The first class of five Rotary sponsored scholars has graduated with Master of Science degrees in Water Education from the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education. The graduates now will apply their education to water and sanitation projects in their home countries of Argentina, Uganda, Nigeria, Ethiopia and Ghana.
Associate Professor of Hydraulic Engineering, Dr. Micha Werner (left); Nigerian UNESCO-IHE student, Kenechukwu “Kaycee” Okoli (middle); and another student, Faris Qazi, estimating the water flow rate in a river basin, during a field work for the Hydraulic Engineering and River Basin Development specialisation programme, at Basin of La Bléone River near Digne les Bains, France
Established in 2011, the partnership between Rotary and UNESCO-IHE — the world’s largest graduate water education facility — addresses the global water and sanitation crisis by increasing the ranks of trained professionals critically needed to devise, plan and implement solutions in countries where communities lack access to clean water and safe sanitation. Rotary provides scholarship grants that enable local Rotary clubs and districts to select and sponsor eligible students to the program. Rotary members mentor the students throughout the program, building positive relationships that continue after graduation.
“We’re proud of the Rotary and UNESCO-IHE partnership and especially proud of our first class of Rotary water scholars, who will now use their expertise to develop sustainable water and sanitation solutions in their home countries,” said Rotary Foundation Trustee Stephen R. Brown. “The mentoring of the students by Rotary clubs and Rotary members – during their studies at UNESCO-IHE, as well as after they return home – is essential to the success of the scholarship program. These relationships and networks will enable students to effectively implement their skills in their own local communities. Their work to improve water and sanitation conditions will have a positive, lasting impact around the world.”
His sentiments are echoed by UNESCO-IHE Rector András Szöllösi-Nagy. “I am confident that as these young professionals return home, they will continue to play a vital role in managing our water systems in a sustainable way for future generations,” he said. “As alumni, they will remain part of the largest network of water professionals and become part of an extensive network of fellow Rotary scholarship recipients and Rotarians worldwide.”
For example, graduate Bernice Asamoah, of Ghana, plans a hygiene project that will use solar power to disinfect water for communal toilet facilities.
Graduate Kenechukwu “Kaycee” Okoli, of Nigeria, knows the value of public education, especially to empower children to become change agents. “The objective is to visit schools and to teach children and adolescents basic sanitation habits,” he said.
Another graduate, Temesgen Adamu, of Ethiopia, points to the World Health Organisation’s statistics indicating that about 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to improved sanitation, and over 783 million people lack access to clean drinking water. “In my home country, the water quality is poor, safe water and sanitation facilities are inaccessible and water based diseases widespread,” Adamu said.
Graduate Gonzalo Duró, of Argentina, said he learned the critical importance of “cooperation between partners, institutions and professionals” in developing solutions to water and sanitation issues, while Uganda’s Godfrey Baguma appreciated the practical nature of the studies. “I am now able to address water and sanitation issues in a more integrated and technical manner,” Baguma said, adding that his interactions with Rotary members helped make Delft “a home away from home.”
Building on the success of the first class, the second class of students – 16 in total – began graduate studies in October 2013 and will graduate in 2015.
The UNESCO-IHE graduates become part of a vast network of Rotary Foundation alumni, consisting of 120,000 leaders and change agents around the world. Since 1947, more than 43,000 students and fellows have received Rotary scholarships supporting studies in a variety of disciplines representing a total investment of more than $557 million.
Oil pollution in the Niger Delta. Photo credit: longbaby.com
The disclosure that oil has been discovered in commercial quantity in the Lagos offshore, within the confines of the Dahomey Basin, has been greeted with mixed feelings.
Activist and President, Friends of the Earth International, Nnimmo Bassey, made this known recently at a workshop in Lagos titled: “Oil in Lagos: What is in it for the planet?”
Bassey said the discovery and exploration for oil in the Niger Delta area for decades has made the region the most polluted area in the world due to countless oil spills that have not been cleaned up.
He that exploring oil in Lagos would boost the economy of the state but the environmental and socio-economic consequences are far more damaging.
Struggle for resource control from oil exploration has brought about the nation’s economy solely dependent on oil with other key sectors like agriculture being neglected, he lamented, adding that it has likewise led to increased level of violence and insecurity like kidnapping, communal crisis, oil spillage resulting in loss of bio-diversity and damage to arable land.
According to Bassey, it is better to leave the oil in the soil as demand for fossil fuel is one of the key factors responsible for global carbon emission that causes climate change.
Even though the world cannot imagine living without oil, but they have to because oil is not renewable, he concluded.
Representative of the Commissioner for the Ministry of Environment, Titi Fadipe, said oil discovery in Lagos would further boost its economy and create job opportunities for the unemployed.
Fadipe said all the assessments and policies needed to ensure that oil exploration positively impacts the environment would be undertaken by the state government.
Another speaker, Dr. Abiodun Olusogo from the Lagos State Marginalised Communities Forum, said oil exploration in Lagos would further increase the number of displaced and marginalised persons. Presently, a lot of indigenous Lagosians are being displaced due to land grabbing by the rich and powerful without proper consultation with the people. The rights of indigenous people is fundamental if the Lagos State Government plans to explore oil, he added.
Programme Director of Bailiff Africa and organisers of the workshop, Funmi Oyatogun, stressed that the workshop was geared towards increasing awareness among Lagosians on the discovery of oil in commercial quantity in the state.
Oyatogun pointed out that Bailiff Africa is concerned about the participation of the youths in environmental matters, lending credence to the fact that majority of the participants are young people.
“Around the world young people are becoming more participatory in governance and Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. Again, oil exploration is an environmental issue that scientists have proven is responsible for climate change and we want to live in a friendly environment. We therefore should be concerned about how government policies made today will impact on us tomorrow,” she stated.
A participant, Peter Sohe, who hails from Badagry, disclosed that gas flaring in the area is affecting the health of the people as well as their livelihood as fishing in some areas of Badagry has reduced.
He urged Lagosians not to be too excited about oil discovery in the state as a visit to the area where gas is being flared in Badagry will make them come to terms with the environmental impact of oil exploration.
The dark-coloured waters of the Negro the muddy waters of the Solimões flow side by side for over 18 kilometres without mixing
Barely two months to the kick-off of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil, a rather peculiar host city for the event has continued to generate global attention.
At the centre of the controversy is the city of Manaus, which is situated at the heart of the Amazon rainforest, which is believed to be the largest tropical rainforest in the world. The very location of the city of Manaus is one of its most remarkable attractions: the confluence of the rivers Negro(Black) and Solimões (the Amazon River). The dark-coloured waters of the former and the muddy waters of the latter flow side by side for over 18 kilometres without mixing, forming one of the Amazon’s most majestic sights.
Ironically, the location inspired the refurbishment of the “Arena Amazonia”, whose external façade is enclosed by a metal structure designed to resemble a straw basket, a product the region is famous for.
Arena Amazonia
The 42,618-seater stadium (previously referred to as “Vivaldão”) will host group matches such as England vs. Italy (June 14), Cameroon vs. Croatia (June 18), USA vs. Portugal (June 22) and Honduras vs. Switzerland (June 25).
A considerable number of Brazilians and football enthusiasts the world over are however kicking against the choice of the Amazonian settlement as a host city, insisting that the World Cup games should not be held there. The city is 1,700 miles from Sao Paulo and surrounded by 2.1 million square miles of rain forest.
Indeed, some national team coaches have complained about the oppressive heat and humidity. Brazilians have grumbled over the exorbitant cost of building a soccer arena in the middle of the jungle – a city so remote that it took a 20-day boat voyage to deliver the steel to build the stadium. There are definitely concerns over the construction costs travel headaches and the playing conditions.
This sustainable stadium project will nonetheless provide an important legacy for the region and play its part in helping to preserve the diversity of the Amazonian rainforest. For example, rainwater will be collected for its subsequent use in toilets or to water the pitch, while the region’s abundant supply of sunshine will be harnessed to generate clean and renewable energy. Plant screens will also be created to keep energy costs down and, above all, to control temperatures inside the stadiums.
As well as seating for tens of thousands of spectators, the Arena Amazonia features restaurants and underground parking and served by dedicated bus and monorail services. It is hoped that the stadium will continue to attract tourists after the tournament by hosting concerts and cultural events.
Access to the city is primarily through boat or aeroplane. This isolation helped preserve both the nature as well as the culture of the city. The culture of Manaus, more than in any other urban area of Brazil, preserves the habits of Native Brazilian tribes. The city is the main entrance to visit the fauna and flora of the Brazilian Amazon. Few places in the world afford such a variety of plants, trees, birds, insects and fishes.
Rubber made it the richest city in South America during the late 1800s. Rubber also helped Manaus earn its nickname, the “Paris of the Tropics”. Many wealthy European families settled in Manaus and brought their love of sophisticated European art, architecture and culture with them. Manaus is also a duty-free zone, which has encouraged needed development in the region.
Since it was first inhabited in 1669, Manaus steadily evolved into the capital of the state of Amazonas and finally into the metropolis of the Amazon. Manaus is now the 12th most populous city in Brazil, with just over two million inhabitants, and became an economic powerhouse during the 20th century, after the construction of the Manaus Industrial Pole.
The equatorial climate of Manaus is another of its most interesting traits, with an annual temperature average of 28ºC, air humidity of over 80 per cent and two very defined seasons: the rainy one (December to May) and the so-called dry season, between June and November, when precipitation is not as intense and temperatures may reach as high as 40ºC.
The combination of outstanding natural beauty, local traditions and a metropolis on the rise gives Manaus a unique atmosphere, thanks to such diverse features as the Teatro Amazonas – an impressive concert hall that houses the annual Amazonas Opera Festival – and the Boi-Manaus, which is a celebration of the city’s anniversary, rocked by the sounds of the typical rhythm of the “boi-bumbá”.
The city of Manaus is home to a majority of football clubs in the state of Amazonas and, therefore, several rivalries. Nacional Futebol Clube hold the record for most state titles, but over the last few years São Raimundo Esporte Clube have been drawing national attention with good performances in the Copa do Brasil. Other traditional contenders are Atletico Rio Negro Clube, Nacional Fast Club and America Futebol Clube.
Vivaldo Lima stadium, also known as the Vivaldão, is the most important football ground in Amazonas and has been hosting the state’s decisive matches since its inauguration on 5 April 1970, when the Brazilian national team stopped by Manaus a few days before travelling to Mexico for the FIFA World Cup. Brazil defeated an Amazonas State Team 4-1 in a match that was witnessed by such dignitaries as then-FIFA President Stanley Rous.
Governments at all levels have been asked to henceforth reframe climate change issues and seek new kinds of solutions to help affected communities and people deal with negative effects of global warming that exceed their capacities, within the context of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage.
This forms one of the resolutions at the recently held Sixth Lagos Climate Change Summit that had “Exploring business opportunities in climate change mitigation and adaptation: Lagos State in focus” as its theme.
Participants likewise resolved that the state should not just have a policy on climate change, but legislate on it to ensure sustainability of initiatives for climate-resilient development. Indeed, the government was urged to lead a strategic stakeholder engagement programme, with awareness creation and capacity building on green models and strategies; and, more importantly, on the economics and business of going green.
Government was advised to set up a Lagos State Green Development Centre (a PPP Initiative) – which will not only run under the hospice of the state’s Ministry of Environment, but operate as an engagement platform for proactive industry drive towards sustainability.
Apart from expressing support through micro-financing gender-sensitive green SMEs and putting up mechanism that will simplify climate change issues for easier understanding and comprehension by non-experts, the Lagos government was urged to consider imposing carbon emission taxes on corporations in the energy sector, including generating set manufacturers and merchants to promote investment in climate-friendly business initiatives.
In partnership with the Federal Government and the African Development Bank (AfDB), the state was asked to improve its climate finance readiness and build up its internal financial infrastructure in order to act as a full participant in emerging international climate financing arrangements, including the Green Climate Fund and Clim-Dev Africa Special Fund, among others.
It was further suggested that government should introduce stringent development control measures and requirements (energy assessment, flood risk assessment, etc) for new buildings approvals to promote energy efficient and eco-friendly buildings and development of climate resilient cities.
While incorporating strong urban containment policy to discourage city sprawl and promote vertical growth such as sky scrapers and the greening on urban buildings, it was further recommended that government should introduce Controlled Parking Zones to deter the use of private vehicles, and consider the introduction of tax incentives for owners of non-polluting vehicles to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the transport sector.
State officials were likewise challenged on the need to upgrade current efforts in the transportation sector to, on one hand, develop an effective climate smart traffic system management that will promote non-motorised, non-fossil transportation (including electric motors, gas driven cars, walkways/bicycle tracks); and, on the other, sustain the redesigning and reconstruction of roads for climate resilience.
They were told to forge a partnership with investors in using renewable sources for energy generation, and adopt strong Renewable Energy Standard (RES) and policies, as well as expand existing ones. These may include extending tax advantages and establishing other financial benefits towards the development of renewable energy projects.
Additionally, the forum agreed that support should be given to interested investors to conduct Technology Needs Assessment (TNA) and Market Analysis/Barrier to Trade in agriculture and other sectors to enable these sectors appreciate and explore business opportunities in climate change mitigation and adaptation in the state, resolved the participants.
They recommended that climate-smart agricultural strategies and practices should be mainstreamed into relevant national and state policies including further development of agricultural value chains and conducive environment for private investment to enhance the contribution of the sector to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).
Furthermore, Lagos State should share experiences of resilient cities programmes such as those of Kenya and Rwanda and kick-start a process, including (a) public consultation on short, medium and long term targets, (b) review of all existing Urban Plans and existing Physical Laws with an increased focus on mitigating climate change impacts, and (c) progress on the Lagos Building Codes initiative, that will promote climate resilient and eco-friendly compact housing to green and climate-proof residences in main urban centres.
Government should also support business opportunity through feasibility studies in green entrepreneurship in the energy sector, recycling and waste management, water management, transportation sector, urban agriculture and urban food systems, ecotourism and climate change monitoring to encourage potential investors.
Besides developing and implementing strategies for public-private partnership in climate entrepreneurship to translate marketable opportunities for climate technology ventures into reality, government was asked to conduct a detailed air quality assessment for the Lagos metropolitan area and set in motion the process to review regulatory framework for enforcing air quality standards, as well as establish an integrated air quality monitoring system for the state.
Similarly, the state was asked to support the collection of relevant data and research that will compare climate impacts across sectors and to systematically assess climate risks.
Just $1.26 has been received in water and sanitation aid for each person in Nigeria on average for the years 2010-2012, according to a startling new report titled: “Bridging the Divide” released a week ago by the international development charity, WaterAid on the eve of World Water Day 2014.
This is despite, 63.2 million people in Nigerian (39 percent of the population) not having access to clean drinking water and 112.7 million (69 percent of the population) going without basic access to sanitation.
The report argues that international water and sanitation aid is failing to reach those in greatest need, exacerbating global inequalities rather than reducing them. Overall, Nigeria has received on average $205.41 million per year in water and sanitation aid, for the years 2010-2012.
Dr Michael Ojo, WaterAid Nigeria Country Representative, said: “The stated aim of international aid is to help the world’s poor break out of poverty and to live healthy and productive lives – and to positively address our fundamentally unequal world. With nearly 100,000 children under the age of five dying every year in Nigeria because of a lack of access to clean drinking water, basic sanitation and hygiene; why is not more water and sanitation aid being targeted at those who are desperately waiting for these essential services in our country?”
Ojo
Over 330,000 people across the world last week took part in World Walks for Water and Sanitation events in solidarity with the hundreds of millions still forced to walk for water. The global mass movement, led by the campaign coalition, End Water Poverty, is demanding universal and sustainable access to water and sanitation.
Similarly, WaterAid Nigeria organised a 7km walk for water to help raise awareness about the continuing water and sanitation crisis in Nigeria, mobilising the voices of Nigerians and providing a platform for them to be heard. The walk was held in conjunction with various stakeholders including the Ministry of Water Resources. The Minister for Water Resources was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Umar Baba Farouk.
The walk was attended by nearly 500 participants including the Ministry of Power, various youth groups, Oxfam, UNICEF, Ministry of Health, Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria and members of Nigeria’s National Assembly.
Despite globally one in 10 people lacking access to clean drinking water, and more than one in three without access to basic sanitation, most donors still allocate relatively low priority to aid spending to tackle this crisis, accounting in 2012 for just six percent of overall donor aid.
In addition, much of the promised aid fails to be delivered. Over the past decade donors have failed – for reasons unclear – to pass on a third of the money they pledged to spend on water and sanitation aid, or $27.6 billion out of the $81.2 billion since 2002 that has been committed.
The WaterAid report comes ahead of crucial discussions at the World Bank in Washington in April (10-11), where the Sanitation and Water for All partnership will hold its third High-Level Meeting. Ministers from Nigeria alongside other developing and donor country Ministers will meet to discuss the water and sanitation crisis.
WaterAid Nigeria is calling for a dedicated goal on universal access to water and sanitation, as part of the new global post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals so that everyone, everywhere has access to these life giving necessities no later than 2030.
Activist, Surveyor Efik, who is the National Coordinator, Climate Change Network Nigeria (CCN-Nigeria) and Lead Facilitator of CAN/GCCA global advocacy on IPCC AR5 in Nigeria, explores the dynamics of the far-reaching report vis-à-vis the Nigerian state of affairs
The Fifth Assessment Report (AR5) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has expressly uphold that human influence is extremely likely the dominant cause of observed warning since the mid-20th century, and that the reality of the observation is 95 percent certainty as against the previous AR4 that was adjudged very likely with 90 percentcertainty. It further stated that the warming of the climate system is unequivocal. These revelations, as contained in Working Group One (WG1), which was on the Physical Science Basis and released on the 27th September 2013 in Stockholm, show that there is evidence of marked increase in the impacts of climate change on both planet Earth and humanity.
With this fifth assessment of the global climate change situation, it may, therefore, not be incorrect to state that the increasing impacts of climate change seem to be on geometric rate while the global effort to stem the tide is on arithmetic progression. This harsh reality is hard to take. The good news is that we still have a chance to avoid the worse consequences of a warming planet – but it’s going to take an epic effort, may be at supersonic progression.
According to Qin Dahe, Co-Chair of IPCC WG1, “Our assessment of the science finds that the atmosphere and ocean have warmed, the amount of snow and ice has diminished, the global mean sea level has risen and the concentrations of greenhouse gases have increased”. This however translates into increased temperature and heat waves, sea level rise, ocean warming, decreasing glaciers and ice sheets, which further corroborate what the World Bank in its June 2013 report (Turn Down The Heat: Why A 4oC Warmer World Must Be Avoided) stated in simple terms that “high temperature extreme appear likely to affect yields of rice, wheat, maize and other crops, adversely affecting food security”, stressing that “promoting economic growth and eradication of poverty and inequality will thus, be an increasingly challenging task”. This means that the effort to achieve the MDGs and the post-2015 development agenda or the future Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may become unachievable.
The reality of the postulations of the IPCC WG1 may be a great food for thought to the world, especially the developing countries, whose capacity to adapt to the impacts and mitigate the effects of climate change is either weak or non-existent, and yet will be worst hit by the ill-consequences. But the second installment of the AR5 by WG2 which focuses on climate change impacts, adaptation and vulnerability, may be more worrisome and dazing in terms of the fact that the evidence of the rate of occurrence of climate change impacts so much dwarfed the hitherto global effort to recede it. The WG2 met from 25th to 29th March 2014 at Yokohama, Japan to produce the definitive report and the Summary for Policy Makers (SPM) on the impacts of climate change already being observed, as well as projected climate change impacts, with simplified breakdown analysis covering seven regions of the globe, namely: Africa, Asia, Australia & New Zealand, Europe, North America, Small Islands and South America.
From the draft of the WG2, it is admitted that “Observed impacts of climate change are widespread and consequential. Recent changes in climate have caused impacts on natural and human systems on all continents and across the oceans”, while on projection, it states that “Climate change will increase the frequency and severity of many types of extreme weather: In many areas, more frequent intense rainfall events will increase the frequency of flooding. Globally, more people will be exposed to floods and economic losses due to flooding. It’s also likely that presently dry areas will become more severely drought-stricken”.
What is more, the third installment of the AR5 and its SPM will be released April 7 – 13 2014 in Berlin, Germany by WG3, which will be on Mitigation of Climate Change. Then the IPCC AR5 Synthesis Report will follow suit 27-31 October in Copenhagen, Denmark.
In all the segments that make up the IPCC AR5, one isolating fact is the clarion call for action, the need for nations big and small, rich and poor, developed and developing to redouble their efforts on geometric progression to combat climate change. It’s the need for governments, corporate bodies and the civil society to step up actions, separately and collectively. The developed countries should scale up their support in the area of finance, capacity building and technology transfer to the developing countries while also living up to expectation in their commitment towards emissions reduction targets. The developing countries should give priority to climate change mitigation and adaptation and incorporate them into their national development agenda. Donor agencies have a very important role to play in funding priority to climate action, while the international organisations should redirect their focus towards promoting national climate actions, especially in the developing countries. The Climate Action Network (CAN) and Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA) global advocacy effort around the IPCC AR5 are commendable.
In Nigeria, thanks to the global effort of CAN/GCCA in promoting advocacy around the IPCC AR5 and support same advocacy in Nigeria. The Heinrich Boll Foundation Nigeria, African Youth Initiative on Climate Change (AYICC Nigerian Chapter), Nigeria Youth Climate Coalition (NYCC), Youth Vision Alliance Network (YVAN) and Climate Change Network Nigeria (CCN-Nigeria) organized national IPCC Strategy Catalyst Workshop on the 20th January 2014 in Abuja with support of Global Call for Climate Action (GCCA) and Climate Action Network (CAN) International. The objectives of the workshop include serving as a catalyst for developing advocacy strategy for a collaborative effort between different civil society groups and activists working on promote climate actions and leveraging AR5 at the national level. It also strengthen the capacity of the Nigerian civil society on the use of the IPCC AR5 as effective advocacy tools for climate policy and political decision making as well as for promoting national development. One of the outcomes of the Abuja workshop was the establishment of the National Strategist Think-Tank on Climate Change to follow up on the IPCC AR5 processes.
While Nigeria is preparing ahead of 2015 elections, the Nigerian civil society under the auspices of the National Strategist Think-Tank on Climate Change, hereby urge all incumbent and prospective politicians, the technocrats, policy/decision makers to incorporate climate change adaptation and mitigation actions into their political and national development agenda. The state governors should embellish their states with green growth developments while the local government chairmen should turn their constituencies into green cities. The private sector, including the banks should not relent in their effort to promote climate-friendly investments and sustainable green businesses. The communities, academia, media, faith-based, youths, women/children, students and all other civil society bodies and individual citizens should endeavour to take climate actions on their own or collectively.
We use this medium to appeal to President Goodluck Jonathan to approve the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action for Climate Change in Nigeria (NASPA-CCN) for implementation so as to kick-start national climate action on adaptation and further increase visibility of his government’s commitment and response, not only to combating climate change but also responding to the IPCC AR5 advocacy for climate actions
Nigeria has called on the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) to support her bid to create green industries that would in turn produce jobs for the teeming population.
Receiving in audience, a delegation led by the Director-General of UNIDO, Li Yong, in her office recently, Environment Minister, Laurentia Mallam, called for continued support on the development and implementation of projects and programmes to fulfil the country’s multilateral agreements.
Mallam noted that UNIDO has been instrumental in Nigeria’s obligations towards ratifying multilateral treaties such as the Montreal Protocol, Stockholm, Basel and Minamata Conventions, as well as being supportive in securing millions of dollars for executions of Global Environmental Facility projects.
She enumerated the projects as implementation of Stockholm Convention on persistent organic pollutants (POPs), reduction of unintended produced POPs and polybrominateddiphenyl ethers (PBDE) from e-waste recycling and disposal; promoting safer mining practices in Nigeria; using local generated rice husk waste to support rural electrification; and developing strategies for identification, of sites among others.
The minister further enjoined UNIDO to continue its support towards development and implementation of projects and programmes capable of fulfilling the country’s socio-economic and political aspirations.
Earlier in his speech, Yong commended Nigeria for her strong support towards his election as Director-General of UNIDO. He said that the massive support by member nations during his election has given him a historic task to be committed and dedicated to duty.
Yong said that UNIDO would work with member states to promote industrial development as well as entertain suggestions on moving the continent forward. He noted that the visit would afford him to discuss on-going and sustainable future cooperation between Nigeria and UNIDO within the organisation’s new mandate of inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Nigeria.
A UN climate impact report, released on Monday, gives the clearest and most comprehensive evidence yet that the earth we call home is in deep trouble. It reinforces the sobering view that climate change is real, it’s happening now and it’s affecting the lives and the livelihoods of people as well as the sensitive ecosystems that sustain life.
This is the second in a series of four reports being prepared by the world’s leading climate authorities in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It assesses the impacts, adaptation and vulnerability of human and natural systems, the observed impacts and future risks of climate change, and the potential for and limits to adaptation.
Samantha Smith, leader of the WWF Global Climate & Energy Initiative, says the report highlights, for the first time, the dramatic difference of impacts between a world where we act now to cut emissions, which now come mostly from using fossil fuels; and a world where we fail to act quickly and at scale.
“This report tells us that we have two clear choices: cut emissions now and invest in adaption – and have a world that has challenging and just barely manageable risks; or do nothing and face a world of devastating and unmanageable risks and impacts.”
”The report makes it clear that we still have time to act. We can limit climate instability and adapt to some of the changes we see now. But without immediate and specific action, we are in danger of going far beyond the limits of adaptation. With this risk posed so clearly, we have to hope that the next IPCC report which is being released in Berlin in April, will provide us with strong statements on the solutions that we know exist,” she says.
Despite the warnings given by the IPCC in its reports over the past 20 years – reinforced by the release of the report today – the gap between the science and what governments are doing remains huge, says Sandeep Chamling Rai, head of the WWF delegation to the meeting.
“The science is clear and the debate is over. Climate change is happening and humans are the major cause of emissions, driven mainly by our dependence on fossil fuels. This is driving global warming. This report sets out the impacts we already see, the risks we face in the future, and the opportunities to act. It has been accepted by the member governments of the IPCC. Now it is up to people to hold their governments to account, to get them to act purposefully and immediately,” he says.
The risks of collective inaction are greatest for developing countries, says Chamling Rai. “All countries are vulnerable but developing countries have a greater sensitivity, with more people living in poverty and fewer resources to respond to climate disasters. We need to put in place those measures that will slow down warming and put us on a fair and just transition to a sustainable world. The report shows that ambitious emissions cuts now can reduce the risk of climate change in the second half of this century.”
And the regional assessments – given in depth in this report – show with a great degree of certainty what the impacts will be in the key regions of the world.
“We now have a better understanding of how climate impacts will affect people and nature in different regions. International adaptation efforts need to be intensified to adequately respond to such varied impacts,” says Chamling Rai.
Lokoja, Nigeria during the 2012 flooding
Dr Camilla Toulmin, Director of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), says: “The new IPCC report highlights the threats climate change poses to people’s peace and prosperity. It shows that countries, communities and companies must act fast to adapt to the changing climate, but it shows too that there are limits to adaptation and this drives home the urgency of global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Now is the time for unprecedented global solidarity and cooperation.
“Now is the opportunity for true leaders to shine. Some of the world’s least developed countries are already forging ahead. Ethiopia has committed to carbon-neutral development. Bangladesh has invested $10 billion of its own money to adapt to extreme climatic events. Nepal is the first country to develop adaptation plans at the community level. It is time for the richer countries to pull their weight and do the right thing, by investing at home and abroad in actions that can reduce emissions and protect people and property from danger. The climate reminds us that we are all in this together and that we can only solve this problem is as a united international community.”
