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)
The House of Representatives Committee on Environment has indicted the Federal Ministry of Environment over the execution of the contract to procure 750,000 units of Clean Cookstoves and 18,000 units of Wonder Bags valued at N9,287,250,000.
The Velodrome, National Stadium, Abuja…location of the Clean Cookstoves delivery. Photo credit: abujafacts.ng
According to a report produced by its Ad-Hoc Committee to investigate allegations of irregularities in the procurement, execution and delivery of the contract made by the Ministry, the legislators concluded that two major factors attested to the fact that the pace of the contract’s execution was substantially impaired.
Firstly, the Committee disclosed, despite being aware of restriction on importation of some key components of the Wonder Bags, the Ministry appeared not to have taken enough steps to ameliorate the situation.
Some components of the Wonder Bags to be supplied via importation by the contractor are banned by Customs & Excise because they are made up of textile materials additives. The Committee found that a waiver supposedly being processed by the Ministry was never communicated to the contractor, Messrs Integra Renewable Energy Systems Limited.
Secondly, the Committee claimed that the contractor was starved off funds to execute the contract and was not able to be discharged from the terms of the Advance Payment Guarantee (APG).
The cookstoves
Indeed, the Committee discovered that, as a result of numerous letters written by a director in the Ministry to the contactor’s bank, the bank withheld a balance of about N300 million of 15% (N1,393,087,500) APG payment.
A letter stated that since the advance payment of 15% contract sum made to the contractor some months ago, no consignment of the ordered items had officially been received from the contractor.
Another letter alleged that the purported items had not been officially received by the Ministry’s Stores & Verification Department as they (the items) were in the contractor’s own storage facility instead of the Ministry’s store.
But the Committee found out that, via a directive from an official in the Ministry, the contractor had procured and delivered as at April 29, 2015 120,000 units of cookstoves to the Velodrome at the Abuja National Stadium, a facility the Ministry specially adopted for that purpose.
LPG stoves
Besides directing the permanent secretary, Nana Fatimah Mede, to take all necessary steps to ensure that the contract is preserved and executed to ensure the full benefit of Nigerians, the legislators asked the Ministry to write the contractor’s bank, acknowledging the receipt of some quantities of the stoves to enable the contractor access the balance of the N300 million from the 15% APG and facilitate the consequent discharge of the terms of the APG.
While urging the Ministry to regularise the over 120,000 stoves supplied by the contractor, the Committee likewise directed the Ministry to liaise with the Ministry of Finance to ensure that the components of the Wonder Bags that fall into the Nigerian Customs prohibition list are delisted to enable the contractor pay for and bring in the full compliments of the bags into the country.
Alternatively, the Ministry was asked to expunge provisions that are in the prohibited Customs list in the contract to avoid further delay in the procurement of the stoves and bags.
Additionally, the Ministry was directed to extend the project for a further period of 10 weeks to enable the contractor have enough time to procure the stoves and bags.
Fish is a source of high quality protein for most households across Cameroon. The low cost for fish products some years back attracted high demand in the local markets which encouraged several people to go into fish farming. But, as our reporter Aaron Yancho Kaah narrates below, several farmers are now leaving the once lucrative venture.
A fish pond in Cameroon
Over the years dug-out ponds have been the commonest and the most convenient enclosures for fish farming.
But the recent water scarcity in the country has put more than 50% of small scale fish farmers out of business and production. Many ponds have dried out as a result of the rising temperatures, poor land and water conservation methods.
The few who depended on pipeline irrigation systems to supply water to their ponds have also suffered a setback. The drop in the water level in these ponds as a result of the too much sunshine has also severely affected production.
This has subsequently led to poverty in several homesteads and unemployment. The price for fish has increased drastically in the local markets.
The average Cameroonian who depended on fish farming for survival has to turn to other ways of making ends meet.
With the climate changes and the seasonal uncertainties that have brought about this water scarcity, it is not very clear when these poor fish farmers will remain in this business for long.
Two news reports penultimate week touched on the problem of persistent traffic gridlock in Lagos, which Governor Akinwunmi Amode expressed great concern about and elucidated how his administration intends to ameliorate the embarrassing problem.
Akinwunmi Ambode, Governor of Lagos State. Photo credit: ecomium.org
At the inauguration of the multi-level car park built by Ikoyi Club 1938, the Deputy Governor Dr. Oluranti Adebule, who represented the governor, told the audience that the Ambode administration was resolute about all motorists and road users in Lagos to comply with all traffic laws without exception. Speaking through his deputy, the governor reiterated the determination of his administration to find a lasting solution to the incessant gridlock on Lagos roads, which is part of the goals of his government. And that the provision of parking facilities such as the one built by the Ikoyi Club 1938 is a good example of a social club’s effort in complementing what the government is doing to address the unpleasant gridlock in Lagos. While he commended the effort of the club, he called on other social clubs to emulate the worthy example of what Ikoyi Club 1938 was able to do for the benefit of its members and other visitors who are the target users of the modern car park.
The second news report was on the tour of Governor Ambode to various traffic bottlenecks in Lagos where he went for “on-the sport assessment” of the traffic situation in these areas in order to determine what can be done to ameliorate the problem. Governor Ambode said that by leaving the comfort of his office, it shows that, his style of administration, in a manner of speaking, is not an ARM CHAIR (my emphasis) where officials sit in their air-conditioned offices at Alausa and could not be bothered with the reality of what Lagosians go through in their day-to-day living. What a good talk and exemplary leadership’s modus operandi. Coming out of the tour was an official pronouncement by the governor that “all existing bus stops sited close to markets must be relocated immediately,” as a short gun measure to minimise the gridlock caused by the human activities of the two strange bed fellows. Furthermore, the governor gave the assurance that taming the hydra-headed traffic congestion in Lagos is a task that must be done by his administration.
Reading his body language, Governor Ambode has good intension, but how the good intension would translate into real action is the crux of the matter. The immediate removal of bus stops sited close to markets is just one solution to many of the factors causing traffic gridlock in Lagos and its environs. Therefore, this writer wants to humbly proffer other solutions which Governor Ambode ought to consider, if he is desirous of tackling the gridlock frontally. The solutions are classified into law enforcement, change of behavioural attitude, work ethics, urban planning/renewal effective monitoring and agency collaboration albeit not necessarily in the other of sequence, but they are integral and complementary to each other.
A Lagos gridlock. Photo credit: rhythm93.7.com
Effective enforcement of traffic law is an imperative to traffic calming and control in any city. It is the basis for stipulating the dos and don’ts of motorists and other road users, punishment for violation, protection of road users, parking rules and other traffic regulations to facilitate smooth traffic flow in and out of the city. Apart from its regulatory functions, it serves as a legal instrument for the prosecution of traffic offenders in a court of law. A platform the public prosecutor can rely upon to defend government action whenever the need arises, in order to be seen that government is not arbitrary or vindictive. As in all laws meant to curb the excesses of human beings against one another, it is the strict compliance of such laws that would determine their effectiveness and impact on the society. In other words, laws must be obeyed voluntarily by the citizenry and should be strictly enforced by government in order to curb the excesses of obdurate citizens who have penchant for breaking the law.
Governor Ambode has confirmed that the Lagos State government has a subsisting Lagos traffic law to control traffic in the metropolis including the activities of the ubiquitous okada operators. The singular reason why the impact of the law is not being felt positively regarding traffic control in Lagos is the lack of strict enforcement of the provisions of the law. The regulatory body seems to have gone to sleep thinking that the law will enforce itself rather than the statutory agencies of government enforcing the law. Once government is complacent with law enforcement, especially traffic law or any law for that matter, the citizens are given free wheel to be lawless. As they say in local parlance, ilu tio sofin, ese o si. Literarily meaning: A town not governed by law is sinless. This is what is accountable for the indiscipline and frequent display of road rage by all categories of motorists on Lagos roads. People seldom obey traffic light, traffic wardens’ instructions are treated with levity, parking signs are ignored, display of bigmanism is becoming part of our urbanism; and effective monitoring of traffic regulations by superior officials of the regulatory traffic agency is done half heartedly, despite the empowerment given to these officials by the government to facilitate their movement around the city to sport-check traffic flow and the performance of their field officers.
Given the above caveat, Governor Ambode must ensure that all traffic laws in Lagos are enforced by the law enforcers, while all road users must comply with the laws. It is when the officials fully support government in implementing its laudable policy of unlocking traffic gridlock in Lagos will relative relief can prevail in the mega city. The wishy-washy way the traffic laws are being implemented calls to question the seriousness of government to really tackle the problem on-head. Ditto for the lack of responsibility of government officials who are being paid monthly salaries for under performance.
If the change mantra of the new dispensation is to be of consequence, Governor Ambode must tell his traffic regulatory agencies to shape up or shape out. The era of arm chair operation and lackadaisical work ethics must stop! There must be performance indicators to gauge the performance of every official of Lagos State government in all Ministries, the Ministry of Transportation being the prime target.
Re-introduction of tested traffic regulation can make a difference in behavioural attitude. In tow with the above suggestion, the Lagos State government should re-introduce the regulation of sending traffic offenders to mental institutions to examine their state of mind all in the effort to curb obnoxious attitude of motorists. When this particular regulation was first introduced circa 1993(?), it was very effective in controlling the nasty behavior of commercial drivers who were found of driving against traffic at the slightest sign of a traffic hold up. But with time, the enforcement of the law was inexplicably relaxed, prompting the target commercial drivers to return to their old habit of lawless driving. A drastic problem requires a drastic solution. Lagos gridlock is an embarrassing problem, which requires a variety of solution no matter how unpopular, but inasmuch as it is effective, so be it. We should let logic rules our mind, not sentiment.
Innovative urban development planning cannot be overemphasised. In the quest for a solution to the incessant traffic congestion in Lagos, the Ministry of Physical Planning in conjunction with the allied Ministry of Transportation has a major role to play. The handiworks of the two Ministries must been evident in their innovativeness to ameliorate traffic jam in the city, not just a siddon-look approach as if the problem is insurmountable. Transportation problem can be enormously complex. It is not well understood by the experts, let alone by the public. Lack of understanding, however, keeps no one from proposing remedies. Again, actions that may be popular may not solve traffic problem, and actions that may help may not be popular. This is a common dilemma, but should not drive us into a cul-de sac. Urban planners with specialisation in transportation planning in the employ of Lagos State government must demonstrate their expertise in practice by coming up with innovative ideas in collaboration with traffic engineers on how to unlock the gridlock. For example, transportation planners must consider where it is ideal to provide additional infrastructure to ease traffic congestion such as alternative roads to places where people frequently visit for shopping or recreation.
Provision for more public parking facilities is a necessity. Whereas public parking facilities are insufficient within the metropolis, there are vacant lots around Broad Street on Lagos Island whose ownership has been traced to the Lagos State government. A planning proposal for the development of these lots to car parks should be brought to the attention of the governor for his consideration. Likewise, the car parks at Marina have not been put to optimum utilisation. They require upgrading and modernisation to multi-level car parks for maximum usage and once this is done, motorists coming to the Central Business District would not be fearful of where to park their vehicles. The current modus operandi of car park around the CBD is an all comer’s affairs, a mumbo- jumbo arrangement where one cannot exactly determine the holding capacity of the car parks, if there is a need for car count or feasibility study to warrant an improvement of the existing situation. In already built up areas, government can apply the power of “eminent domain” to acquire land for public use to develop parking facilities once they are for the good of the majority, which good urban governance connotes.
A re-think of bringing back the park-and-ride system can also be a worthy option to control inflow of traffic into ever-congested areas in Lagos. The improvised park-and-ride site located at the old Lagos toll gate is miniature of what is required along that axis. The old site of the park-and-ride around the National Theatre can still be considered for re-use because the need for it now is compelling.
Measures to curb the activities of unruly tanker driversrequire urgent attention. Mention must be made of the operations of tanker drivers who menacingly drive their articulated vehicles in defiance of posted speed limit on Lagos roads. These lawless drivers park their vehicles indiscriminately at the road sides for days on end ostensibly waiting to load fuel from the oil depots at the Tin Can Island. The law has to be applied to the time when these tanker drivers can operate on Lagos roads for sanity to prevail. There is an existing ordinance to that effect in Lagos. The government must have the political will to enforce it. To condone the tanker drivers to do as they please is a sign of weakness of government authority. They should not be above the law, but under the ambit of the law.
Let us renew Lagos and its various districts. The issue of decentralisation of commonly used central places such as markets, shopping malls and event centres (new generation of activity centres) is a good urban development strategy for decongestion on the roads. If the recommendation for the creation of a specific number of activity centres as contained in the outdated Metropolitan Plan for Lagos (1980-2000) can still be accommodated in the regional development of the Lagos Mega City, Governor Ambode should ask for the advice of his urban planning officers or planning consultants to explore the possibility of creating additional activity centres within the metropolis. The Lagos-Epe axis of the mega city and Lagos-Badagry areas are yearning for such facilities. The trending rapid development with the concomitant population drift to these areas justifies the need. We should start to introduce the development of “smart neighborhood/city”, which is a contemporary urban renewal strategy or new urbanism where people shop, work and recreate within workable distance of their residence with very minimal need for automobile as a mode of transportation.
Application of Development Control standards and accountability must be the norm for urban planning practice in Lagos. In addition to the strict enforcement of traffic law, Governor Ambode must focus attention on the strict enforcement and compliance of the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning Law (2010) and Town Planning Regulations meant to back the law. In an earlier write-up, this writer pointedly enumerated some of the urban planning foibles being experienced in Lagos Mega City due to what is considered in planning parlance asurbicide (the death of a city at the hands of its own people through the misguided efforts of its officials or the indifference and neglect of its citizens). Nothing fits perfectly into this scenario of what obtains in urban planning practice in Lagos. The granting of inappropriate approvals for incompatible land uses, conversion of buildings to schools/offices in purely residential areas and location of multiple traffic-inducing activities such as banks, churches, mosques, retail stores and petrol stations on a stretch of ever- busy roads and in obscure places, many of which lack adequate setbacks and provision for off- street parking for their clienteles are contributory factors compounding the gridlock in Lagos, if the truth must be told.
Governor Ambode is advised to tour some of these areas along Alagomeji, Adekunle, Oyingbo, Apapa Road on the Mainland, part of Lagos Island and Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway as an eye opener for him to know more about the human planning errors and the underlying causes of traffic chaos in Lagos. A situation where indiscriminate approval is given for any development without regard to prescribed development control standard and due diligence of the implication on the smooth flow of traffic, is inimical to good urban planning practice. It must not be condoned by the new administration and whoever indulges in such destructive planning practice must be called to defend his/her action(s), otherwise it is tantamount to conspiracy of silence by the regulatory authority for physical planning and development control.
The final admonition is that Governor Ambode must declare total war on all kinds of indiscipline causing traffic gridlock in the nooks and crannies of Lagos Mega City. One of the effective methods he can go about it, is to set up his own monitoring team who will watch the watchers. A selected group of “undercover operatives” who will constantly monitor the conduct of every official’s work ethics in Lagos State. The government can also set up a special telephone hotline dedicated for public complaint about any suspicious behavior that could aid and abet traffic gridlock. For any city to be on the path of economic buoyancy and a destination of choice for visitors, it must be user-friendly by design and administered by a focused leadership who is ready to promote good urban governance in a pragmatic way. Governor Ambode by his recent utterances on matters of public interest cut a figure of a deep thinker and a doer, a new era Action Governor.
By Yacoob Abiodun (Urban Planner and Urban Planning Advocate) in Hayward, California, USA
Hydro-electric power is one renewable energy source that is in abundant supply in Africa
The Eranove Group, a major pan-African player in the electricity and water sectors, on Thursday June 18, 2015 in Bamako signed a 30-year concession agreement with the government of the Republic of Mali through its subsidiary Kenié Energie Renouvelable. Under the agreement, which is effective from the date of signing, the Group will finance, develop, build and operate the Kenié hydro-electric dam located in Baguinéda on the Niger River, 35 km east of Bamako. The signing ceremony took place in the presence of the Minister of Economy and Finance, Mamadou Diarra, the Minister of Energy and Water, Mamadou Frankaly Keïta, and the Minister of Investment Promotion and Private Sector, Mamadou Gaoussou Diarra.
Done deal: Officials of Eranove Group and Mali Government sign agreement
According to the parties, the agreement represents an important step forward for the Eranove Group. The Group’s managing duo of Vincent Le Guennou, Co-CEO of Emerging Capital Partners (ECP) and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Eranove Group, and Marc Albérola, CEO of the Eranove Group, made the trip to Bamako in Mali, specifically to get the project up and running.
The signing of the concession agreement is likewise an important move for the Republic of Mali. According to World Bank estimates, the country’s current installed power capacity of approximately 414 MW covers only half of potential demand. The Kenié hydro-electric facility, with its installed capacity of 42 MW, will help Mali respond to this energy challenge. Initial simulations suggest that the Kenié dam could produce around 175 GWh, which is equivalent to the average annual consumption of 175,000 households. What is more, the structure will enable Mali to make better use of its hydro-electric potential and thus reduce its dependence on imported hydrocarbons.
With an estimated potential of 400,000 MW “hydro-electric power is one renewable energy source that is in abundant supply in Africa. As part of the regional integration of power transmission networks, hydro-electricity can play a key role in increasing power generation capacity. And we mustn’t forget micro and pico hydro-electricity either. These small hydro-electric facilities can supply power to villages or groups of villages in remote areas far away from interconnected transmission systems. Hydro-electricity is a renewable and competitive source of power in terms of production costs, and could even play a role in the financial balancing of power sectors and in meeting demand. This would prove hugely beneficial both for local populations and for regional industrial development,” assesses Marc Albérola, CEO of the Eranove Group.
The signing of the concession agreement comes after several years of cooperation between the Republic of Mali’s Ministry of Energy and Water and IFC InfraVentures. IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is the largest global development institution focused exclusively on the private sector in developing countries. Working together, these institutions conducted preliminary feasibility studies followed by an international call for tenders, which resulted in the selection of the Eranove Group as a strategic partner. The agreement of 18 June 2015 is a significant milestone in the implementation of the project, as the financing of the project – estimated at EUR 110 million – can now get under way. According to the current project schedule, construction is due to begin in 2016 and the dam would be put into operation in 2020. The dam will then be operated under a concession agreement by Kenié Energie Renouvelable, a new subsidiary of the Eranove Group, whose shareholders will also include IFC InfraVentures.
Supported by Emerging Capital Partners (ECP), a pan-African leader in private equity investment that has raised over USD 2.5 billion in assets for the continent, the Eranove Group is embarking on a new stage in its pan-African development.
In addition to its operations in Mali, the Eranove Group already has a historic presence in Senegal, through water distribution company SDE, and in Côte d’Ivoire, via electricity companies CIE and CIPREL, water distribution company SODECI and AWALE.
Operating over 1,100 MW of power generation facilities in Côte d’Ivoire, the Eranove Group currently accounts for nearly 70% of the country’s installed capacity and invests in a number of projects. CIE mainly operates six hydro-electric dams generating 604 MW of power with high availability rates.
The Eranove Group has fronted and coordinated one of the biggest infrastructure investments in Côte d’Ivoire in recent years, in the form of the CIPREL power plant (EUR 343 million). After an initial phase, which began in January 2014 (a 110 MW gas turbine), the second phase (a 110 MW steam turbine) will be completed in late 2015, creating a combined-cycle plant.
Non-governmental and farmer organisations from South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Kenya and Uganda have condemned the go-ahead given by the South African GMO authorities for Monsanto to commercially sell its genetically modified (GM) “drought-tolerant” maize seed for cultivation in South Africa. According to the groups, there is no evidence showing that the drought tolerant trait even works.
A corn field
The organisations include: African Centre for Biodiversity (ACB), Tanzania Alliance for Biodiversity (TABIO), União Nacional de Camponeses (UNAC), Kenya Biodiversity Coalition (KBioC), Kenya Food Rights Alliance (KeFRA) and Eastern and Southern African Small-Scale Farmers Forum Uganda (ESAFF, Uganda).
According toMariam Mayet of the ACB, “the GM maize (MON87460) has not undergone proper risk assessment anywhere in the world and has no history of safe use. South Africans who are already being force-fed with old risky GM traits will now be subject to an utterly new foreign, untested and risky transgene in their daily food.”
MON 87460 stems from of a Monsanto/Gates Foundation project, Water Efficient Maize for Africa (WEMA). Other key project partners include the Howard Buffet Foundation, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT). The project is being implemented in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Mozambique, and offers the GM drought tolerant maize to smallholder farmers in Africa as a ‘Climate Smart’ solution to abiotic stresses such as drought. So far, a whopping US$85 million has been injected into the WEMA project, while Monsanto has “donated” its drought-tolerant technology, which contains a bacterial coldshock protein gene (-csp), its insect resistant bt gene (Cry1Ab) and technical expertise.
The insect resistant gene (Cry1Ab) “donated” by Monsanto to WEMA is an old throw-away technology, now discontinued in South Africa, where massive pest resistance is widely reported. According toDaniel Maingi of the Kenya Food Rights Alliance, “a single drought tolerant gene is not up to the task of providing a solution to the complex physiology of drought tolerance. Ironically, using simple agroecological practices, such as organic matter and mulching, farmers can obtain even higher yield savings than this expensive technology offered by WEMA.”
The WEMA project has been slammed for strong-arming the governments of Tanzania and Mozambique into amending biosafety and seed laws in order to pave the way for eventual roll-out of the GM drought tolerant maize in those countries. In Kenya the import ban on GMOs is coming under increasing pressure from the WEMA project, and in Uganda pressure is being exerted on Parliamentarians to pass a permissive Biosafety Bill.
WEMA field trials began in late 2010 in Kenya and Uganda. However, regulatory issues as well as fierce resistance to GMOs have made commercialisation in these countries impossible. In Kenya, a Parliamentary Decree passed in 2012 banned the import of GMOs into the country, pending investigation into their potential impacts. A task force has reported to the Kenyan Parliament concerns over lack of safety data on GMOs and related pesticides and lack of government capacity to assess and monitor the impact of GMOs. According toAnne Maina of KBioC, “news that South Africa has allowed the commercial growing of Monsanto’s GM drought tolerant maize will greatly embolden the WEMA lobby into pressuring our Parliament to relax the current ban, despite the stark warnings of the GMO task force”. In Uganda, the National Biotechnology and Biosafety Bill was approved by Cabinet in May 2015 and, according to ESAFF Uganda, there is tremendous pressure for Parliament to pass the Bill.
“Mock trials” have been held in Tanzania and Mozambique in 2009 and 2010 respectively. Both countries had “strict liability” provisions in their respective biosafety laws. Under severe and sustained pressure from scientists associated with the WEMA project, these provisions were changed to fault based liabilty.
Abdallah Mkindi of the Tanzania Biodiversity Alliance (TABIO)said: “Tanzania had one of the best biosafety regimes on the continent, which has now been undemocratically amended so that this false climate solution – GM drought maize – can be introduced into the country. The real solution to prepare for climate change is to support smallholder producers to sustain and increase agricultural diversity and resilience, do away with harmful chemicals and place smallholders at the centre of control over their resources and decision-making.”
Mozambique’s Seed Law explicitly did not allow the importation of GM seed into the country. This law has beem amended to allow for GM seed to be imported. The current seed law, approved by the Council of Ministers in 2013 and made available publicly in 2014, in terms of Article 47 (3), states that the importation of GMO seed is permitted under the provisions of specific legislation, contrary to Article 33 of the original law that forbade and banned the import and use of GM seed in Mozambique. Consequently, authorities in Mozambique approved field trials of GM drought tolerant maize in Chokwe.
Agostinho Bento of UNAC, a member of La Via Campesina Africa, said: “The solution to hunger and climate change is food and seed sovereignty, but WEMA is rolling out the red carpet for agribusiness, which profits from creating farmer dependency on their risky products. We reject WEMA and Monsanto’s bogus drought tolerant GM maize and demand food sovereignty in our countries”.
According to Mayet, “the ACB is strongly considering appealling against the decision of the South African authorities in granting approval for this sham GM drought tolerant maize. “
