The African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation (ANEW) has identified water insecurity induced-diarrhea as one of the largest killers of children under five years of age in sub-Saharan Africa. The group’s Chairperson, Mrs Doreen Wandera, said this on Tuesday at the ongoing Africa Water Week in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Chairperson of ANEW, Doreen Wandera
Wandera, quoting a 2016 WaterAid Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Watch, said deliberate efforts should be made by all African Governments to prioritise access to water and sanitation. She said that it was saddening to note that 650 million people around the world lived without access to water. According to her, the region has 15 years to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six, which envisions universal, sustainable, affordable and equitable access to safe drinking water, adequate sanitation and hygiene.
“We call on African governments and ministries to prioritise WASH as fundamental in the implementation and achievement of the SDGs. As a civil society group, we understand that for the development of Africa, particularly regarding the health and dignity of our people requires demanding action from our governments. It is Only by prioritising and achieving the global SDG 6 on water and sanitation that will make us to see the change we want.”
Wandera also called for increased domestic resource mobilisation to achieve sustainable service delivery, to ensure that no one was left behind. The chairperson urged all countries to progressively reduce inequalities arising from accessing water.
The African Civil Society Network on Water and Sanitation is a coalition of CSOs working to scale up access to water and sanitation in the region. It works through advocacy and coordination to influence governments’ decisions, to keep to the promises of meeting the Africa Water Vision 2025 and the AU’s Agenda 2063 of managing water resources effectively.
In a related development, ANEW called for an ambitious roadmap to achieving sustainable development goals on water and sanitation as necessary for national development plans of African countries.
Presenting a statement to African Governments through the African Ministers’ Council on Water(AMCOW), Wandera highlighted the urgent need to prioritise water sanitation and hygiene if nations are to achieve Africa vision 2063 of optimising resources for all Africans, leaving no one behind.
“We call upon governments to ensure that the commitments of the Ngor declaration are aligned to the national level goal 6 implementation plans,” said Wandera. She further challenged governments to ensure a stronger role of civil society at various levels for coordination, communication and improved accountability.
Representing WaterAid CEO Barbara Frost, Head of Region Lydia Zigomo, challenged governments and stakeholders to utilise the 6th Africa Water Week to agree on a roadmap that will ensure transformational change. “It cannot be business as usual; we need to increase the pace at all levels in order to reach everyone everywhere in Africa by 2030,” remarked Zigomo.
The 6th Africa Water Week, organised by African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC) and other development partners from across the world, 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.
A Bill to provide for the Establishment of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Regulatory Commission Nigeria passes the Second Reading in the House of Representatives, but civil society players are unimpressed, saying that government intervention into their affairs is uncalled for.
Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara
Leading the debate at the plenary session of July 14th 2016, Umar Buba Jibril (Deputy Leader, PDP: Kogi) who is the Sponsor of the Bill, stated that it seeks to properly supervise, monitor and co-ordinate Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Community Based Organisations (CBOs).
Jibril noted that he was concerned over the defective operational values of such organisations that are left to operate within its own Constitution and sometimes within the whims and caprices of their donors. He added that, in this circumstance, the establishment of a Commission is pertinent, as it would further address challenges and gaps identified as a result of the absence of a regulatory legal framework.
He added that the Bill would facilitate and co-ordinate the activities of National and International
CSOs; maintain a register that clearly indicates organisations affiliations and locations of their activities; set criteria that needs to be met before registration and recognition; and, ensure transparency and accountability in its operations.
Furthermore, Jibril explained that the Bill also seeks to establish a National Council of Voluntary Agencies as a collective forum for all voluntary organisations registered with the Commission, adding that the said Council would develop a Code of Conduct on matters related to funding, foreign affiliation, and national security, amongst others.
The Bill, which contains Seven Chapters, 58 Clauses and a Schedule, will guide the operations of the Commission when established.
But Oghene Emmanuel Egor (APC: Delta) opposed the Bill on the floor of the House, stating that the establishment of the Commission would defeat the aim and objectives of CSOs as it may attempt to manage and control funds received. He stated that it is not within the jurisdictions of the Federal Government to monitor funds that it did not donate nor have ownership of.
The Bill has been referred to the Committee on CSOs and Development Partners for further legislative
input.
Meanwhile, CSO operatives, who have been debating the implications of the proposed law, decry the development.
Paddy Ezeala, erstwhile spokesperson with the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), submitted: “The whole idea negates the openness of society, nay public space which constitutes the basic ingredient of democracy. The contributions of the civil society to the restoration of democracy in Nigeria shouldn’t have been forgotten so soon.”
Another campaigner, Martins Egot, stated: This is an attempt to deprive the Nigeria society of the enormous positive role the civil society play in ensuring wide spread participatory development in the nation. It is an attempt to put the civil society under the manipulation of government, and make them propaganda instrument of government. Just thinking aloud; what would have been the state of the Cross River State’s rich biodiversity today if the civil society where under the absolute control of the state government?
“I salute the courage of Oghene Emmanuel from Delta State for speaking out against the bill, and hope that other members who are not threatened by the position and role of the civil society in a growing democracy like ours will join him in opposing the bill.”
Godwin Ugah of CSO International said: “It seems our government does not have much of work up their sleeves. When other countries are busy setting aside funds to help developing countries like Nigeria, we are busy passing bills that regulate NGOs. These efforts have never yielded any positive results, as in the case of Cross River State where the Department of International Donor Support was created and was at that time proposing that NGOs pay certain tax. The department ended up being separated and led to the creation of the Department of Civil Society and NGOs, which aimed to raise funds from NGOs by carrying out yearly validation of NGOs in the state.
“In my opinion, NGOs should be allowed to operate freely without the intervention of government, and government should rather make funds available to NGOs to function properly instead of trying to making it difficult for NGOs to access the ever decreasing funding which has led to the extinction of several NGOs.”
Women and youth potters in the Malkohi Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Yola, Adamawa State, are being thought how to construct stoves that save wood, reduce smoke and save money for IDP families and members of the Malkohi community.
IDP women molding a stove
Rather than giving clean cookstoves hand-outs, the Australian High Commission, through the Direct Aid Programme, has opted to build the capacity of the IDPs, some of who are already earning income by selling the fuelwood efficient stoves to the needy. The project is being implemented by the International Centre for Energy, Environment and Development (ICEED).
Maryam Musa, one of the IDPs, said: “Before Boko Haram drove us out of Gwoza in Borno State some of us were potters. Hardly did we know that our skills as potters will help us in our time of need as IDPs. Today, we have learnt to build these cooking stoves and now have a source of income to help our families.”
The project has empowered about 50 IDP women and youths in the production of clay-based energy efficient cookstoves, and will be training an additional 50 on sales and distribution of the stoves. The stoves, it was gathered, reduce emissions of harmful gases compared to the traditional three-stone open fire stoves and firewood consumption by about 50%.
The broad objective of the project, according to its promoters, is to strengthen the protection of IDPs and provide them with a sustainable source of livelihood. By building their skills on sustainable energy production, IDPs in Malkohi camp are reportedly making important contributions to combating climate change.
Ewah Eleri, Executive Director of ICEED, stated: “This project seeks to fill a gap in the humanitarian response in Nigeria. Typical IDP camps are characterised by lack of opportunities for employment and meaningful livelihood. This contributes to youth restiveness and tension. Adopting alternative fuels and energy technologies can create jobs for IDPS, especially women and youths. The use of these stoves also reduces the risks of physical and sexual attacks faced by IDP women.
“Access to fuel-efficient stoves, cooking fuel and lighting is usually a minimum standard in humanitarian response. However, while clean cookstoves and lighting are all recognised as lifesaving non-food items provided to IDPs, these minimum requirements are not often met. In Nigeria, there is no formal recognition of this gap in humanitarian support and therefore fuel and energy are not yet an integrated part of the items provided to IDPS.”
Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources, Akwa Ibom State, Dr Iniobong Ene Essien, sheds some light on the forthcoming Climate Change Summit scheduled to hold in Uyo, the state capital. He believes that, tothe people of the state, this is an opportunity to create green jobs
Dr. Iniobong Ene Essien, Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Environment and Mineral Resources
Kindly shed some light on this much-talked-about climate change conference.
The summit is essentially on climate change and sustainable environment, with the theme, “Charting a Roadmap for Sustainable Environment and Creation of Green Jobs”. It is going to attract national and international audience. We have prominent speakers, like the Honourable Minister of Environment, who is going to give a keynote address; we have Prof Hillary Inyang, who is going to present a technical paper and quite a number of other experts on climate change and clean energy and technology. The Summit will also feature the exhibition of clean technology and other related climate change technologies. Participants will be drawn from within and outside the country. We have invited all the state Ministries of Environment and their Commissioners. Participants will also come from the academia. Clean energy developers and operators will also participate. Our youths that returned from the state government-sponsored training on solar energy will also be there. And of course, in tandem with our principle of catching them young, we are going to have a number of students from various schools participating actively.
I understand this is the maiden edition of the Summit. Why do you choose to have the summit on climate change in Akwa Ibom State now?
It is scientifically proven that climate change has come to stay and the impacts are such that we cannot run away from. The effect is all over the place. In a coastal state like Akwa Ibom, we have erosion all over the place. The question is: why are these things happening now? The environment has always been there but we never experienced these kind of problems. If the scientific evidence of climate change and its effects are real, then we certainly do have a better time than now to look seriously at the urgent need to ensure that we put in place mechanisms that would ensure mitigation and adaptation against climate change. Climate change affects agriculture, food production, water supply and many other areas. There is serious flooding and sea level rise and these are quite prominent now. We have a number of communities that are dislocated because of this problem. So, now is the time to look seriously in the direction of ensuring that we put in place mechanism that will mitigate against climate change.
How beneficial would the summit be to the people of Akwa Ibom and Nigerians?
To the people of Akwa Ibom, this is an opportunity to create green jobs. We are also looking at participating fully in the Intended National Determined Contributions (INDCs) of Nigeria towards the policy on climate change. Nigeria took part effectively in COP21 in Paris, and COP22 is coming up in Morocco. We should be able to make our own contributions towards what will be presented in Morocco. More importantly, we are trying to create a low carbon city in Akwa Ibom State and make it a hub for renewable energy and, in the long run, because climate change is on the front burners, it is going to attract many investors. Investors from the developed nations are looking for low-carbon city where carbon credit is created, and of course, money is generated from there. So, it is going to be a win-win situation for our state and by extension, our country.
Like I said, impact of climate change has come to stay. Scientists have proven that the earth is warming and there is no running away from that fact. Therefore, we must key into global trend. Climate change issues are on the front burner. Sometime last year, President Muhammadu Buhari was in Dubai and, later, Paris to attend Climate Change Summit. Therefore, there is no way we can say this is not an important event. This is the time to bring climate change issues to the fore, to create awareness on effects of climate change and also put in place structures and mechanism that will mitigate the effects of climate change.
How has your ministry been performing in terms of tackling issues affecting the environment in the state?
First of all, we have to key into the policy of industrialisation of the present administration. There is no way you can do industrialisation without clearing bushes and cutting down trees; the groundbreaking ceremony will certainly end up with cutting down trees and getting the places ready. The consciousness must be there that for every tree you take down you should be able to plant three or more, considering the fact that it takes up to five years before you can even have seedlings grow into mature trees. For us as a Ministry, we are careful that once these trees are being brought down, we are making conscious effort to replace them. Secondly, in the area of waste management, we are looking at it seriously because industrialisation comes with population increase and, therefore, increase waste generation. So, we are looking at waste recycling as part of our waste management effort. Waste-to-wealth is something that we are looking at seriously. We have an integrated waste management plant that is coming up and, once it takes up fully, all our waste will go there for management.
That one in particular is looking at organic fertilizer as a final product. We are also encouraging other investors to come in and look at other areas of recycling. The other area is on the issue of flooding and erosion control. A lot of erosion problems that we are facing now are man-made, which goes to agree with what scientists themselves have confirmed. I remember that the Pope once said that the human induced climate change is something that the scientists have confirmed and therefore, its mitigation is a moral and religious obligation for humanity – it is an imperative. That means we must take steps now to correct past mistakes. The president of US said that for the sake of our future and that of our own children, we must do more to combat the effects of climate change. That underscores the seriousness of the effect of climate change – it is staring everybody in the face and so, all hands must be on deck. The Ministry of Environment is doing everything to ensure that all areas of human-induced climate change are tackled. And then the areas that are vulnerable to climate change, we should take steps to reduce the vulnerabilities of such areas.
Has the ministry been carrying out sensitisation programmes to enlighten the people on the fact that most environmental problems are man-made?
We have stepped up enlightenment in this area. We are enlightening our people on the effects of degrading their natural environment. We are also talking to people on the need to keep our drainages free. You know, a number of people still believe that drainages are dumpsites, and so, they generate their wastes and throw them into gutters and, at the end of the day, these gutters, which are supposed to be channels for water to flow, are blocked. Enlightenment is a continuous thing. We will continuously enlighten the people on the need to preserve the environment and keep it clean.
What should people expect from the summit?
It is a major summit that will address issues of climate change. Climate change challenges are here with us and every person who is interested in the mitigation of climate change must attend this summit. The gains of the climate change are long-lasting. We must start planning to be able to benefit maximally. One of the gains will be the creation of green jobs. Some of the people who are coming to exhibit have products that will create green jobs for our people. For instance, not too long ago, we had 200 of our youths that went to train on solar energy technology. They are through with the training and have returned home. We need to integrate them into some of the renewable energy technology programmes.
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has announced the cancellation of logging concessions observers feel were illegally granted.
Illegal logging
Environment watchdog, Greenpeace, believes that its report on 12th July about several breaches of the DRC moratorium on allocation of new logging concessions influenced the government decision.
Robert Bopolo Bogeza, DRC’s Minister of Environment, Nature Conservation and Sustainable Development, announced in the press recently that “all three titles will be canceled”.
Greenpeace Africa in a statement on Tuesday welcomed this decision by DRC Minister of Environment which, it added, was one of the recommendations outlined in the report.
“However, a mere cancellation of the logging contracts on its own is not enough: any responsibility for the breaches that lies with the former or current Minister of Environment must be clearly identified, and sanctions taken,” Greenpeace submitted in the statement endorsed by spokesperson, Hellen Dena.
The further demands “a thorough and transparent investigation done by an independent investigation commission, to ensure accountability of all officials associated with or involved in concealing the violation.”
It adds: “This is a crucial first step to address the impunity, nepotism and corruption in the forestry sector. To further ensure that all involved in this serious breach of the moratorium will be sanctioned, Greenpeace will bring this case to the Public Prosecutor for further investigation.”
In February 2016, the Minister of Environment signed three mission orders for Ministry staff to supervise and facilitate the negotiation of social contracts in the concession areas. In a comment on the Greenpeace report, the Minister reportedly claimed that the public records of the Ministry of Environment show, ‘… no sign of these contracts granting three forest concessions to Somifor and Fodeco. The Treasury has not cashed anything in this illegal transaction”, adding that he had decided to cancel these contracts “for the holders not to be able to claim them later”.
Yet, according to the concession contracts, a deposit of $50.000 was paid as a guarantee for each concession.
Greenpeace believes that this statement warrants a full investigation. “The facts suggest that either the Minister signed the mission orders in the full knowledge that the concessions were illegally awarded, which would be a clear breach of the moratorium, or the Minister signed the mission orders without even the most basic check of the legality of the concessions, which suggests negligence and a serious lack of governmental control over the forest sector. Both possible explanations are of grave concern and call for serious ramifications.”
Greenpeace also requests a response from the current Minister on the claims made by his predecessor, Mr. Bienvenu Liyota Ndjoli. Mr Liyota denied that the concessions were illegally awarded on the grounds that all three concessions were “reallocations, not new concessions”.
Dena wrote: “Yet the 1st article of the Ministerial Order of May 14th 2002 is very clear: it suspends the granting of new supply guarantees (‘Garanties d’Approvisionnement’) or letter of intent (‘Lettres d’Intention’) related to timber, as well as their renewal or extension. The titles in question were returned to the private domain of the State after the moratorium was put in place. The ‘reallocation’ of such title is a case of renewal to a different concessionaire, and therefore a new forest concession contract, which is a clear breach of the moratorium.
“This safeguard to protect Congolese forests cannot be lifted unless a geographic programming of future allocations is made, based on a consultative process. This process has not yet started. The former Minister of Environment Liyota also claimed to have received a principal agreement from the Prime Minister to examine the concession demands.”
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
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.
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
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.
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, 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.
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
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.
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
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.
