Climate change and large dam projects are putting natural World Heritage sites at risk, says the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the official advisory body on nature to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee.
In Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – rising water temperatures are causing coral bleaching, and ocean acidification is restricting coral growth and survival. Photo credit: telegraph.co.uk
This year, for the first time in many years, climate change will be brought to the attention of the World Heritage Committee as a major threat affecting World Heritage sites. The World Heritage Committee meets on Sunday, July 28 2015 in Bonn, Germany.
Climate change impact is already evident in 35 of 228 sites inscribed on the World Heritage list for their natural values, according to the IUCN World Heritage Outlook – the first global assessment of natural World Heritage. Climate change could also become the most widespread threat to World Heritage sites in the future.
“Few people are aware of thefull scale of thedamage being done as a result of climate change, including to some of our planet’s most spectacular natural areas,” saysInger Andersen, IUCN Director General. “We need to take action to address this threat on the ground and at the global level. An ambitious agreement reached by governments meeting at the UN climate talks later this year in Paris can help safeguard our precious World Heritage. The stakes are too high for us to miss what may well be our last window of opportunity.”
While only coordinated global efforts can help address the threat of climate change, it is important to increase resilience of the threatened sites by limiting other pressures to a minimum, according to IUCN.
Marine and coastal sites are facing particular challenges due to sea level rise, ocean acidification, and increased frequency and severity of extreme weather events. In Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – the world’s largest coral reef system – rising water temperatures are causing coral bleaching, and ocean acidification is restricting coral growth and survival.
In East Rennell, Solomon Islands, a World Heritage site listed as ‘in danger’ due to logging activities, the increasing salinity of Lake Tegano as a result of sea level rise has caused reduced freshwater supply and food shortages for the local communities.
Dams also pose a growing and serious threat to natural World Heritage, as evidenced by IUCN’s recommendations to the Committee. This year, 11 natural World Heritage sites threatened by dam projects will be discussed, including several where the impacts come from dams in a neighbouring country. IUCN calls for more effective environmental impact assessment of such projects and improved transboundary cooperation from the earliest stages in order to avoid or minimise the adverse effects of dams on World Heritage.
“Dams can have a huge impact on World Heritage sites, reducing precious natural wetland areas, changing river flows and impacting local communities,”saysTimBadman, Director of IUCN’s World Heritage Programme. “It is essential to consider better alternatives that avoid such constructions where possible, and to properly assess how dams will affect our World Heritage before they are built.Nature transcends national borders, and efforts to preserve what we recognise as our collective heritage must also look beyond national borders.”
Following a field mission, IUCN is concerned that the Gibe III dam in Ethiopia may permanently change the seasonal water flows into Lake Turkana National Parks – a World Heritage site in Kenya – with knock-on effects on wildlife and fish stocks which local communities depend on. The dam is now nearly complete and will be Africa’s second largest hydroelectric plant reaching the height of 243 metres. Ethiopia and Kenya have agreed to increase cooperation to mitigate the impacts from the dam on Lake Turkana.
Lake Baikal in Russia, the world’s largest and deepest lake and a World Heritage site since 1996, may suffer impact from three projects planned in Mongolia, including the construction of two hydropower plants and a reservoir. During a recent monitoring mission to Mongolia, IUCN found that environmental impact has been assessed in only one case. The combined effects of all three projects on the lake are unknown and could potentially seriously damage its World Heritage values.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee will gather at its annual meeting from 28 June to 8 July in Bonn, Germany, to take decisions on the conservation of World Heritage sites affected by threats and the inscription of potential new sites.
Having prepared monitoring reports on 55 natural World Heritage sites for the meeting, IUCN recommends ‘in danger’ status for Brazil’s Cerrado Protected Areas: Chapada dos Veadeiros and Emas National Parks as a result of inadequate legal protection.
IUCN also recommends the removal of in-danger status of Colombia’s Los Katíos National Park thanks to the park management regaining control of the area following civil unrest and armed conflict. Los Katíos hosts exceptional biological diversity, including many endemic and threatened species such as the American Crocodile, Giant Anteater and Central American Tapir.
Eight World Heritage nominations have been evaluated this year by IUCN, which recommends World Heritage status for Jamaica’s Blue and John Crow Mountains, major extensions to Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park in Viet Nam and Cape Floral Region Protected Areas in South Africa, as well as changes in the boundaries of Russia’s Lena Pillars Nature Park.
Energy is the Golden Thread that connects economic growth, social equity and environmental health. – Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General
…Energy is a prerequisite for sustainable rural development. – UNESCO
Energy touches everything…Our mantra going forward is very simple: converting commitments to kilowatt hours for real people. – Kandeh Yumkella
If the only future we can see for villages is to turn them into towns, it would be no future worth aspiring for, considering the shape our towns are already in. – Prof. Krishna Kumar
No single cause can be identified to explain Nigeria’s poor economic performance over the years than the power situation. It is a national shame that an economy of 180 million generates only 4,000MW, and distributes even less. Continuous tinkering with the structures of power supply and distribution and close on $20b expanded since 1999 have only brought darkness, frustration, misery, and resignation among Nigerians. We will not allow this to go on. Careful studies are under way during this transition to identify the quickest, safest and most cost-effective way to bring light and relief to Nigerians. – Muhammad Buhari, President of Nigeria
Nigeria’s over-dependence on hydro power for her energy sources has had negative impact recently. Her energy crisis deteriorated a few days to the country’s last general elections, when the agency responsible for regulating the operations in electricity sector, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), disclosed that, of the nation’s 23 power hydro power plants, only five were functional.
The development resulted in not only power crisis but also affected the country’s economic activities. Fuel supply nearly became zero. Even fuel-dependent generators, upon which Nigeria has been running her economy in the past 16 years, could not function. Banks in the country cut their normal hours of operation from eight hours to five, closing each day at 1pm. This almost grounded the economy.
It got to that point when the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Power, Godknows Igali, along with the outgone Power minister, Chinedu Nebo, told former Vice-President, Namadi Sambo, of the alarming epileptic electricity supply across the country. Of the 4,800 megawatts (MW) of electricity supply being enjoyed by the country, according to Igali, only 1,327MW was being generated. This is too low for a supposed Africa’s largest economy.
He enumerated that most key power plants in the country had epileptic performance and had, therefore, shut down. Those affected included the ones located in at Utorogu, Chevron Oredo, Oben gas-fired power plants, as well as Ughelli and Chevron Escravos power plants. Also included were the National Integrated Power Plants (NIPPs), including Nigeria’s largest power plant at Egbin, Olorunshogo 1 & 11, Omotosho 1 & 11, Geregu I & 11, Ihonvor and Sapele on the western axis and Alaoji on the eastern end.
Attributable reason for the inability of these hydro power plants to generate electricity is “shortage of gas supply to the thermal plants, with one of the hydro stations faced with water management issue. This has led to loss of over 2,000 megawatts in the national grid,” Sam Amadi, Executive Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), had said.
Of worry was the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC), to which the Shiroro Power Plant reduced the level of electricity supply to Abuja zone to just 15 MW from less than 200MW daily. Abuja is Nigeria’s Federal Capital City. This development is ridiculously mean, considering Nigeria’s position as an economy upon which other African countries depend.
Rethink Renewable Energy
This development calls for Nigeria’s rethink on energy to be directed at renewable energy sources, which include “sunlight, wind, water, biomass, tides and geothermal heat,” says Yusuf Ganda, a solar engineer with Sokoto Energy Research Centre.
“A total of 1.5 billion individuals (a quarter of world’s population) are without electric power, mostly concentrated in Africa and South Asia,” said a source.
In a recent presentation at the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in Seoul, South Korea, the Project Leader of Smart Villages Initiatives (a not for profit organisation), Dr. Bernie Jones, said: “Energy means food security, democratic engagement, health and social welfare, education and local business that brings about integrated development.” This, he stated, is because the access to energy brings about them with ease.
According to him, while solar home systems are now being used “for micro-enterprises – mobile phone charging, hairdressing, guest houses, village cinema and entertainment in Tanzania (East Africa),” micro hydro is being used in Sarawak (Malaysia) to provide 24-hour, round-the-week of electricity “to supplement power of district health centre.”
This is the same in India where solar water pumps are used to irrigate without grid-determined hedging. Smart Villages Initiatives is evaluating how to deliver energy access to rural communities in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
In order to meet the growing energy demand, especially in rural areas, exploration of alternative energy sources becomes imperative. Also, in order to check rural-urban drift, renewable energy is important in improving energy access, especially for rural dwellers.
That renewable energy is making impact in rural areas in developing countries in areas for households, lightening and entertainment. This is enough for African nation’s, especially Nigeria to follow suit. “The ‘productive uses’ of renewable energy can increase incomes and provide development benefits to rural areas,” said Ganda.
The German Development Bank-KFW’s recent allocation of N34,600,000,000 to advance renewable energy efficiency projects and technical assistance for the Nigerian power sector is a welcome development. It will go a long way in addressing the need for Nigeria to think of alternative energy sources that would provide more reliable power sources, for even the rural populace.
Nigeria’s renewable energy sources are abundant but untapped. Held as responsible for the development, which must be looked into by Nigerian government, include “policy and regulation, financing and investment, public awareness, quality and standards, poor resource database, etc.” These have stood as impediment for access to renewable energy in Nigeria.
Members of the fisheries commission for the eastern Pacific assembling in Guayaquil, Ecuador need to prioritise initiating a rigorous recovery plan to address the collapse of Pacific Bluefin Tuna stocks and stabilising overall tuna fishing capacity that currently exceeds the optimal scientifically recommended level by at least 50%.
The northern migration routes of the Pacific Bluefin tuna. Infographic courtesy: vox.com
“Tuna management in the Pacific is currently totally inadequate to preserve the Pacific Bluefin tuna stock.Only asignificant reduction of catches and stringent measures to protect juvenilescan ensure long-term sustainability of this fishery,” said Pablo Guerrero, WWF’s Eastern Pacific Ocean Tunacoordinator. The stock is now critically low, having dropped 96% according to the International Scientific Committee (ISC) for Tuna and Tuna-like Species in the North Pacific Ocean and scientists of the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).
The 21 country and European Union members of the IATTC took initial steps to protect Pacific Bluefin in October 2014 in largely accepting scientific advice to almost halve fishing quotas for this prized but beleaguered fish.The IATTC further agreed that no country can exceed 3500 tons of catches in 2015 and that the fishing nations must establish a catch documentation system.
Bluefin Tuna fishing. Photo credit: phys.org
WWF strongly supports catch limits but demands closer monitoring of this fishery, especially of the catch numbers, to ensure that quotas are being respected. The completion of a revised stock assessment for this species is also necessary.
The real need is for the IATTC and sister bodyWestern Central Pacific Tuna Commission (WCPFC) to adopt a rigorous, long-term Pacific-wide recovery planfor Pacific Bluefin Tuna with robustharvest control rules3and firmlimit and reference points2 . Mechanisms for an adequate and adequately rapid response if Bluefin populations approach the limits are also strongly needed.
Japan, Mexico, the United States and South Korea are themajor countries fishing Pacific Bluefin, whilethe main market is Japan.
WWF is also very concerned about tuna fishing over-capacity in the Eastern Pacific, which is becoming apparent through declining yellowfin and bigeye tuna stocks. Purse seine fleet captures about 90% of the tuna in the Eastern Pacific. The active purse-seine capacity registered in 2015 was 272,076 cubic meters, which greatly exceeds the capacity target level of158,000 cubic meters of total volumerecommended by scientists in 2002.
“We urge the IATTC to freeze the current capacity of the fishing fleet and work toward reducing the number of vessels authorized to fish for tuna in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This will also be in the best interest of the industry because it will address the problem of securing the future of tuna fisheries in the region,” said Pablo Guerrero.
IATTC scientists remain uncertain about the status of bigeye and yellowfin tuna due to current levels of fishing mortality exacerbated by the rising trend in the number of sets on Fish Aggregating Devices (FADs), and also due to a possible increase in fishing operations in the EPO. WWF urges the IATTC to monitor this situation closely and be prepared to implement stronger measures to conserve the stocks.
WWF is also urging IATTC to adopt conservation measures to limit fishing mortality of silky sharks in order to rebuild the stock of these sharks in the region, and also to totally prohibit the removal of fins at sea, requiring instead that sharks be landed with their fins naturally attached. IATTC members also should adopt the scientific recommendations on best practices for handling manta rays aboard purse seiners.
Other measures WWF is calling for include the provision of additional data on movement of FADs and the implementation of the use of FADs without any entangling material deployed beneath them in order to reduce by catch of sea turtles and sharks.
Tuna is one of the most valuable fisheries in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, supporting a billion dollar industry that sustains the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people and contributes to economic growth and social development in the region. “It is vital that member states of the IATTC expand their commitment to the responsible management necessary for sustainable levels of tuna stocks while ensuring a healthy long-term shark population at the same time,” added Pablo Guerrero.
Together with 886 citizens, Dutch non-governmental organisation (NGO), Urgenda, on Wednesday June 24, 2015 won a climate liability case against the Dutch state. The plaintiffs argued that the Dutch state neglects its duty of care towards its current and future citizens by not reducing CO2 emissions quickly enough to avoid catastrophic climate change. They asked the judge to order the government to reduce its CO2 emissions with 25-40 % in 2020, the percentage that science and international agreements tell us is needed if we want to stay below the 2 degrees threshold.
Urgenda supporters celebrate at The Hague after court ruling requiring Dutch government to slash emissions. Photo credit: Chantal Bekker/Urgenda
In what appears to be a ground-breaking verdict, the judges agreed fully with the arguments presented by the plaintiffs and stated that the Dutch state has a duty of care, under Dutch tort law, to reduce its C02 emission to 25% in 2020. The court ruled that Urgenda had standing and that the State acted unlawful towards Urgenda, representing 886 citizens, under national tort law.
The court used European human right standards, such as art. 2 and 8 of the European Convention for Human Rights, the precautionary principle, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the treaty of the European Union to interpret the ‘equity’ principle of the Dutch tort article (art. 6:162 Civil Code) and concluded the Dutch state liable for a tort of negligence towards Urgenda.
The argument of the State’s defence, that climate policy is a matter of discretion for the executive power, was brushed aside when the court appealed to the protective logic of the rule of law and separation of powers: the judiciary’s rightful place is offer its citizens protection when the executive exercises its power in such a way that endangers the wellbeing and human rights of its citizens, and this includes the negligence of a government refusing to take timely climate action.
Dutch activist, Femke Wijdekop, wrote in a blog: “Today was ‘judgement day’ and I what I heard in that courtroom exceeded my hopes and expectations. We, co-litigants, and the defence of Urgenda were amazed by the boldness of the court; and I was deeply touched that something really seems to be changing in the world if a court, which could have easily have hidden behind arguments like ‘the discretionary power of the executive to determine climate policy’, ‘the relative small contribution of the Netherlands to the global emission problem, thus refusing to establish proportionate liability’ or ‘the lack of a strong enough causal link between the actions of the Dutch state and the future damage caused by climate change’ – let alone simply refusing to grant Urgenda standing! –that with all these arguments present, the court made a bold decision to take responsibility for its duty to acknowledge scientific facts, apply the law and do justice in this matter of extreme societal and environmental importance.
“For me it was a moment in which my idealism touched ground and merged with the hopes of the other 100 co-litigants present in the room, (some of which held hands and many shed tears!), which were confirmed and ‘mirrored’ by the words of the judge who agreed with our most important grievances and demands. Such was the surprise that Urgenda’s lawyers had to pull themselves together afterwards, overcome with emotion and relief – TV news images later showed their teary faces and yet none of them really tried to hide their tears: they were proud to admit that they had put their whole heart into this case – in what they described as ‘the case of their lifetimes’. I cannot help but think that some of this wholeheartedness rubbed off on the judges in this rightful judgement.
“Regardless of whether the State will appeal against the decision, this already is a huge victory for climate activists and environmental lawyers all over the world. It gives such encouragement and sound legal arguments to NGO’s in other countries, to start similar class actions on behalf of a liveable environment for current and future generations. It is my wish that this precedent will be followed by many more similar cases in other jurisdictions, forming a ‘ius commune’ on climate justice, and that other lawyers and co-litigants will dedicate themselves as wholeheartedly to these cases as we did here in the Netherlands on this historic day.”
According to Danielle Nierenberg, President of Food Tank, the organisation is inspired by hundreds of women, who are entrepreneurs, stewards of the land, business owners, researchers, farmers, and innovators – described as the backbone of the world’s food systems.
Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the World Food Programme. Photo credit: thedailybeast.com
Her words: “In fact, on average,women represent 43 percent of the world’s agricultural labor force and 47 percent of the global fisheries labor force, according to the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Bank. These hard-working women produce more than half of the world’s food despite being less than half of the labor force, andwomen account for 60 to 80 percent of food production in developing countries. And if the world’s women farmers had the same access to resources as men, 150 million people could be lifted out of poverty, according to the FAO. A crop yield gap of about 20-30 percent between male and female farmers is largely due to differential access to resources and inputs. Women fill this gap by working up to 13 hours per week longer than men in agriculture.”
“Women are the priority. The majority of smallholder farmers in Africa are women and, in urban areas, you’re primarily looking at women-led households.So we can’t solve hunger if we don’t have gender-sensitive programming that addresses access to opportunities for women, whether it’s through education or tools for cooking, like solar-powered stoves,” says Ertharin Cousin, executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme.
As the impacts of climate change become more evident, the world will need to invest in more effective strategies to alleviate hunger and poverty. And that means standing with our mothers, grandmothers, and sisters who are farming and giving women farmers the resources they need to nourish both people and the planet.
Ms Nierenberg lists the 30 rising women stars in food and agriculture who, according to her, are reshaping food systems around the world to include:
1. Lauren Abda
Age: 28
As managing director of the Food Loft, a co-working and innovation space in Boston, Abdaseeks to connect food entrepreneurs. ThroughBranchfood, her networking business, Abda is driving the city’s food innovation scene and tackling issues from sustainability to financial literacy. Her work focuses on aggregating resources for entrepreneurs through events and social media.
@laurenabda
2. Karen Albuja
Age: 28
A native of Ecuador, Karen graduated fromEARTH Universityin Costa Rica in 2009. Together with her husband, another EARTH graduate from Argentina, Albuja created Granja El Hormiguero, a farm that produces and commercialises products based on Echinacea, a medicinal plant. The couple sells eight different phytotherapeutic products in the local market. As a part of their company philosophy, Albuja has integrated community members into a cooperative,La Abundancia, in order to commercialise biodynamic products.
3. Elizabeth Alpern, the Gefilteria
Age: 30
Alpern is a co-founder of an artisanal company for sustainable gefilte fish. She manages a food truck and produces other gourmet Jewish foods. Alpern worked with cookbook author Joan Nathan for several years before founding the Gefilteria, and has also worked with Fair Food Network, for which she coordinated a book tour forFair Food: Growing a Healthy, Sustainable Food System for All.
@gefilteria
4. Leanne Brown, Author, Good and Cheap
Age: 29
Good and Cheapis afree PDF cookbookfor people with very limited incomes, particularly those using food stamps. It has been downloaded more than 500,000 times. Brown, a native of Canada, is a food scholar and avid home cook who now lives in New York. Prior to writing Good and Cheap, Brown authored another cookbook,From Scratch.
@leelb
5. Cheyenne, Camaryn, and Trae Candelario, Family Farmers
Ages: 23, 20, 18
The Candelario sisters run aflourishing family farmwith their mother, Margo, and grandmother in Georgia. Officially started in 2006, the family business sells produce at the Oconee Farmers’ Market. “The girls learn to market goods, work with the public, have a smile on their faces, and pay taxes…all aspects of running a business,”saysMargo Candelario.
@youngfemalefarm
6. Julie Carney, Country Director for Gardens for Health International
Age: 28
Carney co-foundedGardens for Health, a programme in Rwanda that integrates agricultural support with comprehensive health education to fight malnutrition. To date, the organisation has worked with over 1,700 families through a Health Centre Programme, helping to ensure that approximately 8,500 children have the healthy food they need to grow and thrive. Carney is an Echoing Green and Ashoka Fellow.
@_JulieCarney
7. Estella Cisneros, Lawyer
Age: 29
Cisneros, a graduate of Yale Law School, is the daughter of Mexican farmworkers who immigrated to the United States. At Stanford University, sherealisedthat she “was being called to serve the very community [she] had grown up in.” Cisneros now provides legal representation for immigrant farmworkers in the California dairy industry and is a Skadden Foundation Fellow at California Rural Legal Assistance.
8. Kat Cook, Chef-Owner of Farmer’s Market Kitchen
Age: 26
Cook is chef-owner atFarmer’s Market Kitchenin Watertown, Massachusetts. She has created a business that designs custom menus for events featuring local produce. Cook is also head chocolatier for the small-batch confectionerMaye’s Chocolates, founded by her aunt.
@FMKcatering
9. Claire Cummings, Waste Specialist for Bon Appétit Management Company (BAMCO)
Age: 25
Cummingsis an advocate for reducing food waste at the institutional level, and a co-author of the Food Recovery Network’s downloadableGuide to Food Recovery for Chefs and Managers. Beginning as a West Coast Fellow for BAMCO in 2012, Cummings facilitated theChefs to End Hungerprogramme in California. Most recently, she is working with BAMCO sites to implement kitchen-waste tracking programmes and pilot a new app to reduce food waste, calledSpoiler Alert.
@WasteAce
10. Laura D’Asaro and Rose Wang, Co-Founders of Six Foods
Ages: 24 and 23
D’Asaro and Wang are on an entrepreneurial mission to convince Americans that eating insects is both delicious and sustainable. Their startup company,Six Legs Foods, currently focuses on snack foods that contain insect protein, but Wang and D’Asaro are hoping to expand their product selection. “For the same amount of feed you give a cow you get 12 times the meat from insects,”saysD’Asaro.
@SixFoods
11. Sasha Fisher, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Spark MicroGrants
Age: 26
Sasha Fisherhas a passion for community-led development, which led her to work in South Sudan, South Africa, India, and Uganda. She moved to East Africa in 2010 to develop theSpark MicroGrants model, which runs a fellowship programme for graduates of local universities in Africa. Fellows receive leadership training to take on projects in rural communities, including communal farms and other agricultural endeavors. Spark supports communities with small grants so that they can invest in social impact, which differs from conventional microfinance.
@sashadfisher
12. Lauren Howe, National School Garden Program Manager at Slow Food USA
Age: 24
Howe, a U.S. delegate to the International Slow Food Conference and International Congress Terra Madre in 2012, is now theNational School Garden Programme Manager for Slow Food USA. Howe led a campaign at Hamilton College to shift university purchasing via the Real Food Challenge, and was a 2013-2014 Thomas J. Watson Fellow, for which she completed research entitled “A Sustainable Future for Food and Farming: Modern Technology and Traditional Wisdom” in Tanzania, India, Bhutan, Bolivia, the Netherlands, and Iceland.
@lauhowe
13. Smriti Keshari, Producer, Food Chains
Age: 29
Keshari’s work in the documentary Food Chains, a chronicle of the injustices faced by tomato farmworkers in Florida, earned her a James Beard Award for Special/Documentary (Television or Video Webcast). The film, featuring the Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Fair Food Programme, created anational conversationabout labor justice in food and agriculture. Keshari, born in India, has focused on issues and stories not heavily reported through other projects.
@Keshari
@FoodChainsFilm
14. Rachel Khong, Senior Editor for Lucky Peach
Age: 29
Khong is the Senior Editor of Lucky Peach, a quarterly journal of food and writing based in San Francisco, CA. Each issue of the magazine features essays, art, recipes, and photos on a single theme. Khong is also the author of a cookbook,Toro Bravo, and is currently working on a novel.
@rachelkhong
15. Kate Klein, Development Coordinator for Georgia Organics
Age: 25
As a National Campus Food Day Coordinator forReal Food Challenge, Klein mobilised students across the United States to host events for food justice on college campuses. Klein has a passion for organising young people and developing leadership skills. Now at Georgia Organics, Klein is using her skills to further develop the capacity of an organisation that connects organic farmers to consumers in Georgia.
@kateklein23
@realfoodnow
16. Annie Liang, Junior Ambassador to the Milan Protocol
Age: 25
Liang, from Vancouver, Canada, was a 2013BCFN Young Earth Solutionsfinalist and initiated a Youth Food Policy Committee in Vancouver. She is ajunior ambassadorto the Milan Protocol, a civil society movement to support the legacy of the Expo Milan 2015. Liang is now working on a Masters of Landscape Architecture at The Harvard Graduate School of Design, in order to pursue a career in creating vibrant and productive spaces that incorporate ecological systems.
17. Lesley Silverthorn Marincola, Founder and CEO of Angaza Design
Age: 29
Marincola is the creator behind Angaza Design’s pay-as-you-go clean energy products, distributed to households in East Africa. Using a system designed to match household cash flows, users pre-pay for small units of solar energy on cell phones. Angaza is also working to spread its payment model to other solar companies, in order to continue improving access to sustainable energy solutions in Africa.
@angazadesign
18. Nikiko Masumoto, Organic Farmer and Author
Age: 28
As a member of the Masumoto Family Farm, Masumoto has been growing organic peaches, nectarines, and grapes since she was a child. After receiving a Bachelor’s degree in Gender and Women’s Studies and a Master’s degree in Arts in Performance as Public Practice, she started theValley Storytellers Projectin 2011, which creates a public space for people in the Central Valley to share their own stories.
@nmasumoto
19. Lucy McKormick, Response Analyst for the Guardian News & Media
Age: 24
McKormick, a Response Analyst for theGuardian, is also Head ofYoung Friends of the Earth, a nationwide network of volunteers ages 18-30 in the United Kingdom. McKormick produces regular content and articles for the site and works to engage young people in importantenvironmental campaigns.
@LuckyMcCormick91
20. Kelly Pagliario, Young Permaculturist
Age: 18
A native of Las Vegas, Nevada,Pagliarioreceived her permaculture design certificate from Bill Mollison and Geoff Lawton, experts in permaculture, at the age of 11 in Melbourne, Australia. Pagliario then helped her family to establishKamiah Permaculture and FNA ranch in Kamiah, Idaho, where she leads permaculture workshops and co-manages 44 acres. The land features a kitchen garden, fruit trees, and chickens and promotes a sustainable, self-sufficient lifestyle.
21. Debbie Lohan Palacios, Business Owner
Age: 26
Palacios produces organic sauce from hot peppers in Costa Rica through her company Ricante, using online marketing strategies. Currently, Ricante is commercialising the product in the local market and is exporting the sauce to the U.S. According to Palacios, Ricante is now sold in more than 1000 supermarkets in Costa Rica. Through her company, Palacios has also created new jobs for members of her community.
22. Anauim Valerín Pérez, Youth Journalist and Agri-Environmental Activist
Age: 21
From San José, Costa Rica,Pérezwas a member of the World Women’s Under-17 in Costa Rica, of Ecollective, and a founding member of theBoreal Collective, which supports seed exchange, farmers, and artisans through art and cultural events. Pérez is also a journalist and a member ofYoung Professionals for Agricultural Development(YPARD).
@Anauim_Valerin
23. Leidy Dayana Riveras Rivas, Coordinator for Quality Certification for ASPOECAM
Age: 27
As a rural youth representative for the Association of Small Coffee Growers in Colombia (ASOPECAM), Rivas provides financially and environmentally sustainable business opportunitiesfor small coffee farmers. Her work focuses on women and youth, using a knowledge-sharing approach to providing technical advice. She has also participated in events and advocacy activities around various rural development issues as a member of a local youth group.
24. Diana Robinson, Food Chain Workers Alliance
Age: 30
Robinson, the Campaign and Education Coordinator of theFood Chain Workers Alliance since 2012, is the daughter of Columbian and Dominican immigrants to the U.S. Robinson is a member of the Brooklyn Food Coalition governing board and contributes to the Spanish language radio show Comunidad y Trabajadores Unidos. Prior to joining the staff of Food Chain Workers Alliance, Robinson represented over 23,000 grocery store workers in New York through the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500. She is an advocate of workers’ rights throughout the entire food supply chain.
Sandoval is the local directorof a rural fishery cooperative in El Salvador, called Tepemechines, which she joined at the age of 17. Through her expertise on production, marketing, and business management, Sandoval has overcome obstacles in her community. She also serves her community as a church youth group leader and as a secretary on the board of a group that manages drinking water in the community.
26. Yasmin Belo-Osagie, Co-Founder of She Leads Africa
Age: 26
Belo-Osagie, a management consultant focused on growth strategies, is a co-founder of She Leads Africa, an organisation that provides talented female entrepreneurs in Africa with access to financing and knowledge networks to scale their businesses. In 2011, Belo-Oasagie, a graduate of Princeton University, attended culinary school and worked as a sous-chef in Hong Kong.
27. Kavita Shukla, Co-Founder of Fenugreen
Age: 30
Shukla is the inventor ofFreshPaper, an affordable, compostable product that keeps fruits and vegetables fresher to prevent food waste at the household and retail levels. FreshPaper, infused with edible organic spices, is available at retailers such as Whole Foods and Wegmans, and ships to 35 countries.
@KavitaFresh
28. Trang Tran, Co-Founder and CEO of Fargreen
Age: 28
Growing up in Hanoi, Vietnam, Tran was familiar with the air quality problems caused by open straw rice burning. Tran co-founded Fargreen to create a closed cycle in which farmers are incentivised touse rice straw as a mediumfor mushroom production. Once the mushrooms have been harvested and sold to local restaurants and grocery stores, the straw is then returned as biofertilizer to grow rice.
@Fargreenvn
29. Emma Watson, Actor and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador
Age: 25
British celebrity Emma Watson, an internationally acclaimed actress and a graduate of Brown University, was appointed a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador in 2014. By empowering young women across the globe, Watson is contributing to gender equality and female access to education. Watson has promoted fair trade and organic clothing and has worked to educate girls in rural Africa throughCamfed International.
@EmWatson
30. Koya Webb, Author
Age: 26
Webb, an internationally acclaimed health and wellness coach, is the author ofKoya’s Kuisine: “Foods You Love That Love You Back!”As a motivational speaker, the professional fitness model is revolutionizing holistic living, yoga, and raw/vegan cuisine.
I know anti-GM activists exists to oppose the GM technology. That’s what they are paid to do. But I was flabbergasted when they criticised the authorisation by South African government of a new maize drought trait. Is it possible they did not process the possible implication of drought-resistant corn in Africa?
Drought in sub-Saharan Africa
Drought has always been big business, especially in Africa. You can bet that many people are monitoring when the next one will hit. When drought hits, say the Horn of Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Somalia, Uganda and Djibouti), over 10 million people are suddenly in urgent need of humanitarian assistance.
In the past, the US and Canada, through the World Food Programme (WFP), used drought as a big market for their excess (GM) corn. Anti-GM activists cried foul. When they made too much noise, governments ground the corn into flour. This was to avoid the accusation that seed companies where introducing the technology through the back door.
The biofuel industry mopped all the excess corn in the US and Canada. These days, when drought hits, Africa is pretty much on its own. Still, when people no longer have the luxury of eating only one meal a day, the world pays attention. There have been stories of women who bind their stomachs with rope or pieces of cloth in an attempt to stave off hunger. Or children who have dropped out of school to help their families search for water, or dig up roots – any roots – that can cheat hunger for a while, then the world rushes in.
The narrative of a poor hungry Africa makes good TV (does it?). The paradox is that, for many Africans, drought is a way of life. That is why I was flabbergasted when anti-GM groups criticised the South African government for approving a new maize drought trait. Thank God they are not in government.
Was it blind criticism or a calculated decision to hide the information that the drought tolerant and insect protection technologies would be provided to smallholder farmers at no additional cost? A loyalty-free arrangement ensures that smallholder farmers purchasing either the conventionally bred or GM maize varieties, will not pay an additional technology fee or have to enter into a technology-use agreement with the technology developer.
Anti-GM groups conveniently left out the fact that smallholder farmers will get access to modern, high yielding maize varieties royalty-free. That means that farmers will not have to pay any additional fees for using these improved seeds and should be able to purchase the new varieties at more or less the same price as existing maize varieties. I think the anti-GM activists conveniently missed an even bigger opportunity for Africa’s smallholder farmers.
If full value is unlocked, the drought-resistant technology for corn could have a significant positive impact on the food security, financial security and livelihoods of smallholder farmers and their families.
During the 2014/15 year, South Africa produced its largest maize crop in 33 years, some 13.5 million tonnes. (The weather was favourable, it will not always be like this!). The paradox is that in sub-Saharan Africa, almost double the amount of maize produced in South Africa is lost each year due to drought.
Over 90% of sub-Saharan Africa’s cropland is rain-fed and is likely to remain so. One would expect that any effort to help mitigate drought risk would be welcomed by all. (Or if you do not welcome it, at least keep quiet and keep your eyes open). The South African government seems to be moving in the right direction.
The current approval paves the way for the next stage of extensive testing with the drought trait, to stack it with the insect protection, or Bt trait, in the maize. Hopefully, in not-too-distant-future, farmers in South Africa will have maize hybrid seeds that combine the drought-tolerant and insect-protection traits.
By Daniel Kamanga (Communications Expert & Author)
Record installations for wind and solar PV in 2014; Renewable energy targets created in 20 more countries, new total: 164; Renewables account for over 59% of net additions to world’s capacity; Policy-makers more attentive to green energy heating/cooling; Developing world investments on par with developed world, total $301 billion
Renewable energy targets and other support policies, now in place in 164 countries, powered the growth of solar, wind and other renewable technologies to a record-breaking energy generation capacity last year: about 135 GW of added renewable energy power increasing total installed capacity to 1,712 GW, up 8.5% from the year before.
Despite the world’s average annual 1.5% increase in energy consumption in recent years and average 3% growth in Gross Domestic Product, carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in 2014 were unchanged from 2013 levels. For the first time in four decades, the world economy grew without a parallel rise in CO2 emissions.
The landmark “decoupling” of economic and CO2 growth is due in large measure to China’s increased use of renewable resources, and efforts by countries in the OECD to promote more sustainable growth-including increased use of energy efficiency and renewable energy.
“Renewable energy and improved energy efficiency are key to limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius and avoiding dangerous climate change,” says REN21 Chair Arthouros Zervos, who released the new report at the Vienna Energy Forum.
Thanks to supportive policies now in place in at least 145 countries (up from 138 countries reported last year), worldwide power generation capacity from wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), and hydro sources alone were up 128 GW from 2013. As of end-2014, renewables comprised an estimated 27.7% of the world’s power generating capacity, enough to supply an estimated 22.8% of global electricity demand. Solar PV capacity has grown at the most phenomenal rate-up 48-fold from 2004 (3.7 GW) to 2014 (177 GW) – with strong growth also in wind power capacity (up nearly 8-fold over this period, from 48 GW in 2004 to 370 GW in 2014).
Global new investment in renewable power and fuels (not including hydropower >50 MW) increased 17% over 2013, to USD 270.2 billion. Including large-scale hydropower, new investment in renewable power and fuels reach at least USD 301 billion. Global new investment in renewable power capacity was more than twice that of investment in net fossil fuel power capacity, continuing the trend of renewables outpacing fossil fuels in net investment for the fifth year running.
Investment in developing countries was up 36% from the previous year to USD 131.3 billion. Developing country investment came the closest ever to surpassing the investment total for developed economies, which reached USD 138.9 billion in 2014, up only 3% from 2013. China accounted for 63% of developing country investment, while Chile, Indonesia, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa and Turkey each invested more than USD 1 billion in renewable energy.
By dollars spent, the leading countries for investment were China, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and Germany. Leading countries for investments relative to per capita GDP were Burundi, Kenya, Honduras, Jordan, and Uruguay.
The sector’s growth could be even greater if the more than USD 550 billion in annual subsidies for fossil fuel and nuclear energy were removed. Subsidies perpetuate artificially low energy prices from those sources, encouraging waste and impeding competition from renewables.
Says Christine Lins, Executive Secretary, REN21: “Creating a level playing field would strengthen the development and use of energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. Removing fossil-fuel and nuclear subsidies globally would make it evident that renewables are the cheapest energy option.”
Employment in the renewable energy sector is growing rapidly as well. In 2014, an estimated 7.7 million people worldwide worked directly or indirectly in the sector.
Despite spectacular growth of renewable energy capacity in 2014, more than one billion people, or 15% of humanity, still lack access to electricity. Moreover, approximately 2.9 billion people lack access to clean forms of cooking. With installed capacity of roughly 147 GW, all of Africa has less power generation capacity than Germany. Further attention needs to be paid to the role that distributed renewable energy technologies can play in reducing these numbers by providing essential and productive energy services in remote and rural areas.
Alexander Ochs, Director of Climate and Energy Programme, Worldwatch Institute, said: “With global investments in renewables above USD 300 billion in 2014, the 2015 Global Status Report proves that the remarkable success story of wind, solar, hydro and geothermal electricity continues. Much more effort is needed in heating and cooling as well as transportation sectors, where the use of modern renewables is growing, but still from a very small basis.
“Developing and developed countries now invest almost equal shares in sustainable power solutions. Global leaders are those countries that have designed smart support policies to help lower the financial advantage of fossil fuels-fuels that have received trillions of direct and indirect governmental subsidies every year for decades. Being faced with dramatic climate, ecosystem, and human health crises caused by fossil fuels, we need to make sure that our governments continue to support renewables by creating the right policy frameworks so that private investments can make the right choices.
“For the first time in decades, energy-related greenhouse gas emissions leveled out while GDP continued to grow in 2014. This encouraging trend is due to the remarkable success of renewables. It should energize all efforts to make the important climate summit in Paris in the end of this year a success story as well.”
Extremely high level of air pollution in the Chilean capital of Santiago has forced authorities to declare a state of environmental emergency in the Santiago metropolitan area for Monday, June 22 2015, the country’s environment ministry said in astatement. The emergency measures, which will force more than 900 industries to temporarily shut down and about 40 percent of the capital’s 1.7 million cars off the roads, are the first since 1999,according tomedia reports.
Extremely high level of air pollution in the Chilean capital of Santiago has forced authorities to declare a state of environmental emergency in the Santiago metropolitan area for Monday, the country’s environment ministry said, in a statement. Pictured: A general view of the Chilean capital under a heavy layer of smog, in this June 28, 2006 file photograph. Photo credit: Reuters
“We’re currently facing unusual conditions, with one of the driest Junes in over 40 years and really bad air circulation conditions in the Santiago valley in recent days, which has boosted the concentration of pollutants,” the ministry said in the statement.
While the current restrictions are expected to be in place for 24 hours, they can be extended if there is no improvement in conditions. Moreover, it is not yet clear which industries would be forced to suspend operations on Monday.
According to the ministry’s statement, the declaration was necessitated by the levels of small breathable particulate matter known as PM2.5 shrouding the city. These fine particles can travel through the respiratory tract into the lungs causing short-term health effects such as lung irritation, coughing, sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath. Long-term exposure to such fine particulate matter is linked to increased rates of chronic bronchitis and reduced lung function in addition to an increased risk of heart disease.
Santiago — a city of 6.7 million people — has been shrouded in smog in the past, especially in the winter months when an increased use of wood-burning heaters significantly deteriorates air quality. However, lack of rain and winds this year has worsened the situation. Santiago, in particular, hasconsistently ranked highamong cities with the worst air quality.
“We call for people to respect the measures in order to help reduce the pollution of Santiago,” the country’s environment ministry said.
Successful conservation action has boosted the populations of the Iberian Lynx and the Guadalupe Fur Seal, while the African Golden Cat, the New Zealand Sea Lion and the Lion are facing increasing threats to their survival, according to the latest update of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Mother and kitten Iberian Lynx. Photo credit: lhnet.org
Ninety-nine percent of tropical Asian slipper orchids – some of the most highly prized ornamental plants – are threatened with extinction.
The update, released on Tuesday, June 23 2015, also shows that over-collection and habitat destruction are placing enormous pressure on many medicinal plants.
TheIUCNRedListnowincludes77,340assessedspecies,of which22,784arethreatenedwithextinction.The loss and degradation of habitat are identified as the main threat to 85% of all species described on the IUCN Red List, with illegal trade and invasive species also being key drivers of population decline.
“This IUCN Red List update confirms that effective conservation can yield outstanding results,” saysInger Andersen, IUCN Director General. “Saving the Iberian Lynx from the brink of extinction while securing the livelihoods of local communities is a perfect example.
“But this update is also a wake-up call, reminding us that our natural world is becoming increasingly vulnerable. The international community must urgently step up conservation efforts if we want to secure this fascinating diversity of life that sustains, inspires and amazes us every day.”
Following six decades of decline, the population of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus) increased from 52 mature individuals in 2002 to 156 in 2012. The species has now moved from the Critically Endangered to Endangered category on the IUCN Red List. This was achieved thanks to intensive conservation action including the restoration of rabbit populations – the main prey species of the Iberian Lynx – monitoring for illegal trapping, conservation breeding, reintroduction programmes and compensation schemes for landowners, which made their properties compatible with the habitat requirements of the Iberian Lynx. The species can be found in two regions of southwestern Spain, and in southeastern Portugal, which hosts its small reintroduced population.
“This is fantastic news for the Iberian Lynx, and excellent proof that conservation action really works,” saysUrsBreitenmoser,Co-Chair of the IUCN Species Survival Commission’s Cat Specialist Group. “However, the job is far from finished and we must continue our conservation efforts to secure future range expansion and population growth of the species.”
The Guadalupe Fur Seal (Arctocephalus townsendi), which was twice thought to be Extinct due to hunting in the late 1800s and 1920s, has now improved in status. Is has moved from the Near Threatened category to Least Concern thanks to habitat protection and the enforcement of laws such as the USA Marine Mammal Protection Act. The species’ population rebounded from some 200 to 500 individuals in the 1950s to around 20,000 in 2010. Prior to exploitation for its dense, luxurious underfur, the Guadalupe Fur Seal was likely the most abundant seal species on the islands of southern California, with a population estimate of 200,000.
According to the update, several mammals are facing increased threats from hunting and habitat loss. The extremely reclusiveAfrican Golden Cat (Caracal aurata) has moved from Near Threatened to Vulnerable due to population decline. The New Zealand Sea Lion (Phocarctos hookeri) – one of the rarest sea lions in the world – has moved from Vulnerable to Endangered, mainly due to disease, habitat modification caused by fishing, and accidental death as a result of bycatch. The species has never recovered from the severe population depletion which occurred due to commercial hunting early in the 19thcentury.
Despite successful conservation action in southern Africa, the Lion (Panthera leo)remains listed as Vulnerable at a global level due to declines in other regions. The West African subpopulation has been listed as Critically Endangered due to habitat conversion, a decline in prey caused by unsustainable hunting, and human-lion conflict. Rapid declines have also been recorded in East Africa – historically a stronghold for lions – mainly due to human-lion conflict and prey decline. Trade in bones and other body parts for traditional medicine, both within the region and in Asia, has been identified as a new, emerging threat to the species.
Assessments of all 84 species of tropical Asian slipper orchid – some of the most beautiful ornamental plants – show that 99% of these species are threatened with extinction, primarily due to over-collection for horticultural purposes and habitat loss. All international commercial trade in this species is prohibited under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). However, highly damaging illegal trade continues due to a lack of adequate enforcement at national levels. Although these species are mostly represented in cultivated collections, their loss in the wild will have major impacts on their genetic diversity and the species’ continued existence. For example, the Purple Paphiopedilum (Paphiopedilum purpuratum), a rare species found in Viet Nam, China and Hong Kong, is listed as Critically Endangered. Threats include habitat fragmentation and degradation, and ruthless collection in the wild for the regional and international horticultural trade.
Forty-four Indian species of medicinal plant have been added to the IUCN Red List in this update. All are threatened with extinction, mainly due to over-collection and habitat loss.Aconitum chasmanthum,a highly toxic plant endemic to the Himalayan region of India and Pakistan, is listed as Critically Endangered due to unsustainable collection of tubers and roots, as well as habitat loss from avalanches and the construction of high-altitude roads. The roots and tubers, which contain alkaloids, are used in Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicine and are collected in huge quantities.
Two species of crab,Karstama balicumandKarstama emdi,have been listed as Critically Endangered as their only known habitat – Bali’s Giri Putri Cave – is threatened by increasing tourism and religious ceremonies carried out in the cave. Studies of the crabs are being carried out in order to identify appropriate conservation strategies.
Of the 143 species of gobyassessed in the Caribbean region, 19 are threatenedwith extinction mainly due to a 59% decline in coral reef habitat between 1979 and 2011, and the invasiveLionfish (Pterois volitans). Gobies are one of the largest families of marine fish. They comprise more than 2,000 species, including some of the smallest vertebrates in the world, such as the Critically Endangered Dwarf Pygmy Goby(Pandaka pygmaea), which is only 1 to 1.5 cm long. The Peppermint Goby (Coryphopterus lipernes), which grows to a maximum of 3 cm, has been listed as Vulnerable. Previously listed as Least Concern, the Glass Goby (Coryphopterus hyalinus) is now Vulnerabledue to increased threat from the invasive Lionfish.
Whilst no new species have been listed as Extinct, 14 species have been assessed as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct). These include the evergreenMagnolia emarginata,a treeendemic to Haiti,whichhas suffered from an estimated 97% reduction of its forest habitat during the last century.Ten species of orchid endemic to Madagascar, such as the white floweringAngraecum mahavavense, have also entered The IUCN Red List as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) primarily due to loss of forest habitat and illegal collection.
“It is encouraging to see several species improve in status due to conservation action,” saysJane Smart, Director, IUCN’s Global Species Programme. “However, this update shows that we are still seeing devastating losses in species populations. The IUCN Red List is the voice of biodiversity telling us where we need to focus our attention most urgently – this voice is clearly telling us that we must act now to develop stronger policy and on-the-ground conservation programmes to protect species and halt their declines.”
Water resources underpin our quality of life and our national economy. Water is essential not only for sustaining quality of life on the earth, but also for economic growth and poverty eradication. Reliable, adequate and high quality water is vital for economic development and well-being. Access to safe and adequate water improves health, fulfils multiple needs of households, contributes to food and fibre production and poverty elimination. The sustainability of Nigeria’s economic growth and development will depend, among other things, on what happens to its water resources. Water is a key input to economic growth sectors and contributes to employment, job creation and gross domestic product (GDP), but the sector is highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate change threatens the country’s water resources.
Prof. Emmanuel Olukayode Oladipo
The most recent report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) states that global warming will lead to changes in all components of the freshwater system. It concludes that water and its availability and quality will be the main pressures on, and issues for, societies and the environment under climate change. There is a general concern that water availability could become a bigger challenge than energy security because under present conditions and with the way water is being managed, we could run out of water long before we run out of fuel.
Global warming induced changes in weather patterns that can have serious repercussions on the country’s water resources have become more frequent in recent years. Climate change impacts on water are directly undermining human development because of their linkages to water supply, sanitation, food, energy, health, and, by extension, the Millennium Development Goals/Sustainable Development Goals (MD/SDGs). Water is the primary medium through which climate change influences Earth’s ecosystem and thus the livelihood and well-being of societies. Higher temperatures and changes in extreme weather conditions are projected to affect availability and distribution of rainfall, river flows and groundwater, and further deteriorate water quality. The poor, who are the most vulnerable, are likely to be adversely affected.
Climate change impacts to water and water-dependent resources present new and complex challenges to the water resources management community. Climate change threatens the country’s water resources, as water stress is already high in many parts of Nigeria. To sustain jobs, employment, economic growth and social stability, investment decisions must be made to promote water security and climate resilient growth and development. Meeting the challenges of water resources development under increasing changes in climate requires close collaboration between the water resources management community and the science community to develop and apply new and improved scientific information and technical tools.
Improved water management is critical to ensure sustainable development. This will benefit many aspects of the economy, in particular health, food production and security; domestic water supply and sanitation; energy and industry, whilst also contributing to development goals, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, particularly floods and drought related disasters for environmental sustainability. If addressed inadequately, management of water resources will jeopardise progress on poverty reduction targets and sustainable development in all economic, social and environmental dimensions.
Owing to future uncertainties, the key to adaptation must be resilience – managing risks and building capacity to deal with unpredictable events, especially of the most vulnerable rural and urban poor. To build resilience to ongoing and future climate change calls for immediate adaptation. Adaptation to climate change is closely linked to water and its role in sustainable development. To recognise this reality and to respond accordingly presents development opportunities. Various necessary adaptation measures that deal with climate variability and build upon existing land and water management practices have the potential to create resilience to climate change and to enhance water security and thus directly contribute to development. Innovative technological practices and implementation of strategies are also needed at the appropriate levels for adaptation as well as for mitigation.
Adaptation to climate change is urgent. As water is an essential resource in all aspects of life (social, economic and environmental), one of the most crucial ways to adapt to the growing number of negative consequences and costly feedbacks associated with climate change is to manage water effectively for enhanced resilience. This requires significant investments and policy shifts, which could be guided by the following principles of:
Mainstreaming adaptations in the water sector within the broader development context;
Strengthening governance and improving water resources management;
Improving and sharing knowledge and information on climate and adaptation measures, and investing in data collection;
Building long-term resilience through stronger institutions, and investing in infrastructure and in well functioning ecosystems;
Investing in cost-effective and adaptive water management as well as technology transfer;
Leveraging additional funds through both increased national budgetary allocations and innovative funding mechanisms for adaptation in water management.
Responding to the challenges of climate change impacts on water resources and building resilience of the sector to improve the quality of life in Nigeria requires that we do things differently from what current obtains.
It requires that we undertake detailed vulnerability assessment of our water resources to changes in climate. This is to determine, in quantitative and evidence-based terms, climate change implications for water resources in the various main river basins of Nigeria towards improving on the water management and putting in place required infrastructure changes that will improve our water situation.
We also need to do same for the urban water supply in a demand /supply modelling and output that will also show the implications of climate change on urban water supply and what needs to be done to improve the current unacceptable situation of inadequate water to meet the needs of the urban population, especially in the face of changing climate.
Understanding the economics of climate change for the water sector is also important. This will enable us appreciate the benefits of improved investment in the water sector for sustainable development and poverty reduction.
Our response also requires adaptation strategies at the local, state, national and even regional levels. Nigeria will need to improve and consolidate its water resources management systems and to identify and implement “no regrets” strategies, which have positive development outcomes that are resilient to climate change. Some of these adaptation strategies may include:
Integrated water resources management (IWRM) to promote integrated river basin management;
Resilient water supply infrastructure development;
Improving water demand management and services;
Economic instruments/incentives;
Investment in small-scale earth dams in place of conventional large-scale dams;
Adoption of water conservation and harvesting practices;
Exploitation of alternative water supplies, including inter and intra basin water transfer, focusing on within country approach rather than the overly ambitious and not likely to succeed water transfer project from Ubangi River to Lake Chad;
Good river basin governance and scale-up regional cooperation, particularly along the Niger and Benue Basins and catchment areas;
Improved hydrometric network;
Policy, regulatory and institutional reforms for water supply and demand management; and
Capacity development for smart-decision making for resilient water resources management.
In particular, IWRM, which is the sustainable development, allocation and monitoring of water resource use in the context of social, economic and environmental objectives, is a very good all in all entry point for a climate resilient water development for poverty reduction. Incorporating climate resilient development as part of IWRM approaches will reduce risk across all sectors and reinforce cross-sector integration. Nigeria needs to build on IWRM foundations as an effective way to fast-track the integration of climate resilience in development planning, particularly in the water sector.
Due to rapid increase in population, the demand for water in Nigeria will increase over time. The challenge will be to meet increasing demand in the face of changing climate. Nigeria may face a water crisis not only because of possible climate change-induced physical scarcities of the resources, but because of poor knowledge, experience, technology and co-ordination among different institutions. Better management coupled with effective policy, intensified political will, appropriate investments, awareness, climatic change adaptation and institutional strengthening are promising pathways for sustainable water resources management. In order to meet the water demand for environment, economic and people’s life, there is scope for significant improvement in the efficiency of water utilisation, which if achieved should enhance the overall sustainability. Coupling climate information and climate knowledge in strategic planning and adaptive decision is crucial to tackle future water resources challenges. Climate resilient water resources management is a cost effective strategy; contributing to the economic prosperity and poverty reduction through several pathways, while strengthening systems and capacity for longer-term climate risk management.
A climate resilient approach means that the way surface and ground water resources are being used will have to change and the current strategies and policies redesigned. It will require keeping sectoral balance between water supply and demand without compromising the sustainability of vital ecosystem. Water discharge must be brought into balance with water recharge.
Water must be seen as essential not only for sustaining quality of life but also for peace building, in which it is better to provide some water for all rather to provide more for some. Reliable and secure access to water must be ensured, and water provision be taken as a good entry point for community empowerment. Empowering people to use water efficiently, increasing productivity and equity of existing systems and promoting crop diversification are also some of the pathways to promote climate resilient water resources management for sustainable development.
Responsible water management coupled with advanced resources consumption techniques and environmentally sound approaches will also contribute to country’s prosperity. Groundwater abstraction needs to be dealt carefully. In industrial sector, to overcome water shortage, water should be recycled and reused. Also, the treated waste water should be returned to the nature. In the agricultural sector, farmers should be encouraged and financially supported to adopt high efficiency irrigation systems for productive and sustainable patterns of water use to alleviate poverty and reduce the waste in the current water use for agriculture that may become unsustainable in the face of changing climate. This may call for (i) shifting production from areas with low water productivity to areas with high water productivity, thus increasing water use efficiency; (ii) water smart food production; (iii) shifting to cropping /consumption patterns that require less water; (iv) technological improvement in water systems, agriculture use practices and water technologies; and (v) development of water-food-energy-environment-climate nexus.
Climate resilient water resources management for sustainable development and poverty reduction in Nigeria will also involve: (i) shifting from blue water use to green water use; (ii) shifting towards green growth, green economy and green water supported by green societies; (iii) shifting from short term water resources planning to more strategic and long-term planning; (iv) strengthening governance of water resources; (v) developing new systems without repeating the mistake done in the past; (vi) putting in place integrated strategies to support systemic changes in the sector for integrated, complementary and mutually reinforcing water development pathways; and (vii) linking policymakers to water end-users.
For climate resilient water resources management for national development, the following are recommended:
Firm steps should be taken immediately at federal, state and local government levels to value water appropriately, and promote its wise use and conservation by establishing appropriate water conservation guidelines and practices for an IWRM.
Water use in the country should be made to meet nature’s need and be consistent with sustaining resilient and functioning ecological systems under changing climate;
Early warning systems should be established and/or strengthened to harmonize national flood protection strategies.
Governments at all levels should design and sustain water supply infrastructure based on ecological principles and adaptation to a changing climate.
There must be comprehensive and continuous monitoring of the surface and ground water resources of the country to provide up-to-date information required to manage water effectively in a changing climate.
Water must be recognised as a human right integral to security and health.
Holistic approaches to managing watersheds through collaborative governance should be supported.
The importance of groundwater must be recognized and governments at all levels must understand and value its role in creating a sustainable and resilient future for the country.
Coordinated long-term national strategies for sustainably managing water in the face of climate change should be valued and developed.
The country should advance policy reform (Nigeria is yet to finalise a national policy on water since 2004) and champion a new Nigerian Water ethic in the face of changing climate.
Capacities of national and state water management institutions should be strengthened for climate resilience approach to water resources management
The management practices of state and urban water boards and basin authorities will have to be adjusted to take into account the new demands imposed by the changing climate, as part of a more holistic vision of the role of water in sustainable development processes.
The technical knowledge base on the impacts of climate change on water will have to be enhanced in order to be able to foresee and interpret more precisely the impacts of climate change on the components of the water cycle in the future, as well as outlining the actions to be carried out to cope with these changes.
Financial arrangements for state and urban water boards and basin authorities must be diversified (including using the public private partnership approach) in order to allow greater flexibility when facing the onset of unexpected occurrences, and so as to be able to relieve the current dependency on funds from the federal and state governments.
Better use must be made of existing science as well as investing in the research and development of new technologies to prepare a response that is more adapted to the challenge of climate change in the water sector.
(People who are interested in additional technical details can read the following reports: (i) Oladipo, E. O. 2014; Climate Resilient Water Resources Management for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria. Lecture Delivered at the 12th Edition of Chief S. L. Edu Memorial Annual Lectures. (ii) UNWater (2010): Climate Change Adaptation: The Pivotal Role of Water. Available at www.unwater.org/downloads/unw_ccpol_web.pdf)
By Prof. Emmanuel Oladipo (Climate Change Specialist and Adjunct Professor,Department of Geography, University of Lagos, Nigeria. Email: olukayode_oladipo@yahoo.co.uk)
