West Africa’s first online newspaper dedicated to opening new vistas in the coverage and reportage of climate change and the region’s environment has been launched.
Atayi Babs
The online magazine, tagged “ClimateReporters” (www.climatereporters.com), was launched at the weekend in the Republic of Benin, Cote d’Ívoire and Nigeria simultaneously in commemoration of the 2015 International Francophonie Day. According to its promoters, it envisions an informed, environment-friendly and climate-conscious citizenry living in a safe and serene West African environment, free from climate disasters and environmental despoliation.
Speaking at the lunch, the medium’s Editor-in-Chief, Atâyi Babs, revealed that the newspaper is “dedicated to bringing fresh, crisp and engaging climate reports from all over the world to West Africa, using the region’s finest blend of climate story tellers to enhance understanding and engender climate action across the region.”
“We are change catalysts, bringing international climate reports to every doorstep in West Africa at the same time taking the West African climate story to the world,” Babs added.
The launch of the newspaper on the International Francophonie Day which is observed within La Francophonie’s 77 member states in celebration of the French language and Francophone culture and the signing of the Niamey Convention on 20th March 1970 which established the Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique, reinforces the new medium’s capacity to reflect the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of West Africa. The newspaper is published online, real-time in English and French simultaneously.
With a multilingual team of talented reporters from across the region, ClimateReporters provides an interesting mix of environmental news stories and an imperative source of environmental information and opinion. The medium aspires not only to focus on the big stories but also seek out some of more unusual and controversial environmental issues from around the world.
Speaking at the launch in Abidjan, Alain Landry Zahoré, the Cote d’Ivoire Bureau Chief, disclosed that with special pull-out categories on climate change, sustainable development, road to Paris, energy, WASH, land, forests and health, ClimateReporters will focus attention on the present and future environmental issues facing the health of the planet and West Africa in particular.
Zahoré further added that “we are out to inform, educate and activate a platform for regional and global environmental action.”
Divesting from fossil fuels is the obvious direction the world is headed. Many powerful countries which dominate the world economy have been actively working on that. The United States and Europe are headed in that direction. As the technology for non-fossils are improved, this trend will become the dominant source of energy in the world.
Solar energy
In the specific case of the African continent, I often wonder if for instance the Germans relocate here, whether they would not build their energy supply around the most abundant source of energy, which is the solar. I often wonder if the African search for development and better living for her people should not be based on resources that are more in abundance and not those less available, and therefore reduce Africa’s dependency. Where for instance what is abundant is the wind, then that should be in the front burner as source of energy. We should be in the fore front of dependency on solar energy, because Africa is richly endowed in that respect. Sadly that is not the case.
I do not expect a global decision not to exploit fossil fuels, but I expect technology and economic factors to reduce the importance of fossils in global energy milieu. Nigeria is a classic example of a country that will be losing foreign exchange as crude oil exports decline and as her major customers seek other sources for their energy needs. But that should not be a surprise to Nigeria and countries in similar circumstance. President Obama made it explicit that a key goal of his tenure is to reduce United States’ dependency on imported crude petroleum, I am not sure our rulers were listening. As Nigeria’s earnings from crude petroleum exports decline, I expect difficult public sector finances, constrained ability to meet domestic and local financial obligations including recurrent expenditures, and then infrastructural development. The local currencies will be devalued and I expect inflation, layoffs and increased unemployment, which will worsen social crises and conflicts as well as other related security challenges. If the trend in the international oil market continues, Nigeria will face very challenging times. Sadly the political and social elite seem to live, oblivious of this. As with the boom period when we failed to save for the turn of events, reality still seems far away waiting for some shocks to bring the country to that realisation.
Some people could imagine that developing countries can be asked not to exploit fossils, but that will not happen. In international trade and politics, fairness is not a key factor. What is important is the interest of the various contending forces at play. Ultimately it is the trend of the development in technology and economics that will determine what happens. Coal is not as important as it was some years ago. That did not emerge by any political force, but technology and economics dealt with coal. So will it be, with other fossils.
The issue of fossil fuels remaining unexploited in less developed countries (even when the developed countries exploited that for their advancement, and hence drove the world into sever climate change), in order to avoid dangerous climate change was among the issues that drew heated debates during the Conference of Parties (COP20) in Lima, Peru last year. Ahead of COP21 in Paris later this year, Nigeria is preparing to navigate this and similar issues. Nigeria has just set up a team to prepare her position for COP 21. That is a good way to go. However, by the structure and conduct of the COPs, Nigeria’s position will ultimately be aligned to the position of the African Group. Some weeks ago in Cairo Egypt, the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) held. The details of Africa’s position are still being worked on and the picture will get clearer before the meeting in Paris later in the year. But be sure that the COP this year has been programmed to be an important milestone, in the light of what is to become of the Kyoto protocol that has driven most of what has happened in the last decades.
By Chinedum Nwajiuba
1. Professor of Agricultural Economics (Resource and Environmental Economics) and Dean, School of Postgraduate Studies, Imo State University Owerri, Nigeria.
Executive Director, Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team, Ibadan, Nigeria.
Project Coordinator, Building Nigeria’s Response to Climate Change (BNRCC), which partnered with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Environment in producing the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change in Nigeria (NASAP-CCN), commended by the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) as among the model documents which other countries may learn from.
Served in Nigeria’s Team of Negotiators to the UNFCC Conference of Parties (COP).)
One of the familiar narratives for the promotion of genetically modified (GM) crops is that they have the potential to alleviate poverty and hunger. But the real impacts of GM crops deserve closer assessment,writesWanqing Zhou, research associate in the Food and Agriculture Programme at the Worldwatch Institute. The analysis explores trends and consequences of GM crops
The amount of agricultural land used for GM crops has been increasing for more than two decades, reaching 181.5 million hectares in 2014. The largest GM crop producers are the United States, Brazil, Argentina, India, and Canada.
In 2014, the global value of GM seed reached $15.7 billion. The small handful of companies that develop and market GM crops has a near monopoly. In the United States, the agri-tech multinational Monsanto holds 63 percent of the Release Permits and Release Notifications for GM crops issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and the seed company DuPont Pioneer holds another 13 percent.
GM crops have had their genetic materials engineered through biotechnologies to introduce new or enhanced characteristics, including herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, enhancement of certain nutrients, and drought tolerance. But instead of producing more food by improving yield, the benefit of these technologies more often consists of saving time and effort in farming, as well as reducing market risks for farmers. Based on the current profile of GM crops, the principal driving force today is demand for animal feed (soybeans and corn) and crop-based oils (soybean and canola) rather than for food consumed directly by people.
From a social perspective, although the efficiency improvement from the use of GM crops may give farmers time to turn to other sources of income, the transition also has led to the loss of land and livelihoods when farmers with more assets take over the land of less-resourceful and less-protected small farmers.
From an environmental perspective, the high and growing demand for meat and other animal products, met increasingly through the use of GM feed and industrial production methods, contributes to numerous environmental problems, from pollution to deforestation. Although growing herbicide-tolerant soybean and maize might be less damaging than conventional ways of meeting the demand for animal feed, in terms of the pesticide use and tillage requirement, the advantage is diminishing as herbicide resistance develops in weeds.
In the next five to10 years, the profile of commercial GM crops may diversify in both crop variety and traits to include fruits, protein seeds, and staple foods such as rice and cassava. To minimise the negative social and environmental impacts of this broadening of GM crop varieties, it will be important to adopt rigorous regulatory frameworks based on the principle of case-by-case assessment.
Nigeria and two other countries have been placed on a trade ban list for failing to meet their obligations to protect elephants and deal with the rampant illegal ivory trade. Notices were issued recently by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), recommending that signatories no longer permit trade with Nigeria, Laos and DR Congo.
Elephants. Photo credit: planetsave.com
During the July 2014 meeting of CITES tackling the ivory trade and elephant poaching became a pressing concern and a number of countries were listed as not doing enough to halt the trade. 11 countries were ordered to produce and submit national ivory action plans.
These plans had to be submitted to CITES by October 2014. Despite reminders being issued to Nigeria, Laos and DR Congo in January and February this year and the deadline being extended until March 14th no plans have been submitted.
During an inter-sessional meeting in January this year it was decided that those countries failing to meet the 14th March deadline should face trade bans on all CITES species.
The CITES Secretariat have now invoked those sanctions and issued formal notice to all CITES members to enforce trade bans with the three countries.
Also known as the Washington Convention, CITES is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals. It was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The convention was opened for signature in 1973, and CITES entered into force on July 1st, 1975.
Its aim is to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild. CITES accords varying degrees of protection to more than 35,000 species of animals and plants.
For many years northern parts of Kenya, primarily inhabited by pastoralists, has been prone to inter-communal resource conflict and cattle raids.
Children of Katilu Primary School fetching water at River Turkwel
According to a research done by Practical Action, up to 164,457 people have fled their homes as a result of conflicts associated with fighting for diminishing water and pastures.
The reports further states that 70% of the displaced are women and children aged below 14 years.
It’s a hot sunny afternoon in Katilu village, Turkana South; parents are sitting under the shade waiting for their children to go fetch water at river Turkwel.
For decades Katilu village has experienced water shortage thus forcing residents to walk five kilometres to Turkwel River, the only water source that serves the entire region.
Consequently this has negatively impacted on the education system in the pastoralists’ area as students have been forced to abandon afternoon classes in pursuit of the scarce commodity.
“We have a lot of problems with water since last year but now it’s worse because we spend a lot of time looking for water rather than going to classes,” narrates one of the students.
The students are forced to walk long distance in pursuit of water despite the danger of being attacked by raiders.
“This place is so insecure. One of my students was shot dead by the raiders and since then parents, teachers and Kenya police reservists always accompany students to the river to fetch water,” says Katilu Primary School deputy Head teacher Mathew Karing’a.
He adds that the water conflict has impacted negatively on the population of the school as scarcity of water has forced some of the students to opt out of class in pursuit of water.
“In the past we had a population of 1036 pupils but now the number has immensely decreased, they are moving from Katilu to areas where they can get water and pastures, they are relocating to Kanawadong,” Karing’a notes.
John Ekal, a resident of Katilu, says it is very disheartening as children are looking for water in dangerous places rather than being in class.
“In this school there are no afternoon classes; children spend most of their time looking for water seven kilometers away from school,” Ekal laments.
Asked about the education status in his jurisdiction, Turkana South District Education Officer Dickson Ogwang confirms that most of the schools in his area occasionally closed due to insecurity.
“I have seen the insecurity issue impacting very negatively on learning because sometimes it becomes intolerable and schools have to close,” Ogwang elaborates.
The ever rising insecurity and the lack of water forced some of the residents like Paul Ikenye to shift their livelihood to neighboring Uganda.
“We have taken all our livestock to our brothers Matheniko in Uganda because there is peace, water and grasses. But here in Turkana there is no pasture and no peace,” Ikenye said.
It’s not only water and cattle rustling that makes Katilu area prone to insecurity, according to Catholic Diocese of Nakwamuru Turkana South priest Augustine Emathe unclear boundaries between the two warring communities contributes to the violence as they compete over the control of water points.
“Government should clearly demarcate boundaries between these people and increases security personnel in this area,” Emathe urges.
WaterAid has launched a new four-year “Healthy Start” campaign that shows the devastating impact that a lack of safe water and sanitation has on the health of children in developing countries. The launch is part of activities commemorating the 2015 World Water Day.
Released last week, the briefing, titled: “Healthy Start: the first month of life” shows that, annually, nearly half a million babies die in the first month of life because they are born into unhygienic conditions and one in five deaths of newborn babies in the developing world are caused by infections strongly linked to dirty water or unhygienic conditions. In Nigeria, nearly 52,000 newborn babies died from sepsis, tetanus and other infections linked to dirty water and lack of hygiene in 2013 alone.
In the face of dwindling supply, demand for water is steadily on the rise. Photo credit: vanguardngr.com
The campaign launches as a recently released World Health Organisation report reveals that nearly half of hospitals and clinics in Africa do not have access to clean water. And of the 58% of healthcare facilities that have some access, only half are able to count on a safe and reliable supply of clean water.
The World Health Organisation report “Water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities: status in low and middle income countries and way forward” shows that across 18 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, access to water in healthcare facilities is as low as 20%. It is the first survey of its kind and shows that in the 54 developing countries studied, 38% of healthcare facilities do not have clean water and 19% do not have safe toilets. Over a third (35%) of hospitals and clinics did not have anywhere for staff or patients to wash their hands with soap.
It has been shown that a baby’s chances of dying in the first month of life is cut by half if a mother and her birth attendant both wash their hands before handling the baby. Yet, in Nigeria almost a third (29%) of hospitals and clinics did not have access to clean water and the same percentage did not have safe toilets. The WHO report also showed that one in six (16%) did not have anywhere to wash hands with soap.
Tragically for one in five babies who die in their first month in the developing world, just being washed in clean water and cared for in a clean environment by people who had washed their hands could have prevented their untimely deaths. In Nigeria one woman in every 23 will on average lose a baby to infection during her lifetime compared to one in 7,518 in the UK.
The WaterAid briefing highlights the risks presented to babies by healthcare facilities that do not offer a hygienic birth environment. It outlines measures needed to ensure that every healthcare facility has clean running water, safe toilets and sinks with soap available to staff and patients.
The goal for “Healthy Start” is that decision leaders and policy makers ensure that survival rates and health outcomes are improved for children by integrating water, sanitation and hygiene within their policies, activities and rhetoric. In particular our aim is that the health sector joins with the water and sanitation sector in delivering water, sanitation and hygiene for all by 2030 as an essential requirement for increasing the numbers of children who have healthy childhoods, better prospects for healthy lives and for leaving poverty behind.
Dr. Michael Ojo, WaterAid Nigeria’s Country Representative said: “The links between dirty hands, dirty water and infant mortality have been known for over 150 years.
“Being born into unhygienic conditions condemns too many babies in the Nigeria and the developing world to a tragically early and avoidable death and their parents to needless heartbreak. Tragically for these one in five babies who die in their first month in the developing world, just being washed in clean water and cared for in a clean environment by people who had washed their hands could have prevented their untimely deaths. The fact that we know what the solution is makes this an injustice waiting for action.
“The ability to keep a hospital or clinic clean is such a fundamental basic requirement of health care that you have to question whether a facility without clean running water or basic sanitation can adequately serve its patients.
“We want the global community to commit to ensuring everyone has access to safe water and sanitation by 2030 – which is an ambitious target but an achievable target. But within that commitment, we want to see healthcare facilities prioritised – no new hospitals or clinics should be built without water and sanitation.
“There must be individual and collective responsibility for ensuring hygienic conditions in health centres. We need everyone involved in leading and shaping health services to work together to ensure that the most vulnerable members of society do not have their life expectancy reduced to mere weeks because facilities are unable to meet the most basic standards of clean and safe care.”
Children are dying needlessly and diarrhoea is considered the second biggest child killer in Nigeria and nearly 100,000 children under the age of five die of diarrhoea in Nigeria every year as a result of the nation’s poor levels of access to water and sanitation. Sub-Saharan Africa ranks lowest in the world for access to improved drinking water and sanitation. This is invariably linked to the region’s under-five mortality rate which is one of the highest in the world.
The global theme for World Water Day this year is ‘Water and Sustainable Development’. The year 2015 provides an important opportunity to consolidate and build upon previous World Water Days to highlight water’s role in the sustainable development agenda. It is also an important year for development at a global scale and it gives us the opportunity to integrate our efforts and get involved in influencing the outcomes of global debates that could achieve: an end to poverty in all its forms; the meeting of fundamental rights, tackling inequality and discrimination; an accelerated transition to 100% renewable energy; and a world where everyone can participate and hold their leaders accountable.
World Water Day is a United Nations designated global day for action to illustrate the importance of water in our lives. In 2010, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognising the human right to water and sanitation as “essential for the full enjoyment of the right to life”. Although the rights to water and sanitation have been ratified by the Nigerian Government, these rights are not recognised in any legal framework of the country such as the Constitution.
Access to water and sanitation are fundamental human rights and yet 748 million (about 1 in 10 people) in the world do not have access and 2.5 billion (1 in 3 people) lack access to sanitation. In Nigeria, over 60 million people (36% of the population) lack access to improved water sources and over 120 million (72% of the population) lack access to basic sanitation.
The lack of access to safe water, basic sanitation and hygiene harms the health of children and often leaves a lifetime legacy of disease and poverty. Where clean water, sanitation and good hygiene are lacking, improvements in health and nutrition aren’t sustainable. The costs of this are high in terms of ill health, deaths and economic losses. All sustainable development is made impossible without clean water and access to sanitation and hygiene facilities.
The United Nations is currently deciding on the Sustainable Development Goals, which will be successors to the Millennium Development Goals. WaterAid is calling for a dedicated goal to deliver water and sanitation to everyone, everywhere by 2030, including in all healthcare facilities.
Africa’s first Water Fund to combat rising threats to food security, water and energy supplies; while providing US$21.5m in long-term benefits for Kenyan citizens, farmers and businesses
Fred Kihara of The Nature Conservancy. Photo credit: www.nature.org
Africa’s first Water Fund has emerged, thanks to the Kenya government, businesses, conservation groups and utilities. The Fund is designed to provide a sustained water supply to a system that delivers water to over 9.3 million people and to generate US$21.5 million in long term benefits to Kenyan citizens including farmers and businesses.
This landmark initiative will cut costs for hydropower and clean water while addressing water flow and soil erosion issues in the Upper Tana River basin. The Nairobi Water Fund will expand on a successful, global Water Fund model – bringing public-private partnership and innovative financing for watershed conservation into Africa, where water is one of the most valuable and scarce resources. This is especially timely as people across the globe celebrate World Water Day and are looking for innovative solutions to meet our water needs.
Spearheaded by a private-public Steering Committee comprisingThe Nature Conservancy, Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company, Kenya Electricity Generating Company,International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Tana and Athi Rivers Development Authority,Water Resources Management Agency, as well as the water technology companyPentair, East Africa Breweries, Coca-Cola and Frigoken Horticulture, the Nairobi Water Fund is a practical, scientific financial mechanism to ensure water security for all.
“The Nairobi Water Fund arrives at a critical time for millions of farmers, businesses and communities whose livelihoods are directly tied to the health of Kenya’s largest river and its lifeblood,” said Fred Kihara, The Nature Conservancy’s Nairobi Water Fund Lead. “Secure, clean water is critical for businesses and farmers to survive, and for the 60 percent of Nairobi residents that already lack adequate water supplies.”
The focal point of the new Nairobi Water Fund is the upper reaches of Kenya’s majestic but troubled Tana River. Soil erosion and low water supplies impact businesses, farmers and communities, increasing costs and limiting access to this essential resource. The Tana provides 95 percent of Nairobi’s water and half of Kenya’s hydropower-generated electricity. The Tana is also vital to Kenya’s food security as it supplies water to a million farms in one of Kenya’s most productive and economically important regions.
“Nairobi has seen growth in water demand grow tremendously over the past years. We are planning a major investment in expanding our water supply where we are working with neighboring counties. At least 30 percent more water is needed,” said Engineer Philip Gichuki, CEO ofNairobi City Water & Sewerage Companywho also chairs Nairobi Water Fund.
The Water Fund will establish a revolving fund and a public-private partnership endowment, including stakeholders like Pentair, Coca-Cola, East African Breweries and utility companies like KenGen, to support land-conservation measures upstream. Key strategies include reducing sedimentation, improving dry season water flows, increasing the efficiency of water used in agriculture, reforestation and other economic and social benefits for communities, farmers and businesses.
Bolstering the business case with scientific evidence
The Nairobi Water Fund’sBusiness Case, created by The Nature Conservancy and its scientific partnersFuture WaterandThe Natural Capital Project, shows that investing at least US$10 million in on-the-ground environmental management efforts for the Upper Tana River over a decade will:
Reduce sediment concentration in rivers by over 50% (varying by watershed and time of year).
Decrease annual sedimentation in the Masinga hydropower reservoir by 18%.
Increase annual water yields across the priority watersheds by 4%, increasing to 15% during the dry season in some locations.
The business case also shows that over a 30-year period the improvements will return more than twice that much, providing US$2 in benefits for every US$1 invested.
Happier farmers and bigger bottom lines for business
Fund financial supporters have already funded a two-year pilot phase, which is enabling 5,000 farmers to adopt conservation measures. These projects have provided critical lessons as the Water Fund as it gets to full implementation. For example, Priscilla Ngacha, who belongs to the Green Belt Movement, founded by Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the late Wangari Maathai. Her team of “Green Rangers” consists of community farmers recruited to plant trees and adopt soil and watershed conservation practices.
“When I first came to this upper part of the catchment, I found very few trees,” said Ngacha. “That’s changing now, as our Green Rangers give farmers the financial and technical incentive to improve soil management.”
That translates into big benefits – not just for the health of the Tana River’s whole ecosystem but profits – the bottom line for investors.
“Investing in the Fund means weighing up trade-offs and making smart investment decisions,” said Matthews Murgor, Catchments Manager,KenGen. The utility company expects savings of US$6 million in avoided interruption and increased water yield. “Ultimately, that means better infrastructure and lower bills for consumers,” he added.
Encouraging investment
The success of the Fund will depend on expanding public and private financial support to capitalize a US$15 million endowment that will enable soil and water saving interventions to continue in the long-term and over an expanded area. Carefully planned monitoring will ensure that Fund-sponsored activities deliver the benefits they promise. For example, researchers from the International Center for Tropical Agriculture, a member of the CGIAR Consortium, will work with Kenya’s Water and Resource Management Authority to provide evidence on the effectiveness of interventions in retaining soil as well as changes in sedimentation levels in the river.
“We’re using our research to guide management options tailored to specific areas of the watershed that can simultaneously protect the environment, boost agriculture productivity and lower the cost of delivering clean water,” said Fred Kizito, Senior Soil Scientist, International Center for Tropical Agriculture.
The goal is to put a stop to water security threats, while protecting the environment and generating community returns. That is within reach, but the business case shows the need for more support from major Nairobi water users and donors interested in an innovative approach to development, climate change and conservation.
Capitalising on a Proven Model
In 2000, The Nature Conservancy helped develop a Water Fund in Quito, Ecuador, with an initial investment of only US$21,000. Today the fund stands at more than US$10 million. The Conservancy and its partners’ growing global portfolio of Water Funds now includes over 32 initiatives which provide a steady source of funding for the conservation of more than seven million acres of watersheds and secure water supplies for nearly 50 million people.
“This is a chance for Kenya to lead the way in Africa – to spearhead a program where benefits for ecosystem services bring major benefits for all,” Kihara said
The Niger Delta region in Nigeria has a vast area of its land mass covered by water but the inhabitants barely have access to drinking water. Pollution as a result of oil exploration, curious toileting attitude and indiscriminate waste disposal has made it pretty difficult for this vital resource to come by. In this report prepared courtesy of the International Centre for Journalists (ICFJ) under the “Hala Nigeria” programme by a group of Citizen Journalists, the writers (Jack Jackson, Dandy Mgbenwa, Akhihiero Ojeisemi, Dorcas Isabor, Damian Gbogbara and Lekara Martins) explore the intricacies of the situation
“Water Water everywhere
And all the board did shrink
Water Water everywhere
Nor any drop to drink”
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1797)
Ibuu Creek polluted by an oil spill, in Okwuzi Community in Rivers State. Photo credit: Dandy Mgbenwa
This extract from an internationally-renowned poem, which depicts the essence of water to life amid a sea voyage tragedy that occurred over 200 years ago, is still apt, even in present day Nigeria.
In the country’s Niger Delta region, water pollution caused by oil spill, flared gas, open defecation and solid waste has made this vital resource rather challenging to come by. In most of the communities in the region, streams, wells, boreholes, and rain serve as the major sources of drinking water.
“Right from the time dem born our mama and papa dem sef, na this river water we dey use baff (bathe), wash cloth and even cook food sef,” says septuagenarian Ajuwa Ere, a native of Amassoma Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area (LGA) of Bayelsa State, referring to the Amassoma River that meanders past the neighbourhood.
A vividly worried Ere adds: “Before, I dey use the river water well well, but as the town dey big because of students and business, shit (human waste) don too plenty for the water and people dey throway dirtey (solid waste) anyhow. Some sef dey born throway dead pickin (baby corpses) put inside the river, so me I don dey fear to use the river water now as e don too dey dirty.”
A floating public toilet on the Amassoma River in Bayelsa State. Photo credit: Jack Jackson
This gory state of water and sanitation is pervasive in almost all the communities in the state, as well as the entire oil-rich, restive region, where decades of oil extraction has led to wide-scale contamination of the environment.
Indeed, the sanitation and waste management practice in these communities is equally worrisome as investigations reveal that the same river water which serves as drinking water equally serves as the only waste repository in the communities, as domestic wastes are dumped in the river and floating public toilets are built on the river bank.
Solid waste dumped beside the Amassoma River. Photo credit: Jack Jackson
“I have never tasted pipe-borne water in my life,” discloses a rather healthy-looking Comfort Teedu, who is a 19-year-old high school student, and resident of Zor-Sogho Community in Khana LGA of River State, while revealing the extent of non-accessibility to potable water in her neighbourhood.
Corroborating this notion, Helen Piginee, a 45-year-old farmer and mother of four from the same community, narrates, “We do not have access to safe drinking water as the basic source of drinking water is the well.”
Fifty-five-year-old farmer and father of six children, John Banadam, laments, “Some of the villagers even dump their waste inside the water which is the source of drinking water to the community.”
Washing, bathing and fetching drinking water from the same source at the Zor-Sogho Community. Photo credit: Lekara Martin
A woman leader in Gelegele Community in Ovia North-East LGA of Edo State, Caro Donyha, decries the poor fishing condition in the area. “The contamination from oil activities has caused fish depletion and the hitherto popular fish species like Akele and Orsika, crayfish and others can no longer be found. Also, the contaminated surface water leads to poor yield of crops like cassava, plantain and yam. This makes us to trek long distances for fresh, uncontaminated farmlands.”
Chief of Kolgba Village, Bodo City in Gokana LGA of Rivers State, Michael Berenu, frowns at the non-existence of potable water in the community, saying that dysentery and typhoid fever cases have been confirmed at the Bodo General Hospital.
Narrating his experience, he recalls, “I have been frequently diagonised of typhoid and, despite boiling my water as advised by the doctor, my health deteriorated such that I was forced to retire before my retirement age due to the severity of the situation.”
A local chief at Ebocha Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA of Rivers State, Augustus Tom, discloses, “Rainwater was one of our major sources of water supply but that was before the gas flaring era. With the coming on stream of oil production at Ebocha everything changed. I remember how people used to come to my father’s house to harvest rainwater from my father’s zinc (corrugated iron sheets) roofed house. Then, zinc houses were still very few in Egbema kingdom as a whole.”
Acid rain harvested at Okwuzi. Photo credit: Dandy Mgbenwa
Octogenarian mother, Onyekere Tom, who also resides in Ebocha, stresses that the people depend largely on water from a nearby swamp for drinking and other domestic uses. “This water you see so sometimes dey get crude oil inside o,” she warns.
When asked if she knows the source of the crude oil that pollutes the water, she replies in the affirmative, pointing to a oil well a few yards away from her thatched hut which she shares with her son, her son’s wife and their three children.
Tom and her family represent the typical Niger Delta family who lives at the banks of the Orashi River, River Niger, Nkisa River and several other rivers and creeks. While others live in settlements in swamps and several of the Niger tributaries, most of these settlements depend on the rivers that are heavily polluted for their drinking water.
Mother of four, Emem Bassey, who has lived in the camp for about nine years, points out, “Oil spill here is a normal thing. It occurs here at regular interval, so we have learnt to live with it. I do not know the implication of drinking and cooking with oil-polluted water on our health.”
Leader of the non-indigenes association in the Amassoma Community, Ishmael Alais Dan Baba, reveals, “At times we buy water from mei-ruwa (private water vendors) at about N30-50 for a 20-litre jerry can but most times we get water from the river since buying water is too expensive.”
Aside the cost implication, there seem to be a socio-cultural angle to the use of the river water despite its contaminated state. Residents claim that the river water, its state of pollution nonetheless, does not cause any threat to them as it is believed to be their ancestral resource.
A youth leader in Amassoma, Julius Saniya, explains, “This practice of defecation in the river is age-long and has been passed down to us from our forefathers. We enjoy the river water; it is natural to defecate in the river as the cool breeze gives one a natural feel while doing it.”
According to another resident, Ere Okilo, the people believe the river water is sweeter to drink and they believe in the popular saying that “dirty no they kill African man”.
A popular Ijaw musician, Barrister Smooth, depicts the appalling situation in a hit song titled “Freedom,” made popular with proud and captivating lyrics that says: “…na the same water we dey shit, dey baff, na him we dey drink…” (It’s the same water that we defecate in, bathe and drink…)
Indeed, residents of most of the communities under survey seem to see nothing wrong in the practice as, to them, it is cultural. However, a majority of them affirm that, are they to be able to have access to alternative source of water, toileting and waste management system, they will desist from the practice.
Performing domestic chores by the Nkisa River in Ebocha. Photo credit: Dandy Mgbenwa
But an environmental health officer in Bodo, Sabastine Lema, says, “Poor toileting and waste management practice in the rural communities remain one of the most daunting environmental sanitation challenges facing government, especially at the local government level. Such practices debase and decrease environmental aesthetics and quality.”
A medical doctor at Effurun-Uvwie Community, Warri in Warri South LGA of Delta State, Deborah Ojanikele, believes that refuse dumps are the major sources of pollution to water bodies.
“Solid waste materials disposed of indiscriminately are often carried away by rain into rivers, which are also a source of water especially for domestic purposes. Victims usually contact cholera after drinking such water untreated,” she adds.
While the Chief Nursing Officer at Bori General Hospital, Mkpola Agbozi, underscores the community’s poor access to potable water, Medical Consultant in the hospital, one Dr. Ben, fears that indiscriminate disposal of waste can lead to the outbreak of diseases such as cholera and Diarrhoea.
Medical Director, at the Benin City Council Hospital, Dr. Timi Joe, speaks in a similar vein, describing improper waste management disposal and water sanitation as dangerous to human health.
“Its impact is slow as it gradually shortens the human lifespan. Everyone should be responsible, and take good measures to safe and healthy,” he says.
A medical practitioner in Mmahu Community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of Imo State, Dr. James Igwebuike, stresses, “The absence of safe drinking water portends grave danger to the people. There is a correlation between the health of the people and water supply, and it is a well-known fact that people in rural areas always suffer from disease related to poor hygiene as a result of inadequate supply of safe drinking water.”
A community health worker, at the Comprehensive Health Centre in Amassoma, Opus Gogo, fears that the health implications are numerous, saying, “We have experienced some cases of diarrhea and dysentery, although cholera outbreak hasn’t occurred yet.”
Similarly, a health practitioner at the Federal Medical Centre, Dr Able Sinivie India, laments that the practice of open defecation in rivers that serve as domestic water source is prevalent in Bayelsa. His words: “The water in the river is contaminated by domestic waste and defecation and the health implications include vulnerability to epidemics like cholera, typhoid, food poisoning of varying degrees, running stomachs, rashes and skin diseases.”
Open surface (uncovered) well at Mmahu Community in Imo State. Photo credit: Dandy Mgbenwa
Zonal Manager, Urban Water Board in Warri, Franklin Awala, discloses in an interview that there accessibility to potable water in the community but that process is threatened. “There is accessibility but no sustainability unless the government turns it to solar,” he declares.
Awala warns residents to be wary of digging boreholes indiscriminately. “Sanitary landfill and improperly dumped refuse contaminate underground water. Boreholes dug by the Water Board are properly sited where there are no landfills. When digging a borehole or well, a clean environment is vital. Today, many people dig boreholes and wells with close proximity to landfills.”
A civil servant in Zor-Sogho, Bob Agbozi Goteh, submits, “Local authorities have been trying their best in sitting of solar powered boreholes in some communities. The Micro Projects Programme (MPP3) has for some years been abandoned in the community. We plead for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to come to our assistance.”
The MPP3 is a programme put together by the European Union and aimed at helping rural communities to breach the infrastructural gap via the provision of facilities like health centres, community halls and motorised boreholes. The project initially started in three Niger Delta states (Rivers, Bayelsa and Delta), but was later extended to include six more states (Abia, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, Edo, Imo and Ondo).
Head of Pollution Control and Environmental Impact Assessment Unit under the Department of Environment in the Ministry of Environment and Public Utility, Edo State, Sam Oluwalayemi, confirms that, apart from wells, boreholes, rain and rivers, the Ikpoba Dam (on the Ikpoba River) are sources of water for both rural and urban communities in the state.
He adds, “Water sanitation is still a problem in Edo State as private water tanker owners use chlorine to purify their water without proper certification by water analysis officers (a chemist or biochemist). This is a risky measure to water and sanitation which affect the health of the people.”
He claims that the state government through the Waste Management Board controls the waste management practice in the state, while the local government council controls the rural communities headed by a health department that is responsible for monitoring waste disposals in the community. He stresses that, under the state level, the system provided is effective as government provide them with machineries such as trucks, compactors that transfer waste from houses to dump sites approved by the government. He notes that policies put in place by the government affect both the urban and rural communities and penalties are issued if laws are broken.
But the residents deny government claims that its waste management practices are workable at both levels of government. They insist that water and sanitation standards in the state have fallen short of expectation as, according to them, most of them source and purify their own water, while wastes are left on the streets for weeks before disposal.
Majority of the affected communities are calling on government, NGOs and corporate bodies to come to their aid.
For instance, the Paramount Ruler of Beleberi 2 Community in Yenagoa LGA in Bayelsa State, King Peter Okoh, wants government intervention. “Only few privilege people have soakaway and water system toilet as majority of the people are poor and can’t afford it and we still use the same river water for washing and for other uses. This poses great health challenges to the community people. Also, the community neither has a primary school nor health centre. We are calling on the government and NGOs to come to our aid,” he pleads.
A public health officer that works with the Gokana LGA, Paul Giadom, urges state governments in the Niger Delta region to ascertain and publicise the water quality index of their various areas, especially those of local communities so as to enable the citizenry to make informed choice about the quality (brand) of water to drink.
A water quality index provides a single number (like a grade) that expresses overall water quality at a certain location and time based on several quality parameters.
A lab technician based in Bodo, Polycarp Gbaraba, calls on the authorities to properly regulate the activities of commercial water dealers of bottle and sachet water to enhance and maintain safety standards in the industry.
In what appears to be a holistic approach, Dr India recommends that while the government should provide the basic amenities and infrastructure including provision of potable water, the communities should likewise partner government by presenting their case before the government. They need to provide an enabling and peaceful working environment for government to provide the facilities that they need.
He adds, “The NGOs have a vital role to play as initiators and mediators between the people and the government. Professional bodies like the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has to report cases of epidemics and reports the government can work with. The medics like the public health workers can equally do more in terms of doing campaigns to sensitise the people on the ills of unhealthy practices.’’
A resident of Okwuzi Community in Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni LGA in Rivers State, Chiefson Igwelatu, while calling on government and Nigeria Agip Oil Company to increase access to safe drinking water, urges the people to improve on simple hygiene such as handwashing which he believes will go a long way in preventing water borne diseases.
“Government should legislate to control the production and sale of sachet water, popularly called ‘pure water’ which can pose grave health danger to users if not controlled,” he says.
It clear to us that COP 21 is not a tea party and it is expected that all parties will put on the table national and group interests – in the case of Nigeria, the country position and the Africa position in collaboration with G77+China.
Prince Lekan Fadina
We are aware that a lot of issues that can be termed as lightweights and heavyweights are already in the horizon. Itwill therefore be fair to say that, beyond reaching the agreement in Paris on the emission reduction, the future of the world will depend on a number of issues – political, environmental, financial, social and religious, among others, that have an impact on the energy and sustainable livelihood.
The Lord gave us the earth’s resources to manage and from various reports it appears that humanity has not managed them in a most efficient manner. We can see what has happened and still happens in different parts of the world including Nigeria with the oil, environmental degradation and others. The IPCC report talked extensively on the human element towards climate change and the resultant effect of this that has social, economic and political consequences. The world appears to be locked into a context for vital resources which has potential to become a conflict with increasing limited resources. Some “developing countries” have grown far beyond some of the developed countries and this raises the issue of increase in emission as a result of environmental consequences of global warming. The dwindling global resources and emission are issues that may influence the course of negotiation. There is need to manage the process because some countries may need to go back to the drawing table after COP 21 for a well-planned process that will produce structures that will reduce reliance on non-renewable energy. In short, there is need for a paradigm shift.
In a presentation l made three years ago at a United Nations organised conference, “Beyond Economic Growth”, I envisioned a sustainable future. Itis evident that we are on the way in the world towards a “Sustainability Revolution”. I cannot agree more with Paul Middleton when he said in his book “The End of Oil” that, like other revolutions, a sustainability revolution will result in great pains, losses, gains and change the face of our land, institutions and culture.”
It appears that we are on the way and COP 21 may be more than a challenge for all of us. We need to take urgent steps and pull resources together because we must understand that the society especially developing countries that we have to adapt to the realities of the day. We must address “after oil” and how do we move to a low carbon economy. l am an optimist but l can see that our life is about to change, our homes, workplace, sources of energy, how we go round, our transportation – what about non-renewable plane.
In short, our sustainable livelihood, our common future and everything about our way of life depend on the choices we make now and the commitment with which we act on the decision we make. It is clear that these are some issues that will influence how the shape of negotiation may likely take. Itwill require understanding of the issues at stake, hard work, and how do we play the ball to ensure that we put our interest properly across to be able to get the best for our constituency – Nigeria, Africa and G77+China.
I strongly believe that after the election we need to address the energy crisis, oil, alternatives, the environmental meltdown and where do we fit in the global climate change programme.
Nigeria must be part of the global leadership of climate discussion and matters and we must have at the back of our mind that we are “fighting” for our survival against the tide of environmental challenges and opportunities. We need to put many things in place including investment in appropriate technology, developing human capital with skills and knowledge in seeking climate finance, sustainable investment, mobilisation, and awareness creation, among other things.
We are in this process and we must learn the ropes and what it takes to make the best out of it. We have what is required to move the process and l humbly suggest that we must endeavour to seek the support of the private sector – in fact, they must see it as partners in the development process as we are all affected.
By Prince Lekan Fadina (Executive Director, Centre for Investment, Sustainable Development, Management and Environment (CISME). (He is a member of the Nigeria Negotiation Team, Africa Group of Negotiators and member, AGN Finance Co-ordination Committee). Website: www.cismenigeria.com. Email: cismevision@gmail.com. Twitter: @cismevision
The sustainable management and conservation of forests must be considered in the design and implementation of the new sustainable development goals and the new climate change agreement to be adopted this December in Paris, according to UN officials and forest experts in messages for the International Day of Forests, observed on 21 March.
UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, at COP 20 in Lima, Peru
At least 1.6 billion people directly depend on forests for food, fuel, shelter and income, but everyone benefits from the clean air, water, and climate regulation that forests provide. Three fourths of freshwater, crucial for human survival, comes from forested catchments. Healthy forests are critical for building resilience – the ability to bounce back from storms and other natural disasters. Mangrove forests, when left intact, reduce loss of life and damage caused by tsunamis.
With a focus on climate change, this year’s International Day of Forests aims to highlight how sustaining healthy forests and tackling climate change go hand in hand.
“Forests are integral to the post-2015 development agenda,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in his message marking the International Day of Forests, observed on 21 March. “To build a sustainable, climate-resilient future for all, we must invest in our world’s forests.”
Forests are the largest storehouses of carbon after oceans. They can absorb and store carbon in their biomass, soils and products, equivalent to about one tenth of carbon emissions projected for the first half of this century. At the same time, deforestation and land-use changes account for 17 per cent of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions.
Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said the benefits that forests provide are incalculable. “Forests drive economic development and prosperity, provide jobs and livelihoods, and at the same time, promote health and well-being. Proven solutions exist to create the future we want; investing in our forests is a pathway to transformative sustainable development.”
Manoel Sobral Filho, Director of the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat, said “As the world’s population grows, demand for forest goods and services continues to increase. The dividends from forest stewardship will benefit us, and future generations.”
“Forests are central to the global effort to meet the climate change challenge, eradicate poverty and realise a sustainable century,” said Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.”
Figueres added, “The new universal climate agreement to be inked in Paris at the end of the year needs to put in place a swift peaking of global emissions, a deep decarbonisation of the world-wide economy and climate neutrality in the second half of the century–this will not be possible without smarter and more sustainable ways of managing existing forests and the restoration and expansion of many lost and degraded ones.”
Tackling deforestation, Helen Clark said, requires mobilizing political commitment and working through partnerships. “Addressing deforestation promises wins for our climate, biodiversity, and inclusive development. But tackling deforestation requires political will and leadership from all sectors.”
Global targets set by the international community are driving action that will strengthen forest biodiversity, according to Braulio Ferreira de Souza Dias, Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity. “These targets provide a foundation for addressing the underlying causes and direct pressures of forest loss as well as improving its status, enhancing benefits to all and ensuring wide-spread participation in forest and tree management.”
Mike Wingfield, President of the International Union of Forest Research Organisations, said the many uncertainties associated with climate change require a robust understanding of appropriate forest strategies. “Global collaboration in forest research plays a key role in improving knowledge that will underpin effective measures for adaptation and mitigation.”
The International Day of Forests is dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests and trees outside forests. Global celebrations will range from community-level tree-planting events, to publication of new forest data and analysis, as well as cultural activities featuring art, photographs and film festivals.
