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The unending Makurdi flood disaster

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The unending Makurdi flood disaster

The unending flood situation in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State in Nigeria, doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon as recent findings have revealed that the Food Basket’s capital’s drainage system and residents’ sanitation practice as well as lack of awareness of the dangers of living along flood plains is inimical to checking impending flood.

A flooded part of Makurdi, Benue State
A flooded part of Makurdi, Benue State

This revelation came to the fore during an investigation carried out by this correspondent in Makurdi following the information provided by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recently of impending flood occasioned by the intermittent release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon.

The agency warned that Nigerian states along River Benue trajectory are likely to face impending flood as Cameroonian authorities announced plan to release excess water from Lagdo Dam between August and November. NEMA’s Director General, Muhammad Sidi, said the warning became imperative as a similar exercise in 2012 led to massive flooding and loss of lives and property in Nigerian communities.

Coupled with the continuous neglect to the issue of proper drainage system, sanitation practice and attitudinal change by past governments, most residents of the state have continued to put the state at risk of flood during heavy downpours and in recent times, the Lagdo Dam scare. As a result of these, many indigenes have suffered serious health challenges and loss of properties, while some areas are at the edge of extinction due to the possibility of them being wiped out by flood.

Boniface Ortese of SEMA at the Makurdi International Market IDP camp
Boniface Ortese of SEMA at the Makurdi International Market IDP camp

Recently, in a move to mitigate against flood in the state, the state government constituted a Flood Disaster Committee which was headed by the Commissioner of Works and Transport and comprised of other commissioners such as those for Water Resources and Environment, Information and Orientation, Urban and Housing, including the Adviser on Lands and Survey and the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to take control of any flood-related issue.

The committee had disclosed in a radio programme monitored in Makurdi, that the state government had put measures in place to avert possible flooding of parts of the state in the event of any heavy downpour and produced jingles to inform people living along flood plains to relocate in order to avert being flooded by excess water from Lagdo Dam.

Makurdi residents affected by flood are to be relocated to the newly built but unoccupied Makurdi International Market as a temporary measure to cushion the hardship they are currently facing having been displaced from their homes.

The Deputy Governor of Benue State, Benson Abounu, made this known recently when he led some government officials on a verification visit to assess the situation at the Kucha Utebe settlement along Makurdi – Gboko Road, which is one of the most affected areas.

Addressing residents of the area, Abounu, who sympathised with them, expressed worry that flooding of some parts of the state along the banks of River Benue had become a regular occurrence.

He assured them that government was aware of their plight and was putting in place measures to provide temporary accommodation for them while seeking ways of finding a permanent solution to the problem.

In a remark, the state Commissioner of Works and Transport, Emmanuel Manger, pointed out that the construction of dams as well as dredging of River Benue were the solutions to the issue of flood in the state.

The state Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Nick Wende, and the Executive Secretary of State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Boniface Ortese, who accompanied the deputy governor on the visit, in their separate remarks disclosed that mattresses, blankets, and mosquito nets were readily available to be distributed to those who would be moved to the camp. They added that government would make provision for mobile toilet facilities as the ones in place would not be enough for the anticipated number of people.

Speaking with this writer, a resident of the Kucha Utebe settlement and father of three, Terfa Anum, expressed happiness over the deputy governor’s visit, saying it had given them a ray of hope. He called on the state government and other relevant authorities to act fast as several houses were already taken over by water leaving residents stranded, adding that with the continuous increase in the water level, even those yet affected were already living in fear judging from their past experiences.

Thereby, in a swift move, the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) opened the temporary IDP camp for flood victims on Friday, 25th September, 2015 in the state capital, Makurdi when it became imperative that the excess water released from Lagdo Dam swelled the River Benue banks and areas within its flood plains were fast flooding and houses were submerged gradually, reminiscent of the 2012 experience.

Speaking with the SEMA boss, Boniface Ortese, at the flood IDP camp in Makurdi on Saturday, 26th September, 2015, he confirmed that the ongoing registration which started with the coming of heavy rainfall had reached over 300 and due to the overwhelming effect of the flood, is expected to rise. He added that the camp is capable of taking in 5,000 people with the current allocation of four house-heads to a store.

He assured that security at the camp would be tight to forestall any breakdown of law and order.

Reacting to cases of residents not heeding to the impending flood information passed across, the SEMA Executive Secretary stated that it was due to ignorance. “When I tried to educate some people in the Wurukum area of the impending flood, some were asking if I am Noah that I know flood is coming. Now most of them have come to me saying if only they listened to me and acted as I advised, they would have been affected,” he added.

Ortese advised that, for the recurrent flood disaster to be dealt with, the Federal Government should dredge River Benue, people on riverine areas and flood plains have to be relocated, the people should understand their choice of residence with alternatives other that river areas, people who build along water ways should be stopped and government should make sure that these places are opened for water to channel itself into the River Benue.

A resident at the Makurdi International Market IDP flood camp, Aor Yende, while speaking with this writer, noted that government’s effort at temporarily camping them is commendable but they cannot preempt her on what else to do to alleviate their plight more.

He added that the option of relocating to a flood free area would be welcomed if the government can compensate them in terms of new land and new commiserate building structure.

In one of the areas visited in the state capital, Low Level; a resident and landlord whose house was recently affected by flood, ASP Samuel Tugudu (Rtd.), complained that flood from excessive rainfall which had flooded his house has made him to live in fear of worse flood with increase in rainfall.

According to the retired police officer, he has settled on the said land since 1976 without any incidence of flood until August, 2015 when he woke up to find himself in a pool of water after heavy downpour at night.

In his words, “I have tried my best since I moved into my house to curtail water flow and mitigate against flood, but all my efforts became useless, because of indiscriminate sanitation practice by people in my area which clogged up the available drainage system and there was no support from the government, particularly, in the area of meting out sanitation punishment to residents who dump refuse in gutters.”

He continues; “Any time rain falls, water in the gutters carries a lot of refuse and sand from different places and since the drainage systems are partially blocked, the water doesn’t have a clear way to drain hence, the water spills over into bordering spaces and into our homes.”

In another interview with a woman whose house is on the brink of being flooded at the Kucha Utebe area of Makurdi, Mrs. Christiana Uke, she said, the flood is scaring but she has nowhere to go to with her large family. She noted that, despite that, she hopes the government would find lasting solutions to the Lagdo Dam flood issue which is becoming perennial.

Another respondent who narrowly escaped the flood by relocating from the currently affected area, who simply identified herself as Vicky, a student at the Benue State University, complained that “although the government had done well in informing the populace of the impending flood, many did not heed to the warning.”

According to her, when she heard the news of the impending flood, she moved out of her old apartment only for another occupant to move in even with the news of the impending flood in that area.

She further laments that the landlady too was callous in exploiting the new tenant’s ignorance and collecting money from him considering that the area is prone to flood and was earmarked to be affected again.

In another interview with a victim of flood caused by a six-hour downpour on 7th August, 2015 that left many parts of Makurdi flooded and over 100 houses submerged in Wadata Rice Mill, Demekpe, Agboughoul village, Achusa village and Logo, a tailor and father of two, Peter Akor, stated that the flood took them by surprise. “We were not prepared for this, because we have not had serious rainfall in Makurdi recently,” he stressed.

Our investigations in the affected areas of the flood caused by rainfall indicated that the areas had either blocked or non-existent drainages as the case may be.

When Cameroonian authorities released excess water from Ladgo dam on 25th August, 2012, the deluge of water caused great damage downstream in Nigeria, leading to the submerging of many riverside settlements. The flood continued unabated between September and October 2012 and the “Food Basket” State, Benue which has River Benue as a major river passing through it experienced relentless flooding cutting across not only her state capital – Makurdi but all the major towns on the river bank. So to say, the flood ravaged and swept way anything within a 10-kilometre radius of the bank of River Benue and her tributaries which include River Katsina-Ala and River Buruku.

The devastation sacked communities in Makurdi, Apa, Agatu, Otukpo, Guma, Buruku, Tarka and Kasina-Ala Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, leaving in its trail over 700,000 displaced persons amid thousands of houses/huts and farmlands submerged or washed away.

Although the state government in response to the flooding opened flood camps in public schools in Makurdi for affected people, many of the victims remained traumatised after the flood and many sharp practices where observed as reported in the recently released report of “The 2012 Flood Impact Assessment” of Benue State conducted by the Benue Non-governmental Organisation Network (BENGONET) with support from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Benue State Government.

According to the report with the goal to identify the extent of damage caused by the flood with the aim to mitigate future occurrence, government should develop a disaster management blueprint and ensure that all her agencies responsible for response to disaster such as SEMA heed to the document and it should go all out to support flood victims in order to enhance growth in all ramifications.

Suffice to add that the state government should aggressively embark on the construction of new drainage channels, expand existing ones in the state, especially in Makurdi to enhance the free flow of water and relocate people along River Benue bank and flood plains while it enacts legislation banning further development in the affected areas which are flood plains, etc.

When most of these measures mitigating measures highlighted in this piece are carried out, the state may very well heave a sigh of relief if not, she will continue to face the menace of flood disaster year in- year out especially with the clear and present danger of climate change which also affects the melting of the world’s icecaps thereby leading to more water with little drainage channels to control the flow.

By Damian Daga

Water found on Mars could be first signs of Martian life

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Water found on Mars could be first signs of Martian life

NASA found evidence of liquid water on the Red Planet, which means there is the potential for life beyond Earth.

Martian streaks painted by water. Photo credit: NASA
Martian streaks painted by water. Photo credit: NASA

We seem to discover water on Mars about once a year. Well, that’s not quite true: We’ve known Mars has water for quite a while. However, there are a lot of mysteries still to solve about how that water behaves and where it’s located. In particular, we’d like to know if water sometimes flows on the surface of the planet, which would tell us a lot about the cycles both above and below ground. And of course water is essential for life as we know it – finding flowing water, even transient flows, would make Mars seem a little more Earth-like.

The problem is that any liquid water evaporates quickly in the bone-dry Martian desert, and other processes can leave traces that mimic dried-up flows. When so little water is involved in the first place, it leaves us looking for the Martian equivalent of water spots on a long-dry drinking glass. And those spots are chemical traces – salt and other minerals once dissolved in the water – which must be identified by robotic spacecraft from orbit.

Today, scientists using NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) have identified some of those traces: A little bit of water comes and goes on Mars’ surface. The streaks of material the researchers observed grew slightly during each Martian summer, indicating they might be the result of water flowing or seeping out when the temperatures are high enough. The answer came from using the spectrum of light reflected and absorbed by the material, which turned out to be salts with traces of water left in them.

Similar behaviour in Earth’s Atacama Desert in Chile provides a habitat for some hardy microscopic organisms. If there’s life under the surface of Mars, these temporary flows of water could be a place they occasionally show up aboveground. Unfortunately the dried-up flows are high on crater walls, so none of them are easily accessible to rovers like Curiosity.

Mars is drier than the driest desert on Earth: It has no lakes, oceans, or rivers, and its atmosphere has at best tiny traces of water vapour. However, Mars used to be much wetter. We can see signs of long-gone lakes and riverbeds, though it’s unlikely the planet was ever warm enough to be a lush, damp place like Earth is. The disappearance of Mars’ surface water is one of the mysteries we still have to solve.

However, we’ve suspected water can sometimes flow on Mars for a while. The various orbiting Mars-mapping probes have spotted small landslides along slopes that appeared between orbital passes, which could be caused by water, but are more likely to be the result of more boring geological processes.

The new paper, published today in Nature Geoscience, is based on another intriguing phenomenon. Some slopes at the edges of old craters show streaks of material that reflect much less light than their surroundings. These streaks – known as “recurring slope lineae” or RSL – appear during relatively warm Martian weather and fade as the weather cools off, changing size and shape from year to year. That sort of thing certainly looks like it could be caused by water flowing or seeping out before evaporating again … but we want to be sure.

Martian chemistry helps us there: The soil is full of salts, inorganic chemicals that dissolve easily in water. There are several familiar types of salts: sodium chloride is table salt, magnesium sulphate is Epsom salt, etc. The ones on Mars are more complex: perchlorates (which are based on molecules involving one chlorine and four oxygen atoms) and other combinations. These chemicals absorb light of particular colours, which allowed the authors of the new paper to identify the salts. Better yet: These salts still had traces of water that didn’t evaporate, like if a little moisture gets into the salt shaker and makes the grains stick to each other.

There’s a lot of water under the surface of Mars, but it’s mostly frozen and mingled with other chemicals. For that reason, it’s possible that when the Sun shines and the air is warm enough in the Martian summer, some of that water can melt and flow out. Alternatively, the trace amounts of water in the atmosphere could deliquesce: condense out of the air and stick to minerals on the surface (which already have some water on them), forming salty goo.

Neither idea completely solves the problem of where the water came from. We’ll be hearing more about water on Mars for years to come, including rumours and some hyped-up expectations. Underneath the hype, though, is a steady increase in understanding about where the Martian water is, how much it shaped the surface in the past, and what it might be doing now – and whether life is at all possible.

Courtesy The Daily Beast

Nigeria may ratify Nagoya Protocol

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Nigeria may ratify Nagoya Protocol

Nigeria and several other Parties yet to ratify the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation have the opportunity to do so at the upcoming Treaty Event 2015, being held in conjunction with the General Debate of the seventieth session of the United Nations General Assembly, from 28 September to 1 October 2015. The Treaty Event is an effective means for promoting wider participation of states in the multilateral treaty framework, and also serves as an advocacy tool to raise awareness and appreciation of international law among the general public.

Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria. Photo credit: tv360nigeria.com
Muhammadu Buhari, president of Nigeria. Photo credit: tv360nigeria.com

Nigeria signed the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing on February 1, 2012, but she is yet to ratify the treaty. Several other nations have neither signed nor ratified the treaty.

However, two new ratifications this month to the Nagoya Protocol brings the total number of ratifications to the treaty under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to 66. There are a total of 92 signatories.

Since its entry into force on 12 October 2014, the Nagoya Protocol has received 11 additional ratifications from the following countries: Cambodia, Croatia, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dominican Republic, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Lesotho, Liberia, Mauritania and the Republic of the Congo. The ratifications come from diverse regions of the world indicating broad support for this treaty.

“Following the recent ratifications by Croatia and Cuba, we expect a number of additional ratifications and accessions to the Protocol in the coming weeks as a number of countries are finalising their national processes,” said Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “We hope to achieve our target of reaching well over 100 Parties by the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting to the Parties to the Nagoya Protocol (COP-MOP 2) in December 2016. To achieve this goal, we count on the support of Parties and our partners to promote ratification of the Protocol.”

Increasing the number of Parties to the Nagoya Protocol remains key in achieving Aichi Biodiversity Target 16 which provides that “by 2015, the Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Fair and Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilisation is in force and operational, consistent with national legislation”. The impact of the Protocol in creating greater transparency and legal certainty for providers and users of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge will increase as more countries join the Protocol and undertake to implement its obligations.

By promoting the use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, and by strengthening the opportunities for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from their use, the Protocol will create incentives to conserve biodiversity, sustainably use its components, and further enhance the contribution of biodiversity to sustainable development and human well-being.

UNEP: Environmental degradation, ill-health, others typify Ivory Coast’s 11-year crisis

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UNEP: Environmental degradation, ill-health, others typify Ivory Coast’s 11-year crisis

Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara has received a United Nations report detailing decades of environmental destruction in the country, especially during 11 years of civil war and political turmoil. The presentation was made to Mr President in Abidjan, the capital city, on Friday.

L-R: United Nations Special Representative Aichatou Mindaoudou presents UNEP’s Post-Conflict Environmental Report to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara. Photo credit: Kadidia Ledron
L-R: United Nations Special Representative Aichatou Mindaoudou presents UNEP’s Post-Conflict Environmental Report to Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara. Photo credit: Kadidia Ledron

Ouattara’s government came to power in 2011 and asked the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a post-crisis environmental impact assessment of the country.

“We thought it appropriate for the government to have some idea of the changes that have affected the diverse environmental ecosystems of Côte d’lvoire for more than half a century,” Remi Allah-Kouadio, minister of the environment, urban sanitation and sustainable development, says in the report’s foreword.

Following the request, UNEP conducted a desk study and remote sensing analyses of the country’s environment; then agreed with the government on the scope of fieldwork to be undertaken. Fieldwork began in June 2013.

Parts of the Ébrié Lagoon are badly polluted. Photo credit: UNEP Geneva
Parts of the Ébrié Lagoon are badly polluted. Photo credit: UNEP Geneva

The assessment covered the environmental factors that had direct or indirect connections to the 2001 civil war, which pitted supporters of Laurent Gbagbo against those of Ouattara over Gbagbo’s refusal to step down after losing the 2010 presidential election.

The 157-page report covers forests, including those classified, and national parks; environmental degradation of the Ébrié Lagoon adjacent to Abidjan; environmental concerns related to unplanned urban expansion; industrial and artisanal mining and their environmental footprint; and the risk of oil spill along the nation’s coastline.

 

Key Findings

UNEP’s assessment found significant degradation of forests; the loss of flora and fauna in all national parks affected by the conflict; the doubling of Abidjan’s population; the slowdown in the mining sector and the ill-health associated with artisanal mining; as well as pollution of the Ébrié Lagoon.

The state of the lagoon and the possibility of offshore oil spills are of concern to the Abidjan Convention, whose brief is to work with coastal countries in the sustainable management of the coasts, ocean, their resources and environment.

Abidjan’s population doubled to five million during conflict. This led to the deterioration in urban services, increased water pollution, inappropriate disposal of hazardous and municipal waste, severe land degradation, and other environmental problems.

The Lagoon, from which Abidjan had drawn much of its reputed lustre in bygone years, has been degraded due to disposal of liquid and solid waste, and unplanned land reclamation. Today, the lagoon, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean through an opening of the Vridi Canal is unsightly and foul smelling, although a modest cleanup operation has begun.

“There is evidence of heavy metal and pesticide pollution in the fish in the Ébrié Lagoon which needs to be addressed as a matter of priority,” UNEP says in its report published in July.

 

Oil Spill Risk

Offshore oil production in Côte d’Ivoire began in the late 1950s, with proven reserves of 100 million barrels in 2011, according to the report. The risk of offshore oil spill comes from this activity and from the present high degree of ship traffic in the area.

Meantime, the report says, the nation’s capacity to deal with an oil spill has been degraded, due to the wartime looting and destruction of laboratories at the Ivorian Anti-pollution Control Centre, CIAPOL.

 

Recommendations

Human activity accounts for just 10 per cent of the severe pollution of the Ébrié Lagoon, according to the report. This means the lagoon could recover, UNEP says, and become an engine for Abidjan’s economic revival. A rejuvenated lagoon could offer opportunities for commercial and artisanal fishing, recreation, fast and efficient water transport, tourism, and a waterfront worthy of the region’s economic hub. For this to happen, UNEP recommends that the government remove accumulation of pollution, prevent further encroachment onto the lagoon, control or stop use of it as a waste dump.

“Recovery would make an immeasurable difference to live of Abidjan citizens,” UNEP says.

Abidjan could reclaim its title as the “Pearl of the Lagoon”. As part of the lagoon’s recovery, UNEP says the unstainable growth of Abidjan must be reversed. The city’s growth had been driven by fear during the civil war. Now the city has depleted groundwater, poor water supply infrastructure, sanitation and waste management, education, and healthcare.

“It is possible to restore Abidjan‘s former environmental quality even with its current population of five million but resources needed to do so would be vast,” UNEP says in the report.

The Abidjan Convention is a legal tool for Cooperation in the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Region of West, Central and Southern Africa.

SPDC JV sponsors three Nigerian varsities to Shell Eco-marathon

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SPDC JV sponsors three Nigerian varsities to Shell Eco-marathon

Students of three Nigerian universities have built cars they will race at the Shell Eco-marathon, Africa (SEMA) in South Africa on October 2 – 4, thanks to the sponsorship of the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) Joint Venture.

One of the student-built cars for the Shell Eco-marathon Africa contest in Johannesburg, South Africa later this week
One of the student-built cars for the Shell Eco-marathon Africa contest in Johannesburg, South Africa later this week

The students of University of Lagos, University of Benin and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, collectively known as Team Nigeria, will join 40 teams from four countries to test the energy efficiency of their cars at the Zwartkops Raceway, near Pretoria. The event will be hosted by the School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Johannesburg. The Shell Eco-marathon competition challenges students in different continents (America, Europe, Asia and Africa) to build and race energy-efficient cars, and rewards those that travel farthest with the least amount of fuel.

“The sponsorship of the students opens an exciting phase in our long-standing support for education in Nigeria,” said Osagie Okunbor, Managing Director SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria. “In addition to awarding scholarships, building schools and donating science equipment, we’re challenging the leaders of tomorrow to begin to think about, and act on the difficult energy choices facing a rapidly increasing world population.”

In 2014, the SPDC JV provided seed funding for the three universities and sponsored them to the European edition of the competition in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. They also participated in the maiden edition of Shell Eco-Marathon Africa which held in South Africa in 2014, with the University of Benin team winning the Best Designed Car award.  SPDC organised a test drive at the Campos Mini stadium in Lagos in March 2015 to test the readiness of the students.

General Manager, External Relations SPDC, Igo Weli said: “The test drive was very successful and watched by cheering parents. The outcome of the event provided the assurance that the Nigerian students will pass the rigorous technical inspection before being allowed to race at Shell Eco-marathon in Europe or Africa. We’re pleased that our support has encouraged other universities to take part in this project designed to drive the efficient use of energy.”

The SPDC JV has a long history of supporting education through scholarships and other initiatives. It has endowed professorial chairs for teaching and research in eight Nigerian universities, established two centres of excellence at the University of Benin and University of Nigeria and also provides sabbatical opportunities for Nigerian university professors and senior lecturers.

In 2014, $14.8 million was invested in scholarships and other education programmes by the SPDC JV and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company (SNEPCo).

Churches: SDGs a pathway to eradicate poverty

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Churches: SDGs a pathway to eradicate poverty

The ACT Alliance has called for increasing urgency to address the impacts of climate change. The network of over 140 church and faith based organisations spoke at the weekend in New York as world leaders set out to acknowledge the links between climate change and poverty at the UNGA Post-2015 Summit.

ACT Alliance General Secretary, John Nduna. Photo credit: i.vimeocdn.com
ACT Alliance General Secretary, John Nduna. Photo credit: i.vimeocdn.com

Addressing a parallel event focusing on the role of faith-based actors in sustainable development, the international humanitarian and development network said that the SDGs must steer the world onto a sustainable pathway towards poverty eradication.

“Ending extreme poverty starts with addressing climate change, as a key pillar of our moral imperative,” said ACT Alliance General Secretary John Nduna, addressing faith leaders and political dignitaries. “Mother earth weeps for climate justice. As long as we human beings abuse mother earth, ending extreme poverty will be an illusion.”

“Climate change denies people and communities the ability to overcome poverty,” he continued. “Without rain in sub-Saharan Africa, people cannot grow their food or feed their families. When streets and fields flood in Asia, communities lose their livelihoods and lives. As the sea level rises in the Pacific, people are stripped of their land and risk statelessness. Our leaders must urgently and adequately confront climate change.”

ACT Alliance has engaged in work related to climate justice and sustainable development since 2010, from community mobilisation to high level political engagement.

“While we celebrate the incredible adoption of the SDGs,” said Nduna, “we must now urgently stand together, ready, excited and motivated begin working in partnership with one another for the effective implementation of these goals.”

The negotiations towards the new global development framework continues to build momentum towards the UN climate change meeting (COP21) which will take place in Paris, France, in December.

“The ambition that we see with the adoption of the SDG framework today must translate to concrete action in Paris at COP21,” said Nduna. “Sustainable Development and poverty eradication is largely dependent on the ambition of the climate agreement to be adopted in Paris. Progress on SDGs should encourage parties to come up with a strong, fair and equitable climate agreement.”

World can achieve future she wants, say conservationists

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World can achieve future she wants, say conservationists

The Liaison Group of the Biodiversity-Related Conventions (comprising Convention on Biological Diversity, Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, International Plant Protection Convention, International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and UNESCO World Heritage Centre) on the occasion of the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit holding 25-27 September, 2015 jointly state that, by working together, the world can achieve the future she wants

Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity
Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity

Biodiversity and sustainable development are inextricably linked. Biodiversity, at the level of ecosystems, species and genes, forms the foundation of the Earth’s life support systems and provides the services that underpin human lives and prosperity. Our social and economic well-being depends on biodiversity, as does our future.

World leaders are now gathered at United Nations Headquarters in New York poised to adopt, after several years of intense discussions, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, an ambitious set of universal goals and targets to tackle the challenges facing the world today.

Given its importance for sustainability and human well-being, it is not surprising that biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, including aquatic and terrestrial wildlife and genetic resources, feature prominently in the goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda, including in poverty eradication, food security and sustainable agriculture, sustainable water management, economic growth, cities and human settlements, sustainable consumption and production, and effective, accountable and inclusive institutions. These include Target 2.4, calling on countries to ensure by 2030, sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production and help maintain ecosystems; Target 2.5 on maintaining the genetic diversity of seeds, and ensuring access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge; Target 6.6 which calls for the protection and restoration of water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes by 2020; Target 11.4 which aims to strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage; Goal 12 on sustainable consumption and production; Goals 14 and 15, which provide extensive targets to protect marine and terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems; and Goal 16 on peace, justice and strong institutions.

Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
Bradnee Chambers, Executive Secretary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)

The implementation phase of the Sustainable Development Goals will provide a tremendous opportunity to mainstream biodiversity and its values into key national priorities and to achieve the objectives of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020 and its Aichi Biodiversity Targets. Agreed by 192 governments in 2010 and further reaffirmed in the outcome document of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2012, the Strategic Plan has been recognised as a United Nations-wide framework for action on biodiversity.

John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Photo credit: cities.org
John E. Scanlon, Secretary-General, Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Photo credit: cities.org

Similarly, the biodiversity-related conventions that the world has agreed to over the last four decades can contribute significantly to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The seven global biodiversity-related conventions work together to harness the benefits of collaboration, and to ensure more coherent, efficient and effective implementation, both bilaterally and through a Biodiversity Liaison Group comprising the heads of their Secretariats. Each of these legally-binding conventions has a different but complementary biodiversity-related mandate. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) provides a broad policy framework, with three objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of the components of biological diversity, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilisation of genetic resources; the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, known as the Ramsar Convention, focuses on the conservation and wise use of wetlands; the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) addresses the conservation and sustainable use of migratory animals and their habitats; the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) regulates international trade in listed wild animal and plant species to protect them against over-exploitation through such trade; the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) helps governments protect plant resources from harmful pests; the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) strives to guarantee food security; and, the World Heritage Convention aims to protect and cherish the world’s natural and cultural heritage of outstanding universal value, linking together the concepts of nature preservation and the preservation of cultural properties.

Mechtild Rössler, Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
Mechtild Rössler, Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre

As we embark on the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we must ensure that our work is truly transformative and puts this new integrated approach into action. The global challenges we face are cross-cutting issues that will require us to work with many different partners and stakeholders, across different entities, governments and sectors. The decisions taken by Parties to the biodiversity-related conventions represent a ready-made foundation upon which a rapid response to the challenges of sustainable development can be made.

Christopher Briggs, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
Christopher Briggs, Secretary General, Ramsar Convention on Wetlands

All of the biodiversity-related conventions work through partnerships and initiatives with a range of other UN agencies and entities, many of which are focused on economic and social development, natural resource management, trade, security and other areas. Parties have clearly recognized that in order to achieve the goals of these conventions, biodiversity needs to be mainstreamed into other sectors.

The governing bodies of a number of the Conventions will meet over the next 18 months. The seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to CITES, to be held in South Africa during September/October 2016, will adopt decisions on regulating access to and trade in wildlife resources, combating illicit trafficking in wildlife, enhancing collaboration with other sectors (e.g. development, trade, transport and tourism) and making more visible the Convention’s contribution to achievement of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets as well as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. At the thirteenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, to be held in Mexico in December 2016, Parties and stakeholders will have the opportunity to consider concrete ways to mainstream biodiversity across a variety of sectors and areas including agriculture, forests, fisheries, health and sustainable tourism, and to address next steps related to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

By working together, we can achieve the future we want.

Rainstorm destroys 200 homes in Zaria, Sabongari

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Rainstorm destroys 200 homes in Zaria, Sabongari
Rainstorm on Saturday destroyed no fewer than 200 residential houses and shops in Zaria City and parts of Sabon-Gari Local Government Area of Kaduna State, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.
rain-treehuggerThe storm also destroyed electric installations and brought down trees to block some streets.
The areas worse hit are Sabon-gari, Samaru, Danmagaji, Wusasa, Kofar Gayan Low Cost Housing Estate and parts of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic temporary site, among others.
A NAN correspondent, who visited the affected areas, saw residents trying to salvage some items, while the debris of destroyed structures were being cleared.
Efforts to speak with the Interim Management Committee Chairman of Zaria Local Government Council, Alhaji Ja’afaru Abbas, were not successful but a top official of the council, confirmed the extensive damage by the storm.
“We have been trying to see how we can assist the victims,” the official said, pleading anonymity.
A cross-section of victims who were interviewed, expressed shock over the incident, describing it as the worst in the past 10 years.
One of the victims, Malam Sani Aliyu, described the development as “the will of God Almighty that no human could have stopped’’.
He appealed to the relevant authorities to come to their aid to cushion the effect of the rainstorm.
Another victim, Alhaji Ilyas Is’haq of Sabongari, said that the disaster came at a time when people had no money at hand, hence the need for the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency, to urgently assist the victims.
Malam Mamman Magaji of Wusasa, said that the entire roof of his house was removed, while part of the fence covering the house was also brought down.
Most of the victims are low-income earners, struggling to meet the basic challenges of life.

Post-2015: Buhari urges world leaders to eliminate illiteracy, hunger, disease by 2030

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Post-2015: Buhari urges world leaders to eliminate illiteracy, hunger, disease by 2030

President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday in New York reaffirmed his Administration’s total commitment to the entrenchment of a fully transparent and accountable public revenue management system in Nigeria.

President Muhammadu Buhari addresses the summit at the General Assembly hall during the 70th UN general Assembly on 25th Sept 2015
President Muhammadu Buhari addresses the summit at the General Assembly hall during the 70th UN general Assembly on 25th Sept 2015

Addressing the United Nations Plenary Summit for the Adoption of the Post-2015 Development Agenda, President Buhari said that his administration was taking steps to improve and streamline internal generation of revenue, and to plug all loopholes that have led to illicit capital flight from the country.

The President told the gathering that his government was also putting mechanisms in place to prevent oil theft and other criminal practices that are detrimental to Nigeria’s economy.

Applauding the adoption of the Post-2015 Global Development Agenda, President Buhari said that he was very pleased that world leaders had reaffirmed their commitment to sustainable development, international peace and security, and the protection of the planet.

“These are really the major issues of the day. For the first time, we have at our disposal a framework that is universal in scope and outlook, with clearly defined goals and targets, and appropriately crafted methods of implementation.

“The Declaration that we have adopted today testifies to the urgency and the necessity for action by all of us. It is not for want of commitment that previous initiatives have failed or could not be fully realised. What seemed to be lacking in the past were political will and the required global partnership to pursue and implement the programmes to which we committed ourselves.

“This Declaration enjoys global consensus. We have agreed to deliver as one and to leave no one behind. This is a promise worth keeping. We have agreed to create viable partnerships and to adopt the means of implementation for the goals and targets of the global sustainable development agenda in all its three dimensions; namely economic, social and environmental.

“The Post-2015 Development Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) together with the Addis Ababa Action Agenda that we adopted in July 2015, offer us a unique opportunity to address the unfinished business of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“They also provide the basis for a new set of global development priorities to usher in a peaceful and prosperous world, where no one is left behind, and where the freedom from fear and want, and for everyone to live in dignity, is enthroned,” President Buhari said.

Noting that illiteracy, hunger and diseases are associated evils that go hand in hand with poverty, the President urged the assembled world leaders to do everything possible “to eliminate these ills from our midst by 2030 as the Declaration loudly proclaims”.

“The bottom billion that has neither safety nets nor social protection, need to be rescued from their perpetual state of hopelessness, fear and indignity. This is a task that should have been accomplished decades ago. Now that it has fallen on our shoulders to discharge this responsibility, we should do so with the enthusiasm and commitment that is worthy of the cause.

“We must adopt targeted interventions at both policy and practical levels, to address extreme poverty and combat illiteracy, hunger and diseases. We must create viable partnerships that bring together national, regional and global actors with shared objectives to carry this forward.

“We must also create the enabling environments for executing this global agenda, by developing the relevant frameworks for working with different types of partners and constituencies that recognise the contributions of civil society, religious and cultural bodies, private sector, academia and most importantly, governments.

“Just as the relative success of the MDGs was underpinned by national ownership, the Post-2015 and the SDGs frameworks must also be guided by national priorities and ownership. Domestic resource mobilisation supplemented by improved terms of trade between industrial and developing economies should drive the implementation processes in both streams. The facilitation of remittances by migrant and overseas workers, as well as efficient tax collection are needed as complimentary sources of financing for development,” the President said.

He said that Nigeria was proud to have availed her services to the United Nations in co-chairing the Intergovernmental Committee of Experts on Sustainable Development Financing, whose work contributed in no small measure to the expansion of financing for development strategies.

WHO: Polio no longer endemic in Nigeria

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WHO: Polio no longer endemic in Nigeria

Only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan – remain endemic to this paralysing disease

Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF. Photo credit: ctvnews.ca
Anthony Lake, Executive Director, UNICEF. Photo credit: ctvnews.ca

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has announced that polio is no longer endemic in Nigeria. This is the first time that Nigeria has interrupted transmission of wild poliovirus, bringing the country and the African region closer than ever to being certified polio-free.

The announcement was made at a meeting of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in New York on September 25, 2015.

The GPEI, the public-private partnership leading the effort to eradicate polio, called this a ‘historic achievement’ in global health. Nigeria has not reported a case of wild poliovirus since 24 July 2014, and all laboratory data have confirmed a full 12 months have passed without any new cases.

As recently as 2012, Nigeria accounted for more than half of all polio cases worldwide. This success is the result of a concerted effort by all levels of government, civil society, religious leaders and tens of thousands of dedicated health workers. More than 200,000 volunteers across the country repeatedly immunised more than 45 million children under the age of five years, to ensure that no child would suffer from this paralysing disease. Innovative approaches, such as increased community involvement and the establishment of Emergency Operations Centres at the national and state level, have also been pivotal to Nigeria’s success.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan. Photo credit: ALAIN GROSCLAUDE/AFP/Getty Images)
World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Dr. Margaret Chan. Photo credit: ALAIN GROSCLAUDE/AFP/Getty Images

The interruption of wild poliovirus transmission in Nigeria would have been impossible without the support and commitment of donors and development partners. Their continued support, along with continued domestic funding from Nigeria, will be essential to keep Nigeria and the entire region polio-free.

Polio, which can cause lifelong paralysis, has now been stopped nearly everywhere in the world following a 25-year concerted international effort. Polio remains endemic in only two countries – Pakistan and Afghanistan. The eradication of polio globally now depends primarily on stopping the disease in these countries. As long as polio exists anywhere, it’s a threat to children everywhere.

Nigeria has made remarkable progress against polio, but continued vigilance is needed to protect these gains and ensure that polio does not return. Immunization and surveillance activities must continue to rapidly detect a potential re-introduction or re-emergence of the virus. After three years have passed without a case of wild poliovirus on the continent, official ‘certification’ of polio eradication will be conducted at the regional level in Africa.

Eradicating polio will be one of the greatest achievements in human history, and have a positive impact on global health for generations to come. Nigeria has brought the world one major step closer to achieving this goal and it’s critical that we seize this opportunity to end polio for good and ensure future generations of children are free from this devastating disease.

Reactions, essentially from the GPEI leadership, have however trailed the landmark development.

Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General (WHO): “The outstanding commitment and efforts that got Nigeria off the endemic list must continue, to keep Africa polio-free. We must now support the efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan so they soon join the polio-free world.”

Dr Ado Muhammad, Executive Director (National Primary Health Care Development Agency, Nigeria): “We Nigerians are proud today. With local innovation and national persistence, we have beaten polio. We know our vigilance and efforts must continue in order to keep Nigeria polio-free.”

Dr Matshidiso Moeti (WHO Regional Director for Africa): “Stopping polio in Nigeria has been a clear example that political engagement, strong partnerships and community engagement are the engines that drive the momentum of public health programmes, enabling them to achieve great things. I would like to congratulate everyone, particularly political, religious and community leaders in Nigeria and across Africa, for reaching a year without cases of wild polio.”

Dr Tom Frieden (Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Chairman of the Polio Oversight Board): “This is a clear example of success under very difficult circumstances. It shows we can eradicate polio if proven strategies are fully implemented. Combined with the news of the eradication of type 2 wild polio virus last week, we are moving decisively toward ending a disease that has paralysed tens of millions of children. In this final mile, we must remain committed to providing the resources and the support to the front lines to make this worthy goal a reality.”

K.R. Ravindran (President, Rotary International): “Rotary congratulates Nigeria on its tremendous accomplishment in stopping polio. On behalf of the entire Global Polio Eradication Initiative, we thank volunteers, health workers and parents in communities across Nigeria for their tireless commitment to ensuring every last child is protected against this devastating disease. In the months ahead, their dedication will remain as important as ever, as we work to keep Nigeria polio-free and to eliminate polio from its final strongholds in Pakistan and Afghanistan.”

Chris Elias, President (Global Development, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation): “This is a significant milestone for the global polio eradication effort and the health workers, government and religious leaders and partners should be proud of this accomplishment. While the progress in Nigeria should be celebrated, it is also fragile. It is critical that Nigeria goes two more years without a case of polio which will require the support of partners, increased accountability at all levels of the program led by President Buhari, and increased domestic funding commitments.”

Anthony Lake (Executive Director, UNICEF): “The removal of Nigeria from the list of polio-endemic countries is a major victory for Nigeria’s children.  It is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the Government of Nigeria, local leaders, and front line workers. And it is proof positive that if we work together in partnership to reach every community and immunize every child, we can finish the job of eradicating this evil disease everywhere, once and for all.”

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