The member representing Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Rodney Ambaiowei, has appealed to host communities to protect oil and gas infrastructures in their domain against vandals.
Mr. Rodney Ambaiowei handing over the relief materials
Ambaiowei made the appeal on Monday, October 21, 2024, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, while handling over relief materials to four communities affected by an oil spill in Tebidaba and Ogoinbiri pipelines.
The communities are Olugboboro, Olugbobiri, Tebitaba and Okonriama, which are hosts to oil facilities recently acquired by Oando from Nigerian Agip Oil Company.
The relief materials provided include a truckload of food items comprising garri, rice, spaghetti, vegetable oil, tomato paste, iodised salt, seasoning cubes and beverages.
Other items are truck load of plastic buckets, blankets, mosquito nets, toilet soap and detergent.
The lawmaker said that the relief materials were provided by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMÀ).
Ambaiowei, who facilitated the intervention, said there was the need for host communities to protect oil facilities because oil was one the mainstay of the economy.
“I want to advice my constituent, to please endeavour as much as you can to protect the pipelines, because the more we protect the pipelines for spillage not to occur, more money will come to the coffers of the federal and state governments to provide democracy dividends,” Ambaiowei said.
He also urged community leaders to enlighten their subjects not to destroy pipelines in their domain.
The lawmaker stated that the palliatives distributed were to ameliorate the sufferings of the communities whose environment had been polluted thereby hindering means of livelihood.
“For people that their means of livelihood are affected, these relief materials will be useful support to the victims,’’ Ambaiowei said.
He also tasked community leaders to share the palliatives equitably to all affected households in their communities.
Ambaiowei used the opportunity to commend the Director-General of NEMA and the management of the agency for their prompt response to the plight of the communities.
Speaking earlier, the Zonal Coordinator, NEMA, South-South Zone, Port Harcourt, Mr. Adebiyi Razaq said that when NEMA received the report of the spillage, the agency went into action and visited the site.
He noted that since the people’s means of livelihood had been adversely affected, there was need for intervention to offer succour to them.
Razaq also appealed to the communities to be on the alert and inform appropriate authorities swiftly whenever there was problem.
Dr Simeon Ayogo, Director of Information and ICT in the State Emergency Management Agency, SEMA, and the representative of Southern Ijaw LGA in the board of the agency, decried spillage.
Ayogo promised that the agency would ensure that the relief materials were delivered to the beneficiaries.
Mr. Basil Kenbo, community leader and the Technical Adviser to Bayelsa Governor on Federal Projects and Programmes coordination, who spoke on behalf of the four communities, commended the lawmaker and NEMA for the relief materials.
Climate change is increasingly influencing fire behaviour worldwide and intensifying fire smoke, endangering public health from air pollution caused by fires.
Fire fighters battle a forest fire
These are the results of two new climate change impact attribution studies, both published in Nature Climate Change, with involvement of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research PIK.
The first study finds 15.8 percent higher global burned areas over the period 2003 to 2019 due to climate change, intensifying fire activity especially in Australia, South America, Western North America and Siberia. These increasing fire dynamics offset the decrease in burned area due to land-use changes and increasing population density.
Building on this, the second study examines how climate change is linked to a global increase in deaths from fire-related air pollution. Climate change increased these deaths from 669 annually in the 1960s to over 12,500 in the 2010s.
“Our study demonstrates that when fires do occur, the influence of climate change with drier and warmer weather conditions is increasingly significant,” explains Chantelle Burton, researcher at the Met Office Hadley Centre and joint lead-author of the first study.
In the paper, the researchers map the influence of climate change and socio-economic factors on global and regional ‘burned area’ from wildfires in forests, savannahs etc. Using a comprehensive ensemble of global fire-vegetation models, they show that climate change has increased the global burned area by 15.8 percent from 2003 to 2019 compared to a situation without climate change, with hotspots in Australia, South America, Western North America and Siberia – major fire-prone regions.
For the same period, they illustrate that climate change made months with above-average burned areas more likely. Yet, overall, global total burned area is decreasing as natural lands are converted for human uses, such as agriculture, which has reduced available areas for fires by about 19 percent over the same period. While these trends currently offset each other, the researchers find that the effect of climate change on fires is increasing over time, as the climate continues to warm.
Air pollution from fires poses a health risk to the population
The second study assesses the global impact of climate change on air pollution from fires and associated health risks over the past 60 years. The team of researchers finds that fire-related deaths from air pollution have risen from 46,401 annually in the 1960s to 98,748 in the 2010s. Among those, 669 annually in the 1960s to over 12,500 in the 2010s can be attributed to climate change, according to the scientists.
“This indicates that climate change is increasingly posing a threat to public health, driven by more fire smoke even affecting densely populated areas,” explains Chae Yeon Park, researcher at the Japanese National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology and lead author of this study.
Fire smoke contains extremely small particles. These particles are small enough to enter the respiratory system and pose significant health risks causing pulmonary and respiratory diseases. Regions like South America, Australia and Europe experienced the most significant increases in fire mortality attributed to climate change, coinciding with hotter, drier conditions caused by global warming. While decreasing humidity and rising temperatures are increasing fire risks, the researchers also observed that in some areas, such as South Asia, increasing humidity led to fewer deaths from fires that are due to climate change.
“It’s crucial to understand that the impact of smoke from fires extends beyond those living directly in the affected areas – it also significantly affects people living in cities,” concludes Christopher Reyer, PIK researcher and co-author of the study. “While cities might not face immediate fatalities from wildfires, our study confirms that smoke exposure can lead to serious public health consequences. Thus, it is vital to reduce emissions and enhance fire management strategies, to minimize the impacts of fires on ecosystems, economies, and public health across the globe.”
The COP29 Presidency on Monday, October 21, 2024, published the final texts of nine Declarations and Pledges as part of its Action Agenda for the upcoming UN climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan this November. These documents provide pathways for all global actors to come together and commit to enhanced ambition across key climate priorities.
Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President-Designate
The COP29 Presidency’s Action Agenda, first outlined in an open letter to Parties and Constituencies in September, is a comprehensive set of initiatives designed to complement the formal UNFCCC negotiation process. While not part of the official negotiations, these Declarations and Pledges aim to catalyse action and ambition across all sectors of society.
With the final texts now published, government and non-government stakeholders have the opportunity to endorse these documents, which will be formally launched at the COP29 climate summit in November.
The texts, finalised following a period of public consultation, include:
COP29 Truce Appeal
The appeal for a COP Truce, modelled on the Olympic Truce, will highlight the importance of peace and climate action. It will aim to remind all nations of the interplay between conflict and climate change and emphasise the imperative of finding collective solutions to protect the most vulnerable.
COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge
The outcome Pledge will aim to increase global energy storage capacity six times above 2022 levels, reaching 1,500 gigawatts by 2030. To enhance energy grids, endorsers will also commit to enhance grid capacity through a global grid deployment goal of adding or refurbishing 25 million kilometres of grids by 2030, recognising analysis from the IEA on the need to add or refurbish an additional 65 million kilometres by 2040 to align with net-zero emissions by 2050.
COP29 Green Energy Zones and Corridors Pledge
The outcome Pledge will commit to green energy zones and corridors, including targets to promote investment, stimulate economic growth, develop, modernise and expand infrastructure, and foster regional cooperation.
COP29 Hydrogen Declaration
The outcome Declaration will unlock the potential of a global market for clean hydrogen and its derivatives with guiding principles and priorities, to address regulatory, technological, financing, and standardisation barriers.
COP29 Declaration on Green Digital Action
The outcome Declaration aims to accelerate climate-positive digitalisation and emission reductions in the Information and Communication Technology sector and enhance accessibility of green digital technologies.
COP29 Declaration on Reducing Methane from Organic Waste
The outcome Declaration will streamline work towards 1.5-aligned waste sector commitments in national climate policy documents with quantified targets to reduce methane in waste and food systems.
COP29 Multisectoral Actions Pathways (MAP) Declaration to Resilient and Healthy Cities
The outcome Declaration will seek to enhance multisectoral cooperation to address climate challenges in cities and an initiative to create coherence in all urban climate efforts and catalyse urban climate finance.
COP29 Declaration on Enhanced Action in Tourism
The outcome Declaration will include sectoral targets for tourism in NDCs and promote sustainable practices by reducing emissions and increasing resilience in the sector. A further initiative with outcomes to enhance transparency in the sector and provide frameworks for sustainable food systems in tourism.
COP29 Declaration on Water for Climate Action
The outcome Declaration will call upon stakeholders to take integrated approaches when combating the causes and impacts of climate change on water basins and water-related ecosystems, strengthen regional and international cooperation, integrated water-related mitigation and adaptation measures in national climate policies. The Declaration will launch the Baku Dialogue on Water for Climate Action to enhance COP-to-COP continuity and coherence in the field.
The COP29 Truce Appeal is said to have already gained significant traction, with support from 127 countries and nearly 1,100 non-state actors. It calls for a pause in conflicts during the COP29 period to reduce emissions from military activities and promote global peace.
In line with the COP29 Presidency’s two-pillar plan for the year, the Declarations and Pledges aim to enhance ambition across all climate pillars. They present opportunities for governments to incorporate sectoral targets into national climate plans and for stakeholders to agree on principles to strengthen collective climate efforts.
Alongside the Declarations and Pledges, the COP29 Presidency will release a programme of Presidency-hosted events for the UN climate summit. These sessions will bring together relevant stakeholders for focused discussions on thematic items and serve as platforms to launch the various declarations.
COP29 President-Designate, Mukhtar Babayev, said: “These Declarations and Pledges are vital tools to drive progress on climate action. They send strong market signals, help direct financial flows, and foster a sense of shared responsibility. I call on all parties and non-state actors to endorse these documents and help build momentum ahead of COP29. While signing these pledges alone will not deliver the changes we need, they play a significant role in supporting the COP29 Presidency’s vision to enhance ambition and enable action.”
He added, “The final texts reflect valuable input from a wide range of stakeholders, demonstrating the power of inclusive and transparent processes in addressing the climate crisis. We thank our partners for their collaboration throughout this process. We are particularly encouraged by the early support for the COP Truce Appeal, which highlights the interconnectedness of climate action and global peace.”
These initiatives are designed to complement, not replace, the critical work of the formal UNFCCC negotiations. They provide additional avenues for commitment and action, particularly for non-state actors who play a crucial role in the global response to climate change.
The Presidency encourages all stakeholders to review the final texts and consider endorsing these important climate initiatives, which collectively aim to accelerate progress towards the goals of the Paris Agreement.
With political will, Global North countries could deliver on $20 billion per year by 2025 and at least $30 billion per year by 2030 that is essential for accelerating implementation towards achieving the 2030 global biodiversity targets and 2050 goals.
COP16 President Susana Mohamed at the opening ceremony, Photo credit: CBD
This was the submission of a group of campaigners operating under aegis of the Climate Action Network International, even as the 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (or UN Biodiversity Conference) commenced on Monday, October 21, 2024.
They insist that, against this backdrop, structural economic and political conditions underlying drivers of biodiversity loss and constraining government action, like financial system transformation, debt and tax justice, need to be addressed.
They stressed that finance is the big focus at this round of crucial UN biodiversity talks taking place in Cali, Colombia over the next two weeks.
“A pivotal moment for advancing global efforts on biodiversity, climate and social justice goals, it’s the first Convention on Biological Diversity Conference of the Parties (CBD COP16) since the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was adopted in 2022 following a series of delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to CAN, a set of demands released to mark the CBD COP16 emphasises the need for the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to be transformed into ambitious national-level implementation.
“At a time of multiple converging and mutually reinforcing crises, it is critical that national biodiversity and climate plans are aligned, integrate a human-rights based approach and do not rely on dangerous approaches and distractions. The voices and needs of Indigenous Peoples, environmental defenders and marginalised communities must be heard and recognised, and their rights guaranteed, with the official agenda for the biodiversity negotiations reflecting this,” added the group.
It added that the Cali talks need to send a strong political signal showing the strengthening of joint climate, biodiversity and rights ambition.
“This should entail increased cooperation across the three Rio Conventions to maximise synergies and minimise trade-offs, as healthy ecosystems are the life support for all of humanity and play a fundamental role in tackling climate change.”
Argentinian campaigner Catalina Gonda, and one of Climate Action Network’s representatives at the biodiversity talks, said: “There is growing concern here that the level of ambition will fall far short of global biodiversity targets. Only a handful of countries, which are signed up to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, have revised their action plans. At a time of catastrophic natural loss across the globe, which is accelerating the climate crisis, it is more than alarming that countries are risking pushing us to the brink, particularly people in frontline and marginalised communities.”
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for closing the estimated $700 billion annual biodiversity funding gap through the following steps: reforming harmful incentives by at least $500 billion per year by 2030; increasing the level of financial resources from “all sources” to at least $200 billion per year by 2030; and mobilising international biodiversity finance from developed to developing countries to at least $20 billion annually by 2025 and $30 billion by 2030.
“The level of ambition demonstrated at COP16 hinges on how successfully rich nations demonstrate progress on the most imminent target of mobilising $20 billion annually by 2025 for developing countries. However, we know this is far from enough, and we need transformational approaches to address the root causes that keep extractivism in place, such as reforming harmful incentive schemes, preventing tax avoidance, cancelling debt in Global South countries to free up funds, and rethinking austerity measures,” said Gonda.
A major United Nations conference on biological diversity opened on Monday, October 21, 2024, in Cali, Colombia, where 196 nations will discuss how to halt and reverse the decline of the natural world. The meeting will continue till Friday, November 1.
Participants at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) in Cali, Columbia
The 16th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (or UN Biodiversity Conference) features a packed 12-day agenda designed to help humanity make “peace with nature”, in the words of host country Colombia. That process is crucial for fostering peace and supporting sustainable development, leaders are expected to argue. The gathering comes amid a precipitous decline in ecosystems around the world which is creating a “dangerous and uncertain tomorrow,” warns UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
In Cali, country representatives are discussing the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a landmark 2022 agreement to halt and reverse nature loss. They will also explore how to channel billions of dollars to developing countries to preserve and sustainably manage biodiversity. And they will debate ground-breaking rules that could require private companies to compensate nations for advances based on genetic sequencing.
“In many ways, this is a make-or-break moment for nature and by extension many communities around the world,” says Susan Gardner, director of the Ecosystems Division at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). “Environmental degradation is fueling poverty, driving displacement and sparking conflict. Over the last several years, we’ve seen countries make bold commitments to address the nature crisis. During the next two weeks, we need to see those promises turned into action.”
In 1992, 150 nations signed the Convention on Biological Diversity, a global agreement to support sustainable development by protecting the web of life on Earth. This marks the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) to that agreement, which has since come to include 196 nations.
What will be the underlying theme of COP16?
World leaders, scientists, youth groups, finance professionals and others will be attending what has been called the “COP of the people.” They are expected to focus on the message that humanity is running out of time to save the natural world – and by extension, itself. Natural resources and the services that nature provides underpin human civilisation. But ecosystems around the world are being degraded and 1 million species are threatened with extinction.
That crisis is entrenching poverty, jeopardizing economies and undermining any chance of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Despite that, there is a sense of optimism heading into COP16, with environmental advocates hopeful that the international community is ready to ramp up efforts to address this nature crisis.
“For too long, humanity has viewed itself as separate from nature,” says Gardner. “That perspective is starting to shift and COP16 will be an important opportunity to re-enforce the message that humanity and nature are intrinsically linked.”
Why is COP16 important?
It will be the first time countries have gathered since adopting the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework in 2022. The framework contains 23 groundbreaking targets that are designed to safeguard the natural world and that come due in 2030. Countries agreed to update their national plans for delivering on those targets by the time they arrive at COP16, which will feature a status check on how nations are faring.
“For this conference to be a success, we need to see evidence that countries are stepping up and translating the ambitions of the Global Biodiversity Framework into action at the national level,” said Gardner.
What role will genetics play at COP16?
A potentially huge one. Countries have vowed to share more broadly the profits that come from advances based on the genetic information of plants, animals and other living things. This information – which includes DNA – is stored digitally and is used by companies to develop everything from beauty products to blockbuster medicines to high-yield crops.
Governments have agreed to create a funding mechanism that would channel some of the profits from the use of this so-called digital sequencing information back into biodiversity conservation and the communities that protect nature. But it is not yet specified which businesses would pay into the fund, how much they should contribute, or how money would be distributed. Negotiators will try to answer those thorny questions at COP16.
Observers say these talks will be closely watched by players in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and agriculture sectors. One idea under discussion has suggested companies contribute 1 per cent of their profits to the funding mechanism, a number that could stretch into the tens of billions of dollars.
Will financing feature prominently in discussions?
Yes. Talks will focus on how to scale up the amount of money dedicated to nature. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework calls for countries to slash environmentally harmful subsidies by US$500 billion per year, and to spend US$200 billion annually on implementing their national biodiversity plans.
As part of this agreement, developed nations have committed to provide developing nations with US$20 billion annually to support biodiversity-related work, by 2025. At COP16, discussions will take place on the institutional arrangements for biodiversity finance and countries are expected to adopt an updated approach to mobilizing financial resources. Progress on those points would be an “important early signal” that developed countries are committed to delivering on the ambitions of the Global Biodiversity Framework, said Gardner.
“Funding is crucial to the success of the Global Biodiversity Framework,” she added. “Without it, we’ll be stuck in neutral whilst trying to move uphill.”
The agenda for COP16 focuses heavily on Indigenous Peoples. Why is that?
In many ways, they hold the key to a healthy natural world. Indigenous Peoples manage or have tenure rights over more than one-quarter of the world’s land area, including many of its most ecologically intact landscapes. But Indigenous Peoples, along with people of African descent and local communities, are often not at the table when it comes to making decisions about the natural world.
At COP16, negotiators will discuss a programme of work on traditional knowledge and practices, and the creation of a subsidiary body that would strengthen participation of Indigenous Peoples in the Convention on Biological Diversity. “Indigenous Peoples have been a foundation for conservation and have significant knowledge to share with the wider world,” says Gardner.
A civil society organisation, Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Foundation, has urged the Federal Government to ensure adequate community engagement in the nation’s energy transition plan.
Minister of Power, Mr Adebayo Adelabu
Mr Amara Nwankpa, the Director, Partnership and Development, stated this at a one-day workshop on shaping an inclusive energy future in the Niger Delta on Sunday, October 20, 2024, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Nwankpa said that the foundation was worried that the energy transition plan failed to gather the concerns of impacted communities in Niger Delta.
He said that the current energy transition plan in the country lacked sufficient consultation with impacted communities.
The director urged the planners of the energy transition programme to engage the people of the Niger Delta for inputs.
“The Niger Delta region will be severely affected if their input is not considered. It is important to consider the region’s interest in the plan.
“Niger Delta is an impacted region in the energy transition, it is important to engage them and consider their needs and interests,” he said.
In his speech, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, the Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, also expressed the need for community engagement in the energy transition plan.
Bassey said that Nigeria required stronger commitment towards meeting its energy challenges.
“There is need for community engagement and consultation to ensure a successful transition.
“The problem is not lack of energy resources, it is the production of enough energy to meet the citizens’ need,” he said.
He called for a decentralised energy system which would be managed and maintained by communities to meet their needs.
It will be recalled that Nigeria’s energy transition plan targets net-zero emissions by 2060, proposes gas commercialisation until 2030, and a gradual phase-out of fossil fuel.
The Lagos State Government has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with a British company for advanced recycling of plastic waste.
Plastc waste recycling
The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr Tokunbo Wahab, said this in a statement on Sunday, October 20, 2024, in Lagos.
Wahab said the initiative was part of efforts to reduce plastic waste in the state and facilitate its conversion.
According to the commissioner, the British Company is reputable for the conversion of plastic waste to energy.
Wahab said the LOI would grant access to the Abule Egba landfill for the collection of flexible plastic waste for advanced chemical recycling.
He said the project is a pilot one with GreenDeal Chemicals and Recycling and Greenback Recycling Technologies Ltd.
Wahab said the organisation, known for the transformation and management of chemicals and promotion of a circular and sustainable economy, would work at the decommissioned Abule Egba dumpsite in the state.
He said the project would focus on the collection of all flexible plastic waste arriving at the Abule Egba landfill site which would be recycled to generate energy.
He said the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) would make available waste deliveries which would serve as feedstock for the four modules of chemical recycling units to be installed at the site for the duration of the concession.
Wahab said that the four modules would require 32 metric tonnes of flexible plastic waste per day as feed stock for chemical recycling from selected and sorted plastic waste.
He added that the initial four modules installed would process 11,680MT of plastic waste per annum.
The commissioner said following the success of the pilot project, additional modules would be deployed and installed in order to scale-up the volume of processed plastic waste.
The statement quoted the Chief Executive Officer, GreenDeal Chemicals and Recycling, Dr Akintayo Adisa, as saying that GreenDeal is an initiative that sets out to reduce waste, increase recycling, and promote sustainable practices.
Adisa expressed the willingness of his company to work with the Lagos State Government to actualise the circular economy plan of the state.
The statement said that the LOI signing was witnessed by the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Dr Omobolaji Gaji, and the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Mr Mahamood Adegbite.
Others at the event included the Managing Director of LAWMA, Dr Muyiwa Gbadegesin; the General Manager Lagos Waste Water Management Office, Adefemi Afolabi; as well as directors in the Ministry.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has certified Egypt as malaria-free, marking a significant public health milestone for a country with more than 100 million inhabitants. The achievement follows a nearly 100-year effort by the Egyptian government and people to end a disease that has been present in the country since ancient times.
Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt
“Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilization itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“This certification of Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people and government of Egypt to rid themselves of this ancient scourge. I congratulate Egypt on this achievement, which is an inspiration to other countries in the region and shows what’s possible with the right resources and the right tools,” added Ghebreyesus.
Egypt is the third country to be awarded a malaria-free certification in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean Region following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco, and the first since 2010. Globally, a total of 44 countries and one territory have reached this milestone.
“Receiving the malaria elimination certificate today is not the end of the journey but the beginning of a new phase. We must now work tirelessly and vigilantly to sustain our achievement through maintaining the highest standards for surveillance, diagnosis and treatment, integrated vector management and sustaining our effective and rapid response to imported cases. Our continued multisectoral efforts will be critical to preserving Egypt’s malaria-free status,” said Dr Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, Deputy Prime Minister of Egypt.
“I reaffirm that we will continue with determination and strong will to safeguard the health of all people in Egypt under the wise leadership’s guidance and proceed with enhancing our healthcare system, this will remain a cornerstone in protecting the lives of all people living in and visiting Egypt.”
Certification of malaria elimination is granted by WHO when a country has proven, beyond reasonable doubt, that the chain of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been interrupted nationwide for at least the previous three consecutive years. A country must also demonstrate the capacity to prevent the re-establishment of transmission.
Egypt’s journey to elimination
Malaria has been traced as far back as 4000 B.C.E. in Egypt, with genetic evidence of the disease found in Tutankhamun and other ancient Egyptian mummies.
Early efforts to reduce human-mosquito contact in Egypt began in the 1920s when the country prohibited the cultivation of rice and agricultural crops near homes. With most of Egypt’s population living along the banks of the Nile River and malaria prevalence as high as 40%, the country designated malaria a notifiable disease in 1930 and later opened its first malaria control station focused on diagnosis, treatment and surveillance.
“Today, Egypt has proven that with vision, dedication, and unity we can overcome the greatest challenges. This success in eliminating malaria is not just a victory for public health but a sign of hope for the entire world, especially for other endemic countries in our region. This achievement is the result of sustained, robust surveillance investments in a strong, integrated health system, where community engagement and partnerships have enabled progress. Furthermore, collaboration and support to endemic countries, such as Sudan, remain a priority,” said Dr Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean.
By 1942, malaria cases in Egypt had spiked to more than 3 million as a result of the Second World War population displacement, the disruption of medical supplies and services, and the invasion of Anopheles arabiensis, a highly efficient mosquito vector, among other factors. Egypt succeeded in controlling the malaria outbreak through the establishment of 16 treatment divisions and the recruitment of more than 4,000 health workers.
The construction of the Aswan Dam, completed in 1969, created a new malaria risk for the country, as standing water produced breeding grounds for mosquitoes. Egypt, in collaboration with Sudan, launched a rigorous vector control and public health surveillance project to rapidly detect and respond to malaria outbreaks.
By 2001, malaria was firmly under control and the Ministry of Health and Population set its sights on preventing the re-establishment of local malaria transmission. Egypt rapidly contained a small outbreak of malaria cases in the Aswan Governorate in 2014 through early case identification, prompt treatment, vector control and public education.
Malaria diagnosis and treatment are provided free-of-charge to the entire population in Egypt regardless of legal status, and health professionals are trained nationwide to detect and screen for malaria cases including at borders. Egypt’s strong cross-border partnership with neighbouring countries, including Sudan, has been instrumental for preventing the re-establishment of local malaria transmission, paving the way for the country to be officially certified as malaria-free.
The Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP) has called on the Federal Government to prioritise urban planning to ensure sustainable and equitable development in Nigeria.
Nathaniel Atebije, National President of NITP
NITP President, Mr. Nathaniel Atebije, who made the call in an interview on Sunday, October 20, 2024, in Lagos, stated that urban planning is crucial particularly now that the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project implementation is ongoing.
He said: “What should be done now that we know the alignment of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway is for the government to create plans to manage the land, because immediately you put roads, if you do not create plans, the next thing is: people will begin to develop anyhow, and it becomes haphazard development.
“Such development can even become a security risk to the country, and even the economic benefits that would have been derived from that road will be lost.
“It is good that the government and states affected by this road should immediately create plans for the road and ensure that the corridor is taken very good care of.”
Atebije advised the government to have a dedicated ministry of physical planning for effective urban management.
According to him, this is because people often resist planning regulations due to the perception that they hinder development and freedom.
He said: “Even if people know the importance of planning, because they want to work without control, they rather do that than listen to what town planners have to offer.
“That is why the most critical ministry in government that will be created is ministry for physical planning.”
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that town planners would be appointed to positions related to urban planning for effective implementation of plans.
Atebije cited Lagos State as where the value of physical planning was recognised by government, saying that the state had implemented various urban development plans.
He advised the Federal Government to fully enforce laws governing physical planning.
The NITP president pledged the institute’s commitment to increased awareness among policymakers and the general public on the importance of urban planning.
A former Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babatunde Fashola, recently urged town planners to be more vocal and proactive in registering their visions and expertise in the Lagos Megacity master plan.
Fashola, who spoke at the Lagos Physical Planning Summit, said that town planners’ responsibilities extended beyond land use planning.
He said that town planners were often overlooked in spite of being key figures in envisioning and implementing a city’s master plan.
The Lagos State Government has raised an alarm of renewed threats of flash flood in the state following the intensity of rainfall experienced in the state on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
A flooded part of Lagos
The government described Thursday’s downpour as the heaviest in many months.
The state’s Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, said this in a statement issued on Saturday, October 19.
Wahab said the present situation was coupled with the release of water by the authorities of Oyan Dam.
“The channels could no longer discharge into the rivers,” he said.
He said the intensity of the rainfalls between Wednesday and Thursday had led to the levels of the major rivers rising.
“This is making it difficult for the major drainage channels to discharge until it goes down which is just happening gradually,” Wahab said.
Wahab said the latest flash flood advisory became necessary in view of the fact that the various data gathered from the weather monitoring stations showed that Thursday’s average and maximum values were the highest.
“In the past few weeks, the overall conditions observed show there is a drastic increase in water level at our four gauge stations within the state.
“We are aware that Ogun Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA) is releasing water from two gates of the Oyan Dam as announced earlier.
“A few days ago, at Kara (calibrated), the water level recorded 2.2m and which most likely might hit the threshold any time soon.
“At Isheri-North GRA, the water level recorded 20.02m which is above the flood threshold. These shows that the catchment areas along these axes are already experiencing river flooding.
“At Majidun, in the whole year, the peak water level was recorded on the October 14 at 1.466m while the minimum value was at 0.538m.
“At Falomo, with the incessant rainfall coupled with water releases from the OORBDA, both upstream and downstream of Lagos State will definitely experience flooding along the corridors,” Wahab said.
The commissioner noted that data available for the year showed that the month of October had much higher readings compared to previous months.
Wahab added that minutes and hourly readings for October showed consistently heightened water level readings when compared to previous months and other years.
He advised people living in low lying areas and the banks of the Ogun River to put their safety first by moving upland and prevent avoidable loss of lives and properties.
Wahab, however, warned that the state would still experience more rainfalls this month.
