/2016 El Niño event boosted warming in 2016, on top of long-term climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Temperatures in strong El Niño years, such as 1973, 1983 and 1998, are typically 0.1 °C to 0.2 °C warmer than background levels, and 2016’s temperatures are consistent with that pattern.
Global sea levels rose very strongly during the El Niño event, with the early 2016 values reaching new record highs. Global sea ice extent dropped more than 4 million square kilometres below average in November, an unprecedented anomaly for that month.
The very warm ocean temperatures contributed to significant coral bleaching and mortality was reported in many tropical waters, with important impacts on marine food chains, ecosystems and fisheries.
Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached the symbolic benchmark of 400 parts per millions in 2015 – the latest year for which WMO global figures are available – and will not fall below that level for many generations to come because of the long-lasting nature of CO2.
Noteworthy extreme events in 2016 included severe droughts that brought food insecurity to millions in southern and eastern Africa and Central America. Hurricane Matthew caused widespread suffering in Haiti as the first category 4 storm to make landfall since 1963, and inflicted significant economic losses in the United States of America, while heavy rains and floods affected eastern and southern Asia.
WMO has issued annual climate reports for more than 20 years and submits them to the Conference of the Parties of the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The annual statements complement the assessments reports that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) produces every six to seven years.
It will be presented to UN member states and climate experts at a high-level action event on Climate Change and the Sustainable Development Agenda in New York on 23 March (World Meteorological Day) hosted by the President of the UN General Assembly, Peter Thomson.
“The entry into force of the Paris Agreement under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on 4 November 2016 represents a historic landmark. It is vital that its implementation becomes a reality and that the Agreement guides the global community in addressing climate change by curbing greenhouse gases, fostering climate resilience and mainstreaming climate adaptation into national development policies,” said Mr Taalas.
“Continued investment in climate research and observations is vital if our scientific knowledge is to keep pace with the rapid rate of climate change,” said Mr Taalas.
Extremes continue in 2017
Newly released studies, which are not included in WMO’s report, indicate that ocean heat content may have increased even more than previously reported. Provisional data also indicates that there has been no easing in the rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations.
“Even without a strong El Niño in 2017, we are seeing other remarkable changes across the planet that are challenging the limits of our understanding of the climate system. We are now in truly uncharted territory,” said World Climate Research Programme Director, David Carlson.
At least three times so far this winter, the Arctic has witnessed the Polar equivalent of a heatwave, with powerful Atlantic storms driving an influx of warm, moist air. This meant that at the height of the Arctic winter and the sea ice refreezing period, there were days which were actually close to melting point. Antarctic sea ice has also been at a record low, in contrast to the trend in recent years.
Scientific research indicates that changes in the Arctic and melting sea ice is leading to a shift in wider oceanic and atmospheric circulation patterns. This is affecting weather in other parts of the world because of waves in the jet stream – the fast moving band of air which helps regulate temperatures.
Thus, some areas, including Canada and much of the USA, were unusually balmy, whilst others, including parts of the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa, were unusually cold in early 2017.
In the USA alone, 11,743 warm temperature records were broken or tied in February, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Prolonged and extreme heat in January and February affected New South Wales, southern Queensland, South Australia and northern Victoria, and saw many new temperature records.
