Indications have emerged that residents of thousands of communities in Northern Nigeria have begun relocating from their homes in order to avoid being engulfed by flood.
Reports from Kaduna in Kaduna State say that some residents along River Kaduna have fled their homes as a result of flooding.
A flooded community
Our correspondent reports that those affected have either relocated to Hotels or are squatting with relatives.
Reports from Borno, Benue, Nasarawa and Adamawa show that residents of different affected communities are likewise fleeing their homes for alternative safe places.
Thousands of residents in some suburbs in Makurdi, the state capital of Benue State, have continued to flee their environment following the floods occasioned by rain despite measures being taken by appropriate authorities following different warnings by experts and other related agencies.
It was revealed that over 3,000 houses have been affected following reports from Borno, Benue, Nasarawa and Adamawa.
Meanwhile residents of different affected communities are still fleeing their homes for alternative safe places.
Rice Mill settlement and Hausa quarters in Wadata, Kucha Utebe as well as Gyado Villa near Judges Quarter along Gboko Road in Makurdi metropolis has been the areas worst hit by the overflow from the River Benue.
Meanwhile, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has raised an alarm on the possibility of a food crisis in Adamawa following the recent flood disaster in the state.
Residents, whose properties had been destroyed, were seen making frantic effort to evacuate their families and remaining belongings at noon yesterday in canoes, cars, buses and lorries.
Executive Secretary of the state Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) said it had consistently warned residents of the flood prone areas to relocate to higher ground but most of them had remained adamant, just as Governor Suswam had sympathised with the affected residents and called on the Federal Government for a lasting solution to the situation.
Victims have called on government to come to their aide as it is getting out of hand.
One of them, Romeo Dajoh, said that the flood which started like a child’s play on Sunday evening worsened early hours of yesterday and that was why he had to move his family to safety. He therefore called on government to dredge the River Benue because it had become a threat to their lives despite the fact that the houses in the areas were situated about eight kilometers from the river.
Residents of Bulunkutu area of Maiduguri metropolis in Borno State have called on the Borno State Government to come to their aid and pump out the water that submerged their homes since the beginning of this raining season.
The call by the residents followed recent evacuation of water by government from Airport Road and 505 Housing Estate. The Bulunkutu residents called on government to extend the gesture to them.
“The government went and pumped out water on Airport Road and 505 Housing Estate, but we don’t know whether we are not citizen of this state,” a resident complained.
In Nasarawa State, not long after water supply was restored in parts of Keffi and environs, heavy floods occasioned by torrential rains disrupted the supply, forcing residents to scout for alternative arrangements. The development bites harder at Angwan Lambu area of Keffi.
The heavy rain which lasted throughout the night of Friday, August 25, collected storm waters at two bridges at the outskirt of Keffi in Nasarawa State, in what compelled travelers to abort their journeys for fear of being washed down the currents.
The flooded bridges are in Angwan Manyo, near Garaku, along Keffi-Akwanga road and Bokoko along Keffi-Junction-Agwada Road. The flood did not wash off the bridges as experienced in most parts of the state, but the development badly damaged the supply line along the way.
The Nigerian Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved the adoption of National Policy on Climate Change and Response Strategy (NPCC-RS), as a National Document for implementing climate activities in the country.
President Goodluck Jonathan
According to the FEC, the nation’s highest decision making body, the approval is to provide the government with a framework for tackling environmental challenges occasioned by global changes in the climate, the effect of which, according to the body, has manifested in increased flooding and rise in sea level.
Minister of Environment, Hadiza Mailafia, who made the disclosure in Abuja on Wednesday, said the policy framework would guide economic and social response of Nigerians to the global trend of climate change.
Being a signatory to Kyoto Protocol, Nigeria’s adoption of the policy will enhance her obligation towards reduction of emission of obnoxious substances in the environment even as it emerged that gas flaring in the country has been reduced to 8% and will improve further as more gas is sent to generate electricity in upcoming power stations, she disclosed.
The council argued that, as party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol, Nigeria has the obligation to ensure the reduction of human induced atmospheric carbon emission to a level that will prevent dangerous interface with the climate system.
Nigeria also needs to undertake numerous activities in the areas of adaptation and awareness creation to ensure the implementation of the UNFCCC policies. This obligation requires a coherent policy on climate change that will holistically view climate change from its multi-sectoral perspective.
The policy will explicitly itemise the comprehensive national goals, objective and strategies towards mitigating the consequences of climate change.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has ordered the immediate evacuation of people living along the River Niger plains.
Kainji Dam
Spokesperson for the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Yushau Shuaib, said in Abuja that the alert came because the Kainji and Jebba dams have attained their highest water levels in 29 years which, he declared, is unprecedented in the history of the two facilities.
To avoid a possible collapse of the dams, the authorities may be left with no option but to release some of the water.
This situation, according to Shuaib, has created a high risk of imminent flooding in the downstream of the river.
The residents of the communities are therefore urged to move to higher grounds for safety. The states at risk of the flood are Niger, Kogi, Kwara, Kebbi, Anambra and Delta.
He noted that the agency had already notified the affected states to take the necessary precautionary measures by relocating people from the flood prone areas and activated the National Contingency Plan as well as alerted all stakeholders to take necessary actions in line with their various mandates.
The states are to ensure compliance with the threat in order to avert imminent loss of lives and properties that would certainly arise in the event of flooding, he added.
Furthermore, information available indicates that the gauge for monitoring the flow of water in the river has already exceeded the maximum height by over one meter.
A rapid assessment team comprising officers of NEMA and scientists has left for Jebba and Kainji to further inspect the situation.
The Niger River is the principal river of western Africa, extending about 4,180 km. Its drainage basin is 2,117,700 km² in area. Its source is in the Guinea Highlands in southeastern Guinea.
Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in western Nigeria. Construction of the dam began in 1964 and was completed in 1968.
The Jebba Dam is one of the three major dams in Niger State. It was built in 1985. Others are Kainji Dam built in 1968 and Shiroro Dam built in 1990.
The annual large scale flooding experienced in Nigeria following the release of water from the Lagdo Dam in Cameroon could have been curbed some 30 years ago had the authorities been proactive.
Lagdo Dam
Since 1982 when the dam was built in Lagdo town on the Adamawa Plateau in the Northern Province of Cameroon along the course of the Benue River, lowland communities in north-eastern Nigerian states (of Borno, Adamawa and Taraba) especially those located downstream within the River Benue drainage basin are usually flooded whenever water is released from the reservoir.
Following an agreement involving both nations in 1980, the Nigerian government was supposed embark on a similar venture along the course of the river, ostensibly to contain the gushing water released upstream from Lagdo Dam and curb flooding and attendant destruction of property and loss of lives.
In 1981, a shock-absorber dam was designed. Tagged the “Dasin Hausa Dam,” the multi-purpose facility was, besides cushioning the effect of the Lagdo Dam flooding, supposed to generate some 300mw of electricity and irrigate about 150,000 hectares of land (and provide crop tonnage of 790,000 tons in Adamawa, Taraba and Benue states). Similarly, it was meant to provide employment opportunities for 40,000 families and make available navigational route of the Benue River to the Niger Delta.
The project site is the Dasin Village of Fufore Local Government Area of Adamawa State.
But, alas, the idea was taken by the government of the day with a pinch of salt. And, like several other viable proposals, was ignored. Consequently, the flooding and destruction of property and loss of lives continued needlessly – albeit for decades.
Until the carnage that occurred last month, which seemed to remind officials of the forgotten Dasin Hausa Dam plan – more so when Cameroon authorities insisted that, come what may, they would continue to release water to save their dam.
The most recent release of water from the Lagdo Dam several Saturdays ago submerged hundreds of settlements in Adamawa State, killing people and displacing thousands of families. Many were reportedly missing.
The entire upper and lower Benue River basin was extensively flooded.
Worst hit areas are in Fufore, Girei, Yola South, Yola North, Demsa, Numan, Lamorde, Shelleng, Michika, Guyuk and Ganye Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state.
Additionally, seven LGAs in Taraba State were affected by the disaster. They are: Jalingo (the state capital), Ardo Kola, Ibbi, Karin Lamido, Wukari, Takum and Lau.
The flooding occurred at night while the victims were asleep, leaving them with no opportunity to salvage property.
Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Muhammad Sani-Sidi, had said: “Reports reaching us from Adamawa State have confirmed that out of the 10,524 affected persons in 10 LGAs, 15 people have lost their lives. The steep elevation of Adamawa Plateau coupled with the sudden release of excess water on 24th August, 2012 has therefore created a great risk of inundation of the lowland communities of north eastern Nigeria especially those located within River Benue drainage basin.
“This sudden release of a large volume of cascading water from the reservoir has put so many communities in this area at risk, threatened human lives, disrupted socio-economic activities, led to environmental degradation and large scale ecological dislocation.”
The scale of the flooding this time around has apparently called attention to the proposal for Nigeria’s version of the Cameroonian reservoir, going by submissions made recently by the Director of Dams in the Ministry of Water Resources, Dr. Emmanuel Adanu.
He said, “It is now imperative for the Federal Government to build a bumper dam to cushion the effect of water released by Lagdo Dam. We are already taking steps to do the construction and we have started looking at how we can improve on the old design. The size of the dam we are looking at will take us 36 months to finish it but right now we know that the original feasibility study that was done in 1982 is a bit outdated.”
He admitted that the flooding that ended lives and sacked thousands from their homes was due to inadequate provision by the Nigerian government to contain the water from the Lagdo Dam. According to him, because of the location of the upper Benue River Basins, which is the primary outflow of the Lagdo Dam, in 1980 an agreement was reached that Nigeria should construct a buffer dam that would help contain water from the River Basins.
Adanu went on: “The Cameroonian government finished the construction of Lagdo Dam in 1982, but Nigeria is yet to develop its own dam. So anytime the Cameroonian government wants to release water from the dam, they always alert the Nigerian government so as to evacuate people to avert casualty.
“The proposed dam, when built, will be 1.4km long, 40mm deep and containing 16 cubic litres of water. Aside being used for flood control, the dam also has some economic benefits like its ability to irrigate 150,000 farmland and hold 20,000 tons of fish annually.”
He stressed that the release of water on the 24th of August following the alert given to the Nigerian government on the 23rd was because of a torrential rainfall that fell the previous night and caused the rise in the water level of the dam.
According to him, the water level of the dam rose dramatically and the spill was overflowed, so Cameroonian officials had to release water from the dam to avoid breakage of the dam which, he stated, would have been more disastrous.
“They released water in a large amount to ensure that the dam remains in one piece. It was not like they were not professionally behaved; they knew exactly the danger. It is our own responsibility to contain the water.”
He emphasised that the Cameroonians have strictly followed protocol wherein when the water level rose, they would inform Nigeria. “But, this time around, the water level of the dam was too high that they had to release water to prevent a dam breakage.”
Adanu stated that the new dam would take up to 36 months to build, adding that all hands must be on deck to achieve this goal. He said government is considering the idea of involving private sector players in the execution of the project.
But Saidu Njidda of the Foundation for Public-Public Partnerships Nigeria said that efforts to bring private investors on the board of the Federal Water Resources Ministry were being thwarted by government bureaucracy.
He said that since the release of excess water from Cameroon cannot be stopped, construction of the Dasin Hausa Dam remained the best option.
The death toll from flooding in north eastern Nigeria after heavy rain and the release of water from a dam in Cameroon has risen to 30, with some 120,000 people displaced, an official has disclosed.
A flooded community
Water was released from the Lagdo Dam in late August in neighbouring Cameroon after officials there had warned Nigeria earlier. The opening of the dam led to flooding along the Benue River in Nigeria.
“So far we have recorded 30 deaths from the flooding caused by the release of water from Lagdo Dam in Cameroon,” said Shadrach Daniel, secretary of the emergency management agency in Adamawa state.
“Twenty people are still missing. The flood has displaced 121,000 people, with 61,000 living in 30 camps across the state.”
Daniel’s agency had reported 10 deaths in late August. A cholera outbreak had also occurred, with 65 cases recorded, but no deaths, he said.
Flooding this rainy season in various parts of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation, with some 160 million people, had already killed dozens. Much of the country has been affected by heavy seasonal rainfall.
Flooding often leads to widespread displacements and casualties during the West African rainy season, as well as disease outbreaks due partly to poor sanitation.
The government in Niger, which also neighbours Nigeria, said last week that at least 68 people had been killed and nearly 500,000 displaced by flooding since July.
Parties were divided on the way forward to advance further work under the Ad Hoc Working Group on the Durban Platform for Enhanced Action (ADP) under the UN Frameowrk Convention on Climate Change, which is tasked to develop a new agreement under the Convention which is applicable to all Parties and is to come into effect from 2020.
Christiana Figueres, UNFCCC Executive Secretary
While some countries including the European Union, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the African Group wanted contact groups to be organised in Doha for the ADP at the forthcoming 18th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP 18) to the Convention, a large number of other developing countries wanted discussions in roundtables to continue (as was conducted in Bangkok) under the ADP to be the way forward for further exploratory work to enhance further understanding among Parties.
While some countries including the Umbrella Group (non-European developed countries), the European Union and the LDCs supported a proposal by AOSIS for a ministerial level roundtable in Doha, 24 developing countries led by Malaysia said that such a ministerial was premature and could only be organized under the directions of the COP.
The G77 and China stressed that successfully completing the work of the other two Ad Hoc Working Groups under the Bali Action Plan for Long-term Cooperative Action (AWG-LCA) and the Kyoto Protocol (AWG-KP) is necessary for the ADP process.
Two roundtables on the theme of ‘vision’ (for the new agreement) and ‘ambition’ (on how to increase the mitigation ambition) were held from 30 August to 4 September and an informal plenary of the ADP was convened on 5 September to conclude its work in Bangkok. The Co-chairs of the ADP are Mr. J.M.Mauskar (India) and Mr. H. Dovland (Norway).
Mauskar at the closing plenary informed Parties that after the session, the Co-chairs will prepare, under their own responsibility, two summaries to reflect the discussions at the roundtables.
Parties were informed that these summaries have no formal status in the negotiations and are made available to assist in their preparations. The Co-chairs will also prepare, under their own responsibility, a note that will contain their reflections on the session as a whole and look forward to Doha and beyond. This note also has no formal status in the negotiations and is made available to Parties to assist in their preparations.
Mauskar said that the outcomes of the AWG-LCA and AWG-KP will be central pieces for Doha but the ADP will also have its own importance. He also said that workstream 1 (dealing with the post 2020 agreement) and workstream 2 (on the pre 2020 mitigation ambition) will have different characteristics and Parties were in a “conceptual exploratory stage”. There will be a formal session of the ADP in Doha (the Bangkok session was an informal additional session) and some kind of outcome may be needed to indicate that the ADP was doing well, he added further.
Algeriafor the G77 and Chinasaid that the ADP process is critical to take the Convention forward. There is need to ensure strong linkage between mitigation, adaptation and means of implementation manner. It emphasised the need to successfully complete the work of the LCA and KP and to provide the necessary solid basis for the ADP process. It said that the ADP should not rewrite the Convention and must respect the objectives, principles and provisions of the Convention, especially the principles of equity, CBDR (common but differentiated responsibilities) and respective capabilities. Negotiations should be party- driven, open and transparent. It said that under workstream 1, there should be a further brainstorm to clarify conceptual ideas. It also wanted discussion on the means of implementation.
Malaysiaspeaking for Algeria, Argentina, Bolivia, China, Cuba, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, India, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mali, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Thailand, and Venezuela said that Parties have made some progress in expressing and understanding each other’s perspectives in relation to the work of the ADP. At Doha, there would be merit in continuing our discussions under the same format, so that Parties could strive to arrive at a much fuller understanding of each other’s positions and objectives.
Given the early and exploratory stage of discussions under ADP, Malaysia said it may be somewhat premature to launch contact groups immediately in Doha and discussions should continue in an exploratory fashion under a Group of the Whole. It said that the idea of a Ministerial on ADP discussions is also likewise somewhat premature. In any case, a Ministerial can only be organized under the directions of the COP and as such, must have a larger focus, not limited to ADP, with key attention on the second commitment period of the KP, the most urgent task for us this year.
Malaysia said that work under the DP reflects an opportunity to enhance implementation of the Convention. It was looking for ambition and equity on all elements of the DP, particularly from developed countries that are committed to take the lead in reducing their emissions and in providing support and the means of implementation so that developing countries can contribute equitably in a manner that also promotes their sustainable development.
It reiterated its fundamental belief that the work of the ADP, under both its workstreams is ‘under the Convention’ which means that all the principles and provisions of the Convention shall apply to the work of the ADP and remain paramount in considering all or any other elements that relevant parties attach importance to. This is necessary to fulfil the ultimate objective of the Convention. The responsibilities and obligations of all countries in any period must be built on the principles of equity and CBDR.
Malaysia said it was useful to hear this understanding shared by a large number of Parties in the roundtables. It is necessary to reflect a similar shared understanding in planning the work of the ADP. It said work of the DP is at a very initial stage and Parties should continue to identify the various elements necessary to define the scope of our work in Doha.
It said further that Doha should focus on delivering agreed outcomes in the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA. A firm foundation for the work in the ADP would be laid at Doha through the successful conclusion of the KP negotiations marked by having ambitious targets from Annex I KP Parties to be provisionally applied as of 1 January 2013; and ambitious and equitable results on all elements of the BAP. These positive outcomes in KP and LCA would have a positive effect on the ADP’s work. DP (the Durban Platform) is only one part of the package of Durban that includes results in KP and LCA, said Malaysia.
After Doha, it said the focus should be on identifying the issues relevant to the work and preparing for the meeting of the subsidiary bodies at Bonn. This may be supported if necessary through in session workshops at Bonn as may be necessary and agreed by the Parties, it added further.
Swaziland on behalf of the African Group expressed concerns about lack of engagement by developed countries on critical aspects necessary for concluding our work under the Bali Road Map, particularly on support for finance, technology, adaptation support by developed countries, including mitigation commitments of developed countries not Party to the 2nd commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol. This has the potential of contaminating the good spirit cultivated in this session.
It reaffirmed that workstream 1 of the ADP negotiations should culminate in an enhanced multilateral rules-based regime that ensures the full, effective and sustained implementation of the Convention. The outcome is to be under the Convention, and must express principles and provisions of the Convention, including historical responsibility, CBDR as well as the overriding developmental priorities of developing countries. It further reaffirmed that the principles of the Convention equally apply to workstream 2, and emphasised that the work on ambition is for additional actions over and above the commitments inscribed under the Bali Roadmap going to 2020. It is however important that such actions are recognized under the Convention; as such clear accounting is necessary in order to understand their contribution to the reduction of the gap.
Swaziland said the ambition workplan is not a substitute for commitments under the Bali Roadmap. It welcomed proposals by Parties shared in the ambition roundtable for the submission of proposed initiatives with an articulation of expected reductions, quantum of finance necessary, and the source of such financing, and the proposed delivery mechanisms, noting the proposal by the Africa Group for use of institutions established in Cancun and Durban. Demonstrating of the commitment to the reassurances made in Durban to the Durban Package is essential. It looked forward to the stepping up of work in Doha, and establishing a contact group to prepare decisions on how we plan our work for 2013 on both workstreams.
The Bali Roadmap comprises the Bali Action Plan adopted by the UNFCCC COP in 2007 and the second commitment period of emissions reduction by developed countries under the Kyoto Protocol.
Egypton behalf of the Arab Group said the outcome of the ADP should strengthen the existing multilateral regime for climate change. It should be firmly grounded in the principles and provisions of the Convention. It should, like the Convention under which it is negotiated, be applicable to all while respecting the principles of equity and CBDR and addressing all building blocks in a balanced manner, as agreed in Durban. Parties are not starting from a vacuum, it said.
Many efforts were exerted during the last few years under both the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA. Hence, the work of the ADP has to as its point of departure, the results of the work accomplished in these two working groups. These long-standing mandates must be delivered as a basis for determining the basis of work of the ADP.
Egypt said the Bangkok meeting has given a positive signal that the ADP has successfully been launched. It believed that it would be most useful if the co-chairs could prepare a matrix incorporating the various elements of the Durban decision and present for consideration of Parties their proposals on how these could be implemented as of the beginning of 2013. It also proposed two roundtables to be held in Doha touching upon the issues of means of implementation and of equity, and for this working group to be briefed of the conclusions of the workshop on long term finance, as these would complement the discussions that took place in Bangkok, and provide an important input for our work in this working group.
It said that there is no contradiction between equity and ambition, and that equity in fact can and must be the gateway to an ambitious outcome under this working group. In fact, ambition should apply across the board and not be of a selective nature. It also believed that all countries have the inalienable right to develop as well as the right to survival.
It also stressed that the success of efforts under the ADP will depend on the successful conclusion of the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA by Doha, and above all on the faithful implementation of the Durban package. It was still hopeful that by Doha, and with much stronger determination, Parties will achieve a quality legal second commitment period, comparable efforts by annex 1 non-KP parties under the LCA, as well as the much needed progress in adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building.
Cuba on behalf of theALBAgroup of countries expressed its great concern on the impending gap between the first and second commitment period of the KP (the first commitment period ends on 31 December 2012). Despite announcements made 8 month ago, we still don’t have numbers (on emissions reduction) on the table. On the other hand some Parties have not been willing to engage in work to bring to an agreed outcome the AWG-LCA and thus fulfil this second track of the Bali Road Map. Just like this Ad Hoc Working Group (ADP), the AWG-LCA was created as a space for exchanging ideas with a view to improve the climate change regime in the light of the principles and provisions of the Convention and its outcomes are of direct relevance to the ADP process.
It highlighted the need to safeguard the only rules-based multilateral system that exists. No society would tolerate that initiating discussions on a “new law” implies that you are not required to comply with the existing law. No one is above the ecological carrying capacity of our planet, which is the ultimate law… From now till 2020, it would seem that some Parties interpret this juncture as an opportunity to shirk responsibilities, said Cuba.
The implementation of this “non-system” from now till 2020, comprised of loose promises, lacking rules and lacking clear targets, paradoxically occurs at a time when the effects of climate change demand more commitment, not less, and when equity, clear rules and solidarity are most needed. Its expectation from these roundtable discussions is to deepen understanding of root causes and barriers for addressing them. Key to this effort is the discussion on sustainable patterns of consumption and production and equity, said Cuba.
It further said that developing countries are showing much more ambition than developed countries on a voluntary basis. Nevertheless, this situation does nothing to address the inherent gaps in equities in the climate change conundrum, in acting in accordance with our CBDR and respective capabilities. If a system is going to replace KP, it cannot be weaker than the existing one. Flexibility in taking actions to reach common goals, national circumstances and the applicability to all countries are all issues on which we are confident we could reach agreements on. The principles and provisions of the Convention have ample provisions to accommodate such considerations. What we cannot allow is to use these arguments as an excuse to reinterpret and in this way eliminate, the principle of CBDR between developed and developing countries. This is unacceptable. The Convention applies to all Parties … but historic responsibilities and use of our common atmospheric space (the carbon budget) cannot be side-lined.
Cuba said that the fate of Doha depends on the fate of the second commitment period of the KP; it is a legal instrument and to comply with it is an obligation. The Parties that refuse to do so cannot expect to “have their cake and eat it”. It would not be fair to other countries that are making efforts to comply with commitments within the multilateral framework.
Naurufor the Alliance of Small Island Statessaid the work of the ADP remains critical for the Doha package. Work on mitigation ambition is of fundamental importance. The Doha outcome should raise the pledges for emissions reductions; remove conditions for these pledges of developed countries and in tightening the rules. It stressed the importance of the means of implementation for developing countries to enhance their ambition. It further emphasised the importance of successfully completing the work of the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA to advance the work of the ADP. It stressed that the ADP is under the Convention. Parties could not pick and choose which principles their liked. On the way forward, it proposed a contact group to be established. It also proposed the need to have high-level engagement of Ministers in relation to the work in workstream 2.
Gambiafor theLDCsalso stressed the importance of a balanced package in Doha and the successful outcomes under the AWG-KP and the AWG-LCA. It proposed the establishment of 2 contact groups in Doha for both workstreams of the ADP. It also supported the idea of a Ministerial level discussion.
South Africa speaking for the BASIC (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) said the successful completion of the work of the AWG-KP and AWG-LCA was key to advance the work of the ADP which was part of the “mutual reassurances” agreed to in the DP. It proposed further roundtables in Doha to help exploratory work in an open and flexible setting to enhance mutual understanding and build trust. On the call for Ministerial engagement, it said that further discussions needed to be crystallised under the ADP before this was done.
Nicaraguaspeaking on behalf of the countries that comprise the Central American Integration System (SICA) expressed deep concern for the slow progress this week in this Bangkok session. Again, it is urgent to achieve a greater commitment from all Parties so we can move into concrete actions based under the principles and objectives of the Convention. We must advance in a balance and equitable manner in all the tracks (the AWG-LCA, AWG-KP and ADP) in order to build the climate of confidence to move the whole process forward.
Despite being economies highly dependent on their natural resources and having no legally binding obligations, Nicaragua said the SICA countries are continuing to make meaningful mitigation actions voluntarily, using our own and scarce resources, which are urgently needed in our struggle for poverty eradication and sustainable development. It stressed the need to ensure implementation of the mechanisms on financing, capacity building and technology transfer in order to reinforce the support of our national programs to combat climate change.
The result of the work of the ADP is vital for the future of the Convention, to ensure an effective, equitable, and fair outcome in accordance with the principle equity and CBDR in the implementation of the work and reach a legally binding agreement that includes all the pillars seen in the Bali Roadmap and that does not jeopardize or undermine the second commitment period of the KP.
Peruspeaking for itself, Chile and Colombia said that the future legally binding regime should set incentives for high ambition and rewards for those who do so. It wanted a common understanding for equity, fairness, and a “dynamic approach to differentiation” (as advanced by developed countries).
Australiain the Umbrella Group said that the DP called for the widest global response to climate change. There is need to ensure countries were not “holding hostage” its work for effective climate outcomes. It welcomed opportunity for ministerial engagement in the roundtables at COP 18 on a number of key questions. On the new agreement, it suggested discussion on how to design an agreement applicable to all that takes into account countries’ national circumstances; builds ambition over time and has widespread global participation; has lessons from the UNFCCC; addresses domestic drivers, constraints and potentials; how the new agreement is relevant to enhance adaptation; and how to build agreement under the Convention but adapted to the world after 2020. On the raising of ambition under workstream 1, Australia said that this could be done through voluntary initiatives; actions by those countries who have yet to forward their pledges and other complementary initiatives such as in cities and the private sector. It said that the ADP was a core part of the Durban deal.
TheEuropean Unionsaid that for a successful outcome in Doha, all work must be taken forward as agreed to in the Durban compromise. It wanted tangible progress under the ADP with concrete activities to raise ambition as well as planning work for a legally binding agreement post 2020. For the post 2020 agreement, it said the Convention principles will apply but said there is need to work together to define how these principles would be applied in post 2020 in a way that all Parties participate in a collective way with fair and sufficient ambition and support given to those who need it. In the pre 2020 workstream, it suggested exploration of possibilities on how to enhance collective efforts before the new agreement in 2020. It wanted clarification of what the next steps will be with clear milestones. It supported the proposal for a ministerial level roundtable to discuss preparations for the 2020 mitigation agreement. It proposed the setting up of two contact groups for both the workstreams whose deliverables are different.
Switzerlandfor the Environmental Integrity Group said there is need to capture existing common ground from the roundtable discussions on the post 2020 regime and its characteristics. It said that real progress in the ADP is an essential part for the balanced package in Doha. In relation to workstream 2 on ambition, it wanted exploration of options under and outside the Convention.
To increase the incomes of many of the billion forest-dependent people worldwide the current model for investment in forests must be turned on its head. An initiative of unprecedented scale, led by The Forests Dialogue (TFD), IUCN and the Growing Forests Partnerships (GFP), has found that optimising the benefits and productivity of forests requires moving from a ‘resource-led’ model to a ‘rights-based’ system of ‘locally controlled forestry’, that places local control of forests at the heart of the investment process.
Over the last three years, TFD, partnering with IUCN, organised a series of country level dialogues engaging over 400 forest owners, investors, NGOs, governments and intergovernmental agencies. The resulting report, “Investing in Locally Controlled Forestry”,launched recently at IUCN’s World Conservation Congress, shows that with the right processes in place, and under the right conditions, almost any individual or group can build a successful forest enterprise.
“A first step is to recognize that many forests and landscapes are inhabited by people with some form of land rights,” saysChris Buss, Senior Programme Officer for IUCN’s Global Forest and Climate change Programme“Investors are increasingly aware they must respect these rights through recognized processes, although the practical implications of such processes have until now received less attention.”
The learning from this initiative demonstrates that these processes often result simply in compensation for loss of access to land or resources, rather than a genuine shared enterprise. In contrast, a “rights-based” system places local control at the heart of the process. Under this system, the people who own or have rights over the forest are the ones who seek investors and partnerships for managing their natural resource assets.
“The rights-based approach recognizes local people’s autonomy and their rights to determine the land’s destiny and to gain income from its effective management,” says Minni Degawan, Project Coordinator for KADIOAN, an Indigenous Peoples Organisation based in the Philippines.“Empowering local people to make decisions on commercial forest management and land, with secure tenure rights, the ability to build their own organizations and access to markets and technology can be a highly effective way of raising incomes and protecting forestry resources.”
“Communities, governments and investors all stand to gain from investing in locally controlled forestry. However, launching a commercially viable enterprise is not without its own challenges and requires adjustments to conventional investment approaches,” says Peter Gardiner, Natural Resource Manger for Mondi.“To facilitate this process, the Growing Forest Partnerships which includes IUCN and TFD have developed a practitioners’ manual, to be released later this month, which offers investors and rights holders a step-by-step guide to negotiating commercial agreements.”
IUCN and its partners from Growing Forest Partnerships is also continuing to gather further information from ILCF projects around the world and exploring the possibility of launching a pilot project based on best practices.
UN-Habitat Executive Director Dr. Joan Clos last Wednesday in Naples, Italy, launched the State of World Cities Report 2012/2013.
Clos
Titled ‘The Prosperity of Cities’, the report recommends that those engaged in development work need to explore a more inclusive notion of prosperity and development. According to the lead author Mr. Eduardo Moreno, there was an urgent need for a shift in attention around the world in favour of a more robust notion of development.
“In this report, UN-Habitat advocates for a new type of city- the city of the 21st century- that is ‘good’, people centred city,” Dr. Clos, who was flanked by Mr. Moreno and other authors Mr. Oyebanji Oyeyinka and Goran M’boup during the launch, said. “The cities of the future should be ones that are capable of integrating the tangible and more intangible aspects of prosperity, in the process shedding off the inefficient, unsustainable forms and functionalities of the city of the previous century or so and becoming the engine rooms of growth and development.”
Speaking at the launch, Eduardo Moreno explained that the cities of the 21st century needed to be resilient and harmonious and explained UN-Habitat’s new City Prosperity Index which shows at a glance how a city is faring in terms of five key areas: productivity, infrastructure, equity, quality of life and environmental sustainability. This, argues the report, gives a more balanced picture of prosperity and helps to show how efforts in one areas can lead to growth in another.
Finally, the report argues, with proper and effective planning, cities could be used to solve the current global crises as long as authorities align activities and expenditure under local, regional and national level urban development policy.
The Finish and South African Government have committed their continued support to the New Partnership for Africa’s Development BioFISA Programme, as concrete achievements have been made in curing diseases, combating hunger and sustaining livestock. This follows a four-day meeting in Johannesburg to evaluate the impact of BioFISA, a NEPAD Programme supported by the two countries
“Using biosciences at its primary strategy, BioFISA effectively made progress in the past four years in HIV infection control, livestock disease control, bioinformatics and the development of plant genetic resources guidelines,” said Prof Luke Mumba, Director of the NEPAD Southern African Network for Bioscience (SANBio).
Prof Mumba also highlighted that BioFISA has grown and preserved mushroom production for small-scale farming, developed responsible fish farming, and promoted indigenous knowledge systems and scientific validation of traditional remedies.
Participation was drawn from South Africa’s Department of Science and Technology, the Finnish Government, development partners, and SADC member states who took stock of the achievements made by BioFISA since its establishment in 2009. The Programmes uses bioscience technology to improve health and food security; boost resilience to climate change and identifies environmentally sustainable ways of producing food in the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In terms of concrete projects, NEPAD Senior Coordinator of the CEO’s Office, Mr Abdoul Salam Bello, said: “BioFISA has improved the lives of more than 600 small-scale mushroom growers in Malawi, Namibia and Swaziland. Further, more than 100 Agriculture extension officers and researchers from Angola, Namibia, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland and Zambia have been trained in mushroom farming. Through reliable methods for producing mushroom seed, training and marketing,mushroom production activities have improved in many communities in the region.”
He also cited a fish-pond farming project in Dowa District, Malawi, where farmers have acquired the technical know-how to effectively grow fish by using very simple techniques and which has been extended to cover others districts in Malawi.
Addressing the burden of HIV and AIDS in Southern Africa, participants recalled a traditional remedy project to treat HIV/AIDS which has shown to be effective in laboratory tests in South Africa and the United States, while research into plant-based microbicides is carried on.
“BioFISA has brought the region closer together, has funded relevant research for the region and has improved people’s lives through tangible results,” saidMr Aki Enkenberg, Counsellor at the Embassy of Finland in South Africa.
Closing the ceremony, NEPAD Chief Executive Officer, Dr Ibrahim Mayaki reiterated NEPAD’s commitment to prioritise BioFISA as it represents a perfect reflection of NEPAD’s mandate, to develop “sustainable African solutions” for African challenges. Dr Mayaki commended the Finish and South African government for their continued support.
“Now that we have started making use of the treasure in Africa, there is an imperative need to now focus on preserving, protecting and responsibly sharing indigenous knowledge within African communities to build synergies,” Prof Mumba added.
Going into the next phase, BioFISA will implement the guidelines developed in the first phase for African Union member states to conserve, protect and commercialise indigenous plants, crop varieties, knowledge and practices, and promote diversity to address climate change issues.
BioFISA currently covers eight research and development projects in 12 Southern African countries in Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Seychelles, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Cameroon on Friday issued a fresh alert to several states in Nigeria, urging them to guard against any possible environmental and human disaster that could occur as a result of the release of water from Lagdo Dam any time from now.
The Lagdo Dam
According to the Cameroonians, the water has to be released because the Lagdo Dam is almost overflowing it banks due to excess rainfall.
The Lagdo Dam is located on the River Benue’s axis of the Cameroun Republic.
The Cameroonians stated that the essence of the information is to alert Nigerians, particularly the communities that reside in and around the River Benue trough which is contiguous to the Republic of Cameroon, to take proactive measures in order to forestall the envisaged disaster.
The warning this time around has been extended to Cross River State, whose Commissioner for Information, Chief Akin Ricketts, warned residents: “Chairmen of Local Government Areas, in whose domains such communities situate, particularly Obanliku, Boki, Etung, Akamkpa, Bakassi and Akpabuyo; officials of the State Emergency Management Agency, Opinion Leaders and other people of goodwill, are by this public information, requested to educate people within the aforementioned communities and advise evacuation where necessary.
“It is important for all those concerned to work in unison and prevent any avoidable danger or disaster from manifesting. Finally, we appeal to members of the public, particularly those residing around the threatened zones to report any threat to the relevant agencies of Government for prompt response. Please treat as important and urgent.”
The last time water was released from the dam on Saturday, 24th August, 2012, it caused extensive flooding in Adamawa and Taraba states in Nigeria, affecting 10,524 persons in 10 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa State and leaving 15 people dead.
