Page 2139 – EnviroNews – latest environment news, climate change, renewable energy

Bodo spill compensation raises hope for other communities -ERA/FoEN

Sustainable Devpt

-

January 8, 2015

Bodo spill compensation raises hope for other communities -ERA/FoEN

The agreement by Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) to pay 55 million (N15.3 billion) pound compensation to the Bodo community over two spill incidents in 2008 has continued to generate reactions. The latest comes from the Lagos-based Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), which has described the step as a welcome development that should open doors for more communities that have suffered the oil giant’s environmental degradation to seek legal redress.

Shell’s decision to pay the community was arrived at after a settlement meeting with the affected community. The firm claims it took responsibility immediately the incident happened.

But, the ERA/FoEN, in a statement, said: “The unrelenting quest for justice by the Bodo community even after six years of frustrating negotiations forced the hands of Shell. The victory goes to the people.”

ERA/FoEN Executive Director, Godwin Ojo, stated: “While we see this agreement as a victory for the Bodo community folks who have suffered ecocide and loss of livelihoods, it is also a glimmer of hope for communities that have endured massive degradation from Shell’s leaking and ill-maintained facilities in the Ogoni and elsewhere in the Niger Delta.

“The amount may seems huge but it is paltry when compared to the ecosystem disturbance and destruction of livelihoods which has denied income to the victims for 6 years in a country where welfare package is non-existent. This is victory to the Bodo people and to all those who stood by them. This is another watershed development and by this a floodgate of similar cases by victims in the Niger Delta is bound to increase against Shell.”

Ojo explained that Shell had thought the community would chicken out in the face of their corporate might. It must be compelled to go beyond piece meal in dealing with the Ogoni issue by complying with the recommendation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) which has a cardinal call for immediate commencement of clean-up of the massively degraded environment.

He added: “In the last four years since the UNEP report was released we have witnessed an unholy alliance of the Nigerian government and Shell manifest in half-steps, deliberate attempts to muddle the issues and the setting up of a Hydrocarbon Pollution Restoration Project (HYPREP) that has been used to deceive the Ogoni people.

“We again use this medium to reiterate that the Bodo, the entire Ogoni in collaboration with other Niger Delta communities and civil society approach the United Nations to appoint a Niger Delta Reconciliation and Restoration Commission with autonomy and authority to do so. The oil companies should be required to contribute an initial amount of $100 billion to address the issues.

“Projects that do not have input from the Ogoni must be abolished and replaced with an internationally recognised clean-up body mutually agreed to by the communities.

“This victory notwithstanding, it is not time to click glasses. Now is the time to pressure Shell to clean up all the polluted environments of the Niger Delta. Tokens are not enough to cover up Shell’s ecocide.”

Bodo spill: Shell’s N16 billion compensation ‘inadequate’

Sustainable Devpt

Michael Simire

-

January 7, 2015

0

Bodo spill: Shell’s N16 billion compensation ‘inadequate’

Civil rights organisation, the Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), has picked holes in the agreement by oil giant, Shell, to pay a penalty of about 55 million Pounds Sterling (about N16 billion) to 15,600 Bodo fishermen and community for the extensive crude oil spills of 2008/2009.

The group nonetheless describes the development as a welcome news “for a New Year loaded with violence and other unpalatble news.”

HOMEF spokesperson, Cadmus Atake, submitted in a statement that, when compared to what polluting oil companies pay elsewhere for their ecological crimes, “HOMEF sees the compensation which will amount to about N600,000 for each of the plaintiffs with the balance going for community projects – school blocks and health centres – as inadequate for the severity of damage done.”

Nnimmo Bassey, Director of HOMEF, adds: “The fishermen cannot hope to return to fishing in the Bodo rivers and creeks because of the depth of hydrocarbon pollution resulting from the oil spills.

“Although the amount being offered each fisherman is better than the pittance that Shell initially offered to pay, this can hardly purchase a good fishing boat and equipment necessary to return to the fishing business that the people know best – that is if they chose to move to other communities with cleaner waters in which to fish. Sadly, although the Bodo pollution also damaged the Goi community waters that community continues to languish in abject neglect without remedy.”

According to Atake, HOMEF sees the main victory in the case as its being a clear precedent, giving a case where Shell accepts liability and is not pretending to be making a payout on humanitaran basis as they have claimed in the past.

“Since the oil companies do not respect fines imposed on them by Nigerian regulatory agencies, or even the National Assembly, this decision should encourage other communities to bring up cases against Shell and other oil companies operating in the Nigeria, Ghana and other countries,” says George Awudi, a member of the international Advisory Board of HOMEF.

Atake stresses: “Payment of compensation and building of schools and clinics will not by any means reduce the demand for an urgent clean-up of the Ogoni environment. Three and a half years after the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) report the Ogoni people are still waiting for concrete clean up action. HOMEF regrets that in the ongoing political campaigns the political parties do not pay any attention to the severe environmental damage in the Niger Delta and the rest of the nation. A safe environment is a foundational basis for human survival.”

GEF to invest $255 million in forestry, food security, cities

Cover

Michael Simire

-

January 7, 2015

0

GEF to invest $255 million in forestry, food security, cities

In the light of its bid to address environmental challenges facing the planet, the Global Environmental Facility (GEF) is beefing-up the impact of its investments and tackling drivers of degradation. Consequently, the organisation has refreshed its global strategy over the next four years.

A select number of integrated investments will seek to produce multiple environmental benefits by working with a broad range of organisations and sectors, including government agencies, businesses and NGOs. This new and more integrated approach is being added to existing GEF funding modalities to strengthen its capacity to respond to priorities identified by multiple conventions and stakeholders.

The integrated programme on “Sustainable Cities,” for example, is a $100 million programme pilot that will provide policy and governance support to facilitate integrated urban design, planning, and management; leading to sustainable, resilient development and sound ecosystem management while improving the global environment.

It aims to demonstrate innovative models of sustainable urban management and high impact investment. With this pilot, the GEF expects the participating cities to be recognised as the leading examples of sustainable urban management in five to 10 years, yielding clear and quantified global environmental benefits. Accordingly, leaders and officials of the pilot cities are expected to gain and put into practice the expertise and policy means to address global environmental concerns in an integrated manner.

The programme will establish a common platform with two key elements:

Sustainability plan: Clear, rolling plan that provides an assessment of challenges and opportunities in cities and metropolitan areas, consistent with those spearheaded by partner institutions and that produce global environmental benefits; and,
Tools: Underpinning sustainability plan development and implementation; set of tools and metrics agreed upon by participating cities and partners.

Several agencies expressed their interest in the implementing components of the Programme. The discussion on the ideal profile of the lead agency for the Programme is underway. The lead agency will develop the common platform with the set of tools and common metrics applicable to all city-related projects. The lead agency will also be in charge of supporting the exchange of knowledge, lessons learned, and capacity building activities.

Similarly, “Taking Deforestation out of Commodity Supply Chains”, the second initiative, is an integrated programme dedicating $45 million to address one of the key global drivers of deforestation by harnessing the growing public and private sector interest in expanding the supply of sustainably managed commodities; in particular palm oil, soy and beef.

It targets governments, the private sector, local communities, civil society, and consumers by providing a common platform required to tackle deforestation linked to the expansion of key commodities.

The programme will harness the momentum, and build upon the significant pledges and commitment made by companies, industry groups, and governments to develop results at scale. This was most recently evidenced through the New York Declaration on Forests, which saw world leaders and over 50 influential corporations, including some of the best known brand names in the world, endorse a global timeline to cut natural forest loss by half by 2020, and strive to end it by 2030.

The Commodities Programme will perform a catalytic role along the entire commodity value chains to engage different stakeholders at the global, national, and local levels to:

Enhance the understanding of decision-makers within the public and private sectors;
Strengthen the enabling environment for deforestation-free commodities;
Support the uptake of sustainable commodity production practices; and,
Enhance investment in deforestation-free commodities.

Stakeholder discussions are being programmed in Brazil, China, India and Indonesia within the next few weeks. These events are planned to include governmental, private sector, and civil society stakeholders as well as other active organisations and existing initiatives and donors. Additional meetings are being scheduled in 2015.

Furthermore, the “Fostering Sustainability and Resilience for Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa” integrated programme is a $110 million initiative that aims to promote the sustainable management and resilience of ecosystems and their different services (land, water, biodiversity, forests) as a means to address food insecurity.

It specifically targets dryland regions where integration of environmental priorities into smallholder agriculture is crucial for increasing the productivity of food crops and maintenance of ecosystem services. The proposed approach will:

Promote multi-stakeholder platforms through which appropriate actions can be identified and pursued to ensure that food security and other livelihood needs are met while safeguarding the environment; and,
Apply appropriate tools for monitoring global environmental benefits.

The Food Security Programme recognises that sustainability and resilience of food production systems in Sub-Saharan Africa depends on the existence of appropriate institutional frameworks and supportive policies to promote changes in agricultural production systems that involve, inter alia, healthy soils, efficient water management, diversification of farmlands, and safeguarding of genetic resources.

The IFAD has agreed to serve as lead agency, although it is anticipated that multiple Agencies will be engaged based on the needs and priorities of the countries.

At least 12 countries are envisaged to participate in this pilot phase. A follow-up with all 22 countries in target geographies will determine the best opportunities for achieving transformational impact through this Programme. This will serve as a basis for investing the $60-million allocation reserved as a financial incentive for the Programme, which will be matched by STAR allocations from the participating countries at a 1:1 ratio.

GEF Agencies are planning to submit the Programmatic Framework Document on the three projects to the GEF Council at the 48^thMeeting in June 2015.

Children living in fear in northeastern Nigeria

Sustainable Devpt

Michael Simire

-

January 7, 2015

1

Children living in fear in northeastern Nigeria

Hauwa, 16, is from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria, a region blighted by years of Boko Haram insurgency. She says fear is with her daily, dictating how she lives.

“I’m scared of walking along roads on my own because I don’t want to be raped for the second time,” she told me on the day I met with families affected by the Boko Haram insurgency in Maiduguri. Borno State as a whole has borne the brunt of the violence that has lasted for more than five years in northeastern Nigeria.

During four days in late October, I was on a mission to encourage reluctant parents in Maiduguri to send their daughters to safe schools working through traditional leaders, youth leaders and the local media as facilitators. In those four days, I met girls who told me they were scared of returning to school because they fear they could be attacked by anyone, including their male teachers. Because of their ordeal in the hands of militants, some of whom they identified as neighbours, they are unwilling to trust anyone.

“I don’t know where my next attacker could come from,” a young girl told me. “I just don’t trust anyone, not even my teachers.”

Since the ongoing crisis, life has never been the same for kids living in the region, as every facet of their lives has been affected by the insurgency.

Children no longer feel safe even in their homes. They also fear going to public places like markets, streams, farms and social gatherings for fear of being attacked or forcibly conscripted by Boko Haram.

As many public schools in the northeastern Nigeria are now closed, many students now hawk wares on the streets, and some have turned to criminal activities. The situation in the few still-open private schools is no better, as most parents are scared of sending their children there.

The insurgency itself has set back education in an area that is grossly underdeveloped and with a high rate of illiteracy. Since 2012, Boko Haram has burned more than 300 schools in the north and deprived more than 10,000 children of an education. In a particularly gory attack in July, suspected armed Islamists killed 42 pupils and teachers and burned down a government-owned boarding school in Mamudo village, Yobe State.

Figures released by Human Rights Watch indicate that more than 5,000 people, mostly adults have been killed since the insurgency began in 2009. As parents are lost in fighting, more and more children are without families and homes.

Living with fear of being killed, and without anyone to turn to for protection and assistance, many orphans have joined the recruitment of armed conflict. The militia life has become more attractive to the children, who see a possible future of survival with their fellow soldiers. In most cases, these young soldiers from ages 12 to 16 come from communities where there are no schools to attend and no jobs to work and destitute families. Every year the number of child soldiers grows as more children are recruited into active combat.

Moreover, the continuous influx of Internally Displaced Persons into major towns in the region have increased the number of beggars on the streets, a situation that forced some of them – especially girls – into prostitution to make ends meet.

Millions of dollars, thousands of people’s efforts, and several months have all been spent trying to secure a lasting peace in northeastern Nigeria. But these efforts have not gone far enough. A lack of coordination, corruption in some quarters, and insufficient access to those most in need all make achieving well-being by children difficult, but not impossible.

For many children in these communities, education remains their surest way out of poverty and destitution. “I want to enjoy the life I had before the insurgency,” said Umar, 16. “I want to be able to go to school without the threats of insurgent attacks.”

Unfortunately, the fear of Boko Haram has forced many parents to withdraw their children from schools, and this can only add to an already explosive mix of the large pool of uneducated and unemployed youth and debilitating poverty.

Just four days spent in the heart of Boko Haram insurgency made me realize that protecting schools alone, even with the best trained military personnel, wouldn’t be enough to encourage every child to return to the classroom. They need a different form of home education that will help them cripple fear and rebuild their trust in the society.

By Philip Obaji (founder and general coordinator for the 1 GAME Campaign which promotes basic primary education for vulnerable children in Nigeria. He also started a community project, Off The Streets, for street children who are facing challenges of exclusion from school, ignorance, recruitment into insurgent groups, neglect and abuse.)

IUCN hosts second Great Green Wall e-forum

Conservation

Michael Simire

-

January 7, 2015

0

IUCN hosts second Great Green Wall e-forum

From July 15^th to August 11^th, 2013, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) organised a first E-Forum with the objective of strengthening the involvement of the civil society in the implementation of the Great Green Wall of the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI). Over 130 participants took part in this E-Forum. The results of the online consultation were presented in Windhoek, Namibia in September 2013 at a “side-event” during the 11^th Conference of Parties to the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). This “side-event” was organised by RESAD and IUCN.

On the basis of this forum, IUCN and UNEP have reflected on greater synergy among actors in the implementation of the GGWSSI. This discussion led to a project concept submitted to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which has been retained. IUCN and UNEP will soon submit the complete document of projects eligible for GEF funding, according to Marcello Rocca, the IUCN communication and knowledge management specialist.

The project is entitled “Closing the gaps in Great Green Wall: Linking sectors and stakeholders for increased synergy and scaling-up.” Its objective is a greater implementation of policies for sustainable land management in the Sahel (GGW countries) through enhanced investment, inter-sectoral coordination, and engagement of marginalised groups.

To enable this project to value the best experiences and to the civil society committed to the GGWSSI to contribute to this document, considering that GGWSSI is already functional with partners involved in its implementation, IUCN is organising a second E-Forum, from Wednesday 7^th to Tuesday, 20^th of January 2015, that will help to deepen the issues raised by the former.,

The discussions and exchanges will take place over two weeks. The first week will allow participants to identify groups of actors and their needs to take sufficiently into account in GGWSSI. The second week will provide documentation and best practices in connection with the GGWSSI and the needs of identified groups. A final summary will be proposed at the end of the discussion forum. The results of this forum will be presented at a dissemination workshop that will integrate the proposals in the final document of the project.

Rocca adds: “Still in a participatory way, and to strengthen the synergies of actors, this forum is open to civil society organisations and key partners to identify practical actions to strengthen the participation of all stakeholders in GGWSSI and strengthen its implementation.”

The GGWSSI is a planned project to plant a wall of trees across Africa at the southern edge of the Sahara desert as a means to prevent desertification.

Rights group criticises Lagos’ World Bank water deal

Water & Sanitation

Michael Simire

-

January 5, 2015

0

Rights group criticises Lagos’ World Bank water deal

The Lagos State Government has been accused by a civil society organisation of double-speaking on a transaction on water provision it reportedly got involved with.

According to the group, Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), the announcement by Lagos State Water Corporation (LSWC) that it is seeking partnership with private individuals on how to meet current demand for water in the state is an indication that the corporation may be pursuing a strategy of intentionally marketing forms of privatisation in the guise of Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) to avoid scrutiny and public resistance.

The LSWC had in a statement signed by its Controller, Media and Publicity, Ronke Famakinwa, disclosed that the partnership would help it meet current demand for water in the state, which is put at 540 million gallons per day.

“Intense local and international demands for disclosure had forced the World Bank to open up on the water privatisation scheme, which centres on the appointment of its private arm, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), to design a PPP water scheme for Lagos. So far, the project is shrouded in utter secrecy, with no input from critical segments of the population that it will supposedly benefit. The bank had initially said it had no deal with the Lagos government and then swiftly announced it had cancelled the IFC contract,” Phillip Jakpor, the ERA/FoEN spokesperson emphasised in a statement.

He added: “Until the recent pronouncement, the LSWC had refused to volunteer any information on the project. It also shunned demands to speak up on the issue.

“Not only has the LSWC shocked Lagosians with its confirmation of a PPP arrangement, residents are deeply concerned by the devastating track-record of water PPPs which include rate hikes, sporadic access, unsafe water, and infrastructure neglect. Clearly this is not a solution.”

ERA/FoEN Director, Corporate Accountability, Akinbode Oluwafemi, said: “The LSWC announcement has confirmed what ERA/FoEN and allies have been concerned about for months–the city intends to privatise its water system. By expressing interest in pursuing a PPP, Lagos officials are expressing interest in a form of water privatisation that has many of the same consequences as full-scale privatisation.”

Oluwafemi explained that the disorientation of Lagos residents is further heightened by the fact that the corporation has also made contradictory statements regarding the justification for its PPP plans.

“Despite admitting that it does not expect the private sector to find any capital improvements in a potential contract, it is an irony that the corporation still relies on the rationale that the private sector will help fund costly and much-needed water infrastructure improvements. This theory has been thoroughly discredited by experts as well as the World Bank and even the private water sector itself.”

Oluwafemi maintained that water PPPs are water privatisation under a different name and that while government’s primary objective should be equitable access, the private sectors’ major concern revolves only around profit.

He went on: “A true partnership as the name suggests cannot exist with such disparate goals. If the Lagos government allows its water system to be run with profit as a priority, Lagos residents will continue to suffer.

“While we laud the Lagos government interest in solutions to the water problem, we strongly advocate that it commits to real solutions that prioritise the human right to water above and over profit motives that drive the privates in a PPP. We believe the water corporation is still holding back vital details on the deal with the World Bank and we demand to know them.”

EBOLA AND STIGMA IN NIGERIA

TV Reports

admin

-

January 4, 2015

0

I

Renewables on the rise, says study

Renewable Energy

Michael Simire

-

January 2, 2015

0

In the last couple of years, almost 22% of global electricity was produced from renewable sources, a study has revealed. It adds that renewables now account for over half of the world’s estimated 280GW of new installed electric capacity.

Titled: “Renewables on the rise: A West African Energy Transformation” and published last November, the report reveals that the total global operating capacity for solar PV reached the 100GW milestone and prices of solar PV modules fell by more than 30%.

A renewable resource is an organic natural resource that can replenish in due time compared to the usage, either through biological reproduction or other naturally recurring processes.

Conducted by the Abuja-based Heinrich Boll Foundation’s Nigeria & West Africa Office and authored by Hans Verolme, the study adds that almost 45GW of wind power capacity came in operation in 2012, increasing global wind capacity by 19% to 283GW. The annual growth rate of cumulative wind power capacity between 2007 and 2012 averaged 25%.

Verolme wrote: “Interest in concentrated solar power (CSP) is on the rise, particularly in developing countries, including Africa. In 2012, total global CSP capacity increased more than 60% to about 2,550MW.

“Global solar thermal capacity reached an estimated 255GWth for glazed water collectors, mostly installed in China and Europe. Around 350TWh of electricity was generated from bio-power, whose capacity was 12% to nearly 83GW, with notable increases in fast-growing economies.

“Geothermal electric generating capacity grew by an estimated 300MW during 2012, bringing the global total to 11.7GW and generating at least 72TWh.”

According to the study, the age of cheap, clean energy has arrived, with clean energy markets outpacing fossil investment. It emphasises that renewable energy is now more affordable in both developed and developing countries; even as markets, manufacturing and investment shift increasingly towards developing nations.

Renewable energy is energy that comes from resources which are naturally replenished on a human timescale such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides, waves and geothermal heat.

The report notes that, despite policy uncertainty due to the 2009 crises that affected investments in Europe, China and India, solar photovoltaics and onshore wind power experienced continued price reductions “due to economies of scale and technology advances, and a production surplus of modules and turbines.”

It adds: “The balance of power has rapidly shifted from developed to developing economies. Since 2011, global investment has stagnated around $250 billion per year, but installed capacity has continued to grow due to falling technology costs.

“Globally, an estimated 5.7 million people work in the renewable energy sector. Policymakers are increasingly aware of the potential national development impacts of renewable energy such that, by the end of 2012, 138 countries had renewable energy targets.

“Rural use of renewable electricity has increased with greater affordability, improved knowledge about local renewable resources, and more sophisticated technology applications. Attention to mini-grids has risen in parallel with price reductions in solar, wind, inverter, gasification and metering technologies.

“We witness an increase in direct involvement by the private sector with rapid technology innovation reducing prices. In Africa, there has been a rise in social entrepreneurship, with successful business models in rural energy through dealership and fee-per-service, leasing arrangements, and in some cases public private partnerships.”

Infographic: Preventing malaria, sanitation-related diseases

Cartoons & Infographics

Michael Simire

-

January 2, 2015

0

Infographic: Preventing malaria, sanitation-related diseases

Chairman, WASH (water, sanitation & hygiene) Media Network Nigeria, Edo State Chapter, Francis Odupute, is co-ordinator of this infographic initiative designed to raise awareness on the malaria scourge and WASH-related diseases, which are prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa in particular and the developing world in general.

According to the environmental cartoonist, this is the first edition of a multi-phase intervention (“WASH 4 All”)made possible by Horizon International in collaboration with MediaBFI, Beautiful Feet International.

Odigha: How Cross River can build credible national REDD+ process

Conservation

Michael Simire

-

December 30, 2014

1

Odigha: How Cross River can build credible national REDD+ process

Chairman, Cross River State Forestry Commission, Odigha Odigha, is committed to the implementation of the UN-REDD+ Readiness programme, with the state collaborating with the Federal Government under an innovative, two-track approach. During a recent Stakeholder Engagement Forum in Calabar, he bares his mind on a number of issues entailing the climate change mitigation programme that will soon spread to other states in the federation

How is the stakeholder Engagement Forum relevant to the REDD+ Readiness process?

It is the practicalisation of the participatory behaviour in governance. That’s what we are seeing here. It is the meeting of all the identified stakeholder groups, namely: forest dependent communities, the civil society organisations, the MDAs, the media, the academia and the private sector, to look at issues that have taken place; the meetings, the information they provided. It’s to give them a feedback for them to deliberate on these issues: can we adopt this position? To resolve at the level the structure that we are establishing. The decisions are taken with their information. It is basically a feedback process.

How do you assess the deliberations so far, and what are the likely outcomes?

We are trying to establish ownership of the entire programme and the ownership should start from a process that we all designed and all took part in, which is what is going on. Like we are talking about establishing a community-based REDD+ where decisions will be taken by the community, and essentially we will be talking about providing alternative livelihood options. We don’t want to impose any options, they should through interactions say, this is what we have identified and this is how we want it, help us facilitate the process. That is just a couple of resolutions that we have in that respect, and that should be respected. That will mean that the sustainability element is there, point of ownership is established, and place the demand in the people to say that we brought out this idea, it was not imposed on us, we really engaged. So those are things that are emerging in this process.

How do you expect the deliberations to progress as the day unfolds?

We are complying with the basic elements of good governance. Participatory behaviour is one of such, and then the issue of accountability and transparency; things will be discussed extensively. And also, the issue of equity – the stakeholders are freely contributing and they are not coarsed into doing anything. Equity is fairness. We feel that these are the essential pillars in governance. If we put them there, then we are sure that we will best address the issues at stake.

The current governor has been very supportive of this project over the years. But he will be leaving in a few months and someone else that may not be very familiar with the project will come in. What are being place to ensure that this project and processes continue even beyond outgoing governor’s legacies, and are attractive to the incoming one?

We are optimistic about that in the sense that we are involving the MDAs and other stakeholders as much as possible. The essence is that, within the shortest possible time, can we institutionalise some of these processes? Like the stakeholder forum, do we have a legal interpretation of it? So that way, it will take some other further effort to wish it away. The intention is that, can we legalise this processes? And play a part that will be appreciated by whoever comes in. You can see that the traditional rulers are actively involved, the government departments are involved – and they have a voice. These are institutions.

How can you make the politician buy into the project?

As of now, the REDD+ Readiness phase is not asking for resources from government. We are seeing how we can draw some aids from outside to establish a process that will guarantee proper resource management which will in turn generate the necessary revenue, increase the IGR for the state and enhance good governance even at the grassroots level. We feel that when these things are done, they will create employment opportunities, contribute to development and create some goodwill to the coming administration and with that understanding it will inform their decision to work with this structure and allow the REDD+ programme to flourish.

CRS is pioneering the REDD+ Programme in the country. However, other states have shown interest in being part of the action. Now, being the flagship player, how would you like to get others involved in this initiative?

We are very conscious about that. It is a mandate of the project that best practices be established here with the view that the experience will be duplicated in other states of the federation that are interested in REDD+. As we speak, we have started seeing that. About a month ago, several states interested in the project came here to CRS as a group; the likes of Ekiti, Ondo, Delta, Nasarawa and Taraba states were all here. But beyond that other states like Bayelsa had visited here and asking that yes, they need some hand-holding in their efforts to do REDD+.

I have had the opportunity of taking some state representatives from here in Calabar to international forums like one in Ethiopia where we participated in the forest governance conference. Also involved were Lagos and Delta. So we are interested in ensuring that the forest, the last surviving forest in Nigeria is protected, and we are privileged to have some experiences over time in forest management and conservation. We want to see how Nigeria can be classified again as a big forest nation and we have something to do to help that to happen in the rest of the country.

So Nigeria has lost most of its forest resources over the decades. Can the REDD+ project help reverse this trend by way of some sort of a reforestation process?

Yes, it can. The incentives are there and they are quite attractive because part of the REDD+ programme is to increase the forest carbon stock and that comes through afforestation. So there is that attraction there that it can happen. So what is necessary is the goodwill from government and the people to do it. As long as there is goodwill, the incentives are quite there. Besides the carbon financial incentive, the ecosystem services, opportunity of improving the health of the environment are enough attraction and benefits to get us to embrace that, and we in CRS are committed to helping Nigeria to build that process.

Bodo spill compensation raises hope for other communities -ERA/FoEN

Bodo spill: Shell’s N16 billion compensation ‘inadequate’

GEF to invest $255 million in forestry, food security, cities

Children living in fear in northeastern Nigeria

IUCN hosts second Great Green Wall e-forum

Rights group criticises Lagos’ World Bank water deal

EBOLA AND STIGMA IN NIGERIA

Renewables on the rise, says study

Infographic: Preventing malaria, sanitation-related diseases

Odigha: How Cross River can build credible national REDD+ process

TV Report

Video: Boki women on leading edge to end illegal logging

Video: Mercury, silent killer that contributes to biodiversity loss – Stankiewicz

Archives

<img class="tdb-logo-img" src="https://www.environewsnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/environews-logo.jpeg" alt="Logo" title="" width="800" height="210" data-eio="l" />

<img class="tdb-logo-img" src="https://www.environewsnigeria.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/environews-logo.jpeg" alt="Logo" title="" width="800" height="210" data-eio="l" />

Archives