The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Climate

  • CRS Super Highway and climate change debate

    While at the public presentation of the Environmental Impact Assessment EIA, for the Cross River Super Highway which held at the Channels View Hotel in Calabar on Wednesday last week, I saw a white guy, whose nationality I am not quite sure of arguing that the Cross River Super Highway should not be constructed because of carbon emissions and global warming and all that.

    But a quick search showed that, in 2013, world total carbon emission figures amounted to 35,669,000 metric tonnes.Out of this, China top the list after emitting 10,540,000 metric tonnes with average per capita of 7.6 while United States came second with 5,334,000 metric tonnes with 16.5 per capita.The European Union came third with 3,415,000 metric tonnes and 6.7, India is in the fourth position with, 2,341,000 metric tonnes and 1.8 per capita and Russia follows next with 1,766,000 metric tonnes and 12.4 per capita.In the sixth position is Japan which emitted 1,278,000 metric tonnes at 10.1 per capita and Germany in the seventh position with 767,000 metric tonnes at 9.3 per capita.

    Nigeria is not even on the top 30 list of global polluters talk less of Cross River State which still holds 50 percent of Nigeria’s remaining rain forest and Africa’s largest rain forest, but the world insists that we must preserve this forest to suck the pollution that we are not part of emitting.

    But at what cost really? Another question is….How did the West develop?

    The land area of Paris is 105.4sq/km, London is 1,570sq/km, and California is 423,970sq/km, while New York City area is 1,210sq/km.

    Atlanta is 342.9sq/km, Houston is 1,630sq/km, the industrial city of Guangzhou is 7,433sq/km, China’s capital, Beijing area is 16,410sq/km, Frankfurt is 248.3sq/km, and Istanbul area is 5,343sq/km, while Chicago is 606.1sq/km. The total area the superhighway will cover is 110sq/km.

    All these cities were developed after authorities cut down massive and large expanse of forests to develop the cities, industries, factories, roads, rails and other infrastructure that is now generating the pollution which the world wants the Cross River forest to suck up at the detriment of our own development.

    The Mexico banana farms and the USA wheat and corn farms came from felling forests. Terminal 5 Airport in UK was constructed on a Virgin National Park in spite of protests from civil society and environmental concern groups. In Switzerland and Germany, trees are fell to generate biomass energy and replanting follows.

    It’s important to note that capital spending, like the proposed super highway, creates an asset, and this gives a return over time in the form of growth.

    I agree like most economists have argued that infrastructural projects such as rail and roads create jobs, generate taxes and stimulate further spending. This is the economic multiplier effect that capital spending brings.

    Therefore, while an increase in public spending may create a deficit in the short term, the resultant increase in productivity will lead to a higher rate of economic growth and greater tax revenues.

    According to the International Finance Corporation (IFC), for every one billion US dollars invested in infrastructure in developing economies, between 49,000 and 110,000 jobs are created.”

    I clearly understand that if forests are destroyed or degraded, large amounts of gases that cause global warming are released into the atmosphere but I don’t see how creating a very vital road, like the superhighway proposed by Governor Ayade, through our forest and re-afforesting same will so irreparably destroy or degrade the forest, if that did not happen elsewhere when they were developing their own cities.

    The government has said that 275,000 trees will be felled and 5,000,000 will be planted. The Cross River Green Police was created with that in mind and 1,500 cadets have been inaugurated.

    While the West through pittances called donor funding, is promoting this attempt to stall development in the name of conservation, in Third World nations like Nigeria, Bolivia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Indonesia, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia, there is no corresponding effort to curb the activities of the giant polluters. Even Trump is promising not to respect the Paris agreement on emission control if he eventually becomes US President.

    My advocacy, rather than join those who say they don’t want the road is to say that the Cross River State government should pay heed to genuine concerns that are being raised by communities bestriding the route, activists, and lingering issues of compensation for those who will be losing land, and other related matters should be diligently attended to so that work can restart on the super highway project.

    For me I have chosen to support the super highway project and I will do the little I can and God willing, that road will someday become a reality to the good of northern Cross River, the entire state and Nigeria as a whole.

    For those who say the project cannot be done, let me end this article with a quote from Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – The King of Dubai in chapter 2 of his celebrated book: MY VISION: Challenges In The Race For Excellence:”Many years ago, some merchants came to me and asked me to approach my father, Sheikh Rashid, on their behalf, and discuss the large port he was planning at Jebel Ali. Since the economy was in recession and we already had a large harbour at Port Rashid that met their needs, they thought the emirate did not need a new larger harbour.

    “I felt, I should convey the message and shortly after went at dawn to the Jebel Ali area, where I knew I would find my father. He was standing on top of a small hill examining the site. I passed on the message and waited for his reply. He looked at me intently and said nothing, then he fumbled with the ‘midwakh’ he was holding between his fingers. After a few moments, he looked at me again and then to the ground saying nothing.

    “I dared not ask him the same question again and waited until he had finished his examination and asked me to drive him home. Once we took off and after relaxing his feet against the corner of the door as usual, he said, “Listen my son, I never answered your question because I did not want the engineers to hear. But I can tell you that the reason I am building this port now is because there will come a time when you will not be able to afford to do so.”

    “Before my father conceived and implemented this project, nobody had thought of executing one of such gigantic proportions. Even now, I have no simple explanation as to how the idea occurred to him, but if I had to explain it in one word, I would use the word, ‘vision’.

    “In his great wisdom, God gave each one of us a share of material possessions, capabilities and talents. Some people may aspire to little more than their daily earnings, while others have far greater vision.

    “Just like mature trees, capabilities and feelings have deep roots, if we do not know the roots of things or how to explain or define them, this does not mean they are rootless. An enlightened leader is capable of developing a vision and using his imagination to perfect it.”

    Jalingo, an activist and social rights campaigner wrote from Lagos

     

  • Ki-Moon: Let’s take climate change to next level

    Ki-Moon: Let’s take climate change to next level

    •175 countries sign Paris Agreement 

    United Nations Secretary –General Mr. Ban Ki-Moon has urged member-nations to take steps to actualise their commitments to climate change, saying, “it is time to take climate action to the next level”.

    Ki-Moon spoke following the signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change, by 175 countries,  last week at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

    “We need to accelerate the speed, scope and scale of our response, locally and globally,” Mr. Ki-Moon told participants at the Climate Action Summit 2016 in Washington D.C. It was a two-day meeting aimed at strengthening the multi-stakeholder approach to climate implementation.

    “It was to deepen and expand the coalitions of government, business, finance, philanthropy, civil  society and academic leaders launched at the Secretary-General’s Climate Summit 2014 in New York.

    “I have been looking forward to this event because it is about solutions – innovation and imagination; collaboration and partnerships between the public and private sectors. Today, as never before, the stars are aligning in favour of climate action. Everywhere I look, I see signs of hope,” he said.

    The summit focused on six high-value areas of multi-stakeholder partnership: sustainable energy; sustainable land-use; cities; transport; and tools for decision-making. The UN chief emphasised that strong partnership would be needed at all levels to tackle those challenges.

    “No sector of society and no nation can succeed alone. I encourage you to collaborate, innovate and invest. Together we can build the world we want,” he said.

    The signing of the Paris Agreement on April 22 received overwhelming support from all regions of the world; never before had so many countries signed an international accord in one day.

    Adopted in Paris by the 196 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at a conference known COP 21 last December, the Agreement’s objective is to limit global temperature rise to well below two degrees Celsius, and to strive for 1.5 degrees Celsius. It will come into force 30 days after at least 55 countries, accounting for 55 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, deposit their instruments of ratification.

    “Two of the world’s largest emitters – China and the United States – have pledged their continued commitment and collaboration,” Ki-Moon had stressed, noting that leaders must turn the “promise of Paris” into action and implementation as soon as possible.

    The UN chief also announced that in September, on the margins of the G20 meeting, he intends to co-convene a meeting in China similar to this one to further solidify coalitions.

    Also speaking at the event, the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim said there is no time to waste. “Political agreements are critical, but they are just the beginning. We must regain the sense of urgency we all felt on the eve of COP21. Inaction means we will not meet our targets set in Paris, and the global temperature will soar above 2 degrees Celsius. That would spell disaster for us, for our children, and for the planet,” he warned.

    Kim highlighted the World Bank Group’s Climate Action Plan, developed soon after the Paris agreement, which aims to increase its support in a range of areas – from water to crowded cities and from forests to agriculture.

    “One part of our plan is to help countries put a price on carbon, which will create incentives for investments in renewable energy and in energy efficiency,” he explained. He added: “In many parts of the world, we have seen the price of renewables like solar and wind falling fast – so fast that they are now competitive with fossil fuels. Private sector investments are pouring in. But we need to expand these breakthroughs and help countries establish the right policies that will drive down the cost of renewable energy even further.”

  • Govt urged to create enabling climate for breastfeeding

    Govt urged to create enabling climate for breastfeeding

    The three tiers of government have been urged to enact enabling  laws and create an environment  for mothers to breastfeed.

    According to the Director of Child Health Advocacy Initiative, Mrs. Lola Alonge, the  government should raise awareness, improve maternity laws, enforce crèches in the work place, designate private areas for mothers to breastfeed at work, and prevent aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes because of the negative effects on the nation.

    Mrs Alonge, who wrote the  book, Breasfeeding made easy, said breastfeeding was one of the most cost-effective interventions for newborn health, but the support needed is not always available. There must be policies and structures in place to allow mothers breastfeed successfully.

    “Breastfeeding is not just a matter of health; it’s a matter of human capital. Breastfeeding provides short and long term economic and environmental advantages to children, women, and the society. To realise these gains, powerful political support and financial investments are needed to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding. Investing in breastfeeding is an investment in the future of the country,” she said.

    According to Mrs Alonge, “Majority of mothers say they want to breastfeed, but while 77 percent start the process, only 16 percent is still exclusively breastfeeding at six months. Lack of support is one of the biggest challenges. Organisations such as Child Health Advocacy Initiative (CHAI) and Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PHN) have taken the lead in the country to educate and inform mothers on how to breastfeed successfully through training programmes in communities, primary healthcare centres, and schools. We also engage in advocacy programmes and distribution of information materials and books on breastfeeding.

    “It is time for policy makers to step up and recognise that breastfeeding makes countries healthier and wealthier. The growth and development of societies depends on good nutrition. Recent studies show that breastfeeding provides protection against infections, prevents obesity, and improves intelligence in children. And for the nursing mothers, it gives protection against breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and improves birth spacing. Breastfeeding has also been identified as a high impact intervention to achieve the global strategy for women’s, children’s and adolescents’ health (2016-2030), which was launched alongside the Sustainable Development Goals as a roadmap for ending preventable deaths in a generation. Breastfeeding is not the sole responsibility of a woman. Society has a collective responsibility to promote breastfeeding, and to create an enabling supportive environment,” she stated.

  • ‘Climate change is humanity’s greatest challenge’

    Climate change is the greatest challenge for humanity, with potentially huge, negative consequences for agriculture, Prof. Francis Adesina of the Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said.

    He spoke while delivering a lecture titled: ‘Some thoughts on climate change, agriculture,’ at the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) Implementing Partners workshop in Ibadan.

    Adesina noted that the impact of climate change is felt most on “exposed systems,” which he said include rain-fed agriculture. He traced the genesis of global warming to 1880, noting that successive years since the 19th Century have been hotter, with 2015 being the hottest year. He regretted that Nigeria and other developing countries are most susceptible to the harsh effects of climate change due to poor water storage system, which he said has grave implication for all including agriculture.

    “Considering the very high consumption of rice in Nigeria, nowadays, if you must control climate change one of the crops you need to control is rice because of its high water demand,” he said, while emphasising the need for farmers to be climate smart. He noted further that climate change signs are evident and cited the example of the absence of an August break in 2015.

    Earlier in his address, a BATNF Technical Committee member, Prof Chidi Ibe, reiterated the need for all to develop the capability to adapt to climate change. One of the achievements of climate change adaptation, he noted, is the development of a drought resistant rice variety.

  • ‘Landscaping helps mitigate negative climate change effects’

    ‘Landscaping helps mitigate negative climate change effects’

    The role of landscape architects in the building of  Nigeria is misuderstood. This is because a lot of people believe landscape architects are gardeners.

    But to Fadera Williams, Nigeria’s first lanscape architect, landscape architects are “Environmental doctors” of our time. She said that while the misconception of the profession is prevalent here, she said that on the international front, a lot is being done to integrate landscape architects into sustainable development goals and there has been a call for the international landscape convention from continent to continent. For this to happen, each country in the continent in question is required to come up with a landscape charter that is region specific and integrate it into a holistic picture. This is because all over the world, the world leaders are beginning to realise that the interpretation of what landscape relationship is to man is the key to solving most of the cross purposes mankind as found himself in with Mother Nature.

     

    Landscaping as a concept

    It is the design of outdoor public areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. In simpler terms.it is the architecture of outdoor spaces. That is an attempt to blend the available building technology with the environment. We build roads and we destroy the river basins; we drill oil and we disrupt the ecosystem of the aquatic organisms. We prepare Environmental impact assessment reports for major constructions, for oil drilling activities, for any activity that would generally affect the environment negatively. We also design private, public outdoor spaces, hotspots of social interaction, health farms, urban agriculture gardens, parks and gardens and so many more.

     

    Benefits to buildings

    It is all aimed at creating harmony and balance with nature. Buildings do not only get beautified by landscape designs, they also have some health benefits. According to the research of my master’s thesis, I discovered that a small estate like Atunrase estate Gbagada was emitting close to 200,000kg of Carbon from domestic source carbon emissions from the use of Kerosene, briquette, cooking gas and petrol only without putting into consideration vehicular influx and outflux of  carbon emissions. Also a total of 3,350 shrubs and a total of 1668 trees are proposed to offset these emissions in the estate. These means that if every home planted a tree and the parcel of land available used for tree planting and the canal scaping was done, the small residential estate could cater for its domestic source emissions. This tells us the potential that residential areas have towards addressing the problem of climate change. Apart from this it has health benefits because inhaling oxygen which is a bye product of plant photosynthesis is actually beneficial to humans. Another benefit of trees and plants generally is the protection they serve as windbreakers for seasons where the wind might have carted away your roof!

     

    Landscape architecture vs climate change

    Landscape architecture has a critical role to play in mitigating and ameliorating the impacts of climate change in Nigeria. Let’s take flooding as a typical example. The problem of coastal flooding has been heightened by global warming and as a result, Landscape architecture is positioned to provide the following services; Design for Flood protection, Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), River and basin management plans, Room for the River, Multifunctional Levees, Waterfront development and so on. Apart from this, carbon sequestration by vegetation is the way by which carbon is being stored in the body parts of plants such as roots, stem, leaves etc. This way, Carbon which is one of the most lethal greenhouse gases is mopped up and taken away from the atmosphere.

     

    • Williams is a Landscape

    Architect in Lagos.

  • ‘Landscaping helps mitigate against negative climate change effects’

    ‘Landscaping helps mitigate against negative climate change effects’

    Fadera Williams is Nigeria’s first landscape architect produced by the University of Lagos (UNILAG) and, by extension, in the West African region. A botanist, she also studied at the University of Ibadan, (UI) and Horschule Fur Nurtingen, Germany. Williams, who is President, Society of Landscape Architects of Nigeria (Southwest Chapter) and an adjunct Lecturer at UNILAG, where she teaches Landscape Architecture and Environmental Design, is a Ph.d candidate of the Department of Architecture, University of Lagos. She speaks to MUYIWA LUCAS on Landscape Architecture 

    Landscape architecture in Nigeria is a budding profession in Nigeria. In fact, most of the Landscape Architects  in Nigeria are foreign trained. The role of landscape architects in the building of our nation is not well understood. A lot of people believe landscape architects are gardeners or like some say ‘Landscapers’.  I call landscape architects the “Environmental doctors” of our time. Interestingly, on the international front, a lot is being done to integrate landscape architects into sustainable development goals and there has been a call for the international landscape convention from continent to continent. For this to happen, each country in the continent in question is required to come up with a landscape charter that is region specific and integrate it into a holistic picture. This is because all over the world, the world leaders are beginning to realise that the interpretation of what landscape relationship is to man is the key to solving most of the cross purposes mankind as found himself in with Mother Nature. However, in Nigeria, sadly, we are yet to be thinking in this direction. Hitherto, different built environment professionals such as urban planners, building architects e.t.c have attempted to do the work of landscape architects but thankfully, we as a profession are gradually growing in our great nation and things are beginning to take shape.

     

    Landscaping as a concept

    It is the design of outdoor public areas, landmarks, and structures to achieve environmental, social-behavioural, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions that will produce the desired outcome. In simpler terms.it is the architecture of outdoor spaces. That is an attempt to blend the available building technology with the environment. Of all the species of creation, it seems as though it is only man who builds houses and affects the environment. We build roads and we destroy the river basins; we drill oil and we disrupt the ecosystem of the aquatic organisms. My responsibility as a landscape architect is to create a synchrony with  the environment and the technology in question, (be it a building technology or otherwise) We prepare Environmental impact assessment reports for major constructions, for oil drilling activities, for any activity that would generally affect the environment negatively. We also design private, public outdoor spaces, hotspots of social interaction, health farms, urban agriculture gardens, parks and gardens and so many more.

     

    Benefits to buildings

    It is all aimed at creating harmony and balance with nature. Buildings do not only get beautified by landscape designs, they also have some health benefits. According to the research of my master’s thesis, I discovered that a small estate like Atunrase estate Gbagada was emitting close to 200,000kg of Carbon from domestic source carbon emissions from the use of Kerosene, briquette, cooking gas and petrol only without putting into consideration vehicular influx and outflux of  carbon emissions. Also a total of 3,350 shrubs and a total of 1668 trees are proposed to offset these emissions in the estate. These means that if every home planted a tree and the parcel of land available used for tree planting and the canal scaping was done, the small residential estate could cater for its domestic source emissions. This tells us the potential that residential areas have towards addressing the problem of climate change. Apart from this it has health benefits because inhaling oxygen which is a bye product of plant photosynthesis is actually beneficial to humans. Another benefit of trees and plants generally is the protection they serve as windbreakers for seasons where the wind might have carted away your roof! And trees are the first line of defense against erosion during the time of rains or floods. Greening our homes has become so important it is no longer considered as luxury but rather as Green infrastructure.

     

    Landscape architecture vs climate change

    Landscape architecture has a critical role to play in mitigating and ameliorating the impacts of climate change in Nigeria. Let’s take flooding as a typical example. The problem of coastal flooding has been heightened by global warming and as a result, Landscape architecture is positioned to provide the following services; Design for Flood protection, Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM), River and basin management plans, Room for the River, Multifunctional Levees, Waterfront development and so on. Apart from this, carbon sequestration by vegetation is the way by which carbon is being stored in the body parts of plants such as roots, stem, leaves etc. This way, Carbon which is one of the most lethal greenhouse gases is mopped up and taken away from the atmosphere. Landscape architects are responsible for estimating and drawing up a landscape plan on a local, regional or national scale to address the possibility of introducing urban forestry into the Nigerian landscape.

     

    Landscape architecture in Nigeria

    Well, I would say Nigeria has been gradually embracing this concept. We see how Lagos was transformed by the preceding governors of Lagos state, in the persons of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN). Also the current Governor Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode is working at continuing the building process and hopefully we would get to see him take the greening of the Lagos metropolis to finishing. The truth is such brave acts at greening the Lagos metropolis must be emulated in all 36 states in Nigeria. The era of reactionary leadership where environmental concerns are involved is over! It is time to be proactive and think and plan ahead for the impending climate change impacts. Another way Nigeria can embrace the concept of Landscape architecture combating climate change is to employ the services of landscape architects to prepare a plan of action for the nation taking a bottom up, socio-cultural specific approach towards combating climate change. This we must always have ready so as to be able to tap into and effectively utilize as many funds available to developing countries in the international committee of nations.

     

    Cost implication of landscaping

    Landscaping is not as expensive as a lot of people think it is. If you take a typical building project, what you find is that house owners end up using hardscape for their landscape. Whether they employ the help of a landscape architect or not, they tend to spend on flooring the outdoor landscape and so on. However if you employ the services of a landscape architect, not only would the professional help to design the outdoor spaces but the job can be done at only a fraction higher than what you will spend using individual non-professional artisans. At our own landscape services firm, Hermon Empor limited. We have a vision to stand as a  leading landscape firm committed to innovation, beauty and respect for the environment. At Hermon Empor, our slogan is “Your environment tells me who you are.”  Our pricing is affordable, our job is professional and we always create an environment that makes you happy. A basic landscaping project that entails only the soft scape depends on the area earmarked for greening and it ranges from N150,000 upwards. However when paverblocks or hardscape is concerned, then the expense will include the area of coverage of the hardscape.

    The truth is even if you cannot afford to landscape your whole outdoor space, I think it is very necessary to plant at least a tree or two in your compound. There is a research that says that one fully mature tree can cater for the oxygen needs of a family of four people. There are definitely health benefits in the greenspaces. A study showed that children who had exposure to outdoor green environment displayed more joy and contentment than those cooped up indoors. Also there has been an emergence of what is known as therapeutic gardens. These are gardens which heal the mind and the body. Plants generally are known to bring calmness to an environment and the breath of fresh oxygen they provide does indeed clear the head.

  • ‘Climate change is humanity’s greatest challenge’

    Climate change is the greatest challenge for humanity, with potentially huge, negative consequences for agriculture, Prof. Francis Adesina of the Department of Geography, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, has said.

    He spoke while delivering a lecture titled: ‘Some thoughts on climate change, agriculture,’ at the British American Tobacco Nigeria Foundation (BATNF) Implementing Partners workshop in Ibadan.

    Adesina noted that the impact of climate change is felt most on “exposed systems,” which he said include rain-fed agriculture. He traced the genesis of global warming to 1880, noting that successive years since the 19th Century have been hotter, with 2015 being the hottest year. He regretted that Nigeria and other developing countries are most susceptible to the harsh effects of climate change due to poor water storage system, which he said has grave implication for all including agriculture.

    “Considering the very high consumption of rice in Nigeria, nowadays, if you must control climate change one of the crops you need to control is rice because of its high water demand,” he said, while emphasising the need for farmers to be climate smart. He noted further that climate change signs are evident and cited the example of the absence of an August break in 2015.

    Earlier in his address, a BATNF Technical Committee member, Prof Chidi Ibe, reiterated the need for all to develop the capability to adapt to climate change. One of the achievements of climate change adaptation, he noted, is the development of a drought resistant rice variety.

    Other contributors to the climate change discourse also called for greater agricultural water management programme and the development of a water harvesting culture. The Implementing Partners were also advised to regularly access information from the Nigerian Metrological Agency (NIMET) and interface with farmers in disseminating information on climate change. A case was also made for the proper inspection of beneficiary farmers by the Implementing Partners in some of the BATNF crop enterprise implementation projects to ensure greater compliance.

    The Executive Director, BATNF, Seyi Ashade, lauded the BATNF Implementing Partners for their cooperation and support with the focus on agriculture in Nigeria and how the sector could be enhanced to play a more meaningful role in Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

  • Global meltdown: Paris climate talks and Nigeria’s strategy

    Global meltdown: Paris climate talks and Nigeria’s strategy

    On December 12, 2015, Nigeria,  alongside 194 other countries, adopted a resolution. It was to reduce global carbon emission which took the centre stage at the Conference of Parties 21 (COP21) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Paris, France. Assistant Editor SEUN AKIOYE who was at the conference reports on how Nigeria will fulfill its obligations.

    Fabius Laurent, the President of the Conference of Parties 21 (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) looked like a rock star after he banged the gavel, signifying the adoption of a historic climate change agreement in Paris, France.

    There were shouts, applause and raw show of emotions as it dawned on the delegates from almost 200 countries, who converged on Paris that history was unfolding in their life-time.

    Laurent himself could not hide his emotions. He stood up raising up the hands of French President Francois Hollande and United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon in a victory sign.

    “The Paris agreement allows each delegation and group of countries to go back home with their heads held high. Our collective effort is worth more than the sum of our individual effort. Our responsibility to history is immense,” Laurent said to a sustained applause.

    But, Laurent, the French Foreign Minister, and former Prime Minister, has not always been the rock star of what is now known as the Paris Climate Agreement. For a little over two weeks, he faced intense pressure and criticism over the fate of the agreement which forced him almost to the limit of his diplomatic skills.

    Also, the ghost of the failure of Copenhagen climate talks in 2009 hung heavily on the conference venue at Le Bourget, the sleepy community, north of Paris.  The Copenhagen talks have been considered a major failure and it seemed early that the Paris talks would follow the same pattern.

    The road to Paris

    There is the belief  that Africa has not been a historic contributor to climate change, accounting for less than two to three per cent of the world’s GreenHouse Gas (GHG) emission. But, its effect has been felt largely on the continent due to several factors, including underdevelopment, high prevalence of conflict and subsequent diseases, the location of the continent itself and the high dependence on rain-fed agriculture.

    There are grim predictions for the continent if Paris failed in a concrete agreement that would reduce global emission to lower than two degreeCelsius.  If the current trend continues, Africa’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) loss would be between 1.5 to three per cent by 2030. Besides, famine and wars are expected to rise even as the continent’s coastal cities like Lagos, the Niger Delta and Durban, would be submerged. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change also predicted that about 250 million Africans will be exposed to increased water stress by 2020 and that Lake Chad, with an estimated area of 26,000 square kilometers, has  been reduced to just about 10 per cent of its size in 1960.

    Lake Chad is economic lifeline to more than 30 million people in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

    In a report titled: “Turn the heat down”, released in 2013, the World Bank predicted that dry and arid regions in Southern and Western Africa will increase by 10 per cent by 2030 and if the global temperature increases from 1.5 to two degree Celsius by 2040, African farmers will lose between 40-80 per cent of their crop land while yields from rain-fed agriculture will suffer reduction by at least 50 per cent by 2020. This will adversely affect food security, fueling climate migration, unrest and violence.

    The target of keeping the climate “well below two degrees” according to activists and African developmentpartners is a little too late for the continent. “Two degree Celsius is already harmful – with what you are looking at, an increase of about 3.5 degree Celsius  for the continent because of Africa’s location. 1.5 degree Celsius would be reasonable. We want to see better ambition by people not submitting what is convenient for them but what is right,”Anthony Nyong, coordinator of the African Development Bank (AfDB) delegation said.

    The continent resolved at COP21 to speak with one voice, apart from a strong contingent in the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), which is chaired by Nagmeldin Elhassan from Sudan. The continent also had a strong voice in the G77+China.

    Of particular concern to the Africans at the Paris Conference were the issues of  carbon emission reduction to1.5 degree Celsius, financial pledge , loss and damage and common but differentiated responsibility clauses.

    At the Copenhagen talks in 2009, a pledge was extracted from developed countries to contribute $100 billion  yearly until 2020 to help developing nations combat climate change. But by 2014, the fund had only yielded $62 billion, a situation which did not go down well with the AGN.

    Therefore, when the talks opened in Paris, it was a better prepared Africa and optimistic world that converged on Le Bourget. Laurent said at the start of the conference: “This will be a COP of action, it’s clear, it’s true.”

    The villains, the heroes

    Trouble began early in the talks with allegations that developed and wealthy nations had aligned against the main clauses of the proposed agreement, including Loss and Damage, reduction of GHG to 1.5 and financial pledges. But, none was more divisive than the challenge of fossil fuel, free world and keeping the global climate under control.

    The initial negotiations were conducted by country negotiators, after which ministers for the Environment deliberated on the draft agreement. But, it was by no means an easy task, led by the Philippines, the vulnerable countries forum wanted global carbon eradication by 2050 but the United States (US) and other developed countries prefer to shift the deadline to 2100.

    “In the last 60 years, the world climate has reached 1.0 degree Celsius and in the last 10 years, we have reached 100 per cent extreme weather, imagine if 2050 is not achieved, we are roasted,” one of the negotiators from South Africa said.

    He was not the only one who had the feeling that the world will be roasted; Godwin Ojo of Environmental Rights Action/Friends of the Earth Nigeria (ERA/FoEN), shared such sentiment. “We want a de-carbonised economy, a move from fossil fuel. Anything short of 1.5 degrees is roasting Africa; it is destroying mother earth; by that, Africa is already at 3.5, so, we cannot afford to go higher. The developed countries should live up to their historic responsibility,” Ojo said.

    But India, an emerging industrialised country and Saudi Arabia, a major oil producing country reportedly did not buy into the idea. They were opposed to anything but 2.0 degrees. Also, all the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) – a set of adaptive and mitigation measures each party intends to adopt against climate change – submitted by parties, pointed to a carbon reduction of 2.7 to 3.5 degrees. That is bad news for Africa and other vulnerable countries.

    The US also reportedly frowned at the Loss and Damage clause which would have allowed countries, especially in Africa claim damages from historic polluters. The US frowned at a legally binding agreement, which would have been impossible to pass through the US congress.

    Nigeria and the climate challenge

    Environment Minister Amina Mohammed shone like a star at the talks. Until her appointment, she was the SpecialAdvisor on Millennium Development Goals (MDG) to the UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon. So, she was on a familiar turf.

    Nigeria submitted its INDC on November 28 at 12:24:55pm, one month after it was prepared by the Ministry of the Environment and  a few days before COP21.

    “The INDC is not just an ordinary document, we have to be careful in completing it and we didn’t delay intentionally. Many developing countries don’t understand what should go into the INDC. We had to follow due process, get the buy-in of all the stakeholders and collect information before we arrived at our conclusion. It was when the government understands what is in the INDC that it gave its accent,”Adeoye Adejuwon, the lead negotiator for Nigeria told The Nation.

    Nigeria has had its fair share of the climate change calamity. For many years, the coastal cities and communities have been especially prone to ocean encroachment. There are predictions about Lagos being submerged in flood and coastal communities like Ayetoro in Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State already lost more than half of its land to the ocean.

    The Permanent Secretary in the Environment Ministry, Bukar Hassan, said: “If you look at the sea level rise, in about 30 years, we may lose the whole of Lagos. The rainfall pattern in the northeast has changed. We can’t predict the quantum and distribution; food security is affected and that has, apart from the one caused by insurgency, we have climate refugees in the North and the South.”

    According to a 2009 DFID study, if no adaptation action is taken, between two to 11 per cent  of Nigeria’s GDP could be lost by 2020. This projection is not to be taken lightly as the  Post Disaster Need Assessment (PDNA) Report of the 2012 flood  showed that the total damage caused  by the flood was $16.9 billion, representing 1.4 per cent of the real GDP growth in that year.

    “In this regard, climate change poses a significant threat to the achievement of development goals, especially those related to eliminating poverty and hunger and promoting environmental sustainability,” the Nigerian report said.

    This situation set the tone for Nigeria’s “ambitious INDC”, Hassan said.  According to the document, the objective is a reduction of GHG from Business As Usual (BAU) by 2030 while growing the economy by five percent annually.

    According to officials, Nigeria would reduce her carbon emission by 20 per cent unconditionally, and if given international assistance, rise to 45 per cent. The key measures to achieve this would be: work towards ending gas flaring by 2030; work towards off-grid solar PV of 13GW (13,000MW); Efficient gas generators; two per cent per year energy efficiency (30 per cent by 2030); transport shift from car to mass transit; improve electricity grid and climate smart agriculture and reforestation.

    Nigeria’s estimated emission currently stands at around two tonnes CO2e (equivalent carbon dioxide) per person and if current trends continue, it will rise to 900 million tonnes per year or 3.4tonnes CO2e per person by 2030. However, under the conditional reduction, by 2030, Nigeria’s emission will reduce to two tonnes CO2e. Historically, between 1850 and 2010, Nigeria has emitted 2,564.02 million tonnes of GHG.

    In 2012, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) adopted the Nigeria Climate Change Policy, Response and Strategy with a goal to “to foster low-carbon, high growth economic development and build a climate resilient society.”

    The approach to achieving this would be through the implementation of mitigation measures that will promote low carbon as well as sustainable and high economic growth; enhancement of national capacity to adapt to climate change; raising of climate change-related science, technology and R&D to a new level that will enhance better participate in international scientific and technological cooperation on climate change by the country; significantlyincreasing public awareness and involve private sector participation in addressing the challenges of climate change; strengthening of national institutions and mechanisms (policy, legislative and economic) to establish a suitable and functional framework for climate governance.

    Adaptation, mitigation strategy

    The fight against climate change is predicated on both mitigation and adaptation strategies and Nigeria has adopted some strategies in key sectors. For instance, in agriculture, the government plans to adopt improved  system for both crops and livestock including the introduction of drought-resistant crops, implement strategies for improved resource management. In energy, Nigeria plans to increased protective margins in construction and placement of energy infrastructure (i.e. higher standards and specifications) expand sustainable energy sources and decentralise transmission in order to reduce vulnerability of energy infrastructure to climate impacts.

    In forestry, Nigeria will strengthen the implementation of the national community-based forest resources management programme while supporting the review and implementation of the national forest policy. The country will also develop and maintain a frequent forest inventory system to facilitate monitoring of forest status; and initiate a research programme on a range of climate change-related topics, including long-term impacts of climatic shifts on closed forests.

    In transport and communications, the government plans to undertake risk assessment and risk reduction measures to increase the resilience of the transportation and communication sectors. Strengthen existing transportation and communications’ infrastructure through early efforts to identify and implement all possible ‘no regrets’ actions.

    But, despite these set objectives, Nigeria aligned with countries like India, to oppose an early end to fossil fuel extraction. “We are an energy thirst country. What we are generating today is not sufficient. So, if coal is the answer, why not?” Hassan said.

    Also Cross River State Governor, Prof Ben Ayade, who doubles as the chairman of African Governors Forum on Climate Change, said Nigeria cannot transit from fossil fuel now.  “Renewable energy is not the way for Africans at this point in time. Renewable energy means an end to the sale of hydro-carbon and that means Nigeria should stop exporting crude oil. But, they are busy doing research, inventing technology, using solar energy and wind power.

    “When all of that happens, when the oil price goes down, when you stop producing oil, what are you going to use as an alternative?  Renewable energy must follow with development, it must follow with technology. Africa cannot be in a haste to adopt renewable technology,” Ayade argued.

    According to the governor,  the answer is controlled utilisation of fossil fuel. He said: “I would rather have you use fossil fuel with mitigate measures than to cap it and focus on renewable energy. While that technology works for them, it is harmful for our economy.”

    But, this position contrasts sharply with the generally held view that fossil fuel consumption is largely responsible for climate change disasters. Former Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said Nigeria must move away from subsidising dirty energy.

    She said: “Almost three quarters of infrastructure that Africa needs we still don’t have it. That means the power we need, the road and the railway, we still cannot get these infrastructures and have it in a way that is friendly to climate change, that lowers emission and puts us on a low-carbon growth path.

    “We are looking at power and looking at renewables. We are not saying renewables should be everything because Africa should have a mix. We can still use gas to some extent, but we should increase the renewables.”

    But, frontline environmentalist  and Executive Director, Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HoMEF) Nnimmo Bassey, said Nigeria must embrace renewable energy 100 per cent.

    “Nigeria should move away from oil. We made a lot from oil and lose a lot to oil theft. We need to be creative and invest in areas that sustain lives. We have all this sun; Nigeria should jump into renewable energy,” Bassey said in Paris.

    Hope rising

    After two weeks of intense negotiations and expectation, the Paris agreement was finally adopted on December 12. It was an emotional moment for world leaders, politicians and activists, as the agreement was the first legally binding climate change agreement with far-reaching impacts on the future of the world.

    “You’ve done it! Reached an ambitious agreement; a binding agreement; a universal agreement. Never will I be able to express more gratitude to a conference. You can be proud to stand before your children and grandchildren,” Hollande said.

    Ban Ki-moon said: “We have entered a new era of global cooperation on one of the most complex issues ever to confront humanity. For the first time, every country in the world has pledged to curb emissions, strengthen resilience and join in common cause to take common climate action. This is a resounding success for multilateralism.”

    The main objective of the historic climate change agreement is to keep a global temperature rise this century well below two degree Celsius and to drive efforts to limit the temperature increase even further to 1.5 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

    The agreement also captured the essential elements which includes: mitigation – reducing emissions fast enough to achieve the temperature goal;  transparency system and global stock-take – accounting for climate action; adaptation – strengthening ability of countries to deal with climate impacts; Loss and Damage – strengthening ability to recover from climate impacts and support – including finance, for nations to build clean, resilient futures.

    There is also hope in the horizon for vulnerable and developing countries like Nigeria as “unparalleled announcements of financial supports” were made.  “We have seen unparallelled announcements of financial support for both mitigation and adaptation from a multitude of sources both before and during COP21. Under the Paris Agreement, the provision of finance, from multiple sources will clearly be taken to a new level, which is of critical importance to the most vulnerable,” Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC said.

    Nigeria is already looking beyond the Paris talks. On arrival from the conference, the Minister of the Environment began an on-the -spot visit to degraded areas in the country for  impact assesement.

    Among the places visited were:  the Niger Delta,  Alpha Beach and Makoko in Lagos, the sand dune in Yobe and the Sharada industrial pollution site in Kano.

    The assessment was aimed at setting the pace for a comprehensive response to the challenge of climate change even as Nigeria plans to hold on to its leadership role in Africa.

    President Muhammadu Buhari has pledged his commitment to reducing the GHG as well as tackle the climate change challenge in the country.

    But, the implementation would rest on the shoulders of Hajia Mohammed as the envionment minsiter.

  • UN to tackle climate change, others in Nigeria

    To tackle climate change and its effect on the environment and agriculture in the continent, the United Nation’s arm, Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), has launched an arm in Nigeria.

    This was sequel to the Second Africa Ecosystem-Based Adaptation  (EBA) for food security conference convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP),  with the African Union Commission (AUC), African Centre for Technology Studies and other partners.

    At the conference, 1,200 delegates from across Africa adopted the Nairobi action agenda on Africa’s Ecosystem-Based Adaptation for Food Security and the constitution of the Ecosystem Based Adaptation for Food Security Assembly (EBAFOSA), that established the EBAFOSA.

    According to Dr. Richard Munang, coordinator, Africa Regional Climate Change Programme  and UNEP, this was in conformity with article 16, which sets out the establishment of the EBAFOSA National Branches as well as Article 13, which establishes the bureau in the rules of  EBAFOSA.

    He said the Nigerian National EBAFOSA Branch has followed the constitution and its roles of procedures to establish the National Branch host and the National Bureau.

    He, however, listed the National Planning Commission (NPC) as the EBAFOSA host Secretariat  of the  National Branch.

    He listed the Nigeria National Branch EBAFOSA executives to include the President, Mr. Oyesola James Oluwagbemiga; Vice President, Women, Ms. Igbine Lizzy Nneka; Vice President,Youth, Mr. Abbas AbdulRafiu; Rapporteur, Dr. John Didacus Njoku and  branch host secretariat liaison, Dr. Faniran Sanjo.

    On the operation of the national branch, Munang said: “The spirit of the EBAFOSA constitution, the host institution and the bureau members under the guidance of the National EBAFOSA president working with everyone should ensure the national branch have membership composed of everyone, including government representatives, Ministries of Agriculture, Ministries of Environment, Ministries of Finance, Ministries of Industrialisation, Education, CSOs, NGOs, private sector, academia, youths, individual citizens and others.’’

     

    On the importance of EBAFOSA, the National President, James Oyesola said:

     

    “EBAFOSA  is the first every inclusive pan-African framework and platform, an institution with protocols – a constitution and rules of procedure adopted in an inclusive continental process – guiding its actions, that provides a platform for all stakeholders in a country – from governments and their agencies, the public sector, private sector, educational and research institutions, individual publics/citizens, CBOs, international intergovernmental organizations, NGOs, CSOs etc. to collaborate in a participatory way in developing and implementing policy solutions to upscale EBA-driven agriculture and its value chains toward ensuring sustainable inclusive growth in Africa.”

    He expressed that EBAFOSA seeks to combat food insecurity, climate change, ecosystems degradation and poverty in Africa using an innovative approach that decentralizes the development and application of the policy solutions in the least bureaucratic channel to ensure immediate results are recorded at the grassroots in an inclusive, participatory way towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

    Oyesola noted that EBAFOSA does not re-invent the wheel, but rather provides an optimized channel to implement existing and envisaged grandeur development plans for the continent.

    He added, “Consequently, its principal mandate is to support the implementation of the various continental and global blue-prints on food security and sustainable industrialization and development. Principally this includes the SDGs the AU’s Agenda 2063, the AMCEN Cairo Declaration on Natural Capital, Maputo and Malabo Declarations and related CAADP which recognizes EBA-driven agriculture as a priority mechanism for delivering the CAADP vision 2025 which includes objectives such as ending hunger in the continent by 2025, reducing post-harvest losses by 50%, and leveraging agriculture and Africa’s natural capital to achieve sustainable industrialization and inclusive economic growth.”

    As a member of the body, Oyesola explained that through fostering an inclusive approach that leverages the relative strengths of all levels of a diverse field of stakeholders, EBAFOSA ensures a wide range of benefits accrues to actors through mutual interactions of government, private sectors,educational and research institutions, Non Governmental Organisations, individual members as well as students.

    “It also  provides opportunity for technical capacity building and partnerships, incubation of ideas, employment opportunities etc , as interactions are fostered across diverse sectors.

     

  • Lagos secures $200m World Bank loan to improve public finance, investment climate

    Lagos secures $200m World Bank loan to improve public finance, investment climate

    The World Bank Board of Executive Directors has approved $200 million credit to Lagos State to support a range of reforms pertaining to fiscal sustainability, budget planning, budget execution, and the investment climate in Lagos.

    A statement from the World Bank in Abuja yesterday, said the credit facility or ‘operation’ “will help sustain the state’s recent economic growth and poverty reduction, while continuing to deliver social services to the city’s expanding population.”

    The credit which would be sourced from the International Development Association (IDA), supports the Third Lagos State Development Policy Operation, is the last of a series of two development policy operations which aim to improve public finances and the investment climate in a fiscally sustainable manner.

    The statement said: “In the past decade, Lagos State achieved significant economic growth, improved its infrastructure and services, significantly reduced crime, and brought millions of people out of poverty.”

    According to the World Bank’s Jariya Hoffman, Task Team Leader for this Project “the operation’s focus on furthering improvements in the transparency of the budget system, effectiveness of public expenditures, and the business climate will help sustain the pace of economic growth and thus the state’s positive momentum towards income equality and the delivery of public services.  With enhanced budget transparency and efficiency, adequate funding can be shifted to programs to benefit the state’s booming population, especially the poorest families.”

    The World Bank added that “the operation will enhance the state government’s fiscal sustainability by anchoring the budget in a framework that accounts for key fiscal risks and improves revenue collection.