The Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC) has reported a fire incident on Akaso 4 Wellhead, operated by the NNPC 18 Operating Limited.
Mrs Olaide Shonola, Head, Public Affairs and Corporate Communication, NUPRC, made this known in a statement on Saturday, August 3, 2024.
Shonola said that the NNPC 18 Operating Limited had deployed a rapid response emergency team to contain the fire outbreak which occurred on Friday at 11:12 p.m.
The Akaso Well is in OML 18 (former Eroton). It is an offshore Well in Rivers.
“The incident, which has extended along the adjacent riverbank, is reported to have occurred on Aug. 2.
“The company has confirmed that a rapid response emergency team has been deployed to secure the well, address the incident and isolate affected area.
“The team will be using spill containment materials to prevent further spread and contamination of the environment.
“They are also planning to start the oil recovery process immediately,” she said.
Shonola said that the company had also deployed a Naval Houseboat within the incident area and established community surveillance to monitor the situation.
She said that though the cause of the incident was not yet known, a joint investigation with relevant stakeholders was being planned to determine the cause and the area of impact.
“It is important to note that the Akaso Well 4 has been out of operation for a significant period of time.
“As a reminder, the fire at the company’s Alakiri Well 9T, which started on February 23, 2024, is still raging.
“The contractor engaged to deal with the situation, Kenyon International West Africa Company, is facing some challenges in putting out the fire,” she said.
She further said that NUPRC was planning to deploy the total oxygen extraction method instead of the heat extraction method currently being deployed.
According to her, the equipment fabrication is 100 per cent complete and the contractor is awaiting mobilisation from the well owners while contractor personnel are on-site monitoring the incident.
She said that a meeting with the management of NNPC 18 Operating Limited has been planned to review the safety and integrity of its operations.
Malawi received an $11.2 million drought insurance payout from the African Risk Capacity (ARC) on Friday, August 2, 2024, bolstering the country’s ability to respond to climate-related disasters.
The Malawi Government receiving the $11.2 million cheque, with the President in the middle
President Lazarus Chakwera, speaking at the Mzuzu State Lodge, emphasised the need for collaboration in addressing climate challenges.
“There’s need to support people and strengthen food production in the country,” Chakwera said.
Finance Minister, Simplex Chithyola Banda, praised the ARC initiative, assuring citizens of their safety.
“This means a lot to the country in such a way that the money will help the country to build community resilience in responding to risks and natural disasters,” Banda said.
Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale urged farmers to insure their farms against emergencies.
“Farmers should insure as people with cars and other things do because by the end of the day farmers will be helped,” Kawale said in an interview.
UNHCR Representative, Kouame Cyr Modeste, commended Malawi’s commitment to disaster risk management and its generosity in hosting refugees.
“The government’s proactive steps in securing funds for the ARC drought insurance policy and its dedication to mitigating the impacts of extreme weather events are commendable,” Modeste said.
The payout is expected to strengthen Malawi’s resilience against future climate-related challenges, though specific allocation plans were not immediately announced.
“The new regulation for mercury by the European Union (EU) is a significant development in the global effort to reduce and eliminate mercury pollution. It highlights the importance of international and regional cooperation in addressing the human health and environmental impacts of this toxic chemical.”
European Commission. Photo credit: Mark Renders/Getty Images
This was the statement of environmental NGO, BAN Toxics, after the EU’s Revised Regulation for Mercury entered into force on July 30, 2024. The new law prohibits the last intentional uses of mercury by EU member states, including the use and export of dental amalgam, and the manufacture, import, and export of certain categories of mercury-containing lamps.
“Illegal transboundary trade of mercury and mercury-added products remains a major challenge for Philippine regulatory agencies. The influx of imported mercury-containing cosmetic products, for example, continues unabated despite existing regulatory frameworks at both the national and global regional levels.
“We need international collaboration arrangements, which could include information exchange, market surveillance, and technical or financial assistance to enhance capabilities for detecting illegal products. Such collaboration may also help address the entry into the country of mercury-added products that are purchased via e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee,” said Thony Dizon, BAN Toxics Advocacy and Campaign Officer.
Mercury is a highly toxic chemical that can cause irreparable damage to the nervous system. It is indestructible which means its emissions and releases can bioaccumulate and biomagnify, posing a significant threat to human health and the environment.
According to Dizon, the Philippines has made significant strides in strengthening regulations to reduce mercury use in the country. In 2019, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued Administrative Order 2019-20, or the Revised Chemical Control Order for Mercury and Mercury Compounds. The Department of Health (DOH) also issued Administrative Order No. 2020-0020, or the “Guidelines on the Phase-out of Mercury Use in Dental Restorative Procedures.”
Additionally, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued FDA Circular No. 2022-003, which bans all mercury-added thermometers, sphygmomanometers, dental amalgam capsules, and liquid mercury for use in dental restorative purposes.
In 2020, the Philippines ratified the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a legally binding global treaty designed to reduce and eliminate mercury emissions and releases into the environment.
BAN Toxics has recently submitted information to the Minamata Convention Secretariat which cited illegal shipments and unregulated online trade as the main challenges in addressing mercury containing cosmetics.
“Our country is always at the receiving end of this illegal transboundary trade since we are not the source of these products. But if more cross-border agreements or mechanisms are in place, this might reduce illegal production and trade of mercury and mercury-added products,” the group said.
The revised Regulation on Mercury prohibits the last intentional remaining uses of mercury in the EU and contributes to the Zero Pollution objective of a toxic-free environment. It represents a breakthrough in the safeguarding of human health, with clear environmental benefits.
The new rules prohibit the use and export of dental amalgam by January 1, 2025. Member States requiring more time to adapt their national healthcare system get a limited and temporary derogation for the use, manufacture, and import of dental amalgam (until June 30, 2026). Eventually, dental filling materials will soon be free from mercury, except for specific medical needs and when deemed strictly necessary by a medical practitioner.
Under the revised regulation, Member States will have to stop manufacturing, importing and exporting certain categories of mercury-containing lamps (as of December 31, 2025, or December 31, 2026, depending on the lamp category). These will be replaced by alternatives like LEDs, which are less toxic and more energy efficient.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed a $20 million equity investment in the African Infrastructure Investment Fund 4 (AIIF4).
AfDB President, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina
The AfDB, in a statement, said the deal, signed on July 31, 2024, was to reinforce the Bank’s commitment to fostering private sector development and boosting infrastructure across the continent.
The statement said that the investment, approved by AfDB Group’s Board of Directors on June 19, would be financed from the Bank’s ordinary capital resources designated for private sector operations.
According to the statement, Africa’s infrastructure sector remains a significant investment opportunity, driven by substantial demand deficits and a scarcity of capital.
With rapid urbanisation and increasing local purchasing power, the continent requires between $130 and $170 billion annually, in infrastructure spending.
There is currently a substantial yearly financing gap of $68 to $108 billion, on the continent.
“AIIF4, with a 13-year term and a five-year investment period, has completed its first closing at $230 million, attracting international investors.
“To date, the Fund has raised more than the $500 million target, with the final close expected to be concluded in Q3 2024.
“The fund is projected to deliver significant development outcomes, particularly in private sector growth and household income improvement,” it said.
According to the statement, the Bank assesses the likelihood of achieving these outcomes on time as High.
It said the investment complemented the Bank’s “High 5” operational priorities, along with its 10-year Strategy (2024-2033), relating to accelerating and scaling up its operations.
It said the fund pipeline, also aligned with the Private Sector Development Strategy (2021-2025), the Climate Change and Green Growth Framework, and the Strategy for addressing Fragility and Building Resilience (2022-2026).
The statement quoted Mike Salawou, the bank’s Director for Infrastructure, Cities and Urban Development, as expressing AfDB’s commitment to infrastructure development on the continent.
“The bank is reinforcing its commitment and support to developing infrastructure in Africa to private sector participation.
“This is done by providing this scarce private equity investment to African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM) to bridge the infrastructure financing gap in Africa.
“Therefore, our confidence in AIIM as a fund manager is renewed and strong, given its proven expertise and track record in driving impactful investments,” Salawou said.
The AIIM has transacted and identified a robust pipeline of investment opportunities in renewable energy, digital infrastructure, and ports and logistics assets in South Africa, Kenya, and Morocco.
They are also actively screening deals in Egypt, Côte d’Ivoire and Senegal, among others.
The AIIF4 investment underscores the increasing role of private equity in addressing Africa’s infrastructure needs and highlights the continent’s potential for sustainable economic growth.
An environmentalist, Dr Nnimmo Bassey, has berated the International Oil Companies (IOCs) over the sustained degradation of the Niger Delta region.
Nnimmo Bassey
Bassey, who is the Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF), said this at a two-day programme on Friday, August 2, 2024, at the Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State.
The environmentalist, who described the poor state of the region as a “privatised and sacrificed zone”, appealed to the Federal Government to stop the pollution, which is said to have reached unimaginable level.
Bassey, a renowned environmentalist who holds a national honour of Member of the Order of Federal Republic (MFR), spoke on the recovering of the region from the IOCs.
According to him, the current focus is the sacrifice zones in the world, how to stop and eliminate the pollution.
“My take or initial conclusion of what we are going to do today and tomorrow is that the Niger Delta is a privatised and sacrifice zone.
“The gold mines of South Africa, the gas fields, the phosphate fields of Togo and Western Sahara. These are all sacrifices.
“The lands are sacrificed, the people are sacrificed and all the revenue goes to the corrupt leaders,” he said.
According to him, our creeks, rivers, streams, coastal areas, swamps have all been privatised by oil companies and the Nigerian government agencies.
“How has this been done? 66, 68 years of oil extraction in commercial quantities in the Niger Delta have seen the complete pollution of our water bodies by oil spills.
The environmentalist noted that there were high concentration of benzene in drinking water in the region and spills had gone more than five-metre deep into the soil as the reckless extractive activities continued.
Dr Charles Oyibo, the university’s Head of Department, Environmental Management, said that he hoped the students had been better informed by the lecture.
Oyibo said the collaboration with HOMEF had been an eye opener in grappling with the issues of the environment.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at its 61st Plenary Session in Sofia, Bulgaria, has agreed on the outlines of the “IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” and the “2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers”.
L-R: IPCC Secretary, Abdalah Mokssit; IPCC Chair, Jim Skea; and Working Group III Co-Chairs Katherine Calvin (United States), and Joy Jacqueline Pereira (Malaysia). Photo credit: ENB-IISD / Anastasia Rodopoulou
Over 230 delegates from 114 member governments attending the week-long meeting in the Bulgarian capital also agreed on the respective timelines of the two reports.
“The Panel’s decision today paves the way for the critically important next stages in our work – the nomination and selection of authors who will actually write these two reports. We are keen for these processes to bring on board the most diverse and inclusive group of authors yet,” said IPCC Chair, Jim Skea, on Friday, August 2, 2024.
“The timing of these two reports confirms the continued policy relevance of IPCC scientific reports.”
The calls for nominations of authors are scheduled for release as early as next week.
The agreed outline of the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” includes trends, challenges and opportunities for cities in a changing climate, the actions and solutions to reduce urban risks and emissions, how to facilitate and accelerate change in the context of cities, and solutions by city and types and regions. Panel’s approval and publication of this Special Report are scheduled for March 2027. The detailed outline is available here.
The scientific leadership of the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” is shared between the IPCC’s three Working Groups. The Co-Chairs of Working Group II – Winston Chow and Bart van den Hurk – who are leading the report’s production, stressed that this Special Report is of immense relevance to many stakeholders around the world for implementing effective climate action in cities, adding that their team is dedicated to its timely development over the next three years.
The “2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers” will guide the preparation and reporting of a national inventory of emissions of short-lived climate forcers. The planned publication time of this Methodology Report is July 2027. The detailed outline is available here.
Based on the report from the upcoming scoping meeting of the three Working Groups’ contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report, which is scheduled to take place in December 2024, at its next Plenary in early 2025, the Panel will agree on their respective scope, outlines, and work plans, including schedules and budgets.
Chukwuemeka Okebugwu, Nigeria’s delegate to IPCC’s 61st Plenary Session in Sofia, Bulgaria. Photo credit: ENB-IISD / Anastasia Rodopoulou
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) at its 61st Plenary Session in Sofia, Bulgaria, has agreed on the outlines of the “IPCC Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” and the “2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers”. Over 230 delegates from 114 member governments attending the week-long meeting in the Bulgarian capital also agreed on the respective timelines of the two reports.
“The Panel’s decision today paves the way for the critically important next stages in our work – the nomination and selection of authors who will actually write these two reports. We are keen for these processes to bring on board the most diverse and inclusive group of authors yet,” said IPCC Chair, Jim Skea, on Friday, August 2, 2024.
“The timing of these two reports confirms the continued policy relevance of IPCC scientific reports.”
The calls for nominations of authors are scheduled for release as early as next week.
The agreed outline of the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” includes trends, challenges and opportunities for cities in a changing climate, the actions and solutions to reduce urban risks and emissions, how to facilitate and accelerate change in the context of cities, and solutions by city and types and regions. Panel’s approval and publication of this Special Report are scheduled for March 2027. The detailed outline is available here.
The scientific leadership of the “Special Report on Climate Change and Cities” is shared between the IPCC’s three Working Groups. The Co-Chairs of Working Group II – Winston Chow and Bart van den Hurk – who are leading the report’s production, stressed that this Special Report is of immense relevance to many stakeholders around the world for implementing effective climate action in cities, adding that their team is dedicated to its timely development over the next three years.
The “2027 IPCC Methodology Report on Inventories for Short-lived Climate Forcers” will guide the preparation and reporting of a national inventory of emissions of short-lived climate forcers. The planned publication time of this Methodology Report is July 2027. The detailed outline is available here.
Based on the report from the upcoming scoping meeting of the three Working Groups’ contributions to the Seventh Assessment Report, which is scheduled to take place in December 2024, at its next Plenary in early 2025, the Panel will agree on their respective scope, outlines, and work plans, including schedules and budgets.
Current climate policies imply a high risk for tipping of critical Earth system elements, even if temperatures return to below 1.5 °C of global warming after a period of overshoot. A new study published in Nature Communications indicates that this risk can be minimised if the warming is swiftly reversed.
Greenland Ice Sheet, one of the four interconnected core climate tipping elements analysed by scientists for tipping risk
That is why reducing emissions in the current decade is crucial for the stability of the Earth systems functions, researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) and other institutes write.
They analysed the tipping risks for four interconnected core climate tipping elements: the Greenland Ice Sheet, the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), and the Amazon Rainforest.
Human-made climate change can lead to a destabilisation of large-scale components of the Earth system such as ice sheets or ocean circulation patterns, the so-called tipping elements. While these components will not tip over night, fundamental processes are put into motion unfolding over tens, hundreds or thousands of years.
These changes are of such a serious nature that they should be avoided at all costs, the researchers argue. In their new study, they assessed the risks of destabilisation of at least one tipping element because of overshooting 1.5 °C. Their analysis shows how crucial it is for the state of the planet to adhere to the climate objectives of the Paris Agreement. It further emphasises the legacy of today’s climate (in)action for centuries to millennia to come.
“While timescales to 2300 or beyond may seem far away, it is important to map out tipping risks to the best of our abilities. Our results show how vitally important it is to achieve and maintain net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in order to limit these risks for the next hundreds of years and beyond,” explains co-lead author Tessa Möller, scientist at IIASA and PIK.
“Our calculations reveal that following current policies until the end of this century would lead to a high tipping risk of 45 percent of at least one of the four elements tipping by 2300,” adds Möller.
Exceeding 2 °C global warming strongly increases tipping risks
“We see an increase in tipping risk with every tenth of a degree of overshoot above 1.5 °C. But if we were to also surpass 2 °C of global warming, tipping risks would escalate even more rapidly. This is very concerning as scenarios that follow currently implemented climate policies are estimated to result in about 2.6 °C of global warming by the end of this century,” says Annika Ernest Högner from PIK, who co-lead the study.
“Our study confirms that tipping risks in response to overshoots can be minimised if warming is swiftly reversed. Such a reversal of global warming can only be achieved if greenhouse gas emissions reach at least net-zero by 2100. The results underline the importance of the Paris Agreement’s climate objectives to limit warming to well below 2 °C even in case of a temporary overshoot above 1.5 °C”, says study author Nico Wunderling of PIK.
The four tipping elements analysed in the study are pivotal in regulating the stability of the Earth’s climate system. So far, complex Earth system models are not yet able to comprehensively simulate their non-linear behaviour, feedback, and interactions between some of the tipping elements. Therefore, the researchers used a stylised Earth system model to represent the main characteristics and behaviour and thereby systematically include relevant uncertainties in tipping elements and their interactions.
“This analysis of tipping point risks adds further support to the conclusion that we are underestimating risks, and need to now recognise that the legally binding objective in the Paris Agreement of holding global warming to ‘well below 2°C’, in reality means limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
Due to insufficient emission reductions, we run an ever-increasing risk of a period overshooting this temperature limit, which we need to minimise at all costs, to reduce dire impacts to people across the world,” concludes PIK director and author of the study, Johan Rockström.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee have followed advice from IUCN – as the official advisor on nature – to inscribe five new sites on the World Heritage List and extend one existing World Heritage site.
King Charles III unveils the Flow Country World Heritage Site plaque commemorating the area becoming the seventh world heritage site in Scotland and the 35th in Britain
The announcement came on Friday, July 26, 2024, during the 46th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in New Delhi, India.
“In line with IUCN’s recommendation, the World Heritage Committee has significantly strengthened the protection of these world’s treasures and sources of exceptional bio- and geodiversity,” said Tim Badman, Director of World Heritage at IUCN.
“These areas are home to the world’s most impressive dunes, exceptional cave-dwelling species, peat bogs and mires, as well as important bird migratory routes, yet are all under increasing pressure. They will benefit from the international recognition that comes from the UNESCO World Heritage List.”
The sites added to the list are:
Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands, French Polynesia
A hotspot for terrestrial and marine biodiversity, and endemic species in the French Overseas Territory of French Polynesia, these islands are home to more than 305 plant species and an exceptional endemism of coastal fish and marine molluscs. It is also of cultural significance in relation to the historical initial occupation of the Marquesas archipelago by the Enata people between the 10th and 19th centuries.
The Flow Country, United Kingdom
This area protects one of the largest peat bog ecosystems remaining in Europe and is the first World Heritage site focussed on peatlands. Its ongoing peat-forming processes continue to sequester carbon on a very large scale. Peat bogs are a crucial defence against climate change, locking away carbon so it is not released as carbon dioxide.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil
The national park has a breathtaking coastal sand dune system of striking contrasts. The park was inscribed for its unique geomorphological formations shaped by the interactions of climate and ocean, including the seasonal transformation through the formation of temporary lakes within extensive coastal barchan sand dunes.
Badain Jaran desert – Towers of Sand and Lakes, China
Located in the remote autonomous region of Inner Mongolia, this site is a world-renowned hyper-arid landscape with an abundance of striking interdunal lakes. It exhibits a myriad of colours caused by the varying salinity and microbial communities unique to each lake.
Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China
Upon IUCN’s recommendations, around 10 new components have been added to the existing site. These new areas include some of the most important habitats for migrating birds along the East Asian- Australasian Flyway. IUCN has recommended a further extension in the future to add additional sites that are vital to support migrating birds.
Vjetrenica Cave, Ravno, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Vjetrenica Cave, one of the longest in Bosnia and Herzegovina, is home to one of the world’s most important biodiversity hotspots for cave-dwelling fauna, being home to a total of 231 taxa of subterranean biodiversity. Inscribed onto the World Heritage List, IUCN will work together with the State Party of Bosnia and Herzegovina to implement the recommendations of the Committee to guarantee sufficient water to the cave system and ensure adequate funding.
Plants offer crucial benefits for the health of the planet by helping mitigate climate change, regulating water use, supporting nutrient cycling and more. They also provide a range of benefits for the livelihoods of people.
The CITES Plants Committee. Photo credit: CITES Secretariat
African cherry is traditionally used for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. Rosewood is used as high-value timber for furniture and musical instruments. Edible tuberous orchids hold cultural significance for their use in traditional teas and desserts. Given the wide range of implications for both the planet people, the trade and harvest of these plant species must be well-regulated to ensure their use remains sustainable, results in long term benefits to the people and species involved and maintains the role that the species play in the ecosystem.
From July 8 to 12, 2024, the 27th meeting of the Plants Committee (PC27) of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) convened a global community of plant conservation and trade experts in Geneva, Switzerland. Thirteen Members of the Plants Committee representing Africa, Asia, Central and South America and the Caribbean, Europe, North America and Oceania participated in the meeting to exchange information, provide guidance and make recommendations on the conservation priorities of plant species in international trade. A total of 191 participants from 147 governments and 44 observer organisations also attended the meeting sharing their expertise with the Committee, further enriching the robust scientific discussions.
CITES Secretary-General, Ivonne Higuero, said: “The recommendations of the Plants Committee will not only provide advice to the Parties on scientific and technical matters of the Convention, but will also ensure the success of forthcoming initiatives, such as the workshop on African rosewood in September and the next stage of the CITES Tree Species Project…It is clear to me that the future of the plant species listed in the CITES Appendices is in good hands.”
The Committee agreed on numerous draft decisions for CITES Parties, which outline specific actions, recommendations, or directives on scientific and technical matters for consideration at the next CITES Conference of the Parties (COP20) in 2025. Once adopted, CITES Decisions and ResolutioOs inform the programmes of work for the next three-year intersessional period for Parties, the Committees and the Secretariat.
Several draft decisions and recommendations relating to orchids were agreed by the Committee for submission to COP20. The draft decisions include encouraging CITES Parties to regulate trade in edible tuberous orchids as required by the Convention, calling for a more formalised and systematic reporting approach for products of species like orchids commonly found in the food and cosmetics industries. Other proposed actions include making Non-Detriment Findings (NDFs) using the new guidance and enhancing cooperation across borders for species identification.
The Committee took significant strides towards updating nomenclature references and guidance for artificially propagated species, such as for Malagasy ebonies and Agarwood species, respectively. Nomenclature references used in CITES provide information on taxonomic classification that serves as the legal basis for clarifying which species are covered by CITES. This information assists in correctly identifying species in trade and ensuring all 184 Parties use the same names when assessing applications, authorising international trade and monitoring the trade. Resources that support this implementation of the Convention include CITES Checklists. Similar to the CITES Dalbergia Checklist, a Malagasy ebonies checklist is now in development and has been recommended for adoption at CITES COP20.
After careful consideration of scientific assessments prepared and submitted by some range States relating to the sustainable harvest and international trade of African rosewood, the Committee agreed to export quotas for a limited number of rosewood specimens for countries that demonstrated that the proposed trade will be sustainable. This marks a critical step for range States and provides an incentive to strengthen sustainable trade practices, in benefit of both conservation efforts and local livelihoods.
At a side event hosted by the CITES Secretariat, progress for African rosewood was further magnified with the launch of the first global report on CITES rosewood tree species. The report aims to provide data and insights into the status and trade trends of rosewood species worldwide. Comprising case studies conducted by the Secretariat in partnership with TRAFFIC experts, the report is expected to serve as a vital resource for policymakers and conservationists, helping to guide future strategies and actions.
The CITES Secretariat hosted two additional side events during the weeklong meeting. The “CITES and Forests” event organised in partnership with CONABIO presented updates on the ongoing interdisciplinary study on the Convention’s contributions to forest conservation. The event offered participants the opportunity to provide feedback on initiatives, such as the new phase of the CITES Tree Species Project (CTSP). The “CITES Export Quota Tool” event introduced a new tool with built in checks and verifications that will allow Parties to upload their own nationally managed export quotas directly on the CITES website.
During the joint session of the CITES Plants Committee and the CITES Animals Committee (July 12 to 13, 2024), a significant joint achievement was discussed: The new NDF guidance developed through a collaborative process. The CITES NDF project brought together over 200 experts from Parties, observer organisations, the Secretariat, and implementing partners to develop new and updated guidance for NDFs, which aim to determine scientifically whether an export of an Appendix II CITES-listed specimen or product, or the introduction of an Appendix II CITES-listed specimen from the high seas is detrimental to the survival of the species in the wild.
Following the recent global workshop on non-detriment findings in Nairobi, December 2023, this is the first elaboration of NDF guidance led by CITES after the adoption of the Resolution on NDF guidance at COP16 in 2013.
In closing the Plants Committee meeting, Chair of the CITES Plants Committee, Flore Koumba Pambo, said: “We have had discussions that were complex but fruitful, and the results of our work will contribute significantly to the conservation and sustainable use of plant species listed in the CITES Appendices.”
The outcomes of the CITES Plants Committee meeting reflect a concerted effort to ensure international trade in plant species is sustainable. By developing and updating technical guidance, CITES aims to prevent the over-exploitation from trade of plant species and ensure their long-term survival in the wild. The meeting’s developments garner international cooperation and capacity building on CITES scientific and technical matters, which are essential for the effective implementation of conservation measures worldwide.
The war against illegal wildlife trafficking appears to have taken a new turn as the Federal Government of Nigeria unveiled an elephant sculpture from pulverised wildlife stockpiles.
Participants during the official opening ceremony for the elephant sculpture in Abuja
Built using almost six tonnes of seized animal hoards, the monument, dubbed the “Giwa Statue of Renewed Hope” by the country’s State Minister for the Environment, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, represents the government’s strict stance against any kind of wildlife crime.
Nigeria, like many other countries across the globe, is facing the issue of wildlife preservation. So, in its wisdom, the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency (NESREA), the body in charge of enforcing all environmental laws, including wildlife protection, in the country, collaborated with other sister agencies of the government, like the Nigerian Customs Service, which led to several rest periods between the years 2011 and 2023.
Among the materials seized from these suspects and held by NESREA were 185 bags containing 3,991 kg of pangolin scales, 11 bags containing crocodiles and other classified reptiles, 102 kg of leopard skins and feathers, and 2,500 kg of ivory. In October 2023, these items were incinerated by the regulator, followed by the crushing of the confiscated ivory in January 2024.
According to Dr. Salako, this action shows how dedicated the government is to tackle the difficult problems of both domestic biodiversity and global conservation efforts, as well as safeguarding designated endangered species.
“We need wildlife for our survival, wellbeing, and prosperity as they maintain ecological balance, maintain the food chain, and keep us connected to nature,” he said during the unveiling ceremony of the sculpture in Abuja.
Therefore, to preserve the proposed balance, the minister urged all well-meaning Nigerians to assist the government’s efforts to combat wildlife trafficking by offering intelligence, discouraging the poaching of animals, and refusing to use goods that are not sourced ethically.
In his address at the event, the Director General of NESREA, Dr. Innocent Barikor, acknowledged that the display of the elephant sculpture symbolises the unwavering commitment by the government to abolish all forms of obnoxious wildlife trading at all levels.
“It is proof to CITES communities that Nigeria has not relented in carrying out its obligations to the international environmental conventions and promotion of eco-tourism,” he said.
