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Planners to explore cities’ functionality at Ilorin forum

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Planners to explore cities’ functionality at Ilorin forum

Bothered by the fact that Nigerian cities may have failed to provide for and promote an environment sustainable for living, work and recreation, settlement development practitioners have taken up a campaign to address the unsavoury situation.

Chairman, Organising Committee and First National Vice-President of the NITP, Luka Achi
Chairman, Organising Committee and First National Vice-President of the NITP, Luka Achi

Under the aegis of their umbrella association – the Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), the city planners are using the occasion of their yearly meeting and conference to beam a light on the issue. The 46th Conference and Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the NITP has “Making Cities in Nigeria Functional” as its theme, and will hold in Ilorin, Kwara State October 27th to 30th, 2015.

Apart from taking stock of developments in the profession as well as welfare of the practitioners, the conference will attempt an overview of the functionality element of cities with a view to making them facilitate growth and development.

Chairman, Organising Committee and First National Vice-President of the NITP, Luka Achi, said: “The focus of this year’s theme is on making settlements in Nigeria functional. The human settlement is expected to provide and promote an environment suitable for sustainable living, work and recreation. In Nigeria, this dream has continued to be an illusion as settlements of various sizes and characteristics exhibit elements of disjointed and dysfunctional space use and inter-relationship.

“The impact of this can be observed in the absence of physical plans, poor transportation and related services, absence of social amenities and services and a general neglect of the socially disadvantaged group of the society. Where these plans exist, they are either distorted or not complied with.”

According to Mr. Achi, settlements are the centres of human survival and progress. “These investment, social development and cultural imprints evolve over time. The role of Planning is to ensure that these elements of human settlement progression are promoted through plans and development and control so as to ensure conduciveness, progress and fairness to all; and are sustained in the interest of future generations,” he added.

National Publicity Secretary of the NITP, Effiong Akpan, stated: “The goal of this year’s conference is to take an overview of the functionality elements of our cities with a view to exploring the application of physical planning strategies so as to make them functional and thereby facilitate growth and development of the human settlement in all its ramifications. To this extent, a practical experience sharing by the relevant stakeholders will be an added dimension to this programme.”

Nationa Secretary, Alex Ogbodo, stressed: “In fulfilling one of its objectives of traing and dissemination of information on the profession, the Institute organises National Conference and AGM every year during which issues of national importance and relevance are discussed, and recommendations are forwarded to government and other stakeholders for consideration and implementation with a view to facilitating organised growth and development in our nation.”

IPCC elects Bureau for Sixth Assessment Report

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IPCC elects Bureau for Sixth Assessment Report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) completed the election of its new Bureau on Thursday, after electing Hoesung Lee of the Republic of Korea as its new Chair on Tuesday.

Dr Youba Sokona, a Malian, who is one of the three Vice-Chairs of the IPCC. Photo credit: www.unccd.int
Dr Youba Sokona, a Malian, who is one of the three Vice-Chairs of the IPCC. Photo credit: www.unccd.int

The new Bureau, which consists of 34 members, up from 31 in the previous Bureau, will lead the Panel as it works on the forthcoming Sixth Assessment Report. Members are drawn from all six of the IPCC’s regions, and include eight women, compared with five previously.

A list of the members of the new Bureau can be found here: http://www.ipcc.ch/nominations/results.shtml.

The Panel also elected its new Bureau for the Task Force on National Greenhouse Inventories (TFI), consisting of 14 members, including its two Co-Chairs. A list of members of the Task Force Bureau can be found here: http://www.ipcc.ch/nominations/results.shtml#tfb.

The two Task Force Bureau Co-Chairs are also members of the IPCC Bureau. “The new Bureau is a strong and diverse body, drawing on the richness and expertise of all the IPCC’s regions. I look forward to working with them on the Sixth Assessment Report,” said Lee.

The election took place in Dubrovnik, Croatia, where the IPCC held its 42nd Session. The IPCC also authorised the budget for the coming year. The IPCC completed its Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) in November 2014.

The key findings of the AR5 Synthesis Report are:

– Human influence on the climate system is clear;

– The more we disrupt our climate, the more we risk severe, pervasive and irreversible impacts; and

– We have the means to limit climate change and build a more prosperous, sustainable future.

The next Session of the IPCC will take place in Nairobi, Kenya, on 11-15 April, 2016.

Financial markets shifting to address climate change, says report

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Financial markets shifting to address climate change, says report

Private sector investments are shifting to address the challenges posed by climate change, and this trend could accelerate if governments and policy-makers take further actions to increase the demand for low-carbon, climate resilient investment, according to a report released today by the United Nations Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) during a recent visit to Nigeria
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) during a recent visit to Nigeria

The new report, “Trends in Private Sector Climate Finance,” found that the private sector had made significant strides in response to the challenge posed by climate change since the 2014 Climate Summit in New York, where a range of finance sector including leaders from banks, pension funds, insurers and asset managers announced a series of high-profile commitments and targets to increase climate finance.

The report argues that the private sector has led the effort so far, but that now it is time for the policy makers to take action in order to accelerate the pace of private sector investment and engagement.

The report was presented to finance ministers at a special gathering in Lima, Peru that was jointly convened by France and Peru at the margins of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund.  It is a major milestone meeting, coming just over a month before countries meet in Paris to conclude a universal climate change agreement.

According to the new report, not only are most of the commitments made by the private sector at the Summit on track to being realised, moreover, hundreds of billions of dollars have been invested since the Summit to support low-carbon and climate-resilient investments in all parts of the world.

The increasing drive by the private sector, in both developed and developing countries is one of a series of trends that will help reduce emissions and improve climate resilience while providing energy, reducing air pollution and delivering a host of other benefits.

The report lists five inflection points that are signaling long term shifts. In addition to direct investments by the private sector, there has been the creation and expansion of the green bond market, which will issue between US $50-70 billion for climate finance in 2015. Other shifts include: the increased application of internal carbon pricing by companies that will determine investment opportunities; increased concern around the activities of carbon-intensive assets and companies; and the sustained scaling up of efforts by the insurance sector to respond to the climate impacts that are already locked in.

The report also highlights that despite these long-term signals, serious gaps remain. Low-carbon investments remain insufficient to put the world on a less than 2°C degree pathway, particularly in the developing countries, despite a finding that investment in renewables in emerging and developing countries are outpacing that of OECD members.

While the public sector has a vital role to play to help the world reorient itself to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future, the report concluded that the bulk of the financing and insurance driving the much needed transition will be provided by the private sector.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the 70th Session of the UN General Assembly in September that “Climate finance will be crucial,” and he urged developed countries to meet the agreed goal of $100 billion per year by 2020.

The report does not address the ongoing negotiations within the UNFCCC as to what constitutes climate finance or on what should be counted towards the goal of mobilising $100 billion a year by 2020 to address the needs of developing countries. Rather, it provides details on the progress made on the commitments and targets set by the private sector and the changes in the financial markets that are emerging.

The report states that the private sector has emerged more fully as a partner since the 2009 Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Action in the finance sector coalesced, and received a substantial boost, at the 2014 Climate Summit, which was “born of a recognition that the UN itself needed to change in order to facilitate the economic transition,” and aimed to bring together all actors with a role in addressing climate change to catalyse creative ideas and engender new partnerships.

UNEP: Aligning global finance with sustainable development

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UNEP: Aligning global finance with sustainable development

A new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released at the International Monetary Fund (IMF)/World Bank Annual Meetings holding in Lima, Peru shows how to harness the assets of the world’s financial system for sustainability.

Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP. Photo credit: www.spiegel.de
Achim Steiner, Executive Director of UNEP. Photo credit: www.spiegel.de

The key findings are that:

  • A ‘quiet revolution’ is underway as financial policymakers and regulators take steps to integrate sustainable development considerations into financial systems to make them fit for the 21st century.
  • Momentum is building and is largely driven by developing and emerging nations including Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Kenya, and Peru, with developed country champions including France and the UK.
  • Amplifying these experiences through national and international action could channel private capital to finance the transition to an inclusive, green economy and support the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

These are the core findings of a two-year Inquiry by the United Nations Environment Programme, summarised in a new report, The Financial System We Need. Commenting on the release:

Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNEP, said: “UNEP’s Inquiry has for the first time compiled and analysed inspiring initiatives from across the world that seek to better align the financial system with sustainable development, showing that there is much to be learnt from the developing world.

“We now need to raise the level of ambition and cooperation to ensure that the heartland of the global economy, the financial system, can evolve to serve its core purpose of growing and sustaining the real economy. UNEP’s report opens a new chapter by setting out how such an evolution can be achieved.”

Also speaking at the launch, Yi Gang, Deputy Governor of the People’s Bank of China, said the UNEP Inquiry report “delivers a vision of embedding sustainable development into the core of financial and capital markets. It should be a very useful guide and reference for many governments, financial institutions and international organisations in thinking about how to advance green finance.”

Yi praised UNEP’s contribution to the joint study with China’s central bank on the country’s green financial system, and said that “we have benefited significantly from UNEP’s vision of sustainable finance as well as its analysis on international experience,” and “are looking forward to continuing this partnership with UNEP in the future.”

Dr Atiur Rahman, Governor of the Bangladesh Bank, and a member of the Inquiry`s Advisory Council, speaking at the launch, said: “For the first time, the Inquiry has mapped the many innovations around the world seeking to ensure that the financial systems serves its purpose of financing inclusive, green development.”

John Lipsky, former first Deputy Managing Director of the IMF and a member of the Inquiry`s Advisory Council, said: “Reforming the financial system remains unfinished business – we have stabilised the system, but have a long way to go in designing a financial system that meets the needs of sustainable development.”

Murilo Portugal, the President of Brazil`s banking association, FEBRABAN, and a member of the Inquiry`s Advisory Council, “The Inquiry has catalysed awareness of the need to align financial markets to sustainable development, and highlighted practical pathways to improving such an alignment.”

Naina Kidwai, who is Chairman, HSBC India, Director, HSBC Asia Pacific, and a member of the Inquiry’s Advisory Council, said: “Too often the financial system and sustainable development have been tackled in separate silos. The Inquiry has shown for the first time how to systematically connect the dots, demonstrating practical ways in which we can mobilise the scale of capital needed in emerging markets, particularly for clean energy and clean water.”

Sharan Burrow, General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), noted: “The UNEP Inquiry is a valuable contribution to help reframe the financial system which is essential for a socially just transition to a low carbon economy.”

Henri de Castries, Chief Executive of AXA, one of over 40 partners of the Inquiry, stressed: “I welcome the Inquiry, as only a financial system with a sustainability orientation serves the economy and society, and so provides a sound foundation for fostering the long-term orientation of finance.”

Rachel Kyte, Vice President and Special Climate Envoy, World Bank Group: “The UNEP Inquiry has uncovered a new generation of policy innovations that aim to ensure the financial system serves the needs of inclusive, environmentally-sustainable, economic development. Its findings are an important input in advancing a new generation of financial system reform and support the delivery of our most important sustainability goals, and could play an important role for implementing the results of the forthcoming Paris climate talks.”

 

Highlights from ‘The Financial System We Need’ report from the UNEP Inquiry

The UNEP Inquiry into the Design of a Sustainable Financial System was established in January 2014 with a mandate to advance policy options that would improve the effectiveness of the financial system in supporting sustainable development.

Supported by a high-level Advisory Council of financial leaders, the Inquiry has looked in-depth at practice in more than 15 countries as well as across key segments of the financial system, such as banking, bond and equity markets, institutional investment, insurance as well as monetary policy. To reach its findings, the Inquiry has worked with central banks, environment ministries, international financial institutions as well as major banks, stock exchanges, pension funds and insurance companies.

The Inquiry has identified five types of measures that are being introduced by financial rule-makers:

  • Enhancing market practice through better disclosure, clearer responsibilities and improved product criteria.
  • Harnessing the public balance sheet, through fiscal incentives, public financial institutions and central bank action
  • Directing finance through policy measures, such as priority sector lending, legal requirements and liability regimes
  • Transforming financial culture, through capacity building, reformed incentives and market structure
  • Upgrading system governance, through guiding principles, regulatory mandates and performance measurement.

In total, the Inquiry found over 100 measures that are already in place, including:

  • China, a portfolio of 14 distinct recommendations to advance China`s green financial system, covering information, legal, institutional and fiscal measures
  • France, new disclosure requirements on climate change have been introduced for institutional investors as part of the country’s energy transition legislation
  • Kenya, has advanced financial inclusion through scaling of mobile based payment services, which is now also supporting green financing
  • Peru, new due diligence requirements have been introduced for banks to help reduce social and environmental externalities.
  • USA, emphasises fiscal measures to accelerate green finance, and had made significant advances in disclosure and investor action.

The Inquiry`s report presents a Framework for Action that includes a toolbox of nearly 40 different measures, a set of five policy packages across banking, bond and equity markets, institutional investors and insurance, and a prioritised set of 10 next steps to promote international financial cooperation.

Nations move to stop decline of vultures

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Nations move to stop decline of vultures

A further 18 birds of prey species have been listed at an international meeting of government representatives and experts this week in Trondheim, Norway. Seven of these species under threat are critically endangered according to the IUCN Red List.

Vultures
Vultures scavenging on a carcass. Photo courtesy: www.maxwaugh.com

The 2nd Meeting of the Signatories of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Conservation of Migratory Birds of Prey (Raptors MOU) was held 5 – 8 October in Trondheim at the invitation of the Government of Norway. The Raptors MOU was concluded under the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals as a special instrument to address threats to these species.

Countries agreed to list twelve vulture species, including the Hooded Vulture, White-rumped Vulture and the Lappet-faced Vulture, to Annex 1 of the agreement as a response to the current African Vulture Crisis. Vultures are suffering serious declines caused by illegal take and trade, and poisoning with toxic chemicals, which present serious risks to human health too.

CMS Executive Secretary Bradnee Chambers said: “Vultures are nature’s garbage collectors. These scavengers prevent the spread of disease and thereby directly protect human health.  In order to prevent yet another crisis, we must preserve animal and public health in Africa by maintaining this unique self-purification capacity of Nature. In Norway, countries agreed this week on a coordinated international response led by the CMS Raptors MOU to tackle the African Vulture Crisis.”

Efforts to stop the dramatic decline of vultures were supported by Iran which announced its decision to ban diclofenac, a drug which almost wiped out vulture populations in India.

The development of a Multi-Species Action Plan for all Old World Vultures was initiated to halt the decline of vulture populations.  The initiative to develop priority species action plans via the Raptors MOU is also included in CMS Resolution 11.14 on Migratory Birds and Flyways.

Illegal killing, taking and trade, conservation action for the Egyptian Vulture, as well as national and regional raptor conservation strategies were on the agenda.

The Chair of the meeting, Øystein Størkersen, Norway, said: “There is room to be more proactive, especially in specific fields, such as involving different sectors in addressing the key threats to migratory raptors. We shall reach our goals by building the palace stone by stone.”

Countries that have signed the MOU have agreed to work together to better protect vultures, eagles, hawks, falcons and owls. At the meeting, Comoros added its signature bringing the number of Signatories to 53.

Dams breached, 15 die as South Carolina flooding worsens

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Dams breached, 15 die as South Carolina flooding worsens

The rain may have stopped, but South Carolina is grappling with a host of new concerns. Dam breaks. Billions of dollars in damage. And rivers that still haven’t crested.

Flooding in South Carolina, USA
Flooding in South Carolina, USA

“God smiled on South Carolina because the sun is out,” Gov. Nikki Haley told reporters on Tuesday afternoon. “That is a good sign, but I will tell you that for us, we still have to be cautious. The next 36 to 48 hours are going to be a time that we need to continue to be careful.”

Haley declined to provide an estimated cost of the damage – which she called “disturbing” – but said state and Federal Emergency Management Agency officials were making assessments.

“It’s hard to look at the loss we’re going to have,” she said. “This could be any amount of dollars.”

More than 400,000 state residents were under a “boil water advisory” affecting about 16 water systems, according to Jim Beasley, a spokesman for the S.C. Emergency Response Team.

At least 11 dams have failed in South Carolina since Saturday, Haley and the state’s Emergency Management Division said. The structural integrity of 34 other dams was being monitored.

One failure, of the Overcreek Bridge dam in Richland County’s Forest Acres, sent a torrent of floodwater raging downstream and forced evacuations near Columbia.

Officials allowed water to breach at least one other dam, also in Richland County. Officials conduct these controlled breaches “to prevent a much larger incident and a much larger amount of water escaping from the dam,” emergency management spokesman Derrec Becker said.

Haley said National Guard members were assisting with sandbagging operations and other mitigation efforts. “It’s all hands on deck,” she said.

More evacuations are likely as floodwater rises.

So far, at least 17 people have died in weather-related incidents: 15 in South Carolina and two in North Carolina.

At least nine people drowned and six died in traffic accidents, South Carolina’s Department of Public Safety said.

North Carolina reported two deaths from traffic accidents, in Cumberland and Jackson counties, a state emergency management spokeswoman said.

Haley said there had been 175 water rescues so far in South Carolina, and more than 800 people were temporarily housed in shelters.

More than 70 miles of Interstate 95 in the state remained closed, with five to eight bridges still awaiting structural checks, she said.

Of all the scenes of items drifting away in the flooding, perhaps none appeared as dramatic as a casket unearthed from a cemetery.

Wayne Reeves, pastor of New Life Ministries in Summerville, was in the middle of an interview when he saw the casket float away.

So he headed into the waist-deep floodwater to retrieve it.

By Holly Yan and Ray Sanchez, CNN

COP 21: Nigeria builds ‘gender-balanced’ group of negotiators

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COP 21: Nigeria builds ‘gender-balanced’ group of negotiators

As the much-vaunted 21st Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) approaches, Nigeria has commenced moves to ensure a befitting participation at the global summit.

Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC), Federal Ministry of Environment (FME), Dr, Samuel Adejuwon (standing, making a presentation) with (from L-R) Mr. B. B. Agube, Manager Operations/CDM, Renewable Energy Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Prof Olukayode Oladipo, University of Lagos; Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai, Country Director of the UNDP; Mrs Nana Fatima Mede, Permanent Secretary in the FME; Mr Kasim Bayero, Director, Pollution Control & Environmental Health, FME; and Mrs Priscilla Achakpa, Executive Director, Women Environmental Programme (WEP) …at the Climate Change Negotiators Training in Abuja, FCT
Director, Department of Climate Change (DCC), Federal Ministry of Environment (FME), Dr, Samuel Adejuwon (standing, making a presentation) with (from L-R) Mr. B. B. Agube, Manager Operations/CDM, Renewable Energy Division, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Prof Olukayode Oladipo, University of Lagos; Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai, Country Director of the UNDP; Mrs Nana Fatima Mede, Permanent Secretary in the FME; Mr Kasim Bayero, Director, Pollution Control & Environmental Health, FME; and Mrs Priscilla Achakpa, Executive Director, Women Environmental Programme (WEP) …at the Climate Change Negotiators Training in Abuja, FCT

Towards this, the nation is establishing a group of national multi-sectoral experts that will support is negotiations at COP 21 in Paris, France, where about 196 countries will sign a new climate change agreement.

At a climate change training workshop that held in Abuja from Monday to Tuesday, the organisers – Federal Ministry of Environment (FME) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) – sought to build the capacity of a gender-balanced core group of national negotiators representing the academia, government, private sector players, civil society and the media.

Dr. Pa Lamin Beyai, Country Director of the UNDP, expressed hope that the forum would, in broader terms, increase the awareness of the strong linkages between climate change and sustainable development policies in Nigeria.

He said that it would foster deeper dialogue and cooperation across a network of national and sub-national technical experts and leaders in the field of international relations, economic development, forestry, natural resources management, green economy, national development and financial planning.

Similarly, he emphasised that the training would provide an enduring platform for national discussions that will in turn define Nigeria’s position and contribution to the COP 21 in Paris.

He said: “We all know that the current emissions on the greenhouse gas runs out in 2020. But, after that, what happens for the decade after that and beyond? That is the big question we need to ask ourselves.

“For us here, we would like to see Nigeria and along with other African countries develop a common position to address climate change challenges and its adverse effects on her population’s livelihood. We need to develop a strong legal framework, with clear rules, a central role for equity and with very strong linkage to the 2015 Sustainable Development Goals. Hopefully, with these elements in the new deal, we are well on our way towards tackling the impacts of climate change on the continent.”

According to him, the programme is aimed at increasing Nigeria’s presence and influence on international politics, notably within the UNFCCC framework, in a way that actively contributes to building the key conditions for successful mitigation and adaptation in the country.

“As you are all aware, a strong deal will not only help Nigeria meet her international obligations, eliminate poverty, improve health and the living standards of the people, make agriculture a flourishing sector, but that it would also help increase investment opportunities, especially in clean and renewable energy solutions, and as well as develop the much needed human and institutional capacities to undergird these progress,” Dr Beyai stated.

Permanent Secretary in the FME, Mrs Nana Fatima Mede, stressed that not only does Nigeria need to strengthen the capacity of her experts already engaged in the process, but her negotiators needed to be well grounded in the emerging issues of the Convention, its processes, intricacies and the required skills of deliberations and negotiations.

Her words: “The Nigeria current position in the context of the UNFCCC negotiation and along that of the Africa Group suggests a scheme based on equitable multilateral rules with a strong link to fair access to sustainable financing.

“Nigeria wishes to see a global objective for adaptation and a mitigation objective in the 2015 agreement to limit global warming to below 20C compared with pre-industrial levels. The Africa Group proposes the use of a reference framework to reflect mitigation actions and adaptation measures taken by the countries that would lead to equity.

“We will therefore continue to stress in our negotiation the necessity for the developed country Parties in the climate change process to come forward with ambitious scale of emission reduction both in the pre- and post-2020 Agreement.”

She added that the training workshop would enhance the technical capacity of Nigeria in the development of actions that allow the mainstreaming of climate change into national and sectoral development goals by continuing the institutional and technical capacity strengthening process.

Mrs. Mede officially launched the National Policy on Climate Change document which, according to her, the FME developed “to act as a guide in the national implementation on climate change activities. The implementation is cross-cutting in that it involves all sectors.”

AMCOMET moves to include meteorology in AU committee

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AMCOMET moves to include meteorology in AU committee

The African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology (AMCOMET) is participating at the inaugural Conference of the African Union (AU) Specialised Technical Committee (STC) holding in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to push for the inclusion of Meteorology (Weather and Climate) as an additional sector component of the STC whose current sectors includes, Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment.

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, venue of the Conference of the African Union (AU) Specialised Technical Committee (STC). Photo credit: visit2ethiopia.com
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, venue of the Conference of the African Union (AU) Specialised Technical Committee (STC). Photo credit: visit2ethiopia.com

The African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government had, in January 2009 and July 2011 respectively, adopted the configuration of the Specialised Technical Committees (STCs) and the modalities of their operationalisation as Organs of the Union. Composed of Ministers or senior officials responsible for sectors to provide support in their respective areas of competence, the STCs are responsible for preparing projects and programmes of the Union and submitting them to the Executive Council mad up of Ministers of Foreign Affairs.

The STCs have also the duty to ensure proper supervision, follow-up and evaluation of the implementation of decisions taken by the organs of the Union and the coordination and harmonisation of projects and programmes of the Union. The STCs are further expected to carry out any other functions assigned to them for the purpose of ensuring the implementation of the provisions of relevant AU Acts. They are also are expected to meet at least every two years in order to discharge the responsibilities vested upon them by the AU Assembly.

The overall objectives of the Inaugural Conference of the AU Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment is to review relevant strategic goals, facilitate mutual accountability and Identify synergies, linkages and complementarities in ongoing agriculture, rural development, water and environment related initiatives, and their implications on the achievement of the overarching goals of Africa Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation (3AGT) agenda for attaining food and nutrition security, reduce poverty, boost intra-African trade, and enhance resilience of production systems and livelihoods to Climate Change and related shocks.

More specifically, the Inaugural Conference of the AU Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment aims to attain the following objectives:

a. To review and adopt the Rules of Procedure of the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment;

b. To facilitate broad-based consultation and dialogue among all relevant stakeholders on mutual accountability, mutual learning and biennial reporting on previous commitments;

c. Consideration of various strategic documents related to Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment;

d. To identify synergies, linkages and complementarities in on-going agriculture, rural development, water and environment initiatives and agree on areas of follow up actions at various levels; and

e. To examine and internalise the strategic and operational modalities for coordination mechanisms between the relevant sector ministries at Member State level, which are also linked to those at the Regional Economic Community (REC) level.

The Inaugural AU STC Conference will, therefore, provide a peer environment for exchange and learning to support the achievement of individual and collective responsibilities for targets set by relevant sector ministries.

Land grab escalates as agricultural resources dwindle

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Land grab escalates as agricultural resources dwindle

As global agricultural resources shrink or shift, countries are crossing borders to obtain new farmlands

Gary Gardner, contributing author of the Worldwatch Institute's State of the World 2015
Gary Gardner, contributing author of the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2015

Since 2000, more than 36 million hectares – an area about the size of Japan – has been purchased or leased by foreign entities, mostly for agricultural use. Today, nearly 15 million hectares more is under negotiation.

“Farmland is lost or degraded on every continent, while ‘land grabbing’ – the purchase or lease of agricultural land by foreign interests – has emerged as a threat to food security in several countries,” writes Gary Gardner, contributing author of the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2015: Confronting Hidden Threats to Sustainability.

About half of grabbed land is intended exclusively for use in agriculture, while another 25 percent is intended for a mix of agricultural and other uses. (The land that is not used for agriculture is often used for forestry.) Land grab has surged since 2005 in response to a food price crisis and the growing demand for biofuels in the United States and the European Union. Droughts in the United States, Argentina, and Australia, has further driven interest in land overseas.

“Today, the FAO reports that essentially no additional suitable (agricultural) land remains in a belt around much of the middle of the planet,” writes Gardner. As a result, the largest grabbers of land are often countries that need additional resources to meet growing demands.

Over half of the global grabbed land is in Africa, especially in water-rich countries like the Congo. Asia comes second, contributing over six million hectares, mainly from Indonesia. The largest area acquired from a single country is in Papua New Guinea, with nearly four4 million hectares (over eight percent of the country’s total land cover) sold or leased out.

The largest investor country is the United States, a country already rich in agricultural land. The United States alone has acquired about seven million hectares worldwide. Malaysia comes in a distant second, with just over 3.5 million hectares acquired.

Land grabbing is precipitated by the growing challenges shaking the foundation of food production: the water, land, and climate that make crop growth possible. Globally, some 20 percent of aquifers are being pumped faster than they are recharged by rainfall, stressing many key food-producing areas. Land is becoming degraded through erosion and salinisation or is getting paved for development. The changing climate is projected to cause a net decline of 0.2-2 percent in crop yields per decade over the remainder of the century, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The dangers of land grabbing are evident. Large-scale purchases often do not consider the interests of smallholders who may have been working the land over a long period. Additionally, the transfer of resources from poorer countries to wealthier ones increases the vulnerability of the target countries that surrender their own access to land and water resources to foreign investors and governments.

“As demand for agricultural goods increases, and as our planet’s water and fertile land become more scarce and its atmosphere less stable, greater effort will be needed to conserve resources and to exploit opportunities for greater efficiency throughout the agricultural system,” writes Gardner.

By preventing food waste, increasing water efficiency, conserving agricultural land, and decreasing production of meat and biofuels (both of which require large quantities of land and water for grain or crops), Gardner believes that the stress on food systems can be reduced. In addition, the international adoption of the right to food, already integrated in the constitutions of 28 countries, will ensure that food cannot be withheld for political reasons.

Worldwatch’s State of the World 2015 investigates hidden threats to sustainability, including economic, political, and environmental challenges that are often underreported in the media. State of the World 2015 highlights the need to develop resilience to looming shocks.

Security, public spaces’ maintenance emphasised at World Habitat Day

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Security, public spaces’ maintenance emphasised at World Habitat Day

A call has been made on the need to beef up security and ensure that public spaces are well maintained for the good of all across the country.

UN-Habitat Programme Manager for Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yari. Photo credit: media.licdn.com
UN-Habitat Programme Manager for Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yari. Photo credit: media.licdn.com

The call was made on Monday during the celebration of this year’s World Habitat Day (WHD) organised by the Lagos State Government, held at Alausa in Lagos. The WHD 2015 theme is: “Public spaces for all”.

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), promoters of the annual WHD, in 1991 adopted a resolution promoting sustainable urban development through ensuring increased access to quality urban public spaces.

In a goodwill message at the occasion, UN-Habitat Programme Manager for Nigeria, Mallam Kabir Yari, said the progressive erosion of the public open spaces in cities has become a major casualty of unsustainable urbanisation and robbed the communities of some of the most critical elements of a healthy and productive space to grow and develop in.

Yari explained that, in traditional societies, open spaces are a cardinal element in the social, cultural and economic fabric of the community and more often than not, shaped the morphology of various settlements.

He said well designed and managed public spaces and streets are a key asset for a city’s livability and economy and, when well managed, enhance the well-being of residents through: increased property values; increased opportunity for retail activity; enhanced safety; improved health, social cohesion and equality; improved environment and more effective and efficient transportation and mobility.

The UN-Habitat manager commended the Lagos State Government for taking a lead in promoting the concept of urban regeneration through its deliberate programme of inner city improvements by way of restoration of previously bastardised parks and open spaces, beautification of transportation interchanges and the enhancement of environmental quality through the ‘greening’ of road setbacks and redesign of highway furniture.

Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State. Photo credit: ecomium.org
Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State. Photo credit: ecomium.org

Chairman, Lagos State chapter, Nigerian Institute of Town Planners (NITP), Mr. Anifowoshe Abiola, said physical planning the world over has become veritable tool in the organisation, ordering and shaping the pattern of growth and developments of any geographical space be it community, city, state and region among others.

“Within the context of this year’s theme, it becomes the responsibility of all of us – resident, visitors, professionals, politicians, market men and women, non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations, organised private sector and other stakeholders – to always ensure that our public spaces which are social spaces generally are made open and accessible to people,” he said.

Guest speaker, Prof. Tunde Agbola, defined public spaces as streets, markets, parks among others that are open to the general public and do not attract any entrance fee.

He said one of the major problems that do not allow people to visit public spaces world over is the fear of crime which he described as the beginning of wisdom.

He underlined the need to for government and the citizenry to ensure that adequate security are provided in public spaces, adding that there is the need for effective planning and management of public spaces.

Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Akinwumi Ambode, urged Lagosians to adopt the right attitude to public spaces so that the purpose can be realised.

The governor, represented by the Chief of Staff, Mr. Olukunle Ojo, said government is committed to the maintenance and preservation of public spaces.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement to observe the WHD, declared: “Public spaces are crucial for poor and vulnerable citizens. Improving access to them, and making them safe for women and girls, increases equity, promotes inclusion and combats discrimination.

“High-quality public spaces encourage people to communicate and collaborate with each other, and to participate in public life. Public spaces can also provide basic services, enhance connectivity, spawn economic activity and raise property values while generating municipal revenue.”

But, said Mr. Ki-moon, public spaces require careful collaboration among local authorities, local inhabitants and other actors.

The UN Secretary-General also highlighted the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 11, which aims to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.” He noted that the goal represented a “broad international consensus that recognises sustainable urban development as a transformational approach.”

Executive Director of the UN-Habitat, Joan Clos, noting the importance of the day’s theme, said in a statement that “the character of a city is defined by its streets and public spaces.”

His words: “Public space is a vital component of a prosperous city. Well designed and managed public space is a key asset for a city’s functioning and has a positive impact on its economy, environment, safety, health, integration and connectivity.

“The quality of life for people in cities is directly related to the state of its public spaces. Public space provides room for social and cultural interaction and can foster a sense of belonging and pride in an area. A public space that is open to all, regardless of ethnic origin, age or gender, provides a democratic forum for citizens and society.”

Without adequate public space, cities can become increasingly segregated, noted Mr. Clos. “The result can be a polarized city where social tensions are likely to flare up and where crime and violence rises.”

He added that World Habitat Day is being celebrated this year with a partnership between UN-Habitat and the ‘HeforShe’ initiative promoted by the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). The two UN agencies, he added, are aiming to promote the role of men and women in the creation of “gender-equal public spaces for all.”

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