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‘Over half of world’s primate species threatened with extinction’

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‘Over half of world’s primate species threatened with extinction’
Only 25 individuals of the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) are thought to be left in the wild. Photo credit: theguardian.com
Only 25 individuals of the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) are thought to be left in the wild. Photo credit: theguardian.com

Only 25 individuals of the Hainan gibbon (Nomascus hainanus) are thought to be left in the wild, confined to a small patch of rainforest on Hainan island in south China. Similarly, around just 50 of Northern sportive lemurs (Lepilemur septentrionalis) remain in their native Madagascar.

This about sums up the plight of 25 primate species believed to be critically endangered.

Compiled by 63 experts from across the world, the report of the world’s 25 most endangered primates was launched at Singapore Zoo on Tuesday, November 24, 2015 with guests from national and international conservation and research organisations.

It is the latest edition of ‘The world’s 25 most endangered primates’ report, which is updated every two years.

Assembled by the Primate Specialist Group of IUCN’s Species Survival Commission (SSC), Bristol Zoological Society, the International Primatological Society (IPS), and Conservation International (CI), new additions to the list include Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta) and Lavasoa Mountains dwarf lemur (Cheirogaleus lavasoensis), both of which are threatened by habitat loss.

The main threats to primates are habitat destruction, particularly from the burning and clearing of tropical forests – which results in the release of greenhouse gases causing climate change – the hunting of primates for food, and the illegal wildlife trade.

“The world’s primate species are at great risk with more than half of the species threatened with extinction on The IUCN Red List,” says Simon Stuart, Chair IUCN Species Survival Commission. “We are currently re-assessing all primates and there is great concern that the situation may be getting even worse for many of these iconic and important species. Locally implemented projects to protect the Northern sportive lemur and Alaotra gentle lemur were announced in October by SOS – Save Our Species – an initiative managed by IUCN, yet much remains to be done for other species.”

The list, which has been drawn up by primatologists working in the field who have first-hand knowledge of the causes of threats to primates, includes five primate species from Madagascar, five from Africa, 10 from Asia, and five from Central and South America, all of which are in need of most urgent conservation action.

“This research highlights the extent of the danger facing many of the world’s primates,” says Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Director of Conservation at Bristol Zoological Society and a world-leading primatologist. “We hope it will focus people’s attention on these lesser known primate species, some of which most people will probably have never heard of, such as the Lavasoa Mountains dwarf lemur from Madagascar – a species only discovered two years ago – or the Roloway monkey from Ghana and Ivory Coast, which we believe is on the very verge of extinction.”

“Some of these animals have tiny populations remaining in the wild and support and action to help save them is vital if we are to avoid losing these wonderful animals forever.”

Madagascar and Vietnam both have large numbers of highly threatened primate species. In Africa, the genus of the red colobus monkeys is under particular threat, as are some of the howler monkeys and spider monkeys of South America. All of these species are relatively large and conspicuous, making them prime targets for bushmeat hunting.

“The purpose of our Top 25 list is to highlight those primates most at risk, to attract the attention of the public, to stimulate national governments to do more, and especially to find the resources to implement desperately needed conservation measures.” says Dr Russell Mittermeier, Chair of the IUCN/SSC Primate Specialist Group and Executive Vice Chair of Conservation International “ In particular, we want to encourage governments to commit to desperately needed biodiversity conservation measures.”

“What is more, beyond the great scientific interest of primates, there is increasing evidence that certain species may play a key role in dispersing the seeds of tropical forest tree species that have a critically important role in mitigating climate change – a particularly noteworthy consideration given the upcoming conference of the parties of the climate convention in Paris.”

“This report makes scary reading for primatologists and the public alike, and highlights where we as conservationists must focus our attention over the coming years.” says Dr Schwitzer. “However, it also demonstrates the growing importance of collaboration between the international conservation, research and zoo communities in the protection of species and habitats.”

“At Bristol Zoological Society we will continue our conservation and research with the aim of increasing the effectiveness of the conservation activities, as well as increasing our understanding of these, and other, Critically Endangered species.”

Insurer, Allianz, embraces wind energy, divests from coal

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Insurer, Allianz, embraces wind energy, divests from coal

Munich, Germany-based European insurance and asset management firm, Allianz, has announced that it will pull the plug on investments in coal companies and increase investments in wind energy. Allianz is one of the largest financial institutions in the world, managing €2 trillion. They estimate the decision will result in a shift of €4 billion.

350.org Europe campaigner Nicolò Wojewoda comments: “As the world’s largest insurance company, Allianz knows a thing or two about risk – and there’s no greater risk for the climate than continuing to invest in an industry that is wrecking the planet. Divestment from coal is a heartening first step; ultimately, however, 80% of all fossil fuel reserves need to stay in the ground to avoid dangerous and irreversible climate change.”

350.org Europe campaigner Nicolò Wojewoda. Photo credit: tcktcktck.org
350.org Europe campaigner Nicolò Wojewoda. Photo credit: tcktcktck.org

“The global move away from fossil fuels and towards renewable energy is gathering pace in the lead up to the climate summit in Paris. More and more institutions ban investments in fossil fuels with Allianz being the biggest investor to join the movement yet,” he continues.

As of September, more than 400 institutions managing $2.6 trillion had made divestment commitments. In the lead-up to the climate negotiations, that number is now approaching 500 institutions including major investors such as Allianz and the Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund.

The divestment campaign aims to weaken the fossil fuel industry’s political influence by getting more and more institutions to cut their ties to these companies. Decisions of large investors like Allianz however also hit the industry’s financial stability. It sends a clear signal to investors that the world is rapidly moving away from fossil fuels towards renewable energy.

The divestment movement is modelling what we need countries to do during the climate summit in Paris: stop investing in fossil fuels and invest in a just transition to 100% renewable energy. Over the two weeks of the summit, activists and investors will gather at different events to build on the momentum of the campaign.

China urged to lead campaign against illegal logging in Congo Basin

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China urged to lead campaign against illegal logging in Congo Basin

The transformation of the Congo Basin timber trade into one significantly influenced by 20 key Chinese trading companies offers a golden opportunity to  contribute significantly to tackle illegal logging in the world’s second largest rainforest, according to a new Greenpeace East Asia and Greenpeace Africa report, Opportunity Knocks.

Rashid Kang, Head of China Forest Campaign, Greenpeace East Asia. Photo credit: media.licdn.com
Rashid Kang, Head of China Forest Campaign, Greenpeace East Asia. Photo credit: media.licdn.com

“The health of the second ‘lungs of the earth’ is the responsibility of the whole world. But it is now China that holds the key to reigning in the illegal logging trade which does them so much damage,” said Rashid Kang, Head of China Forest Campaign, Greenpeace East Asia.

The Congo Basin rainforest holds 53% of Africa’s total carbon stocks. Its preservation is an important Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) component in the lead up to the COP21 climate talks. Yet it is increasingly under threat from forest destruction, and attempts to control this are consistently undermined by widespread illegal practices and corruption in forestry sectors throughout the region.

In 2012 China surpassed the European Union as the largest importer of Congo Basin wood. By 2014 the trade was concentrated in the hands of a small group of influential Chinese companies, the largest 20 of whom accounted for 71% of all logs exported from the region. Eight of these companies are state owned.

Opportunity Knocks includes analysis of 11 years of Chinese customs data records and documents the results of interviews conducted by Greenpeace East Asia with the most important Chinese importers of Congo Basin logs. It concludes that these companies play a game of calculated ignorance and are unwilling to improve their due-diligence procedures.

The report also reveals that three of the companies have their supply chain contaminated with illegal wood or are directly involved in illegal logging activities. Given the size of the trade and the quantity of illegal wood exported from the Congo Basin, this is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Unlike fellow key markets, the US and the EU, China does not yet have binding legislation that prohibits illegal timber being placed on its markets. The government currently relies on companies to self-regulate their own buying processes and supply chains.

“There is an urgent need for China to introduce mandatory measures akin to the European Timber Regulation and US Lacey Act,” said Victorine Che Thoener, Project Leader, Congo Basin Forest Cluster, for Greenpeace Africa. “With this, we could see historic steps forward in the fight against illegal logging and a strengthening of Africa-China partnership.”

Greenpeace East Asia and Greenpeace Africa call on the Chinese government to introduce strong legislation to prohibit the import of illegally sourced timber. As an interim measure, the government should demand that Chinese importers of Congo Basin logs, particularly the 20 most influential, strictly follow due diligence and ensure the legality of their operations. China should also strengthen its cooperation with the countries of the Congo Basin, the EU and the US to clean up the global supply chain and stop the trade in illegal timber. Meanwhile, the governments of the Congo Basin should put in place stronger measures to deal with illegal logging in their respective countries and work closely with international partners to monitor and combat the exportation of illegal logs.

UNEP promotes adaptive management strategy for Sargassum seaweed

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UNEP promotes adaptive management strategy for Sargassum seaweed

Large deposits of Sargassum seaweed on coastal sites may seem drastic to several West African countries but converting this environmental challenge into economic gain is just one element of a three-point strategy experts are considering to win on both counts.

Sargassum seaweed invasion. Photo credit: stthomassource.com
Sargassum seaweed invasion. Photo credit: stthomassource.com

According to Wikipedia, Sargassum is a genus of brown macroalgae (seaweed) in the order Fucales. Numerous species are distributed throughout the temperate and tropical oceans of the world, where they generally inhabit shallow water and coral reefs, and the genus is widely known for its planktonic (free-floating) species.

“The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), therefore, challenge you experts here gathered to propose an adaptive management strategy of seaweed in West Africa,” Abou Bamba, the regional coordinator of the Abidjan Convention, said at the opening of the meeting in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

The Abidjan Convention Secretariat convened a three-day meeting that ended 13 November to debate the options. The experts were marine scientists, oceanographers, and policy analysts from the private and public sectors. They decided that the first action needed was to identify all the significant seaweed depositories in West Africa. Then, affected communities could be trained on transforming the weed into economically valuable items.

The experts may have been thinking of existing examples worldwide where a seeming seaweed menace has been used to economic advantage. In Namibia, which lies within the Abidjan Convention area, “Afrikelp” is dried, sold as fertiliser, and helps to hold soil. This brown seaweed, scientifically known as Ecklonia maxima, is the one that is washed up on the beaches of West Africa and Namibia.

In South Africa, the cold water seaweed Porphyra is used to feed abalone, a human edible mollusk which can also be used to make buttons, buckles and other decorative items. In Europe, brown seaweed has been used as animal feed. Seaweed extracts have been also applied to fruit, vegetable, flower crops and even cosmetics. It may be possible to use seaweed as fuel.

Such uses of seaweed offer livelihood possibilities to communities in the worst affected West African countries: Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. These countries have asked the Abidjan Convention for help in dealing with the issue.

The Freetown meeting was the first response to that call for aid. The meeting accepted the broad plan of a three-prong regional strategy to exploit the Sargassum. Primarily, this strategy rests on establishing an early warning system to track the movement of the weed by satellite. The Abidjan Convention would have to rely on a partner able to provide this service. Making business out of the weed is the other prong of the strategy. It calls for identifying ways in which the Sargassum can be used locally, and training of communities in techniques for its transformation – the third prong.

The regional strategy also calls for establishment of an early warning system through use of satellites images, from GRID-Arendal and other partners, to inform coastal communities and national authorities on when the seaweeds would be washed ashore and their expected volume.

An important element of the strategy is the establishment of an information management system for the Sargassum. Although the meeting did not specify where this system will be housed, it might be feasible for universities and marine institutions in the region to feed data to the Abidjan Convention’s Ad Hoc Science and Technology Committee.

The strategy also calls for research into the biochemistry and physiology of the Sargassum; the establishment of a regional research facility to study the factors contributing to its spread; and a study on the social and economic impacts of the algae. Here, too, many universities and marine institutes in the sub-region could host this regional facility, without need to erect a specialized institution, and report through the Ad Hoc Committee of Science and Technology. The committee’s brief is to provide governments with science-based information and suggest courses of action to deal with the many marine and coastal environmental concerns to the region.

The regional strategy is supported by a broad set of recommendations. Among them is holding annual expert group meetings. At these gatherings experts would build knowledge on the Sargassum, exchange information, and encourage application of best practices in dealing with the algae. Presumably, though, such information sharing and increased knowledge can already be fed into the information management system and to a Science and Technology Committee, thereby sharing expertise amongst affected countries.

Each of the affected countries have been encouraged to obtain at least one seaweed clearing machine. This would clean up the beaches and collect the weed efficiently and make it easier to be transported to sites for conversion into useful commodities. It is this aspect in which the private sector is being encouraged to invest in the value addition process.

The causes for the unusual bloom in Sargassum are not known. However, the suspicion is that warming of ocean temperatures; increased levels of sewerage and marine litter discharge; increased maritime traffic and oil drilling activity may all be contributing or causal factors.

Holding together all interventions in solving West Africa’s Sargassum problem needs regional coordination. The Abidjan Convention provides that platform given it is the only existing political, legal and institutional regional framework for the Oceans that bring together the Atlantic coast countries of West, Central and Southern Africa. Therefore, the experts’ recommendation that an additional protocol of the Abidjan Convention be accorded on the Sargassum seems the logical next major step forward to ensure the operationalisation of a common regional strategy in the collection and management of seaweeds in West Africa. “We shall unlock the economic potential of Africa’s coast,” Bamba said at the close of the meeting.

US approves GM salmon for consumption

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US approves GM salmon for consumption

Federal regulators last Thursday in the US approved a genetically engineered salmon as fit for consumption, making it the first genetically altered animal to be cleared for American supermarkets and dinner tables.

genetically engineered salmon from AquaBounty Technologies, rear, with a conventionally raised sibling roughly the same age. Photo credit: Paul Darrow for The New York Times
A genetically engineered salmon from AquaBounty Technologies, rear, with a conventionally raised sibling roughly the same age. Photo credit: Paul Darrow for The New York Times

The approval by the Food and Drug Administration caps a long struggle for AquaBounty Technologies, a small company that first approached the F.D.A. about approval in the 1990s. The agency made its initial determination that the fish would be safe to eat and for the environment more than five years ago.

The approval of the salmon has been fiercely opposed by some consumer and environmental groups, which have argued that the safety studies were inadequate and that wild salmon populations might be affected if the engineered fish were to escape into the oceans and rivers.

“This unfortunate, historic decision disregards the vast majority of consumers, many independent scientists, numerous members of Congress and salmon growers around the world, who have voiced strong opposition,” Wenonah Hauter, executive director of Food & Water Watch, said in a statement.

Within hours of the agency’s decision on Thursday, one consumer advocacy group, the Center for Food Safety, said it and other organisations would file a lawsuit challenging the approval.

The AquAdvantage salmon, as it is known, is an Atlantic salmon that has been genetically modified so that it grows to market size faster than a non-engineered farmed salmon, in as little as half the time.

“The F.D.A. has thoroughly analyzed and evaluated the data and information submitted by AquaBounty regarding the AquAdvantage salmon and determined that they have met the regulatory requirements for approval, including that food from the fish is safe to eat,” Bernadette Dunham, director of the agency’s Center for Veterinary Medicine, said in a statement.

F.D.A. officials said on Thursday that the process took so long because it was the first approval of its kind. People involved in the application suspect that the Obama administration delayed approval because it was wary of a political backlash.

The officials said the fish would not have to be labeled as being genetically engineered, a policy consistent with its stance on foods made from genetically engineered crops. However, it issued draft guidance as to wording that companies could use to voluntarily label the salmon as genetically engineered or to label other salmon as not genetically engineered.

Despite the approval, it is likely to be at least two years before any of the salmon reaches supermarkets, and at first it will be in tiny amounts.

Ronald Stotish, the chief executive of AquaBounty, which is majority-owned by Intrexon Corporation, said he was delighted and somewhat surprised by the approval after all this time. “We had no indication that approval was imminent,” he said in an interview.

Mr. Stotish declined to say what the plans were for bringing the fish to market, other than that the salmon would not be in stores immediately because it would take about two years for even these fast-growing salmon to reach market size. It is also not likely there will be much of the salmon on the market because the approved production facility, which is in Panama, has the capacity to produce only about 100 tons of fish a year — a tiny amount compared with the more than 200,000 tons of Atlantic salmon the United States imports each year.

Mr. Stotish said he did not know if approval was still needed from Panama to export the fish.

It is not clear how well the salmon will sell. Some leading supermarkets have already said, in response to the vocal opposition, that they have no plans to sell it.

The fish are supposed to be raised inland in contained tanks to lessen the chances that they will escape into the wild. AquaBounty and its supporters say this will also be less stressful on the environment than using pens in the ocean. And it could eventually allow the fish to be raised in the United States, rather than being imported, as most farmed Atlantic salmon is.

For now, however, the fish are being raised in Panama, from eggs produced in Prince Edward Island, Canada. If the salmon were bred or raised elsewhere, for marketing to Americans, that would require separate approvals.

However, moving beyond Canada and Panama seems to be the plan, according to a regulatory filing by AquaBounty a year ago. It said at that time that after winning F.D.A. approval it would look to build a hatchery in the United States and expand the one in Canada to sell more eggs to fish farmers, who would then grow the salmon to market size. AquaBounty said it might also grow salmon from the eggs itself. In addition to the United States, it said it eventually hoped to sell the salmon in Canada, Argentina, Brazil and China.

The approval could help other efforts to develop genetically modified animals. Scientists and biotechnology industry executives have complained that the long, unexplained delay in approving the salmon was a deterrent to the field. Several other attempts to develop genetically engineered animals for consumption, like a pig whose manure would be less polluting, have fallen by the wayside.

Now, however, there has been a surge of interest in developing new genetically altered farm animals and pets because new techniques, including one known as Crispr-Cas9, allow scientists to edit animal genomes rather than add genes from other species. That has made it far easier to create altered animals.

Scientists in China, for instance, recently created goats with more muscle and longer hair. Researchers in Scotland used gene editing to create pigs resistant to African swine fever. It is not yet clear whether animals created this way would fall under F.D.A. regulation.

The AquAdvantage salmon contains a growth hormone gene from the Chinook salmon and a genetic switch from the ocean pout, an eel-like creature, that keeps the transplanted gene continuously active, whereas the salmon’s own growth hormone gene is active only parts of the year. The company has said the fish can grow to market weight in 18 to 20 months, compared with 28 to 36 months for conventionally farmed salmon.

Opponents of the fish say that if the bigger fish were to escape, they could outcompete wild salmon for food or mates. Among the opponents have been members of Alaska’s congressional delegation, who say they are worried about the effects on the image and health of wild salmon.

“This harebrained decision goes to show that our federal agencies are incapable of using common sense,” Representative Don Young, a Republican, said in a statement.

But some scientists have dismissed these concerns. William Muir, a professor of animal sciences at Purdue University, said the fish posed no risk to the environment. “In contrast, the current practice of using wild caught salmon as a food source is not sustainable; our oceans are overfished,” he said in a statement. “This development provides a safe and sustainable alternative.”

The F.D.A. said on Thursday that there were multiple physical barriers in the Canada and Panama facilities to prevent any escape. The salmon are also made sterile to prevent reproduction in the event they do escape, although the sterilisation technique is not foolproof.

The F.D.A. regulates genetically engineered animals as veterinary drugs, using the argument that the gene inserted into the animal meets the definition of a drug. Critics have branded this an inadequate solution intended to squeeze a new technology into an old regulatory framework. They say the F.D.A. is not as qualified as other government agencies to do environmental assessments. The White House is now reviewing the entire framework for regulating genetically engineered products.

The F.D.A. said that to approve the salmon, it determined that the fish was safe to eat, that the inserted genetic elements did not harm the fish itself, and that the company had adequately proved that the salmon grew faster.

AquaBounty, which is based in Maynard, Mass., has long struggled to raise enough money to stay in business. It is now about 60 percent owned by Intrexon, a company started by the biotechnology entrepreneur Randal J. Kirk to pursue synthetic biology, a term for sophisticated genetic engineering.

Intrexon has also acquired the company that developed a recently approved genetically modified apple resistant to browning and a British company working on genetically modified insects, such as mosquitoes that might be tested in the Florida Keys as a way to prevent dengue fever. Shares of Intrexon rose nearly 4 percent Thursday, closing at $36.65.

By Andrew Pollack, New York Times

Global marches to call for increased climate action

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Global marches to call for increased climate action

On November 28 and 29, hundreds of thousands of people around the world will take to the streets in more than 2,000 events in 150 countries to turn up the heat on leaders heading to the Paris Climate Summit.

MarchFrontline community representatives, unionists, faith leaders, and families will call on politicians to forge an ambitious new global climate agreement this December that speeds up the just transition from fossil fuels to 100% renewable energy and protects vulnerable people from worsening climate impacts. The people’s call for leadership will be harder and harder to ignore.

With the major march in Paris cancelled due to security concerns following the horrific terrorist attacks which occurred there on November 13, French activists are calling for people around the world to march in their name, in solidarity with them.

Ultimately, citizens’ voices will be heard throughout the Paris Climate Summit which runs from November 30 to December 11, 2015 – including in the streets of the French capital as activists explore creative ways forward. The Summit is set to deliver a comprehensive climate agreement which should scale up the transition to 100% renewable energy.

The Global Climate Marches happening around the world will be a symbol of the unshakeable resolve of the movement working for a safer, fairer and cleaner world.

Highlights include:

  • Schoolchildren will be joined by Thom Yorke from the band Radiohead, singer songwriter and activist Charlotte Church, fashion designer and campaigner Vivienne Westwood, actor and political activist Vanessa Redgrave, poet, spoken word artist and playwright Kate Tempest, singer-songwriter, musician and activist Peter Gabriel, and the band Massive Attack in the London march
  • In India, Global Climate Walks are planned in seven cities featuring yoga, biking, and marching. The main activity will be in New Delhi, where on Sunday morning, people from across society will join together for the climate.
  • In Kampala, Uganda, 500,000 people are expected progress through the city led by popular local leaders and celebrities and topped off with a concert, all while Pope Francis is in town.
  • Across The Philippines, over 20 events, marches, and rallies are planned. In Manila, 20,000 people are expected to converge in Quezon City as part of a broad march with six contingents: climate-impacted communities, faith organization, youth, labor, anti-coal and renewable energy.
  • More than 60 events are planned across China with students coming together for a series of events including round table discussions, bike rides, screenings and more. While in Hong Kong, Taipei and Seoul hundreds are taking to the streets to demand a just transition to 100% renewable energy. And in Vietnam, a big climate music festival is planned, bringing together more than 1500 youth.
  • In Japan, major actions will happen in both Kyoto and Tokyo. Each march will feature several live performances, as well as a mass photo action where people will come together as individuals to form one collective image.
  • Across the United States, marches will take place across the country — from Los Angeles to Austin, to Washington, DC up to New York City, thousands will gather in creative, art-filled actions in the name of climate justice.
  • Events are planned in Egypt’s two largest cities (Cairo and Alexandria) where thousands will be running to raise awareness on climate impacts and call for urgent climate action.
  • In Ottawa more than 10,000 will be marching for climate solutions and justice, while in Vancouver indigenous leaders will be heading a march joining the global call for climate action.
  • Sâo Paulo, Brazil will see a huge gathering on Paulista Avenue where the representatives of different movements will bring forward their climate solutions. The congregation will start marching towards one of the city´s iconic parks where speeches and music will cap off the day.
  • In Germany, the streets of Berlin will throng with people calling for a 100% clean, renewable future and a quick phase-out of coal.
  • In Australia, climate marches are being organised around the country. While in New Zealand there will be a marches in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
  • In Lagos, Nigeria, the Climate Aid Initiative will lead the People’sClimateMarchLagos procession that takes off from the Ikeja Local Government Secretariat through Awolowo Road to the office of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, who will be presented a climate petition. It will however hold on Monday, November 30.

Shell emerges top in CSR Innovation at 2015 SERAs

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Shell emerges top in CSR Innovation at 2015 SERAs

Shell companies in Nigeria have emerged the best in Corporate Social Responsibility Innovation, and also the best in Sustainable Stakeholder Engagement at the 2015 edition of the Social Enterprise Report and Awards (SERAs) held in Lagos on Friday. In addition, Dr. Uwem Ite, of The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd (SPDC), was named Nigeria’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Practitioner of the year. The awards aim to recognise corporate bodies who invest in society through CSR programmes.

L-R: Vice President Human Resources of Shell in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Olukayode Ogunleye; Development Manager, Offshore Assets, Mrs. Beatrice Spaine; Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Mr. Bayo Ojulari; and General Manager External Relations, Mr. Igo Weli, at the Social Enterprise Report and Awards ceremony in Lagos... on Saturday.
L-R: Vice President Human Resources of Shell in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa, Mr. Olukayode Ogunleye; Development Manager, Offshore Assets, Mrs. Beatrice Spaine; Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, Mr. Bayo Ojulari; and General Manager External Relations, Mr. Igo Weli, at the Social Enterprise Report and Awards ceremony in Lagos… on Saturday.

Reacting to the awards, Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Osagie Okunbor, said, “While the SERAs and other awards encourage us and our Partners on our CSR programmes, the real encouragement for us are the lives that have been transformed through these initiatives, which is why we will continue to implement the programmes as part of our business in Nigeria.”

Shell companies in Nigeria were among 62 corporate bodies assessed by a panel of experts drawn from the United Kingdom, the United States and Nigeria. The panel based their assessment on the outcome of field visits and verification of data. For the CSR Innovation award, Shell (along with its Joint Venture partners, NNPC, Total and Agip) was lauded for the support of students of Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, University of Benin and University of Lagos to build energy-efficient cars for the Shell Eco-marathon competition in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The support also enabled the University of Benin students to race at a similar competition in South Africa in 2014 where their car, TukeTuke, won the best designed car award.

Shell won the Sustainable Stakeholder Engagement award mainly for the introduction of the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU) model in 2006. Agreements for 40 GMoU clusters covering 387 communities in the Niger Delta had been signed as at the end of 2014. In naming Dr. Ite as CSR Practitioner of the year, the panelists recognised his pioneering contributions to corporate social responsibility. Shell was nominated in a total of nine categories – Poverty Reduction, Community Involvement, Health Intervention, Partnership for Development, Labour Practices, and Sustainability Reporting.

Bayo Ojulari, Managing Director, Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company, who received the awards, said: “The recognition through the SERAs represents a vote of confidence in our efforts to help improve lives in the Niger Delta and Nigeria. Shell has been operating in Nigeria for more 50 years and began their CSR intervention in Nigeria with a scholarship programme well before Nigeria attained independence in 1960. The awards are a challenge for more innovation which Shell and its partners will continue to strive to meet.”

Shell has won the SERAs in many categories since they were instituted in 2006. Every year, Shell Companies in Nigeria undertake various social investment projects, focusing on community and enterprise development, education and health. Much of this is done in partnership with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). In 2014 alone, Shell-operated ventures contributed $202 million to the NDDC as required by law. Some $112 million was directly invested by the SPDC JV and SNEPCo in social investment projects. Collectively, this makes Nigeria the largest concentration of social investment spending in the Shell Group.

WaterAid Nigeria demands urgent actions on World Toilet Day

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WaterAid Nigeria demands urgent actions on World Toilet Day

‘State of the World’s Toilets’ report reveals lowest rates of access to sanitation

Dr. Michael Ojo, WaterAid Nigeria’s Country Representative
Dr. Michael Ojo, WaterAid Nigeria’s Country Representative

On the occasion of the 2015 World Toilet Day, WaterAid Nigeria is calling on government to commit to delivering universal access to sanitation, following the release of new analysis showing which countries in the world have the worst rates of access to safe, private toilets.

WaterAid’s first “It’s No Joke – State of the World’s Toilets” report (www.wateraid.org/worldstoilets) reveals the hardest place in the world to find a toilet, where you’ll find the most people waiting, and which developed nations are also facing their own challenges on sanitation.

The report summarises the global sanitation situation and highlights amongst other things, the worst 10 places in the world for a toilet, the least and most improved, with country snapshots for maternal mortality rate, child mortality rate, life expectancy, stunting and average per capita gross national income (GNI).

The world’s youngest country, South Sudan, has the worst household access to sanitation in the world, followed closely by Niger, Togo and Madagascar.

The report features Nigeria significantly as one of the most failing on access to sanitation. Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa’s largest economy, is in the unfortunate position of being the third most regressive country in the world on sanitation. On this list, Nigeria, which is now classed as a lower middle-income country, is runner up to Georgia, the former war torn Soviet republic and Djibouti, a tiny fragile country that was also racked by civil war.

According to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (JMP) figures, Nigeria now has 71% of its people without access to safe, private toilets (that is over 130 million people) and 25% practicing open defecation. More worrying, WaterAid’s new report shows that the number of households in Nigeria with access to sanitation has declined by 9.1 percentage points since 1990. This is the second-greatest decrease of 38 countries with measurable data in Sub-Saharan Africa. This takes a heavy toll on Nigeria’s people. An estimated 11 children in every 1,000 die of diarrhoeal illnesses each year in Nigeria, and 58 out of 100,000 births result in the mother dying of sepsis. To change this situation will take political commitment and financing from the very top. Nigeria needs to measure up to its status as a middle-income country and finance its infrastructure accordingly. This means mobilising domestic resources, including through taxes and tariffs, and making effective use of traditional aid to target poor people.

Promoting the health benefit of sanitation is also key to improving sanitation practices in Nigeria. Access to safe sanitation, and ensuring that everyone in a community uses a toilet, is vital for ensuring better health and an important measure in addressing under-nutrition linked to chronic diarrhoeal illnesses.

The report highlights the plight of more than 2.3 billion people in the world who do not have access to a safe, private toilet. Of these, nearly 1 billion have no choice but to defecate in the open – in fields, at roadsides or in bushes.

The result is a polluted environment in which diseases spread fast. An estimated 314,000 children under five die each year of diarrhoeal illness which could be prevented with safe water, good sanitation and good hygiene. Many more have their physical and cognitive development stunted through repeated bouts of diarrhoea, blighting their life chances.

Among the report’s other more interesting findings:

  • India, the world’s second-most populous country, holds the record as the place with the longest queues for toilets and the most people per square kilometre practising open defecation.
  • Nigeria is third on the list of countries in the world with the longest queues for toilets and sixth in the world with the most people practising open defecation.
  • The tiny South Pacific island of Tokelau has made the most progress on delivering sanitation since 1990; impressively, Nepal, despite the immense challenges posed by its mountainous landscape, comes in the top 4 in this category.
  • Not everyone in the developed world has toilets. Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Sweden are among nations with measurable numbers still without safe, private household toilets; Russia has the lowest percentage of household toilets of all developed nations.

WaterAid Nigeria Country Representative, Dr. Michael Ojo, said: “Just two months ago, member-states of the United Nations promised to deliver access to safe, private toilets to everyone everywhere by 2030. Our analysis shows just how many nations in the world are failing to give sanitation the political prioritisation and financing required – with Nigeria featuring strongly at the top of that list. We also know that swift progress is possible, from the impressive advances in sanitation achieved in nations like Nepal, Vietnam and even Rwanda which is on the African continent. No matter where you are in the world, everyone has a right to a safe, private place to relieve themselves, and to live healthy and productive lives without the threat of illness from poor sanitation and hygiene. On this World Toilet Day, it’s time for our leaders and the world to make good on their promises and understand that the state of the world’s sanitation is no joke.

“The implications of a lack of access to basic sanitation reach beyond health. It affects gender equality, education and economic development. Goal 6 of the newly-agreed Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aims to deliver access to water, sanitation and hygiene for everyone everywhere. Without achieving this goal, the world cannot achieve many of the other goals – it can’t end hunger and malnutrition, or ensure gender equality, education and healthy lives for all. Ultimately, it can’t deliver on the overarching aim – a world free from extreme poverty by 2030.

“It’s a huge and ambitious task but it can happen, because it has happened before. In the UK, in Europe, in South Korea, in Singapore, and in many other countries, strong leadership, political will and sufficient funding for sanitation have dramatically changed public health and modernised societies. Yes, even in Sub-Saharan Africa, where Angola for instance has seen the most improvement in sanitation since 1990, followed closely by Rwanda and Ethiopia.  It will need determination and commitment but we can and must get there. We need to hold our leaders to account and make them deliver on their promises to reach everyone – including the poorest, most vulnerable and most marginalised people in our society.”

WaterAid’s analysis of the state of the world’s toilets has exposed some revealing facts: in many cases, nations that need to make great strides on sanitation are falling behind, with devastating consequences for health, education and women’s safety. We need leaders worldwide to state publicly that sanitation is crucial and to prioritise and fund it accordingly. And it’s not enough to just deliver toilets. Transforming hygiene behaviours and making sure that everyone within a community is able to use a toilet – regardless of age, gender or ability – so that they are used by everyone is key to realising the full health benefits.

This World Toilet Day, WaterAid is calling for:

  • Nigeria and world leaders in general to fund, implement and account for progress towards the new UN Global Goals on sustainable development. Goal 6 – water, sanitation and hygiene for all – is fundamental to ending hunger and ensuring healthy lives, education and gender equality.
  • An improvement in access to basic sanitation with political prioritisation and long-term increases in financing for water, sanitation and hygiene, by Government at all levels.
  • The Nigerian Government  to ensure that schools, healthcare facilities and birthing centres have safe toilets, clean running water and functional handwashing facilities, to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths and strengthen children’s ability to attend school.
  • WASH to be positioned as a crucial contributor to health and for policy makers and health sector stakeholders to become aware of the link and crucial role that sanitation plays in improving child survival rates and health outcomes.
  • The inclusion of water, sanitation and hygiene into health plans, policies and programming and especially in plans to address under-nutrition and acute malnutrition.
  • Aid to be directed to where it’s most needed and the mobilising of domestic revenue to make water, sanitation and hygiene a priority.
  • Attitudinal and behavioural change on water, sanitation and hygiene issues such as handwashing and open defecation

Bassey: Nowhere to run from Nigeria’s environmental crisis

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Bassey: Nowhere to run from Nigeria’s environmental crisis

The crisis has gone further than just climate change, we are confronted with an unrelenting environmental change, says activist and architect Nnimmo Bassey at the premiere of the documentary film ‘Nowhere to Run – Nigeria’s Climate and Environmental Crisis’ in Abuja

Nnimmo Bassey
Nnimmo Bassey

Nowhere to Run – Nigeria’s Climate and Environmental Crisis is a 52-minute documentary that shows in very clear terms that climate change is not a story but a reality. It is a crisis. For us in Nigeria, the crisis has gone further than just climate change, we are confronted with an unrelenting environmental change. This documentary provides another proof that our pioneer environmental campaigners, like the late Ken Saro-Wiwa were right on track. It is also fitting that the narrator on this documentary is Ken Saro-Wiwa Jnr and that his widow sits among us.

The causes of climate change, including global warming are varied and complex. They are interconnected. Nowhere to Run takes the holistic approach from a variety of perspectives. Global warming is a particularly acute crisis for us in Africa because the expected temperature rise here is at least 50% above the global average. The documentary covers the length and breadth of Nigeria and may well be the definitive and most accessible video documentary of this subject in our nation.

It shows the interconnected nature of the impacts of climate and environmental change. From the desertification in Northern Nigeria, ravaging 11 states; the shrinkage of Lake Chad and the intense floods that we experience. It covers the question of sea level rise along our 853km coastline, gas flaring and the heavy oil pollution of the Niger Delta. These are all accompanied by a severe loss of biodiversity.

The fact that our environment is our life comes through in stark colours.

With rising population and direct dependence on the environment for food, for energy and for other needs, we can say without doubt that the Nigeria environment requires urgent attention.

Nowhere to Run is not just a poetic title for a documentary. It reminds us that we are all in this together. Nigeria is our home. The climate and environmental crisis are the threads that bind us together – inescapably. We must confront all these together, build resilience and play our part in finding solutions: from tree planting to actions to avoid deforestation.

Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation has pulled off a great feat by tackling this great issue of our time in this way. Nowhere to Run is a crisp, powerful and insightful presentation of complex issues. The filmmaker McCain and Jacqueline Farris, the executive director of the film did an excellent job here. Participants in the project gave voice and faces to the pains and challenges of the climate and environmental change in Nigeria and bring these home powerfully.

Nowhere to Run may sound apocalyptic, but it is a documentary that challenges us and yet leaves us with hope that a great, safe and sane future is possible for our nation and for mankind.

Let’s watch. Let’s think. Let’s share. Let us all do something.

World Toilet Day: BLF seeks National Toilet Summit

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World Toilet Day: BLF seeks National Toilet Summit

The Bread of Life Development Foundation (BLF), a Lagos-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), has urged the Federal Government to immediately convene a National Conference on Access to Safe Toilets, in order to discuss and find solutions to the sanitation crisis in Nigeria.

Indians rally in Hyderabad for decent sanitation on the occasion of World Toilet Day. Photo credit: Getty
Indians rally in Hyderabad for decent sanitation on the occasion of World Toilet Day. Photo credit: Getty

Quoting the WHO/UNICEF/Joint Monitoring Report 2015, that states 45 million Nigerians are still defecating in the open and another 130 million use unimproved and shared toilet facilities, BLF called for “the convocation of a National Conference to discuss modalities of realising the right of every Nigerian to a safe toilet, in line with the United Nations resolution of human right to water and sanitation adopted in July 10, 2010; which was endorsed by the Nigerian government in July 2011.”

“It is highly imperative to convene a National Conference on Toilet bringing together all stakeholders including state and non-state actors to find a sustainable solution to poor access to safe toilet facilities in households and public places, says BLF in a statement, signed by its Information and Communications Officer, Ms Enejor Veronica, to mark this year’s World Toilet Day, November 19.

The specific objectives of the National Summit, according to BLF, will be to:

  1. Discuss appropriate technological options for accelerating safe sanitation coverage in Nigeria.
  2. Discuss strategies of overcoming religious, cultural, legal and economic barriers to safe toilet usage and practices by Nigerians.
  3. Develop financing mechanisms for provision of safe toilets particularly in Institutions, Schools, and public places.
  4. Explore the potentials of the private sector to accelerate sanitation coverage through investments in the construction and management of sanitation facilities in public places like motor parks, markets and public buildings.
  5. Adopt appropriate behavioral change sanitation messages as technological options alone will not provide lasting solutions to the sanitation crisis.

Lamenting that “it is a shame and disgrace that Nigeria has the World’s fifth largest population of people defecating in the open,” BLF urges the Buhari administration as part of its change mantra to initiate policies and programmes that will overcome this national opprobrium.

“As Nigerians join the world to mark the World Toilet day, we must go beyond making declarations and chanting slogans. It is regrettable that Nigeria failed to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) target for sanitation; Now that the world has decided on a new sustainable development goals; and its sanitation target aims to achieve universal sanitation coverage by 2030, the  time to act is now,” says BLF.

It adds: “Fifteen years from now is enough to make open defecation history in Nigeria. We cannot wait until 2030 before we have access to safe toilets in our offices, business premises, motor parks, bus stops and in public buildings. We cannot wait for another 15 years for every house to have safe toilet facilities. Now is the time to ensure every house, every building, school, business space, office, church, mosque, market, expressway have a safe toilet facility.

“Every landlord must know that he has the responsibility to provide safe toilets for occupants of his house. Every company must know it has the responsibility of providing safe toilets for its workers. The management of every public building must know it has the responsibility of providing toilets for its occupants. Every pastor and Imam must ensure that faith worshippers have access to safe toilets.

“The appropriate state agencies should ensure school pupils stop defecating in the bush where they are exposed to snake bites, and the girl child could be raped. It is also important that these toilets facilities are gender sensitive, and take care of the peculiar needs of women, and people with disabilities.

“These are critical issues we need to strategically planned, well prioritised, and adequately finance. When safe toilets are also provided, we should also develop sustainable operation and management to ensure they remain functional. These are issues that call for both national action through a National Conference on Access to Safe Toilets.”

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