Prepare West Africans against food insecurity, Oxfam warns

International association of independent non-governmental bodies working against poverty and injustice, Oxfam has warned that failure to increase the preparation of West Africans for food security may leave millions of citizens unprotected.

Oxfam in a press statement made available to the award winning NaijaAgroNet, the organization also called on governments of West African nations that have already taken note of the coming food crisis to scale up measures so as to ensure that people have money to buy food with animal feed for their livestock.

The stocking of emergency food items ready for distribution, Oxfam noted could aid to avert the situation.

The Humanitarian Lead, West Africa at Oxfam, Mr. Mamadou Biteye, said the situation is looking extremely worrisome for millions of people in West Africa, but the worst is not yet inevitable.

Cereal production, Oxfam cited for instance, is down compared to the five year average according to national warning systems, even as Mauritania and Chad showed a deficit of over 50 per cent compared to 2010.

He further said that national food reserves are dangerously low with prices of some key cereals going higher upto 40 per cent than the five-year average.

Biteye stressed that considering the major food crisis of 2010 that affected 10 million people in the Sahel region of the continent, noting that people are still recovering from the 2010 crisis and are highly vulnerable to any extra shocks such as increase in food prices.

He affirmed to NaijaAgroNet that other shocks may include poor harvests and or the death of their livestock; hence, he advised the building of resilience before 2012 as acting early could make a big difference.

In a bid to gear up its work in addressing urgent needs of the most vulnerable, Oxfam said, its working in some of the affected areas to help communities to boost their resistance to the coming crisis by getting ready to provide food aid.

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200m Africans are food insecure - ClimDev-Africa

Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) has disclosed that about 200 million of the poorest people on the continent are food insecure.

The Addis Ababa-based team in its latest African Climate Advisory bulletin made available to NaijaAgroNet indicated that many of these Africans have food insecurity through their dependence on climate sensitive livelihoods based on predominantly rain-fed agriculture.

In addition, the team in this publication of the technical arm of ClimDev-Africa, the African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) based in United Nations Economic commission for Africa (UNECA) in Ethiopia, revealed that the vulnerability of these Africans is expected to increase with climate change due to anticipated increases in climate variability, citing an instance with more droughts and floods.

Similar changes, ClimDev-Africa stated are anticipated in crop production, seasonal water resources, malaria prevalence, crop pests and other climate sensitive aspects of rural life.

According to the bulletin, poor rural people with fewest choices, least access to resources, and climate sensitive livelihoods, are most at risk from climate uncertainty.

Experts at ClimDev-Africa pointed out that in a similar way, national economies based on rain-fed agricultural production, and all the many people who work in related activities, are highly vulnerable to seasonal climate fluctuations.

“Hydropower production, irrigation resources, fisheries, pastoralism, post-harvest industries, inhabitants of settlements liable to flood, are all at risk from increased climate variability. These are some of the many target beneficiaries for ClimDev-Africa with a diversity of outcomes expected,” part of the bulletin read.

ClimDev-Africa stated that currently, climate data is little used in development processes in Africa because of weaknesses in both demand for, and supply of, pertinent climate services.

“In order to strengthen resilience to short-term climate variability, ClimDev-Africa will assess primary stakeholder needs in relation to climate information and build capacity in institutions; public, private and civil and people to use climate knowledge more effectively in planning and decision-making,” the team stated.

Also, they stated in a summary made available to NaijaAgroNet that building capacity in climate and weather institutions would provide the many information services required.

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FANRPAN boss urges African negotiators to clamour for responsible climate deal

The Chief Executive Officer, Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN) Dr. Lindiwe Majele Sibanda, has urged African negotiators at the 17th edition of the Conferences of Parties (COP17) to clamour for a binding and responsible climate deal for agriculture, reports Times.

Sibanda also said that responsible climate deal for agriculture would ensure security through an agreement for the promotion of food security despite the reality of the effects of climate change.

The FANRPAN boss, said that a deal that will not consider agriculture at the COP-17 is a no deal, this she said will ensure food security so that the continent would be free from the havoc of its insecurity.

"Should they fail to clinch such a deal, civil society will say any deal that does not have agriculture as a stand-alone priority sector with a dedicated work programme is a betrayal to the farming sector and anybody who needs food to survive," she said.

Further, she called on political leaders in the continent to hold responsible those negotiating on behalf of Africa, noting that COP-17 is a means by which the commitments made in Cancun can be sealed. Read more

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IPCC awards Climate Change scholarships to 9-PG students

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has awarded its 2011-2012 postgraduate scholarships to nine students to research on climate change.

IPCC made this known in a public statement made available to NaijaAgroNet on the release of the first round of the IPCC Scholarship Programme Awards.
NaijaAgroNet gathered that a total of nine students and researchers from developing countries were the beneficiaries of the scholarships for postgraduate studies or research for the period 2011-2012.

Seven of these students were named awardees a "Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation grant for IPCC" within the framework of the collaboration between the IPCC Scholarship Programme and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Young Researchers Scholarships Initiative.
the winners would be dwelling on some five themes including Underlying science of climate change, Impacts of climate change on aquatic ecosystems, water availability, health and agriculture, Climate-related disaster management - institutional and organizational issues, Climate Modelling and assessment of the impacts of climate change, adaptation and mitigation options for different sectors and assessment of socio-economic implications, respectively.

For the theme 1, Ms Rondrotiana Barimala (Madagascar) and Mr Genito Maure (Mozambique) on work on underlying science of climate change.
Theme 2 has Mr Sudeep Thakuri (Nepal), Mr Dibi Millogo (Burkina Faso) and Mr Romaric Ogouwale (Benin). 

Theme 3 has Ms Jamiat Nanteza (Uganda), even as theme 4 has Mr Yakob Umer (Ethiopia) working on it, whereas theme 5 has the duo of Ms Rizwana Subhani (Bangladesh) and
Mr Robert Katikiro (Tanzania) attached to the subject.
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Environmentalists call for African solution to climate change

African environmentalists are calling on the African Union (AU) to device an African solution to climate change.

One of those who made this call include a South African environmentalist, Nkwame Cadile and, Makhosonke Mdlalose of the Environmental Justice of Newcastle branch who spoke at the ongoing 17th edition of the Conference of Parties (COP 17) in Durban, South Africa.

For Cadile, the African Union should collaborate with national governments by coming up with an African solution to deal with climate change, reports xinhuanet.

Cadeile also demanded African governments to broaden their vision and thinking on climate change, urging for a shared African action plan on global warming.

The activist suggested that SADC and AU should get an African plan of development on climate change and not depend on developments that are determined by foreign bodies.

Also, Makhosonke Mdlalose of the Environmental Justice of Newcastle branch, called for the establishment of a solution on how Africa could fund climate change.

He further said that African governments should realize the fact that it takes deals over deals before developed nations could release funds to African countries. Read more

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South Africa is proud hosting COP17 and set to reduce greenhouse emissions

The host country of the ongoing Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP17), South Africa is delighted being the host nation, says the South African Environmental Affairs minister, Ms. Edna Molewa.

She expressed delight in hosting the conference believing it’s a special significant as there is need to renew and revise the Kyoto Protocol become urgent as the 17th edition of the conference happening on the African soil.

"Africa has contributed least to the buildup of greenhouse gases globally but will be in the frontline of the adverse effects of climate change," she said, stressing they are highly dependent on climate sensitive sectors such as rain-fed agriculture.

According to a press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, the minister said average African generates about 13 times less green house gases than his counterpart in North America. She affirmed that the continent accounted for less than 4 per cent of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2007 and highlighted the challenges in the continent as to decouple economic and social development from the burning fossil fuels and deforestation to an extent which has no precedent in the developed world.

"Africa needs to embark on a path of sustainable development with new, clean, appropriate technologies and to build climate resilient communities, so as to avoid the environmental mistakes of the developed world,” she said.

Further, she affirmed that 550 million Africans do not have access to electricity; the minister said there is enormous scope for the continent to becoming a world leader in the development of renewable energy sources.

She pointed out that recent research by the South Africa's National Climate Change Response (NCCR) White Paper published last October, the research report suggests an overall decrease in water availability that might threaten human health and agriculture in the country in years to come.

And spelling famine for many is the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change foreseeing yields from rain-fed agriculture being reduced by 50 per cent by as soon as 2020.

With South African government recognizing its post as the major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions on the continent with 38 per cent, the South African's NCCR paper stated the government’s commitment to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 34 per cent below a business as usual trajectory in 2020 and a further 40 per cent in 2025.

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AYWEN invites participation for YouthPrenuer 2011

A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), the African Youth & Women Empowerment Network (AYWEN) has advanced plans to host series of YouthPrenuer 2011 conference.

The conference slated to hold Abuja this December target supports for youths towards building skills and unlock their entrepreneurial talents.

A public statement to this effect made available to NaijaAgroNet also invited registration from the nation’s teeming youth who which to be empowered.

The programme, the organizers said, is a platform to educate, mentor and help youth realize their potentials in addition to discovering their natural entrepreneurial talents as well as making use of it to create jobs and succeed in business.

Registration, the organizers further hinted is free, and would close on December 15, this year, even as the two-phased conference have been scheduled to hold on December 20 and 21, 2011 at the Lagos room, Transcorp Hilton, Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

They equally promised inspiring keynote speeches form recognized entrepreneurs and policy leaders.

Interested youths have been therefore advised to register at www.aywen.org. Requirement for participants also includes a 100-word abstract and biography of applicants.

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Signing away the future by African govts

The International Institute for Environmental and Development (IIED) has alleged risk for the signing away water rights for decades by African governments without considering the effects to the continent and common people.

They also alleged that though there are endless opportunities in the deal, it could cause great harm if local people are being excluded from decisions about the allocation of land and if there is no protection for the land right.

Researchers at IIED in a public statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, cautioned that the signing away water rights was done in a way that would harm the future prospects of Africans, with fishermen and pastoralists are the main professions to share greater part of the damage as they have much reliance on water.

Few African countries, they further said, are trying to curb the harm as investors in Mali and Sudan have unrestricted access to as much water as they need.

Lorenzo Cotula, who co-authored a study report of land acquisition said companies that acquire land for irrigating farming will want secured water rights but long-term contractual commitments can jeopardize water access for local farmers.

“This affects not only the people who have customarily used the land that is being leased, but also distant downstream users who can be hundreds of kilometers away and even across an international border,” Cotula said.

Recalling that the Ethiopian government already allocated a large portion of land for irrigation in the Gibe III dam, but the study revealed that it would lower the level of Kenya's Lake Turkana which half a million Kenyans depends on.

A principal researcher at IIED Jamie Skinner who also led the study said the global water crisis is a crisis of water management and not of water quality.

“Good water management in the face of climate change is only possible if it is clear who the water belongs to, who holds rights to its use and when allocations to all users are made in a transparent way,” he said.

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Large dams don’t benefit local people - IIED

Findings from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) revealed that many dam programmes in West Africa that have been resettled and or compensated people have been problematic.

The published research report made available to NaijaAgroNet, highlighted how future dam in the region could share benefit with local people including river users and communities who have been displaced as major dams had been criticized by NGOs over disasters it spell on communities which usually lead to people's displacement.

The report noted that benefits of dam should be shared over decades and not just a few years. The challenge according to the report is to ensure that displaced people are beneficiaries through the lifetime of the dam, as much as 50 to 80 years and not just less than 10 years when the project's main financial backers are still engaged.

Jamie Skinner stated in the report, that large dams have a bad name as a result of the too many serious environmental and social impacts the dams do bring along.

Skinner acknowledged that the main beneficiaries of dams are urban citizens and industries gain from the improved infrastructure over decades.

The impact of large dams as noted by Skinner would not stop large dams.

"... Large dams are here to stay and more are being planned..." He said countries are beginning to choose them as an adaptive measure for food security, rising energy prices and climate change.

For these reasons, Skimmer reaffirmed that building good dams is an essentiality where benefits are widely shared and there are minimum harmful impacts.

"Countries will need dams to manage these unpredictable flows, and to provide irrigation and hydro-electric power to address food and fuel insecurity," Skinner said.

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World Bank commends S/Leone on fisheries

The World Bank has commended the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources of Sierra Leone on the successful completion of the first phase of the West African Regional Fisheries Programme, reports AllAfrica.

The commendation was made by experts from the apex bank on their visitation to Sierra Leone's Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources to discuss the activities of the project, challenges therein and the way forward.

The programme implemented by NEPAD, the report added, was in order to support a politically-led process and strengthen Africa's ability to define and take forward effective reforms in fisheries governance.

The programme co-funded by the World Bank and New Partnership for Africa Development (NEPAD) for the past one year, saw Sierra Leonean Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources

Dr. Soccoh Kabia, saying that illegal fishing and poor management of water were key challenges of the ministry as the country was losing millions of dollars to illegal fishing acts.

According to him, the project was designed to ensure proper governance and sustainable management of the country's marine resources in order for the communities to benefit from the scheme.

"This is a great investment by the World Bank," said John Virdin, one of the representatives from the World Bank at the event. Read more

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