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Mapping climate change impact in Lagos

Michael Simire
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Mapping climate change impact in Lagos

The impact of climate change in Nigeria is associated with weather-related disasters, which have become more frequent in recent decades. The nation’s natural and agricultural ecosystems are susceptible to the effects of climate change and these vulnerability factors underline the need to respond to the challenges of climate change in a comprehensive and systematic manner, while addressing broader development priorities.

Babatunde Fashola, Governor of Lagos State

Consequently, the Policy Advocacy Project Partnership on Climate Change (PAPPCC) undertook a Climate Change Mapping exercise in 10 constituencies from five local government areas (LGAs) in Lagos State. The venture is regarded as a response to climate change adaptation employed to provide information about potential impacts from temperature variability, flooding, storm surges and irregular rainfall on some selected prone areas in the state.

The LGAs are Badagry, Epe, Eti-Osa, Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu, and their selection was based on the researchers’ engagement with the members of the Environment Committee of the Lagos State House of Assembly (LAHA). Findings show that increasing temperature is the most worrying climate change challenge in most of the communities being studied, with flooding, storm and irregular rainfall following in that order.

The survey reveals that a lot of awareness is needed at the community level as many people see changes in their environment as “an act of God” and so nothing can be done about them. It also reveals that while there are still some scientific gaps in knowledge about climate change, current evidences about the reality of the problem are enough for policy makers to take decisions.

Evidences, it adds, show that while various sectors of local economies are susceptible, climate change impacts human rights, including the right to life and physical safety, health, food, water, means of subsistence, property, housing and shelter, development, culture and a healthy environment.

While tree planting was observed in some communities, gender is considered an important factor in determining people’s vulnerability to climate change, which impacts agricultural productivity and results in food insecurity.

Similarly, climate change affects water availability, quality and quantity of potable water in most of the communities, even as temperature variability impacts were reported as posing the most worrying climate change issue in all constituencies.

Further, the study observes that climate change: contributes greatly to increasing health problems; manifests in flooding in low lying coastal areas; and affects infrastructures. Additionally, deforestation and other forms of environmental degradation are widespread in the constituencies, therefore reducing the role of ecosystem in moderating carbon cycle.

Typically, many residents depend on electricity generators for cooling which is also an adaptation option to effects of high temperature. Rain-fed agriculture is widely practiced in the communities.

The study wants the authorities to put in place a climate change adaptation communication and outreach strategy with the objective of enabling a level of understanding that will allow all stakeholders to participate actively in climate change adaptation.

It likewise recommends that government should strengthen the adaptive capacity of communities by providing information and technical know-how, facilitating access to micro-credit and other measures.

The need to enhance decision makers’ responsiveness to increase sensitivity towards environmental and social changes was underscored. It was recommended that civil society organisations (CSOs) should be empowered to carry out research that will deepen the understanding of communities’ awareness and vulnerability and the status of community adaptation to climate change, and run training programmes on climate change adaptation for communities.

The research underlined the need: for LGAs to develop practical approaches to community-based adaptation to climate change; to include climate change in all local decision making, day-day operations, planning and development, financial systems and human resource allocations; to strengthen health care delivery system at all levels to cope with emergencies; to promote food production, improve food hygiene and water supply at the local levels; to establish flexible institutions to enable quick adjustment to environmental changes; to support communication on climate change across all sectors and levels; for more research based on current observations of weather-related changes in population health; to raise awareness and build capacities by training officials on the implications of climate change for the water sector and adaptation options; and, to promote skills development for the green economy transition.

The study, which is being rounded up, concludes that climate change is a global problem but its impacts are localised and are felt mostly by the vulnerable people residing in the rural areas of the state. It states that viable solutions require the active participation of local communities in formulating and implementing policies, and that adaptive capacity at the local level have worked for centuries and need to be adopted into new policies and strategies that will be put in place to respond to the needs as well as enhance the resilience of the most vulnerable groups in society at that level.

“We realised that inadequate institutional support and inappropriate policies are the major constraint to adaptation, which limit access to much-needed natural resources by communities dependent on such resources for both survival and adaptation to environmental change and climate variability. These policies and programmes should be designed to include local knowledge and inclusiveness as the rural dweller seemed so very remote from the local government,” discloses one of the researchers involved in the project.

Nigeria, others to phase out inefficient incandescent lamps

Michael Simire
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Nigeria and other government representatives from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have successfully established a regionally-coordinated framework to transition to energy efficient lighting. The strategy identifies the complete phase-out of inefficient incandescent lamps by 2020, the latest. The Ministry of Energy and Mines of the Republic of Senegal agreed to sponsor all events of efficient lighting initiative, at the request of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) in order to rally other ECOWAS member states.

The announcement comes on the heels of a workshop for the development of a regional strategy for Energy Efficient lighting held from July 2-3, 2013 in Dakar, Senegal, hosted by the ECREEE and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) en.lighten initiative, with support of the Club of National Agencies and Structures in Charge of Rural Electrification (Club-ER).

The workshop raised awareness and built consensus on the various technical options available at regional and international levels for the development of a concrete regional efficient lighting strategy. Addressing gender issues was also on the agenda, as women are both the proponents and beneficiaries of positive changes in the energy sector.

“The achievement of a permanent and sustainable transition to efficient lighting in ECOWAS countries is dependent on the development and implementation of national and regional efficient lighting strategies with an integrated policy approach, which incorporates global best practices,” said Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director of ECREEE. “We are pleased to partner with UNEP’s en.lighten initiative in the task of accelerating global market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies.”

A transition away from general service incandescent lamps to more efficient lighting would save the region an estimated $220 million each year in energy costs. West African nations together could save a total of 2.4 terawatt hours of electricity, which is equivalent 6.7 percent of the total yearly energy consumption. The savings would be enough to power over 1.2 million households.

ECREEE, as the leading organisation in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency in West Africa, launched the initiative on energy efficient lighting, as one of its priority programs as part of the ECOWAS Policy on Energy Efficiency adopted in Accra, Ghana in October 2012. The use of energy was identified as a fundamental component of achieving the UN Secretary-General’s “Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL)” objectives in the ECOWAS region.

The UNEP en lighten initiative seeks to address the challenges of accelerating global market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies by providing technical support for the phase-out of inefficient lighting. The ECOWAS efficient lighting initiative with en.lighten is part of the overall development goal for West Africa to improve access to modern, reliable and affordable energy services, energy security as well as the reduction of negative impacts on the energy system.

“To achieve a permanent and sustainable transition to energy efficient lighting, regional efficient lighting strategies need to follow an integrated policy approach and incorporate global best practices,” said Gustavo Manez, Project Manager for the en.lighten intiative.  “We are pleased to see that consensus has been reached in the ECOWAS region for pertinent policy aspects such as minimum energy performance standards, supporting policies, monitoring, verification and enforcement activities, and the environmentally sound management of lighting products.”

The meeting in Dakar follows a launch workshop held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso in April of this year, attended by delegates from the ECOWAS Ministries of Energy as well as representatives from standards organizations, and international lighting experts. Here, participants agreed on a roadmap for the development of the regional efficient lighting strategy.

The en.lighten initiative was established to accelerate global market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies by developing a coordinated global strategy and providing technical support for the phase-out of inefficient lighting. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with leading global lighting manufacturers, Philips and OSRAM, and the National Lighting Test Center (China).

Few actions could reduce carbon emissions as inexpensively and easily as the phase-out of inefficient lighting, making it one of the most effective and economically advantageous ways to mitigate climate change. The initiative has set a target date of 2016 for the global phase-out of inefficient incandescent lamps.

ECREEE’s mandate is aligned with the broader strategic goals of ECOWAS Vision 2020. It seeks to realise directly two of the components of this vision, namely: “A region that anchors its development on sustainable development, including agricultural and mineral resource development strategy, and on planned agricultural and industrial strategies; a region that develops its infrastructure and makes services accessible to its citizens and enterprises.”; and “A region that conserves its environment and resources, promotes modes of equitable and sustainable development in economic, social and environmental fields; a region which brings its contribution to bear on resolution of the common problems and challenges confronting the planet.”

ECREEE is assisting the 15 ECOWAS member states in the development, adoption and implementation of national renewable energy; energy efficiency policies; and targets, regulatory frameworks, standards, as well as incentives and financial mechanisms.

Video: World population day

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Video: World population day

Global Ocean Commission seeks to tighten high seas security loophole

Michael Simire
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Global Ocean Commission seeks to tighten high seas security loophole

All vessels on the high seas should carry identification numbers and be trackable using satellite or other technology, says the Global Ocean Commission (GOC), an independent high-level initiative on the future of the ocean.

Commissioners Obiageli Ezekwesili (left) and Cristina Narbona at the meeting in New York

Currently, passenger ships and large merchant vessels have to carry unique and unchangeable International Maritime Organisation (IMO) numbers, and to operate equipment allowing real-time tracking.

But other craft on the high seas – the international waters that make up nearly half of the planet’s surface – do not. The UN has previously noted that this facilitates trafficking of people, drugs and weapons, and illegal fishing.

“In the 21st Century, when governments are doing so much to make their borders and their citizens secure, it seems extraordinary that they’ve left a loophole big enough to sail a trawler full of explosives through,” said former Costa Rican President José María Figueres, who jointly chairs the Global Ocean Commission with Trevor Manuel, Minister in the South African Presidency and David Miliband, the former UK Foreign Secretary and incoming President of the International Rescue Committee.

“There are details to be worked through, such as the cost of tracking systems, although from evidence we’ve heard so far we don’t think that will be an obstacle.

‘But in principle, for the security of citizens around the world, it seems clear that it’s time to close the loophole,” Figueres added.

Following the Mumbai bombing in 2008, which used a fishing vessel hijacked on the high seas, Indian authorities made tracking equipment mandatory on fishing vessels and other craft in their national waters. Many other countries are also implementing its use.

“Governments are well aware of the security issue, and many of them are taking steps to combat it in their own waters,” said Manuel. “But when we get to the high seas, it’s a different matter; there’s been very little progress, despite clear evidence of criminal activity including piracy, drug smuggling and illegal fishing. When merchant ships have to be identifiable and trackable, there’s no reason we can see why other types of vessel should get a free ride.”

Mandatory vessel ID and tracking would also benefit human rights and sustainable fishing, observed Miliband. “It seems pretty obvious that if authorities know who owns a vessel, where it is and where it’s sailing to, then the owners of the vessel are much more likely to stay within the law,” he said.

“Mandatory vessel ID and tracking would reward those who play by the rules and penalise those who don’t – it would create economic opportunities for the ‘good guys’, and improve the social conditions of seafarers.”

In 2011, a UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report on illegal fishing documented cases where … “fishers are held as de facto prisoners of the sea… a particularly disturbing facet of this form of exploitation is the frequency of child trafficking in the fishing industry”.

Vessels engaged in crime are known to change their name and flag States (where they are legally based) regularly to avoid detection. Carrying a unique and unchangeable IMO number makes this impossible.

The UNODC report also noted that vessels engaged in criminal activities are more likely to be involved in illegal, unreported and unregistered (IUU) fishing. IUU vessels are thought to account for about one fifth of the global fish catch, and by definition operate outside of all regulations, making sustainable management impossible in areas where they are rife.

The IMO is currently debating whether to remove the exemption given to fishing vessels from the regulations concerning identification numbers. But even if the exemption is removed, vessels would be encouraged, not mandated, to carry them.

The Global Ocean Commission issued its vessel monitoring call at the conclusion of a meeting in New York on 5th-6th July.

The IMO has a well-established system for numbering vessels. In the same way that cars might have a number etched into the engine block that cannot be removed except by obvious tampering, IMO numbers are unique and unchangeable. If a vessel changes owners or flags, the number stays with it. In many countries, port authorities regularly inspect vessels’ numbers and, if they suspect unauthorised changes have been made, can prevent the vessel sailing or even impound it.

Under the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, which came into force in 1996, IMO numbers are mandatory for passenger ships above 100 gross tons and merchant ships above 300 gross tons. Other types of vessel are exempt, including pleasure yachts, wooden ships, fishing vessels, warships and a few specialist categories such as hydrofoils. However, many of these vessels will have an IMO number as well, either because it is mandated by the home government or as good practice (such as, improving safety at sea).

The IMO is currently reviewing the exemptions and may make a decision at its annual session this November. However, this would result in a voluntary numbering system, not a mandatory one.

Vessels use a number of electronic systems for identification and communication. Among the most common is the Automatic Identification System (AIS). This is a short-distance (tens of km) system working on VHF radio. Vessels broadcast short bursts of information including IMO number, position, course and speed. Other information can be carried as well.

Because of the short range, AIS signals are typically detected and used when vessels are near shore or near other vessels. However, satellites in near-Earth orbit can also detect AIS signals, which give global coverage. At least 20 governments invest in buying satellite AIS information for a range of purposes including search and rescue, fisheries management, collision avoidance and maritime security. There are estimated to be a few hundred thousand vessels on the global ocean fitted with AIS. In the wake of the 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India mandated their use on all fishing vessels over 20m long. Other countries such as China are mandating tracking and identification systems in their national waters.

IMO regulations mandate AIS systems on all passenger vessels and on merchant ships above 300 gross tons. These vessels are also required to use Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) systems, which principally use satellites for two-way transmission of information.

Another system in operation for fishing vessels in some jurisdictions is VMS – Vessel Monitoring Systems. The technical details vary from country to country but the intention is to provide governments with a record of which vessels are fishing at what times in which places, so that regulations can be enforced. VMS systems are mandated by some governments in their waters, and by some Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs) on the high seas.

Port authorities, especially in busy shipping areas, typically use Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) to regulate traffic and avoid collisions. These collate information from a variety of sources including radar, AIS and CCTV.

There are websites and smartphone apps that, drawing on professional and amateur AIS detectors, show the positions of vessels close to port in real time. In 2004, the IMO argued that the free publication of this data ‘could be detrimental to the safety and security of ships and port authorities’, as it could help facilitate hijacks or other forms of attack.

Many governments retain and safeguard data they receive from AIS, VMS and other monitoring systems, sometimes releasing it after a delay, to prevent unwanted usage.

The Global Ocean Commission is an independent initiative aiming to halt and reverse degradation of the global ocean, and restore it to full ecological health. The Commission will publish its final report and recommendations in the first half of 2014, and feed them into processes and institutions that can generate change.

The Global Ocean Commission originated as an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts, in partnership with Somerville College at the University of Oxford, Adessium Foundation and Oceans 5. It is supported by Pew, Adessium Foundation and Oceans 5, but is independent of all. It is hosted by Somerville College.

The Commission launched in February 2013, and held its first formal meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, in March.

There are two African commissioners who are part of the Commission. Obiageli Ezekwesili is a former Vice President of the World Bank for Africa, a former Nigerian Education Minister and co-founder of Transparency International.

Trevor Manuel is the co-chair of the Commission, and was one of South Africa’s longest serving Ministers of Finance. He is now Minister in the Presidency and head of the National Planning Commission.

Other commissioners are: Paul Martin (Canada), John Podesta (USA), Jose Maria Figueres (co-chair, Costa Rica), Luiz Furlan (Brazil), Andres Velasco (Chile), David Miliband (co-chair, Britain), Pascal Lamy (France), Cristina Narbona (Spain), Vladmir Golitsyn (Russia), Ratan Tata (India), Sri Malyant Indrawati (Indonesia), Foua Toloa (Tokelau), Robert Hill (Australia) and Yoriko Kawaguchi (Japan).

Remediation of lead-poisoned Bagega completed

Michael Simire
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Remediation of lead-poisoned Bagega completed

The remediation (environmental clean-up) of Bagega, a community affected by lead poisoning, is rounding up. Located in Zamfara, Northern Nigeria, Bagega has a population of about 7,535, with about 1,500 children awaiting urgent treatment for lead poisoning.

Lawal

“The people of Bagega are quite happy remediation is turning out successful, thus allowing hundreds of children to get screened for lead poisoning,” said Hamzat Lawal, an official of the Follow the Money (FTM), a not-for-profit initiative of Connected Development (CODE) that advocated, tracked and visualised funds for remediation, health sustainability strategy and implementation of safer mining practice in Bagega.

“The Remediation of Bagega which started March 5, 2013 is 99 percent complete, while the 1 percent remaining is the covering of the landfills. This remaining part is critical for the end of remediation. To avoid re-contamination, all landfills must be closed up and we are hopeful that, by Friday, July 5, 2013, all landfills must have been closed,” said Simba Tirima of TerraGraphics Foundation, the major consulting partner for the remediation of Bagega.

It will be recalled that on January 28, 2013, the Federal Government of Nigeria approved the release of about N850 million from the Ecological Funds to be distributed amongst the Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Mines and Steel Development for the remediation of communities affected by lead poisoning in Zamfara State.

“Since April 22, 2013, 981 children are being screened, 941 children in Bagega are to be admitted into the lead poisoning programme, while 181 are undergoing lead chelation therapy already,” affirmed Michelle Chouinard, Head of Mission of Doctors Without Borders in Nigeria.

Lawal sated, “The FTM team, Bagega enjoins all stakeholders and civil society organizations (CSOs) to shift advocacy towards institutionalising safer mining in all mining communities in Zamfara.”

“Remediation is only a temporary intervention, the only long term sustainable solution to preventing such epidemic again is creating a local, workable, safer mining plan, one that benefits both artisanal miners and the government,” said Oludotun Babayemi, co-founder of CODE.

Lighting up a low carbon future for Nigeria

Michael Simire
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UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner, and Executive Director of ECOWAS’ Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), Mahama Kappiah, examine Nigeria’s low carbon potential

 

Steiner

The lights are going on all over Africa, home to some of the fastest growing economies in the world.

Overall, that is great news. Children can study at night without breathing harmful or environmentally damaging kerosene fumes; the sense of security in poor communities, where people live in fear when night falls, is hugely increased; productivity for businesses improves as they can stay open later; and commonplace fires, caused by fallen candles or spilt fuels, become rare.

However, unless energy efficient lighting is adopted, carbon emissions from an expected increase in electricity consumption of between 60-70 per cent by 2030 could lead to disastrous effects on efforts to fight climate change globally.

Few actions could reduce carbon emissions as inexpensively and easily as the phase-out of inefficient lighting and making sure that any new lighting uses environmentally sustainable technology.

West Africa has become the latest region to drive efforts to promote energy efficient lighting. A complete transition in that area could produce annual energy savings of 2.4 terawatt hours, approximately 6.75 per cent of total electricity consumption. The savings would be enough to supply the total annual electricity needs of at least 1.2 million households.

This decision came after Ministers representing the 15 countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) meeting in Ghana last October adopted a regional energy efficiency policy on the occasion of the ECOWAS High Level Energy Forum of the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative.

The ECOWAS member states agreed to eliminate inefficient incandescent lamps and adopt more efficient lighting, a move that would save the region an estimated US$220 million per year in energy costs. Lighting currently represents 20 per cent of electricity usage.

They are supported by en.lighten, a global project established to accelerate worldwide market transformation to environmentally sustainable lighting technologies. This initiative is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), in partnership with leading global lighting manufacturers, Philips and OSRAM, and the National Lighting Test Center (China).

ECOWAS was designated as a pilot region for en.lighten’s Global Efficient Lighting Partnership Programme – an unparalleled voluntary initiative, now backed by 48 countries, providing support for policies and actions aimed at a coordinated phase-out of inefficient lighting. The Programme supports the global phase-out of inefficient incandescent lamps by 2016.

For West Africa, the strategy is being formulated in collaboration with ECOWAS’ Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) as part of ECOWAS initiative on efficient lighting.

Around 60 per cent of the population in ECOWAS countries does not have access to electricity.  Replacing the millions of kerosene lamps, candles and flashlights used in countries in the region with modern solar lighting would provide an increasingly low-cost solution to reducing carbon emissions, indoor air pollution and health risks, and boost green jobs.

It is a further contribution to the UN Secretary-General’s Sustainable Energy for All initiative and a way for developing countries to demonstrate in practical terms their commitment to a new universal UN climate agreement by 2015.

The transition is underway, the challenge now is to maintain that momentum so that as the lights go on across Africa they go on in a way that builds another foundation towards a Green Economy and significant step towards the future we want and the future we need.

Nigeria alone could realize savings of over US$ 1.4 billion per year if a full transition to energy efficient lighting took place.  For on-grid lighting, the shift to energy-saving replacement products for all of the major lamp types in the residential, commercial, industrial and outdoor sectors would result in a savings of 1.4 terawatt hours in annual electricity consumption which is equivalent to the electricity consumption of over 690,000 households. It would save 7 per cent of total national electricity consumption each year, equal to the power output of 2 medium (100 MW) power plants.

For off-grid lighting, Nigeria could avoid 2.3 litres of kerosene, 1.3 billion candles and 314 million batteries used for flashlights with a transition to energy efficient solar LED light sources.  This is equivalent to over 17 million barrels of crude oil energy equivalent every year.

Between off-grid and on-grid lighting, the transition to energy efficient lighting for all applications in Nigeria would lead to a reduction of over 6.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions.

These significant carbon emissions could be reduced with the phase-out of inefficient lighting, as one of the most effective and economically advantageous ways to mitigate climate change for the country and for the world.

Energy Commission, ICEED collaborate on clean cookstoves

Michael Simire
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The Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN) has joined hands with the International Centre for Energy, Environment & Development (ICEED) to build Nigeria’s capacity to provide scientific testing of stoves. The memorandum of understanding (MOU) to that effect was signed on Thursday in Abuja, even as ICEED made a commitment to support the establishment of the National Clean Cookstoves Development and Testing Laboratory at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Enugu State.

Eleri

The collaboration will: develop technical standards for stoves manufactured or imported into Nigeria; provide testing and certification services related to stove technical quality, indoor air pollution, and energy efficiency; assist stove developers in improving skills for local stove design and construction methods; conduct research and development in collaboration with Nigerian and international research institutes and laboratories; and establish and strengthen linkages between the laboratory and the stove industry.

The joint initiative will likewise: maintain appropriate liaison with relevant regulatory and statutory agencies; support capacity building of other national research and development institutions in stove design and production; serve as a national demonstration center for clean cooking technologies; and carry out public awareness campaigns.

Head of ICEED, Ewah Eleri, disclosed in a statement that his outfit would support the ECN by providing equipment to enhance the capacity of the laboratory, as well as provide training and capacity building to enhance skills for ECN personnel and other relevant stakeholders.

He stated: “ICEED will also contribute to hosting workshops and knowledge sharing, as well as support ECN in strengthening its international partnerships.

“Together with the ECN and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria, ICEED has supported the setting up of a National Committee on Technical Standards for Clean Cookstoves and Clean Cooking Energy. This is a demonstration of our commitment to ensure that only stoves of good standard are sold in the Nigerian market. And by hosting and leading the Nigerian Alliance for Clean Cookstoves, we are working with Nigerian and international partners to end cooking energy poverty in Nigeria.

“The long-standing relationship between ICEED and ECN is strong. We are very pleased with the forward looking leadership provided by Professor E.J. Bala, Director General/CEO of the ECN and the management and staff of the commission. Together, we can make energy services available, accessible and affordable to all Nigerians.”

According to Eleri, over 95,000 Nigerians die annually from smoke from cooking wood, described as the nation’s highest killer after Malaria and HIV/AIDS, with most of the victims being women and children.

“Clean cookstoves and fuels save lives, money and our forests. The sustainable use of wood makes the poor part of the solution to climate change. However, lack of quality standards and testing of imported and Nigerian-made stoves stymie the country’s efforts to expand the market for clean cookstoves and fuels in Nigeria. Other barriers include access to finance, an enabling policy environment and public awareness,” he added.

IPCC puts finishing touches to Fifth Assessment Report

Michael Simire
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IPCC puts finishing touches to Fifth Assessment Report

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is a scientific body established at the request of member governments in 1988 by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) to, among other provisions, assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of climate change, its potential impacts and options for adaptation and mitigation.

Pachauri

Chaired by Indian Rajendra Pachauri, the IPCC publishes special reports on topics relevant to the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), an international treaty that acknowledges the possibility of harmful climate change. Implementation of the UNFCCC led eventually to the emergence of the Kyoto Protocol. The IPCC, whose membership is open to all members of the WMO and UNEP, bases its assessment mainly on peer reviewed and published scientific literature.

The IPCC provides an internationally-accepted authority on climate change, producing reports which have the agreement of all the leading climate scientists and the consensus of every one of the participating governments. It has successfully provided authoritative policy advice with far-reaching implications for economics and lifestyles.

The body has so far produced four different Assessment Reports and the fifth is in the works and will be finalised in phases from September 2013 to October 2014.

The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) comprises three Working Group contributions and a Synthesis Report. The Working Group I contribution on The Physical Science Basis is scheduled to be released on 27 September 2013 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 23-26 September 2013 in Stockholm, Sweden.

The Working Group II contribution on Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability, is scheduled to be released on or around 30 March 2014 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 25-29 March 2014 in Yokohama, Japan.

The Working Group III contribution on Mitigation of Climate Change is scheduled to be released on 12 April 2014 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 7-11 April 2013 in Germany. The Synthesis Report which synthesises and integrates materials contained within the Working Group contributions is scheduled to be released on or around 1 November 2014 after its approval and acceptance at a plenary session to be held on 27-31 October 2014.

Completed in 1990, the First Assessment Report (AR1) was issued in three main sections, corresponding to the three Working Groups of scientists that the IPCC had established. The report actually served as basis for the UNFCCC.

The sections were: Working Group I (Scientific Assessment of Climate Change), Working Group II (Impacts Assessment of Climate Change) and Working Group III (The IPCC Response Strategies). Among others, the report confirmed the natural greenhouse effect; stated that carbon dioxide (CO2) has been responsible for over half the enhanced greenhouse effect; and submitted that global mean surface air temperature has increased by 0.3 to 0.6oC over the last 100 years.

Published in 1996, the Second Assessment Report (AR2) was titled Climate Change 1995 and consists of reports from Working Group I (The Science of Climate Change),Working Group II (Impacts, Adaptations and Mitigation of Climate Change: Scientific-Technical Analyses) and  Working Group III (Economic and Social Dimensions of Climate Change).

The reports were prepared by over 2,000 experts, and contain the factual basis of the issue of climate change, gleaned from available expert literature and further carefully reviewed by experts and governments. While Working Group I stated that carbon dioxide remains the most important contributor to anthropogenic forcing of climate change, Working Group II assessed whether the range of plausible impacts of global warming constitutes dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate system, while Working Group III provided information to help countries “take decisions they believe are most appropriate for their specific circumstances”.

Key conclusions of  the Third Assessment Report (AR3), Climate Change 2001, state that emissions of greenhouse gases and aerosols due to human activities continue to alter the atmosphere in ways that are expected to affect the climate; that there is new and stronger evidence that most of the warming observed over the last 50 years is attributable to human activities; that human influences will continue to change atmospheric composition throughout the 21st century; and that global average temperature and sea level are projected to rise.

The Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) of 2007 is considered the largest and most detailed summary of the climate change situation ever undertaken. It was produced by thousands of authors, editors, and reviewers from dozens of countries, citing over 6,000 peer-reviewed scientific studies. It will however be superseded by the AR5 expected next year.

The headline findings of the report were: that “warming of the climate system is unequivocal”, and that “most of the observed increase in global average temperatures since the mid-20th century is very likely due to the observed increase in anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations.”

Bridging the Lagos megacity

Michael Simire
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The landmark Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge in Lagos is the latest of the numerous showpiece overpasses in the bustling city. It has been described as the nation’s first cable-stay bridge.

Lekki-Ikoyi bridge

Its striking 90m high pylon characterises the appearance of the 1,357m long bridge, which connects two districts of Lekki on the Lekki Peninsula and Ikoyi on the Lagos Island. The N29 billion (about $184.6 million) bridge will help relieve the depressing congestion in and around Victoria Island.

The genesis of Lagos’ bridges can be traced to very early in the last century, precisely in 1901, when Carter Bridge was built. It is one of three bridges connecting the Lagos Island to the Lagos Mainland.

At the time of its construction, this was the only bridge connection between the Mainland and the Island. The bridge starts from Iddo on the Mainland and ends at the Idumota area of Lagos Island.

The Carter Bridge was originally constructed by the British colonial government, prior to the Nigerian independence in 1960. After independence, the bridge was dismantled, redesigned and rebuilt during the late 1970s. The Alaka-Ijora Flyover, on the Iddo end of the span, was completed in 1973.

This was followed by the Eko Bridge, which is the shortest of three bridges connecting the Island to the Mainland. It starts from Ijora on the Mainland and ends at the Apongbon area of the Island. The lagoon section of the bridge spans a distance of 430 metres. The bridge and its landward extension of 1,350 metres were constructed in phases between 1965 and 1975. It serves as the preferred access point for vehicular traffic approaching Lagos Island from the Apapa and Surulere areas of Lagos.

In the bid to further ease the increasing stress resulting from commuters’ accessing the Island from the Mainland, the authorities embarked on the ambitious Third Mainland Bridge, which turned out to be not just the longest of the threesome (bridges connecting the Island to the Mainland), but in fact the  longest bridge in Africa.

Third Mainland bridge

The 11.8km long structure takes off from Oworonshoki which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island. There is also a link midway through the bridge that leads to the Herbert Macaulay Way, Yaba. Built by Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the bridge was opened by President Ibrahim Babangida in 1990.

However, by 2006, several commuters reported that the six-lane bridge was vibrating noticeably, indicating that it needed urgent attention. As a result, remedial work was done on portions of the bridge, leading to partial closure of the bridge at different times. It now wears a new look from the last repair.

Similarly, the Lagos State Government has commenced preliminary work on the Fourth Mainland Bridge, a 26-kilometre infrastructure designed to link Ikorodu to the state’s economic hub in Eti-Osa Local Government Area.

Impression of the proposed Fourth Mainland bridge

Estimated to gulp a whopping N160 billion, the bridge will provide access from the hinterland to Victoria Island, which is expected to reduce traffic on the ever-busy Third Mainland Bridge and other bridges linking the Mainland to the Island.

An impression of the proposed Fourth Mainland Bridge that incorporates pedestrian walkway and a market on the first level

Amid criticisms from the ruling party (Peoples Democratic Party – PDP) bordering on the Lagos government’s perceived insincerity towards the execution of the project, the authorities have maintained that the bridge will be realised.

From illustrations released by government, the bridge (tagged “The People’s Bridge”) will feature two levels – the upper one for vehicular movement and the lower for pedestrian movement that incorporates a daily market facility.

But attention is currently focused on the new cable-stay bridge, which some quarters consider a variant of the suspension bridge.

Though it appears to be the longest, the Lekki-Ikoyi bridge is not the continent’s first suspension bridge. Indeed, South Africa holds the record, with more than six suspension bridges.

One of the oldest bridges was constructed in 1898 and is known as the Levey Bridge. The bridge was constructed in Tsomo, South Africa. The main cables are wire suspension.

The next bridge is the Centurion, which is a crossing bridge at The Centurion Mall. It also uses wired cables for its suspension. It is a very important footbridge in that region. The Johannesburg footbridge in South Africa as well as the footbridge in Pretoria has suspension systems.

The Bloukrans Bridge also known as the Afrikaans Blue Ridges is one of the arch bridges, which were constructed near the tropical rainforest called Nature’s Valley in Western Cape, South Africa.

Completed in 1984, the bridge spans 216m over the Bloukrans River. It is on record as the highest single arch bridge in the world.

The Nelson Mandela Bridge located in Johannesburg, South Africa was constructed in 2003 and the idea was to link Newtown with Braamfontein, both of which are very important business centres in Gauteng. The other objective was to provide an uplifting and modern vista for the city.

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