Friday 28 June 2013

Nigeria: Great Green Wall Project to check Desertification -Mailafia

 The Great Green Wall initiative is a pan-African proposal to “green” the continent from west to east in order to battle desertification.  It aims at tackling poverty and the degradation of soils in the Sahel-Saharan region, focusing on a strip of land of 15 km (9 mi) wide and 7,100 km (4,400 mi) long from Dakar to Djibouti. click Here to read more about great green wall.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia, has launched the Nigeria’s component of the Great Green Wall Programme on Monday, saying the programme was ideal for a new environmental management to overcome the problems of desertification.
The minister who performed the ceremony in Bachaka, Kebbi State said that the programme was a 7,775km long and 15km wide transcontinental forest belt extending across eleven countries from Senegal in the West to Djibouti in the East.

Alliance for African Climate Change Reporters Launched

 
A new network of African journalists reporting on environment and climate change issues has been launched.
The network, which aspires to equip, train and improve the capacity of African journalists to accurately report issues bordering on climate change and environmental sustainability, is known as the Pan-African Media Alliance for Climate Change (PAMACC).
The network was one of the outcomes of a 2-day consultative workshop in Nairobi, Kenya organised by the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) for 30 African journalists drawn from the five regions of the continent namely Central, Eastern, Northern, Southern and Western Africa.
At the launch, Isaiah Esipisu from East Africa was elected as the continental coordinator while Sellina Nkowani from Malawi emerged as the regional coordinator for Southern Africa. Atayi Babs Opaluwah from Nigeria was elected as the West African regional coordinator while Kizito Makoye from Tanzania and Elias Ngalame from Cameroon emerged as regional coordinators for East and Central African regions respectively.

Nigeria: University lecturer Dissatisfied over FG’s Preparation for Flood

 
A lecturer with the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Dr. Simon Penda has expressed dissatisfaction with the federal government’s unpreparedness to tackle the impending flood predicted early this year by the Nigeria Metrological Agency (NIMET).
Penda in an interview with our correspondent in Makurdi lamented that there was nothing yet on ground to show that the nation was prepared to withstand any challenge of flooding in the event the disaster which rendered many people homeless last year occur.
 “To the best of my knowledge, I don’t see any change that may suppress any effect of flood that may occur this year.  I don’t see us (nation) prepare to withstand any challenge of flooding,” he said.
He stressed that the unpreparedness of the country for the expected flood poses danger to the people’s life, properties as well as food security because farmers would likely lose production.
To this end, the agric-economist urged government to urgently construct buffer dams as earlier promised during the last devastated flood experience or make ready the Kashimbilla Dam on time to save its citizens another series of nightmare.
 “Preliminary analysis should be undertaken by the federal government. This is because the last flooding was occasioned by the release of water from the Lagdo Dam which means the flooding was not natural.
 “Government has said that the Kashimbilla Dam would be constructed to trap water from the Lagdo Dam, I don’t know at the moment to which extent government’s promise in this direction has been fulfilled.
 “But they must be on top of the situation to ensure that during flooding this year the release would not have effect on our environment. The major thing for government to do is to construct a buffer dam that would trap water,” Penda maintained.
 
Culled from Dailytrust

Saturday 22 June 2013

The African Environmental Action Summit (AEAS) Friday 28th & Saturday 29th June 2013

AEAS is an event being convened by The Green Afrique Network in collaboration with The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) and The Rock Foundation, in honor of the World Environment Day to exploit Africa’s Natural resources for sustainable economic development; the adoption of best practices for human hygiene and waste management; identify and protect endangered species of African Flora and Fauna and to develop a platform for the promotion of clear and impactful projects throughout Africa.
The Summit which is billed to take place on June 28 at Federal Palace Marquee Lagos, Nigeria will feature a Green Lecture on Environmental Action, a high -level lunch, and an Elite Gala dinner.  Some of the speakers billed to attend the summit include Minister of Foreign Affairs- Ambassador Gbenga Ashiru, Publisher of The Guardian Newspapers Mrs Maiden Ibru, and many more. Other dignitaries slated for the summit are Nigeria’s foremost Green Activists- Dr Newton Jibunoh, Senator Remi Tinubu, and Professor Wole Soyinka.
In a statement released by The Green Afrique Network and with the clear understanding that the future belongs to the youth; the summit will allow for youth participation via the iRaveNigeria- TAN Ultra Violet RAVE featuring Nigeria’s ‘hottest Dj’s’ and selected artists. The summit will also engage vibrant use of popular social media platforms to popularize the message: “Green Nigeria, Green Africa, Green World”.
The website www.greenafrique.com allows for prospective attendees to RSVP for these events online. Individuals can also communicate with them via their social media platforms:

Canada floods: Three Feared Dead as waters threaten Calgary

source: BBC news
At least three people have been killed and more than a 100,000 forced to flee their homes as floods triggered by torrential rain hit western Canada.
Officials have ordered the evacuation of the centre of Calgary, Alberta, after both rivers that flow through it, the Bow and Elbow, overflowed.
The floods have washed away roads and bridges, cut-off electricity and submerged hundreds of homes.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper toured flood-damaged areas on Friday. He has promised federal assistance for those affected.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt Patricia Neely confirmed that three people were dead and two bodies had been recovered.
She said the bodies recovered are of two men found in the Highwood River near High River, about 40 miles (64km) south of Calgary, on Thursday.
"This is incredible," said Mr Harper, a Calgary resident. "I don't think any of us have seen anything like this before. The magnitude is just extraordinary."
Alberta Premier Alison Redford warned residents should be prepared for more flooding downstream.
Communities further south were under total evacuation orders. Roughly half the homes in High River were flooded.
The flooding has forced the evacuation of the whole of central Calgary
see more Photos after cut

"Gombe Residents Beware of Thunderstorm" NIMET Cautions

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), Gombe State office, has advised Gombe residents to retreat to safe places whenever there is a thunderstorm.
Mr Emmanuel Abasi, a Manager in the agency, gave the advice in an interview with newsmen on Tuesday in Gombe.
“For the farmers, whenever they notice any thunderstorm, they should leave their farms and go to somewhere that is safe.
“We also advise people to avoid staying under trees whenever there are thunder activities.
“From the agency’s prediction, the volume of rainfall will be more than that of last year and it will be accompanied by severe thunderstorms,” he said.
He urged all tiers of government to clear drainage and to build more channels for water to flow.
He appealed to the residents to desist from throwing refuse into waterways to avoid flooding.
He added that would help to avoid the recurrence of what happened in 2012. (NAN)

Nigeria: ‘Don’t Drink Water from Corrugated Iron Sheet’

By Eyo Charles
An expert, Edodi Unumoh has warned that people should no longer drink rain water got from the corrugated iron roof.
Unumoh, the Centre Manager, Technical Incubation Centre, an agency of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology in Calabar gave the advice in Calabar while calling on the unemployed to take advantage of the centre to increase their skills, potentials and employability.
Unumoh said that rain water from the rustic corrugated iron sheet often becomes acidic and therefore has the capability to become source of cancerous ailments.
He strongly warned that people should be wary of such water and advised that irrespective of cost of the corrugated iron sheet house-owners should endeavour to replace them when they become old to avoid such dangerous ailments.
He said that they have done several researches from their laboratories at the incubation centre and found that such water was highly contaminated and at  such they recommend that people should beware of it.
He said there were now modern ways of  how to roof houses and Nigerians should keep abreast with this latest development and avoid contamination with the cancerous agents.
“Fortunately, the Incubation centre in Calabar has the technologies to fabricate this new roof made of tiles which are now easily and cheaply available.  We therefore strongly encourage people to take advantage of this as a way of keeping away from cancer,” he said.

‘Our environment, our Life’

By Alex Abutu

Last week, the Minister of Environment, Mrs Hadiza Ibrahim Mailafia presented her score card to the nation.The score card which was a summary of activities undertaken by the ministry in the last two years, analysed strategies adopted by government in addressing the mirage of environmental challenges confronting the country.
According to her, most of the challenges facing the nations’ environmental sector were human induced as “we have failed to carter for the environment. The environment is about our health, our wellbeing and until we get the environment right no sector including agriculture, health nor education will be able to deliver on its mandates and create jobs for Nigerians.”
“In 2012 we experienced one of the most devastating floods so far, yes it about climate change as we can see in other countries of the world but our situation was aggravated by our inability to respect and protect our environment. Government constructed drainages for free flow of water but we have turned these drainages into refuse dump thereby blocking the free flow of water but remember that water will always find its way,” she said. Continue...

Monday 3 June 2013

World Environment Day 2013 -Think Eat Save- Reduce Your Foodprint, to be marked on 5th June

World Environment Day (WED) is an annual event that is aimed at being the biggest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities take place all year round and climax on 5 June every year, involving everyone from everywhere.

The World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become one of the main vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

Through World Environment Day, the United Nations Environment Programme is able to personalize environmental issues and enable everyone to realize not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development. read more after cut
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