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No GM food grown in Nigeria, says government

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No GM food grown in Nigeria, says government

Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, has called on Nigerians not to panic over the issue of Genetically Modified Organism (GMO). She said on Monday in a statement that, presently, no GMOs are officially grown in the country.

Nigeria's Environment Minister, Mrs Amina Mohammed. Photo credit: i.vimeocdn.com
Nigeria’s Environment Minister, Mrs Amina Mohammed. Photo credit: i.vimeocdn.com

“What we have approval are for field trials. All the GMOs in Nigeria officially approved are under experimental fields; the insect resistant cotton for commercial release will still be subjected to further processes for the next two years,” she was quoted as saying in the statement endorsed by Isiaka Yusuf, Director of Press in the Federal Ministry of Environment (FME).

According to her, the National Biosafety Management Agency (NBMA), established in 2015 under the FME was charged to, among others, ensure proper regulation of modern biotechnological activities and genetically modified organisms so as to protect the lives of Nigerians. She adds that, with the Act in place, Nigeria has taken laudable strides in order to adopt the necessary legal biosafety framework and policy, bearing in mind that if the country gets it right, it will guide other African countries.

The minister states that the quest for Nigeria’s biotechnological advancement dates back to 2001 when it adopted a National Biotechnology Policy and subsequently established the National Biotechnology Development Agency, adding that over 20 research institutes, private biotechnology firms and universities are also players in the biotechnology sector.

Her words: “The Agency is not working alone, as it is partnering with critical stakeholders such as the Nigerian Customs, the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps (NCDC), the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), the Ministry of Justice, Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service, National Seed Council, science and regulatory based institutions, the New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) and African Biosafety Network of Expertise (ABNE).

“The NBMA has the onerous task of ensuring that potential impacts of the GMO on human or animal health, the environment and the socio-economic effects are carefully weighed and the risk assessment fully carried out before being released.”

While describing the concerns on GMOs expressed by the public as legitimate, she discloses that FME, in collaboration with NBMA, is organising an experts meeting, involving civil society groups, national agencies and international organisations to address all concerns expressed, with a view to clarifying Nigeria’s position on the use of GMOs.

She enjoins the citizenry to cooperate with the Federal Government in its quest to diversify the Nigerian economy for the present and future generations, adding: “Nigerians should be rest assured of the protection of their health and environment by the National Biosafety Management Agency.”

Scotland exceeds climate targets six years ahead of schedule

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Scotland exceeds climate targets six years ahead of schedule

Scotland has exceeded the level of its 2020 target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42% six years early, Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has said.

Scotland's Climate Change Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham
Scotland’s Climate Change Secretary, Roseanna Cunningham

The latest climate change statistics show Scotland’s emissions, for reporting against targets, have fallen by 12.5% year on year to 41.9 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2014. This is a reduction of 45.8% from the 1990 baseline.

The figures published last week also show that Scotland continues to outperform the rest of the UK as a whole, with a 39.5% drop in Scottish source emissions between 1990 and 2014 compared to the UK’s 33% reduction over the same period. Scotland is also one of the leading countries in Western Europe for reducing emissions.

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform said: “Scotland is making outstanding progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These statistics show that we not only met the annual 2014 emissions reduction target but also exceeded the level of our world-leading 2020 target for a 42% reduction, six years ahead of schedule.

“The reduction in residential emissions in 2014 may have been due to people turning down their heating. This underlines that small individual actions, if repeated on a large scale, can have a big impact in tackling climate change

“This is an especially important time for climate change, in light of the international agreement reached in Paris last December and it is great news that Scotland continues to show ambition and demonstrate the progress that can be made.

“We will continue to rise to the challenge and the First Minister has already confirmed that the Scottish Government plans to establish a new and more testing 2020 target. We are not complacent and we will continue to take action and encourage others to do their bit to tackle climate change.”

Ms Cunningham was speaking on a visit to the Harlaw Hydro community renewable energy project.

Chair of Harlaw Hydro, Martin Petty, said: “Harlaw Hydro is a cooperative set up for the benefit of the community. It was created in order to build and operate a hydro-electric scheme using the water from Harlaw Reservoir. When the reservoir is full the scheme, which was initiated by, funded by and managed by the community, generates enough green energy to power up to 150 houses. Climate change affects us all, and I am pleased that we are able to make a contribution to Scotland’s efforts to tackle it.”

Images: Electric vehicles rally for 1.5-degree

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Images: Electric vehicles rally for 1.5-degree

Europe’s largest electric vehicle rally, which brought 75 teams from 13 nations, entered its finishing phase at Geneva, Switzerland over the weekend on the Place des Nations, part of a 1,300km traverse from Bremerhaven, Germany with a simple objective: zero emissions for 1.5 degrees.

Michael Moller, Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva said the world’s leaders agreed to pursue efforts to limit global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. He said: “And I expect that parking so many electric cars in the formation of ‘1.5’ at the gates of the UN in Geneva will help to remind the world of this commitment.”

1.5C car formation at the Place des Nations, Geneva
1.5C car formation at the Place des Nations, Geneva
2016 WAVE Rally on the Place des Nations in front of the UN European headquarters in Geneva
2016 WAVE Rally on the Place des Nations in front of the UN European headquarters in Geneva
Louis Palmer, founder of the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) and UNEP Champion of the Earth said the WAVE rally is the advance ripple of a gathering tide that is transforming the world's automobile industry. "There is no reason why every car cannot already be electric, zero emissions and renewably powered," he said. "Electric vehicles are here, they are here to stay, they are fun, attractive and the obvious choice. They are the future."
Louis Palmer, founder of the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) and UNEP Champion of the Earth said the WAVE rally is the advance ripple of a gathering tide that is transforming the world’s automobile industry. “There is no reason why every car cannot already be electric, zero emissions and renewably powered,” he said. “Electric vehicles are here, they are here to stay, they are fun, attractive and the obvious choice. They are the future.”
Elayne Whyte, the Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Nations representing the Climate Vulnerable Forum, said the Paris Agreement has the greatest potential for improving the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. "Keeping warming to a minimum-to below 1.5 degrees-won't simply deliver safety and prosperity, it will also deliver justice," she said, commenting that in Costa Rica "we are making efforts for the reduction of emissions in critical sectors such as transport, our Government is implementing economic and fiscal incentives, such the programme for the purchase of efficient vehicles (PAVE) which are part of the Project Law of incentives and promotion for electric transportation."
Elayne Whyte, the Ambassador of Costa Rica to the United Nations representing the Climate Vulnerable Forum, said the Paris Agreement has the greatest potential for improving the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. “Keeping warming to a minimum-to below 1.5 degrees-won’t simply deliver safety and prosperity, it will also deliver justice,” she said, commenting that in Costa Rica “we are making efforts for the reduction of emissions in critical sectors such as transport, our Government is implementing economic and fiscal incentives, such the programme for the purchase of efficient vehicles (PAVE) which are part of the Project Law of incentives and promotion for electric transportation.”
Philippe Ramet of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations, said an agenda of solutions emerged from the climate change negotiations in Paris. "What we have here today is a clear demonstration of real action the was inspired by the Paris Agreement."
Philippe Ramet of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations, said an agenda of solutions emerged from the climate change negotiations in Paris. “What we have here today is a clear demonstration of real action the was inspired by the Paris Agreement.”
Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary-General and CEO of CARE International, a partner of the #1o5C campaign, highlighted its work with the poorest and most vulnerable communities that are also the hardest hit by climate change impacts. "The 1.5 degrees limit is a Paris Agreement message of hope, and we call on governments to urgently translate that hope into action for a future free of poverty and harmful greenhouse gas emissions," he said.
Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary-General and CEO of CARE International, a partner of the #1o5C campaign, highlighted its work with the poorest and most vulnerable communities that are also the hardest hit by climate change impacts. “The 1.5 degrees limit is a Paris Agreement message of hope, and we call on governments to urgently translate that hope into action for a future free of poverty and harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
Luc Barthassat, Conseiller d'état chargé du département de l'environnement, des transports et de l'agriculture
Luc Barthassat, Conseiller d’état chargé du département de l’environnement, des transports et de l’agriculture
Maria Luisa Silva, Director of the UNDP Office in Geneva
Maria Luisa Silva, Director of the UNDP Office in Geneva

 

 

Monsanto’s glyphosate: Mixed reactions as EU decides

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Monsanto’s glyphosate: Mixed reactions as EU decides

As the European Union (EU) Appeals Committee prepares to vote on Thursday, 23 June 2016 on the possibility of extending the approval of glyphosate, voices have risen for and against the controversial product, in an apparent bid to sway the committee’s decision.

Observers believe that, following the invention of Monsanto's Roundup Ready crops, resistant superweeds are taking over farmland, and public health is being attacked. Photo credit: www.bibliotecapleyades.net
Observers believe that, following the invention of Monsanto’s Roundup Ready crops, resistant superweeds are taking over farmland, and public health is being attacked. Photo credit: www.bibliotecapleyades.net

Glyphosate is an herbicide used to kill weeds and grasses that compete with crops. Monsanto chemist John E. Franz discovered it to be an herbicide in 1970 and, four years later, the firm brought it to the market under the trade name Roundup. Farmers have adopted glyphosate, as it enables them to kill weeds without killing their crops.

But observers are not only concerned about its widespread use, but are also worried that it may be harmful to man and the environment.

For instance, Rainforest Rescue wants the EU to ban glyphosate, and is seeking signatories to a petition to that effect. According to Reinhard Behrend of Rainforest Rescue, over 160,000 people have already signed the petition.

He said: “Glyphosate is the active ingredient in herbicides such as Monsanto’s Roundup. It is not only used in industrial agriculture, but also on playgrounds, in parks and gardens, and on roadside vegetation. It is virtually everywhere.

“Glyphosate is slowly poisoning the environment: It is finding its way into our food supply and can be detected in our blood and urine. Last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) concluded that it causes DNA and chromosomal damage to human cells and is probably carcinogenic.

“Glyphosate impacts us all, and a ban in Europe will send an unmistakable signal to the rest of the world. This is a perfect opportunity to rid ourselves of this noxious chemical.”

However, Monsanto insists that glyphosate inhibits an enzyme that is essential to plant growth, not found in humans or other animals, and poses low risk to human health.

The organisation disclosed: “Comprehensive toxicological studies in animals have demonstrated that glyphosate does not cause cancer, birth defects, DNA damage, nervous system effects, immune system effects, endocrine disruption or reproductive problems. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classified the carcinogenicity potential of glyphosate as Category E: ‘evidence of non-carcinogenicity for humans.’

“The overall safety profile of glyphosate has contributed to the adoption of glyphosate-based herbicides in more than 160 countries around the world. Government regulators and third party experts have reviewed hundreds of scientific studies and conclude that glyphosate is one of the most widely used and comprehensively evaluated herbicides, has very low acute toxicity to people and wildlife, and is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans.”

UNODC releases films to celebrate anti-sexual violence day

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UNODC releases films to celebrate anti-sexual violence day

As part of global efforts to stamp out sexual violence against women, the United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Country Office in Nigeria recently completed production of three shorts films depicting the harrowing experiences of sex trafficking victims and their families, while also beaming critical searchlight on child labour and exploitation.

Albertin
Country Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria, Ms. Cristina Albertin

The United Nations General Assembly approved on June 19, 2015 by consensus a resolution to commemorate 19 June as the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, in an effort to boost the global fight against the horrors faced by women and girls in zones of conflict worldwide. The declaration also aims to raise awareness of the need to end conflict-related sexual violence and urge the international community to stand in solidarity with the survivors of sexual violence around the world.

The three films: “Homecoming”, “Lost Children” and “Kelechi” were produced by Homevida, an independence film making entity under the European Union (EU) funded “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria” project being implemented by UNODC in support of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP).

“Homecoming” portrays the lifestyle of an average, educated family with the desire to have their young daughter school overseas for her undergraduate studies. With the assistance of her aunt, she went to Europe. However, things did not go as planned because, rather than the aunt enrolling her in the university as promised to the parents, she (the aunt) seized her travel documents and enrolled the young girl as a sexual commodity to bring financial returns to the aunt. Nonetheless, she managed to escape from the aunt after several years as a sex slave in Europe, travelled back to Nigeria and was rescued by NAPTIP.

It also describes the shock of the parents when they learnt what she went through with her aunt and the fact that there was no overseas certificate to celebrate. Rather, their daughter came back empty, traumatised and without anything. Through NAPTIP, the family was able to initiate legal action against the aunt.

The two other films, “Lost Children” and “Kelechi”, equally depict the harsh realities of child trafficking, child labour, abuse and ritual killing. Specifically, “Lost Children” shows the vulnerability of young girls and boys hawking on the streets and the different risks associated with children who are left unguided by adults. These risks include being kidnapped and sold for ritual purpose, sexual exploitation, domestic servitude and/or child pornography. “Kelechi” mirrors domestic abuse and servitude in a modern era. It presents the existentialist experience of the vulnerable members of the society.

The Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria project is funded by the EU and implemented by UNODC in support of NAPTIP, the Nigerian Immigration Service and a network of civil society organisations. As part of the project’s strategy to create awareness and illustrate the dangers about Trafficking in Persons (TIP) to the Nigerian audience, especially at communal and grassroots levels, the three short films were produced to illustrate different dimensions of human trafficking.

The project has also adopted “I Am Priceless” as the overarching advocacy slogan and battle cry against sexual exploitation and other forms of exploitation under the “Promoting Better Management of Migration in Nigeria” project. The slogan is a response to the scourge and suffering caused by TIP and Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), it is an inspirational statement intended to communicate an inestimable sense of value, self-worth and dignity of each and every human life, a core principle in all civilized nations. It also is expected to resonate with the young, vulnerable and often, disenfranchised population while also instilling a sense of empowerment that should counter other negative messages that they have experienced or have been communicated to them since childhood or following a trafficking experience. The slogan is a call to value oneself and to build one’s self esteem positively while defying the use of human beings as property to be traded and exploited.

Nations show strong interest ahead new IPCC report

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Nations show strong interest ahead new IPCC report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said that governments and the scientific community are showing a strong interest in its next report, which will look at the implications of global warming of 1.5 ºC.

IPCC Vice-Chair Thelma Krug
IPCC Vice-Chair Thelma Krug

Nominations of experts to participate in the scoping meeting of the Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5 ºC above Pre-Industrial Levels and Related Global Greenhouse Gas Emission Pathways (SR1.5) totalled 589 people.

The IPCC says in a statement on Friday that it is examining the nominations and will select around 70 experts by 30 June 2016 to take part in the scoping meeting to be held in Geneva from 15 to 17 August, which will draw up the outline of the report – its structure and contents. This outline will then be considered by the IPCC at its next Session to be held in October in Bangkok. The Special Report will be developed under the joint scientific leadership of all three IPCC Working Groups.

“The large number and wide range of nominations show the lively interest of countries and experts in the work of the IPCC as the world moves to tackle climate change,” said IPCC Vice-Chair Thelma Krug, who chairs the scoping meeting’s Scientific Steering Committee.

Nominations were received from 85 countries and 39 observer organisations. A total of 99 citizenships are represented, and 25% of the candidates are women.

The IPCC was invited to prepare this Special Report by the 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris in December 2015. The Conference reached an agreement to limit the increase in global average temperature to well below 2 ºC above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5 ºC. The Special Report, which the IPCC agreed to produce at its last Session in April held in Nairobi, will provide an evaluation of the scientific state of knowledge of this topic in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.

The report will be delivered in 2018, in time for a “facilitative dialogue” that will take place that year to take stock of progress under the Paris Agreement.

CODE: Need for urgent remediation of Shikira community

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CODE: Need for urgent remediation of Shikira community

Over 300 children in Shikira living with high lead level in their blood and need urgent medical treatments, says Hamzat Lawal, Chief Executive of connected Development (CODE) and Co-Founder, Follow The Money. The campaigner is clamouring for the contaminated community’s speedy clean-up

Environment Minister, Amina J. Mohammed, during a visit to the community
Environment Minister, Amina J. Mohammed, during a visit to the community

We are highly shocked over the Federal Government’s inability to announce a specific date when remediation of Shikira will commence one year after the lead contamination that ravaged the small rural mining community located in Rafi LGA in Niger State.  And this is even more worrisome considering the fact that the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, recently visited the area and declared it a national disaster.

It is noteworthy to highlight here that the minister during one of her meetings with civil society bodies and other relevant stakeholders in the sector disclosed that the sum of N300 million has been included in the 2016 budget to clean-up the contaminated site, but the truth is that time is running out as the rainy season has just begun and most likely disrupt the exercise. The contamination could spread to other neighbouring communities if remediation activities do not commence immediately.

Also, it is on record that the Follow The Money team after discovering the epidemic in April 2015 alerted necessary pubic officials of the incident and called for urgent intervention to enable occupants of the community adapt to the ugly event that claimed 28 lives and infected over 300 children mostly those below five years of age.

It is exciting that Doctors Without Borders, a specialised body that renders humanitarian services, has indicated interest to provide free health services but on the condition that the environment must first be cleared of any contaminant.

While we acknowledge the minister for the move demonstrated by visiting the impact site to assess the level of devastation, a sign that reinforces hope that work may begin soon, we are also very concerned about when the funds would be released to commence the clean-up exercise.

Furthermore, we want the government to be open, transparent and accountable on how the funds are to be utilised, including a work plan specifying project timeline, data and concrete steps on execution of the exercise.

While we laud the Senate for swiftly passing a resolution compelling the Executive arm of government to urgently embark on total clean-up of Shikira following the outbreak, the Follow The Money team is, in addition, calling the lawmakers who recently committed to reviewing the 2007 Mining Act to ensure empowering artisanal and small scale miners so as to mitigate risks and ensure safety in mining practices in Nigeria.

We also want government to prosecute individuals who are outrightly reckless about their jobs and possibly put them behind detention to serve as deterrent to others and foster sanity in the system.

On our part as an organisation, we will continue to pressure the government on the need to release the fund for the project and ensure that we provide the public with timely and accurate information of how the funds are been utilised to capture the voices of marginalised citizens.

Electric cars rally towards zero emissions for 1.5-degree

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Electric cars rally towards zero emissions for 1.5-degree

Europe’s largest electric vehicle rally, bringing 75 teams from 13 nations, entered its finishing phase at Geneva, Switzerland on Friday on the Place des Nations, part of a 1,300km traverse from Bremerhaven, Germany with a simple objective: zero emissions for 1.5 degrees.

Michael Moller, Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva
Michael Moller, Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva

Michael Moller, Director-General of United Nations Office at Geneva, said the world’s leaders agreed to pursue efforts to limit global temperature increase to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, recognising that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of climate change.

He said: “And I expect that parking so many electric cars in the formation of ‘1.5’ at the gates of the UN in Geneva will help to remind the world of this commitment.”

Louis Palmer, founder of the World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE) and UNEP Champion of the Earth, said the WAVE rally is the advance ripple of a gathering tide that is transforming the world’s automobile industry. “There is no reason why every car cannot already be electric, zero emissions and renewably powered,” he said. “Electric vehicles are here, they are here to stay, they are fun, attractive and the obvious choice. They are the future.”

Philippe Ramet of the Permanent Mission of France to the United Nations said an agenda of solutions emerged from the climate change negotiations in Paris. “What we have here today is a clear demonstration of real action the was inspired by the Paris Agreement.”

Wolfgang Jamann, Secretary-General and CEO of CARE International, a partner of the #1o5C campaign, highlighted its work with the poorest and most vulnerable communities that are also the hardest hit by climate change impacts. “The 1.5-degree limit is a Paris Agreement message of hope, and we call on governments to urgently translate that hope into action for a future free of poverty and harmful greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.

Wael Hmaidan, Director of Climate Action Network International, a group of some 900 civil society organisations, said the world was changing fast, including the transportation sector. “The fossil fuel car will soon be obsolete, as the numbers of the electric car exponentially increase,” he said, adding: “The world needs to be running on 100% renewable electric transportation before 2050, if we want to protect vulnerable communities from impacts of climate change.”

Amid the electric cars, a black cube represented the carbon emissions that would have entered the atmosphere from each car during the two days of the rally had the vehicles not been electric.

Cleantech21, a sustainability-focused Swiss foundation participated in the event. Cleantech21 CEO Nick Beglinger said when there is no price on carbon, market distortions will result and the 1.5 target will not be reached. “Leading economists and businesses understand that putting a price on carbon as part of the national regulatory frameworks of Paris Agreement signatory nations will be both the most efficient and the most market-friendly way to seriously address climate change,” he added.

Several organisations partnered to organise the public campaign: The World Advanced Vehicle Expedition (WAVE), both the UN Environment and Development Programmes (UNEP and UNDP), the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), the UN Office for South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC), the World Alliance of Cities Against Poverty (WACAP) CARE International, the Climate Action Network (CAN), and the Cleantech21 Foundation.

China, UNCCD to curb desertification along drought-stricken belt

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China, UNCCD to curb desertification along drought-stricken belt

China and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) on Friday (17 June 2016) in Beijing, China launched the Joint Action Initiative to combat desertification, rehabilitate degraded land and mitigate the effects of drought (JAI). The initiative aims to make the whole region along the “Silk Road” environmentally sound and ecologically sustainable.

unccd
Monique Barbut, Executive Secretary of the UNCCD. Photo credit: www.iisd.ca

The countries expect to prepare adequately for drought, create ecosystem stability and protect desert, steppe, pasture and oasis biodiversity and developing infrastructure.

Together, countries will monitor and evaluate sand and dust storms. They will rehabilitate new and emerging source areas and those affected by disaster. They will revegetate mining and industrial wastelands and create shelter belts to protect vital infrastructure.

JAI provides the framework for conducting joint research and technical exchanges and for sharing information and demonstration projects.

Ms. Pan Yingzhen, Director General of the National Bureau to Combat Desertification in the State Forestry Administration and the UNCCD National Focal Point of China, launched the initiative during the global observance of the World Day to Combat Desertification in Beijing, China.

The Silk Road Economic Belt starts from China and runs to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean via Central and West Asia, geographically linking the continents of Africa, Asia and Europe.

Many of the countries along the Belt are affected seriously by desertification, land degradation and drought and traditional and new sources of financing will be needed to deliver on ambition.

Ms Monique Barbut, UNCCD Executive Secretary, said through solidarity and engagement China has brought millions of people out of poverty through massive scale land restoration efforts.

She encouraged China to spearhead work in achieving land degradation neutrality and ensure it becomes humanity’s defining achievement in the 21st Century, noting, “it will mark China’s legacy in green development.”

Globally, more than two billion hectares of the terrestrial ecosystems are degraded, with nearly 170 countries affected by land degradation and drought. Scientists are also increasingly concerned about human activities such as mining, infrastructure development and drying water beds that may be contributing to sands and dust storms.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, in a video message to the high-level gathering that was attended by China’s Vice-Premier and 11 ministers and vice-ministers from Africa, Asia and Latin America, said: “Over the next 25 years, land degradation could reduce global food productivity by as much as 12 per cent, leading to a 30 per cent increase in world food prices.

“Without a long-term solution, desertification and land degradation will not only affect food supply but lead to increased migration and threaten the stability of many nations and regions. This is why world leaders made land degradation neutrality one of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. That means rehabilitating at least 12 million hectares of degraded land a year.”

Since the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) last September, more than 90 countries have signed up to set their voluntary national targets on land degradation neutrality.

Ms Barbut said: “Actions to avoid, halt and reverse land degradation must begin now with everyone fully engaged. If we procrastinate the prospect of land degradation neutrality grows dimmer. But it shines brighter each time a person or country joins the campaign to restore degraded land or the battle against the degradation of new land.”

During the event, the International Resource Panel of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) released a report titled, Unlocking the Sustainable Potential of Land Resources: Evaluation systems, strategies and tools, offering tools that can help land users to assess their land potential in order to match it to the best uses.

JAI is linked to the 2030 global target of achieving land degradation neutrality agreed under the Sustainable Development Goals. Through actions that promote healthy and productive land, the initiative also aims to alleviate poverty and improve the livelihoods of the people in the region.

In line with this year’s theme for the World Day to Combat Desertification, a core principle of JAI is “people’s engagement at all levels, in particular land users at community level, in a participatory process.”

With a rallying call to “Protect Earth. Restore Land. Engage People”, this year’s observance aims to raise public awareness about the urgency for land users to secure productive land by avoiding degrading more land, on the one hand, and rehabilitating and restoring all productive that can be recovered, on the other.

World Day to Combat Desertification is observed every year on 17 June in all countries of the world.

Row, criticisms trail Makoko Floating School collapse

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Row, criticisms trail Makoko Floating School collapse

A row has broken out over architect Kunlé Adeyemi‘s award-winning Makoko Floating School following its recent collapse, with a community leader in Lagos claiming pupils were evacuated three months ago over safety concerns and architecture critics questioning its credentials.

The Makoko Floating School, Lagos before its collapse
The Makoko Floating School, Lagos before its collapse

Noah Shemede, headmaster of a nearby school whose pupils made use of the water-borne facilities, told Dezeen that the three-storey, prism-shaped wooden structure was “not strong”.

“I moved the kids from the school because I believed it would cause danger to the kids,” Shemede told Dezeen via Facebook. “I moved for the safety of the kids.”

Shemede’s claims contradict comments made by Nigerian architect Adeyemi, who said the school was decommissioned after three years’ successful service to make way for an improved version.

NLÉ, Adeyemi’s studio, issued a statement earlier this week titled “Makoko Floating School comes down for upgrade” which claimed the prototype school “had been out of use in anticipation of reconstruction.”

“After three years of intensive use and exceptional service to the community, the first prototype structure Makoko Floating School has come down on June 7, 2016,” it said, adding that it was working on a new version.

The statement, issued in response to reports that a storm had destroyed the structure, confirmed that the school had suffered an “abrupt collapse.”

However, Shemede said the school had only been in use for a few months.

“I started using the school last year, in October 2015, and I moved the kids from the school in March this year because of the safety,” said Shemede, who is head of the nearby Wanyninna Primary School in Makoko, an informal neighbourhood built on stilts over the Lagos Lagoon.

“The (floating) school is not strong,” he added.

Adeyemi responded by saying that media reports of Shemede’s views were “unfortunate”.

“It’s unfortunate that at this stage they take the view point of an individual to represent that of a community on a structure that belongs to the community,” he told Dezeen.

Built of timber struts and floating on a platform made of 250 plastic barrels, Makoko Floating School became a symbol of hope for the deprived area, which is home to 100,000 inhabitants but which has few facilities and has been described as “the world’s biggest floating slum”.

The international attention it garnered helped protect the community it served from eviction by the Nigerian government, which in 2012 declared the stilt district illegal.

The school also promised to provide much-needed educational facilities, as well as elevating the reputation of its architect.

But Shemede downplayed the importance of the much-lauded project, which has won several architectural awards. “The school can only accommodate less than 60 kids,” he said.

The destruction of the school and the ensuing row has led to a rapid re-evaluation of its credentials, with some suggesting its role in helping the community had been exaggerated.

An article in The Guardian this week described the collapse as “a serious blow to the future of the remarkable floating city,” and reported frustrations in the community over its delayed opening and its small capacity, despite being taller than the typical single-storey structures in the slum.

Writing in AR magazine, architecture professor Tomà Berlanda described Adeyemi’s statement as “worryingly misleading”.

“The fact is that the prototype’s load-bearing structure fell apart, and with it the hopes of the community,” wrote Berlanda, a professor at the University of Cape Town’s architecture school.

Berlanda said that the photogenic project had captured the imagination of architects around the world but added: “At this stage, you are left wondering how much of the use of the building as a school was staged.”

Phineas Harper, deputy director of the Architecture Foundation in London, wrote on his Facebook page that the architecture media “fell into a PR trap” over the school.

Harper said the building’s collapse brought “critical lessons for architectural journalists.”

“We fell into a PR trap, which hinged on sexy Iwan Baan photographs and respected publications not having the budgets to properly investigate their features thoroughly,” he wrote.

Asked to respond to the criticisms, Adeyemi told Dezeen: “We are meeting with the community leaders (on Saturday) and we will be in a position to give a much more comprehensive and consolidated report next week to avoid he said/she said scenarios. I therefore have no comments at this point.”

Meanwhile a crowdfunding campaign has been launched to build extra facilities at Shemede’s Whanyinna Primary School in Makoko to replace those lost in the storm.

“It will be a tragedy if we can’t turn this setback for the community into something meaningful and use the publicity to build something more sustainable,” says the text accompanying the campaign.

“So, instead of doing an architectural project that puts the community interests in second place, we’re proposing to do something simpler that is being requested by the community.”

Adeyemi, 40, is currently exhibiting his improved prototype of the school, called MFS II, at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Last month, he was awarded the Biennale’s prestigious Silver Lion for the project, which is “more robustly engineered” and “adapted for easy prefabrication”.

Courtesy: Dezeen Magazine

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