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Phones, radio key for early warning – Experts

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Phones, radio key for early warning – Experts

Use of mobile telephone technologies and community radio services has been cited as one of the best methods of sharing and disseminating climate information for effective early warning, and adaptation.

Community based flood early warning system. Credit: unfccc.int
Community based flood early warning system. Credit: unfccc.int

Experts attending the sixth session of the Africa Water Week (AWW-6) in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, have pointed out that early warning systems can be set up to avoid or reduce the impact of hazards such as floods, landslides, storms, and forest fires. However, the significance of an effective system lies in the recognition of its benefits by local people.

According to Dr Abdourahman H-Gaba Maki of the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre (ICPAC), early warning system is a major element of disaster risk reduction, and helps in preventing loss of life and properties.

“This also ensures there is a constant state of preparedness,” he told the AWW-6 audience.

To make the system effective and relevant to the people, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has developed a mobile telephone application (app) known as “IGAD-ASIGN”, through which mobile phone owners have an opportunity to contribute towards disaster preparedness by taking and sending photos of given geographical situation, in relation to an impending, or a particular disaster.

“The IGAD-ASIGN is an important smart-phone application because it facilitates interaction and feedback from the ground,” said Maki.

The photos taken by volunteers are used as field validation of IGAD and other partners’ satellite image analyses, thus contributing to accurate and efficient disaster risk reduction solutions. This has helped vulnerable countries in the Greater Horn of Africa region to make better and faster decisions.

In the same vein, Maki pointed out the RANET radio networks operated by the Meteorological Department in Kenya, through which farmers and residents are able to access climate related information via community based radio stations, which usually broadcast in local languages.

“RANET” is an international collaboration of meteorological and similar services working to improve rural and remote community access to weather, climate, and related information.

Less than two years after it went on air, Nganyi RANET Community Radio in Western Kenya, for example, has become a valuable asset to the community, where many people keep glued on their radio sets listening to different programs, while other access the signal via mobile phones.

Through this radio station, the community served by the station can now understand when it is likely to rain, whether the rainfall will be heavy to cause floods, when the dry spell is likely to begin; hence, helping them prepare for the eventualities.

It helps farmers know when to plant and the type of seeds to plant depending on the amount of rainfall expected.

The Horn of Africa region has been noted to be one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change in the world (IPCC, AR5, 2014) due to the inadequacy of resources to adapt socially, technologically and financially.

Use of radio and mobile phones therefore ensures that the required information reach the people on the ground, as a way of reducing the negative impact of climate change.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, early warning systems have limitations in terms of saving lives if they are not combined with “people-centred” networks.

To be effective, says the federation, warnings will have little value unless they reach the people most at risk, who need to be trained to respond appropriately to an approaching hazard.

And now, with the bigger percentage of people in rural areas having access to community radio, and some of them to smart-phones, it has become easier to interact between the government, the people and the experts.

AMCOW wants countries to increase water budget

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AMCOW wants countries to increase water budget

The African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) has called on member-countries to increase their budget for water in order to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation.

Executive Secretary, AMCOW, Bai-Mass Taal
Executive Secretary, AMCOW, Bai-Mass Taal

AMCOW’s Executive Secretary, Mr Bai-Mass Taal, made the call at the ongoing Africa Water Week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on Monday.

He said that there was no doubt that achieving the SDGs for water security and sanitation would require a different approach from that of the MDGs.

According to him, finance plays a major role toward meeting this goal and it is saddening to note that most country budgets relegate water and sanitation to the background.

“When you look at budgets for water in most African countries, it can never be in the top five; this is not good.

“Most leaders forget that water is a multi-sector issue; it cuts across agriculture, health, education, socio-economic issues, so we must stop this trend if we want to achieve the SDGs.”

Taal said that water was seen as non-important, but said that the trend should change.

He said that the week was a wake-up call for the region to begin to think outside the box for strategies that would help countries scale up access to water for all.

He also said to ensure secured, productive and sustainable water for all purposes as well as sanitation and hygiene, interventions were prerequisite for sustainable economic development.

Earlier, AMCOW President, Mr Amadou Faye, said that the choice of the theme, “Achieving the SDGs on Water Security and Sanitation”, was driven by the recognition to lay foundation for Africa to meet the SDGs.

He said that the “SDG 6’’ was interlinking with other SDGs, hence the need to place emphasis on matching commitments and plans with concrete actions.

Faye said that the outcome of the Africa Water Week would be a roadmap for developing a comprehensive plan of action from the ‘Ngor Declaration’ on water security and sanitation.

He stated that the programmes that would emanate from the plans would contribute to poverty alleviation, health improvements, social development and economic growth.

The president called for strengthened cooperation among countries with shared water resources to build stronger partnerships for the implementation of AMCOW work plan.

The 6th Africa Water Week aspires to lay the building blocks for Africa to achieve the “SDG 6’’ as well as other inter-linking SDGs connected with water resources management.

The week represents a political commitment at the highest level for creating platform to discuss and collectively seek solutions to Africa’s water and sanitation challenges.

African countries urged to implement water, sanitation projects

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African countries urged to implement water, sanitation projects

Development partners on Monday called on African countries to implement water and sanitation projects toward meeting the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDGs) on Water and Sanitation by 2030.

Ms. Rhoda Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission
Ms. Rhoda Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission

Ms. Rhoda Tumusiime, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, African Union Commission, made the call at the sidelines of the Africa Water Week in Dar Es Salaam.

Tumusiime urged countries in the continent to begin to invest in equitable and sustainable use of their water resources.

She said the commission was working to achieve the targets of Africa Water Vision 2025 for equitable and sustainable use and management of water resources for poverty alleviation and socio-economic development.

Tumusiime said effective management of water resources would promote development, inclusion and reduce poverty.

She stressed the need to monitor and report progress toward achieving the SDGs as a way of establishing baselines for the global indicator framework for Africa commitments.

Mr Mohammed El-Azizi, Director for Water and Sanitation, Africa Development Bank (AfDB), said the water sector in Africa was facing huge challenges with most of them emanating from human activities.

El-Azizi also stressed the need to invest in resources and time to develop new and innovative initiatives to manage scarce water resources in Africa and beyond.

“It’s time to be innovative in all fronts of the water sector in all our countries, from research to policy formulation and implementation,” he said.

El-Azizi said sustainable development was the framework for international organisations to support African countries toward scaling up access to water.

He said as the world’s population was increasing, African countries were doubling in size, saying this was a challenge for effective distribution of water resources to all.

El-Azizi called for urgent steps and actions in to treat waste water and ensure water security for the socio-economic development of the region.

He said the bank was investing €6 billion in 43 water projects in 23 countries in the region to scale up access to water.

Dr Maniza Zaman, UNICEF Country Representative in Tanzania, said the goal six of the SDGs envisages universal, sustainable, affordable and equitable access to safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.

Zaman said UNICEF’s engagement in Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) was based on the mandate to promote and protect the fulfillment of children’s rights.

She said the fund was focusing on “Leave No One Behind” to ensure that all children were reached with quality services, including the poor, disabled and those in remote areas.

She quoted the 2015 Annual Global Analysis by the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme of WASH as saying there was widening gap between those who have access to WASH and those without.

“Access to sanitation continues to be a major challenge; the number of people in sub-Saharan Africa without access to sanitation has increased since 1990, with nearly one in four people practicing open defecation,” she said.

Zaman added that signing the SDGs meant keeping the promise, hence the need to urgently close the widening inequality gaps.

The 6th Africa Water Week (AWW-6), organised by African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), aspires to lay the building blocks for Africa to achieve the SDG 6 as well as other inter-linking SDGs connected with water resources management.

The week represents a political commitment at the highest level for creating platform to discuss and collectively seek solutions to Africa’s water and sanitation challenges.

Analysis on developing country climate action plans unveiled

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Analysis on developing country climate action plans unveiled

A new analysis on the post-2020 climate action plans of selected developing countries has been published, which gives climate change practitioners insights into the status of each country’s national climate strategy and can help them make strategic decisions about future activities related to the Paris Agreement.

Climate-smart agriculture. Photo: talkvietnam.com
Climate-smart agriculture. Photo: talkvietnam.com

The Analysis of Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs) presents summaries of the INDCs submitted to the UNFCCC by 37 developing countries, including partner countries of the Enhancing Capacity for Low Emissions Development Strategies (EC-LEDS) programme.

Each country profile includes information from the INDC on the following themes:

  • Unconditional and conditional greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets
  • Analytical basis for developing the emissions reduction targets
  • Mitigation actions being undertaken by the country
  • Adaptation strategies
  • Existing policy framework of the country’s INDC, and
  • Financial and technical assistance required

The analysis covers 14 countries in Asia, 10 in Africa, six in Europe/Eurasia (E&E) and seven in Latin America and Caribbean (LAC). The country profiles include insights on data quality and transparency; the most recently submitted GHG inventory to the UNFCCC; national GHG emissions by sector; and key documents for further consultation. In addition, the white paper presents a summary of total pledges, as well as regional and sectoral trend analyses for a deeper understanding of the broader implications of the INDCs.

The most commons sectors with mitigation actions outlined were Energy, Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry (LULUCF) and Transport. Waste, Agriculture, Industrial Processes and Infrastructure also had specific actions identified, with prevalence varying by region.

Thirty out of 37 countries analysed identified the energy sector as a priority area for action. These activities ranged from a general sector-wide target, such as increasing renewable electricity generation to 80% by 2030 (Honduras), to specific action items, such as distributing 260,000 clean cook stoves between 2016 and 2031 (Myanmar).

The LULUCF was the second most prevalent priority area for mitigation activities, which included improving forest management, forest law management, land rehabilitation, and participation in REDD+.

Transport was the third most prevalent priority area for action. Activities identified included scaling mass transportation and cleaner vehicle fleets through increased turnover of fleets, vehicle inspections, or a transition to cleaner fuels such as electrification.

The white paper was published by the USAID Global Climate Change Office and the USAID Resources to Advance LEDS Implementation (RALI) Project. Climate change practitioners can use this white paper to support and inform country-specific climate change mitigation or adaptation activities.

The analysis complements the RALI project’s recently released CLEER Web Tools, which help practitioners quantify the GHG reduction impacts of clean energy activities.

African ministers, at AWW-6, seek self-driven water initiatives

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African ministers, at AWW-6, seek self-driven water initiatives

Africa is experiencing water crisis with scientists saying there is strong evidence of decreased water flow and water quality in many countries.

Former President and the UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Water in Africa, His Excellency Mwai Kibaki addressing the 6th African Water Week conference organized by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission at Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Former President and the UNESCO’s Special Envoy for Water in Africa, His Excellency Mwai Kibaki addressing the 6th African Water Week conference organized by the African Ministers Council on Water (AMCOW) in conjunction with the African Union Commission at Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Scientists, researchers and drivers of water policy have also warned that continued population and economic growth, combined with climate change, could result in serious water shortages in some parts of the continent by 2025. These challenges are coming at a time many African countries are mapping pathways towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

It is against this backdrop that the African water ministers attending the 6th edition of the Africa Water Week have called for increased self-driven and innovative approach to addressing the water challenges.

According to the ministers, the flagship water event on the continent which began on Monday (18 July, 2016) at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, provides the unique opportunity to explore pathways of addressing water challenges.

“We need new ideas and self-driven approaches to addressing the issues of water in Africa,” noted Gerson H Lwenge, Tazanian minister of water and irrigation, at the opening of the conference.

In a pre-conference statement, African water ministers under the auspices of African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), said there was a range of actions – besides investments into large inter-basin transfer schemes – that could be taken to improve the prospects for quality water supply and quality.

The President of AMCOW and Senegalese hydraulic and sanitation minister, Amadou Mansour Faye; the Executive Secretary, Bai Mass Taal; and other high-level speakers at the opening of the conference, emphasised the need to better address issues related to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6) and other inter-related goals with emphasis on new approaches adapted to the African reality.

“The SDGs is all about using local initiatives by both the private sector and the government working together,” Mr Taal noted.

“Water resources is vital in realising these goals,” says H.E Mwai Kibaki former President of Kenya and UNESCO Special Envoy on Water in Africa, at the conference plenary.

With the theme “Achieving the SDGs on Water Security and Sanitation,” the 6th Africa Water Week (AWW-6) aspires to lay the building blocks for Africa to achieve the SDG-6 as well as other inter-linking SDGs connected with water resources management and improved sanitation service delivery. It also represents the quest in the continent to place emphasis on matching commitments and plans with concrete actions with impact on the ground.

It highlights Africa’s undaunted focus on achieving the Agenda 2063, the continent’s global strategy to optimise use of Africa’s resources for the overall benefit of all. The four sub-themes of the AWW-6 revolve round achieving universal and equitable access to water and sanitation for all, and ensuring sustainable water resources management and climate resilience. Others are strengthening productive waste water management and improved water quality improving policy, financing and monitoring.

Part of the desired outcome for the conference is the adoption of a roadmap for developing a comprehensive action plan for Africa aimed at translating high-level commitments including N’gor Declaration on Water Security and Sanitation into implementation at country, sub-regional and continental levels.

The biennial water conference brings over 1,000 participants from governments, regional institutions, international partners, the private sector, the scientific community, civil society and the media from all over the world.

Video: Government moves to intensify coal mining

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Video: Government moves to intensify coal mining

Coal is likely to become a popular source of energy in Nigeria as the nation moves to intensify mining activities and boost production, contrary to global plans to transit to clean energy sources.

Video: Nigeria reclaims desert in 11 states

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Video: Nigeria reclaims desert in 11 states

The Nigerian government has approved N10 billion to reclaim the desert along 11 front line states in the northern part of the country. Disregard the $10 billion mentioned in the narration in the report.

Video: Afforestation and communities

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Video: Afforestation and communities

Video: Women and rural water access

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Video: Women and rural water access

Government initiative aimed at involving women in the protection of water facilities is likely to be frustrated, no thanks to socio-cultural factors wherein women are not to be seen in some communities in Nigeria.

How renewable energy will drive Vision 2020/20 – Govt

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How renewable energy will drive Vision 2020/20 – Govt

For Nigeria to be among the 20 largest economies in the world by 2020, an environmentally sustainable energy supply must be addressed.

renewable _energy
L-R: Lead Consultant, ECOWAS Commission, Prof. Ken Ife; Director-General/CEO, Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), Prof. Eli Jidere Bala; Science & Technology Minister, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu; representative of NEPAD Nigeria office, Sunday Dan Ogu (who is Director, Programme development & Implementation); and representative of Pa Lamin Beyai (UNDP Country Director), Muyiwa Odele… at the official opening of the two-day National Technical Validation Workshop on SE4ALL Action Agenda, Thursday July 14, 2016, in Abuja

Minister of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, who made the disclosure last Thursday (14 July, 2016) in Abuja at the opening of the Validation Workshop the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Action Agenda, added that the energy supply venture should likewise be secured, equitable and create employment opportunities.

According to him, this can only be achieved through the transformation of the nation’s economy from one based mainly on fossil fuel to a low carbon based around renewable energy and energy efficiency.

“The Nigerian government’s commitment to accelerate the development of renewable energy and energy efficiency in the country is well set out in the National Energy Policy, the Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) and the Vision 2020/20,” he said, adding that renewable energy reduces sole dependence on fossil fuels, improves security of energy supply, reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, creates environmental and social benefits; and delivers green jobs to the economy.

Apart from reviewing the draft SE4ALL Action Agenda, the objective of the two-day gathering was also to: domesticate the SE4ALL Initiative in the country, engage all stakeholders in the development of the SE4ALL Action Plan, and promote dialogue and discourse among policy makers on SE4ALL.

Stakeholders at the meeting included ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), the media, civil society organisations and international donor and development partners. The forum was organised by the Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in collaboration with The Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) Nigeria and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The minister congratulated the ECN and all stakeholders for drafting the Action Plan, while also thanking the UNDP and NEPAD leadership in the country for the support granted to uplift sustainable energy development.

His words: “My ministry will continue to play its role in ensuring that energy development, which is impacted more by science and technology development, is done in a sustainable manner. Renewable energy and energy efficiency best practices will continue to attract my ministry’s attention until it is developed into an economic sub-sector that contributes reasonably to the GDP.”

Tracing the genesis of the SE4ALL, Prof. Eli Jidere Bala, Director-General and CEO of the ECN, said the initiative was formally unveiled in September 2011 by the UN Secretary General with the view of bringing all sectors of the society to support the three interlinked objectives of ensuring universal access to modern energy services; doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix; and doubling the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency, all by 2030. The initiative was launched a year later in Nigeria.

He said: “Consequently, in the discharge of its statutory responsibility for strategic planning and coordination of national energy policies in all its ramifications, ECN was supported by the UNDP to work with other stakeholders, including MDAs, in domesticating the UN initiative in the country.

“To this effect, sensitisation workshops on SE4ALL were held in 2012 and 2013. In 2013 also, a SE4All Rapid Assessment Gap & Analysis for Nigeria was carried out, and stakeholders met to validate the draft. The Rapid Assessment & Gap Analysis provides regional and international stakeholders with information on the current status of the energy access, renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency.”

According to him, the next step in the SE4ALL milestone is the preparation of country-specific Action Agenda across government MDAs to bridge the gaps earlier identified in line with international template.

The UNDP Country Director, Pa Lamin Beyai, emphasised that, once validated, the SE4ALL Action Plan would become a viable instrument to help coordinate strategies and activities to meet the objectives of the SE4ALL Initiative.

“We at the UNDP are indeed very optimistic that, with the quality of stakeholders invited for the workshop, we will have a quality and workable document that will not only help to meet the aspiration of many Nigerians, but also provide a framework for energising the national sensitisation, prioritisation and, most importantly, implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for the people of Nigeria, and ensure that no one is left behind,” said Beyai, who was represented by Muyiwa Odele.

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