Sida, FAO, ECOWAS join forces to protect West African forests - ITREALMS

ITREALMS:

The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have joined forces to protect West Africa's forests and help safeguard the livelihoods of millions of people who depend on them.

The three institutions will carry out a five-year project aimed at strengthening sustainable forest and land management, addressing transboundary forest threats, maximising the livelihoods of forest-depended communities, and building climate resilience across 15 countries in West Africa.

The project - to be implemented by ECOWAS with financial support of over $8 million from Sida and technical support from FAO - will improve knowledge of forests dynamics, support legal reform, establish and share best community-based forest practices across the region. It will be key to the rolling out of the ECOWAS-led Convergence Plan for the Sustainable Management and Use of Forest Ecosystems in West Africa adopted in 2013 by ECOWAS to mobilize political, institutional, financial and technical support to address transboundary forest issues across ECOWAS's 15 member states.

"We are very pleased to be partners with ECOWAS and FAO on transboundary forest management in West Africa. It is a very important project for the people and governments of the region, but also for the global efforts to stop climate change and loss of biodiversity," said Ulla Andrén, Sida's Head of Regional Development Cooperation in Sub-Saharan Africa.

"It is because of strong partnerships that we have the Forest Convergence Plan," said Tiina Vahanen, FAO's Chief of Forestry Policy and Resources Division. "Now it's time to act on it. The project is a concrete step towards improved forest management in the region and will build on the momentum created in recent years to safeguard West Africa's forests."

"The ECOWAS Commission is happy to work jointly with Sida and FAO to implement this project. We appreciate Sida for the consistent support to ECOWAS over the years, particularly the Agriculture, Environment and Water Resources Department, to address issues of environment, climate change, water resources, and now forestry. Issues of forestry are issues of livelihood for people and communities. Building resilience to climate change impacts and sustainable transboundary forest ecosystems management are key to this project," said Johnson Boanuh, ECOWAS Commission's Environment Director.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Combatting all forms of malnutrition tops FAO priorities - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva in an opening address today to the organization's executive, the Council, has stressed that FAO will focus over the next two years on promoting nutrition-sensitive food systems and innovation in agriculture, reports NaijaAgroNet.

"We cannot only focus on tackling hunger anymore," said José Graziano da Silva. "The Sustainable Development Goal number 2 calls for the eradication of all forms of malnutrition. And there is a steady growth in the levels of overweight and obesity all around the world."

"While hunger is circumscribed to specific areas, obesity is everywhere. In fact, we are witnessing the globalization of obesity," added Graziano da Silva.

Graziano da Silva also drew attention to upcoming key events: a food safety conference later this month in Geneva - organized by FAO, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Trade Organization (WTO); the launch of the UN Decade of Family Farming at FAO's headquarters at the end of May; two seminars on healthy diets and agriculture innovation, and the meeting of the FAO Port States Measures Agreement's (PSMA) Parties in June.

The PSMA is the first-ever binding international instrument that specifically addresses Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

Graziano da Silva also underscored the organization's success over the last years in reducing costs, and making FAO more efficient, effective and results oriented; as well as attracting more voluntary contributions.

The Director-General highlighted FAO's commitment to partnerships evidenced by a strong increase in partnerships over the years - from 20 new partners in 2012, with a contribution of $28 million to more than 100 new partners today, contributing over $200 million.

FAO's engagement in joint programmes and interagency platforms with UN agencies has also almost doubled since 2012. This represents a monetary increase of contributions from the UN system by 100 per cent, accounting for $800 million.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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IRENA unveils global energy transformation: A roadmap to 2050 - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has unveiled the Global Energy Transformation: A Roadmap to 2050, reports NaijaAgroNet.

According to the latest edition of IRENA’s Global Energy Transformation: A Roadmap to 2050, launched in Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue on Tuesday paves the way to meet 86 per cent of global power demand with renewable energy exist, reports NaijaAgroNet.

"Electricity would cover half of the global final energy mix. Global power supply would more than double over this period, with the bulk of it generated from renewable energy, mostly solar PV and wind," part of the report read.

Some of the key findings include:

• Today the question is no longer if energy transition is possible, but how to make it happen faster. Renewables and electrification are a key climate solution.
• Renewable energy supply, increased electrification of energy services, and energy efficiency can deliver more than 90% of needed reductions to energy-related CO2 emissions. Renewable energy and electrification alone deliver 75% of emission reductions.
• The transition towards a decarbonised global energy system will require scaling up investments in the energy sector by a further 16% (an additional USD 15 trillion by 2050). In total USD 110 trillion would be invested in the energy system, representing on average 2% of global gross domestic product (GDP) per year over the period.
• The REmap Case would result in a cumulative reduction in fossil fuel subsidies of USD 15 trillion below what would have occurred in the Reference Case by 2050, and in a net reduction of USD 10 trillion when including the increased support needed for renewables in the REmap Case.
• In total the savings from avoided subsidies and reduced environmental and health damages are about three to seven times larger than the additional energy system costs. In monetary terms, total savings resulting from the REmap Case could amount to between USD 65 trillion and USD 160 trillion over the period to 2050.
• By year 2050, the REmap energy transition brings about relative improvements of GDP and whole-economy employment of 2.5% and 0.2% respectively. In cumulative terms from 2019 to 2050 the GDP gains of the REmap Case over the Reference Case add up to 99 USD trillion.
• Climate damage impacts increase with time as the climate system responds to the cumulative GHG emissions. Macroeconomic performance under both the Reference and REmap cases is significantly impacted by climate damages, leading to a global GDP reduction of 15.5% and 13.2%, respectively, by 2050.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Ekiti charges Boundary Commission - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Ekiti State Governor, Dr Kayode Fayemi has inaugurated the State Boundary Commission Committee and Boundary Technical Committee with a charge to always consider the best interest of Ekiti people above personal interest, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The governor who restated that the loyalty of his government is to the people of Ekiti State whom the administration is out to serve, urged the committees to discharge their duties without fear or favour but with strict adherence to the rule of law.

Dr Fayemi, who inaugurated the committee at the Conference Hall of the Governor’s Office on Monday, said there are series of boundary disputes both inter State and intra-State waiting for the attention of the committees. He advised members of the committee to adopt Alternative Dispute Resolution method without resort to court.

“I like to implore members of the inaugurated commission to see your appointment as a call to service, a call to etch your name on the sands of time in Ekiti and a call to be a part of history. You must discharge your duty without fear or favour but with strict adherence to the rule of law.

“In whatever you do, always consider the best interest of Ekiti State and Ekiti Kete far above your personal interest. Collectively we can build the society of our dreams and make Ekiti State the pride of all. We can only achieve this through selflessness”, he said.

The committee, according to Governor Fayemi is to, among other issues, deal with inter-local government boundary disputes with a view to resolving them; monitor trans-border relations with neighbouring states with a view to detecting areas of tension, possible conflicts and take necessary measures to address them, and to encourage negotiation on settlement of boundary disputes in preference to court action.

In his acceptance speech, the chairman of the State Boundary Commission Committee and Deputy Governor, Otunba Bisi Egbeyemi thanked the governor for the opportunity given the committee members to serve the State.

Egbeyemi noted that lives and properties have been lost to boundary conflicts; assuring that the committee will adopt a win-win approach to settling conflicts arising from boundary issues.

He solicited the cooperation of all communities in the State for the success of the committee in discharging its duties.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Deputy Governor, Mr. Sunday Komolafe had said that the non-existence of the committee for many years had resulted in many boundary disputes in some communities in the State.

He opined that with the constitution of the committee, disputed areas will be looked into and resolved as soon as possible.

The State Boundary Commission Committee which is headed by the Deputy Governor has the Commissioners for Finance, Works and Transportation, Agriculture, Information, Lands and Housing, and the Attorney General as members.

Other members are the Surveyor-General, the State Commissioner of Police, the State Director of the State Security Service, Executive Secretary of the Boundary Commission, the Oluyin of Iyin, Oba Ademola Ajakaye, the Ologotun of Ogotun, Oba Samuel Oyebade, and two boundary experts – Surveyor Ayeni and Surveyor Akeredolu.

The Technical Committee chaired by the Permanent Secretary in the Deputy Governor’s office comprises Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Works, Finance, Agric and Rural Development, Justice, Lands and Housing, Director of Forestry, a representative of the Director of SSS, representative of the Commissioner of Police and the Executive Secretary of the Boundary Commission.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

Early forecasts for cereal output in 2019 are positive - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The global food prices began the year on a buoyant note, as the FAO Food Price Index averaged 164.8 points in January 2019, up 1.8 percent from the previous month, reports NaijaAgroNet.

A sharp rebound in dairy price quotations and firmer prices of palm and soy oils drove the increase, the United Nations agency said today. The Food Price Index, an indicator of the monthly changes in international prices of a basket of food commodities, was still 2.2 percent below its January 2018 level.

The FAO Cereal Price Index averaged 168.1 points in January, up marginally from December. Prices of the major grains were generally firm amid tightening export supplies and robust world demand.

The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 4.3 percent from the previous month, led by palm oil values responding to a seasonal production decline in the major producing countries. International soy oil prices also rose on the back of robust import demand for South American supplies.

The FAO Dairy Price Index rose 7.2 percent from December, reversing seven months of falling prices. Limited export supplies - due to strong internal demand - form Europe were the primary factor behind this, along with anticipated seasonal tightening of export availability from Oceania in the coming months.

The FAO Sugar Price Index rose 1.3 percent, a move largely influenced by the appreciation of the currency (Real) of Brazil, the world's largest exporter, against the U.S. dollar.

The FAO Meat Price Index was almost unchanged from December. The January value was calculated assuming stable meat prices in the United States of America, where official data were not available due to the government shutdown. Elsewhere, international price quotations for bovine, pig and poultry meat remained steady, while ovine meat prices declined in step with ample exportable supplies in Oceania.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Oil Exploration: Shell pledges greater corporate transparency - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Limited (SPDC) and Shell Nigeria Exploration and Production Company Limited (SNEPCo), has pledged to be transparency in its exploration in the country, reports NaijaAgroNet.

This pledge is coming with the payment of over $6.397 billion to the Nigerian government and its agencies in 2018 by Shell exploration and production companies in Nigeria.

The payment, NaijaAgroNet gathered, represents a 48 per cent increase over payments by the companies to Nigerian government in 2017 which was $4.322 billion.

The payments formed part of the four documents released on Tuesday by the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Dutch Shell, Ben Van Beurden, to signal the global oil giant’s renewed commitment to greater transparency. The documents are: Shell Sustainability Report; Industry Associations Climate Review; Nigeria Briefing Notes; and Payments to Government Report.

“Shell must remain at the forefront of the drive for greater corporate transparency. We will continue to be more open about what we do and why we do it,” said van Beurden. “We want to help people better understand Shell’s performance, values and principles. These reports outline our approach and activities in the crucial areas of sustainability and our relationships with industry associations and governments.”

In the breakdown of the 2018 payments, the Shell companies paid $3.776 billion to the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation as production entitlement while $1.286 billion was paid in taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service. Another $1.253 went to the Department of Petroleum Resources for royalties and fees, while $81.5 million was remitted to the Niger Delta Development Commission.

Managing Director of SPDC and Country Chair, Shell Companies in Nigeria, Osagie Okunbor, described the reports as a further testament to Shell’s efforts to increase transparency around activities that are important to investors, governments and civil society. “We are irrevocably committed to transparency just as we are to business integrity part of our core values and central tenets of the Business Principles that govern the way we do business.”

The Shell Nigeria Briefing Notes detail the activities of the Shell Companies in Nigeria for 2018. These include production, environmental performance, social investment, economic contributions, gas initiatives, deepwater operations, security and Nigerian content development.

The Industry Associations Climate Review assesses for the first time Shell’s alignment with 19 key industry associations on climate-related policy. The report also details new governance principles to improve how Shell manages its memberships of industry associations on climate-related topics.

The 22nd edition of the Shell Sustainability Report outlines Shell’s approach to sustainability and covers its social, safety and environmental performance in 2018. It sets out how Shell is playing a role in the transition to a lower-carbon world and its contribution to society, which includes helping to achieve universal access to cleaner, affordable energy.

In addition, Shell published its 2018 Payments to Governments Report covering 34 countries where it has extractive activities.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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ITU highlights use of disruptive technologies in disaster management - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has published a new report about the use and opportunities of ICT and disruptive technologies for disaster risk reduction and management, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The report, NaijaAgroNet gathered was proclaimed during the third ITU Global Forum on Emergency Telecommunications, which took place from 6 to 8 March 2019 in Balaclava, Mauritius.

The study finds that technological advancement and innovation are creating new opportunities for enhancing disaster resilience and risk reduction. Developments in disruptive technologies, such as artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data, and innovations in robotics and drone technology, among other areas, are transforming disaster risk reduction and management. Disruptive technologies can spread critical information more quickly, improve understanding of the causes of disasters, enhance early warning systems, assess damage in new ways and add to the knowledge base of the social behaviours and economic impacts after a crisis strikes.

The term of disruptive technology was first introduced more than two decades ago with reference to new technologies having an impact on incumbent businesses with scope for major disruption. Today, the term has widened by including the innovative application of new technologies across a range of domains, including disaster risk reduction and management.

The rapid growth of supporting digital infrastructure and devices, such as wireless broadband networks, smartphones and cloud computing, has created the foundation for the application of disruptive technologies for disaster management.

The spread and availability of these technologies vary among developed and developing nations and among high and low-income regions, and this digital divide influences their suitability for different disaster management scenarios.

Applications of disruptive technologies to disaster management vary in pace, scope and impact. While the use of drones and IoT is increasing, older technologies, such as satellite imagery and seismometers, are still the most important methods for detecting, monitoring and accessing disasters, and text messaging has the widest reach for communicating with the public.

Regarding space technology, the document highlights that satellite-based emergency mapping (SEM) has improved both in quality and response. For instance, new synthetic radar apertures can see through storm clouds, and coordination between the satellite and relief communities has improved.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Higherlife, Delta partner in campaign for Cyclone Idai victims - NaijaAgroNet

Driven by young people committed to see more lives saved, Higherlife Foundation and Delta Philanthropies, are inviting other young people to join their campaign in support and stand with other young individuals impacted by Cyclone Idai, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Cyclone Idai, NaijaAgroNet recalls had hit Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi on 15 March 2019 and left in its wake some 700 deaths and hundreds hospitalised.

“When cyclone IDAI hit, we saw images and videos of people standing in queues with donations. Inspired by their tenacity and generosity, we have decided to ‘join the queue’, bringing together Africans, all over the world, who want to help in what has become the biggest humanitarian crisis to hit the region,” says Elizabeth Masiyiwa, Executive Director of Delta Philanthropies.

Also read: Britons raise 8m Pounds for Cyclone Idai victims – NaijaAgroNet

The model of the campaign is simple: give and share.
1. GIVE: We have set up a crowdfunding campaign for individuals and partners to contribute to efforts on the ground to all three countries. 

2. SHARE: On Wednesday March 27th, at 1PM GMT, we will begin with a coordinated social media blast. Alongside our crowdfunding goal, we want to tell a powerful story that Africans and friends of Africa can stand together in response to the crisis. We know that some do not have the capacity to give but they can use their voice to stand with those affected.

Uj.N. Dominic/Editor

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Britons raise 8m Pounds for Cyclone Idai victims – NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

Britons have raised the sum of 8 million Pounds Sterling for the Cyclone Idai victims in just a day, reports NaijaAgroNet.

Disclosing this to NaijaAgroNet on Tuesday, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of Great Britain said this was achieved in just a day after the exercise was opened.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) of Great Britain, NaijaAgroNet gathers, work on world affairs for the United Kingdom (UK) Government and leads on promoting as well as protecting British people, prosperity and influence globally.

With this development, the UK government said it will match the grand with 2million Pound Sterlings moving forward through the UKAid.

According to the UK government on its LinkedIn page, following the British public’s amazing generosity the Disasters Emergency Committee has raised £8 million for Cyclone Idai victims in just one day - £2 million of which has been match by hashtag#UKaid.

“Now hashtag#UKaid will match a further £2 million of donations, £ for £,” UK government official declared.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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Cyclone Idai worries ARC - NaijaAgroNet

NaijaAgroNet:

The African Risk Capacity Group has expressed deep concern over the loss of lives, economic livelihoods and extensive displacement, reports NaijaAgroNet.

ARC, NaijaAgroNet is a specialised agency of the African Union and ARC Limited.

The displacement of thousands of people, NaijaAgroNet gathered were in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe resulting from the impacts of floods and tropical cyclone IDAI. Whereas the Governments of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe are founding members of the ARC family, having signed the ARC Establishment Treaty in 2012.

At the time of its establishment, the African Risk Capacity focused on building Member States’ technical capacities and development of risk financing mechanisms to combat drought risk which was the major catastrophe against food security on the continent.

A press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet, the UN ASG and Director General, African Risk Capacity, Mohamed Beavogui said that the efficacy of the ARC Drought Model was proved many times when Governments of Member States received insurance payouts triggered following poor rainfall seasons in the Sahel and Southern Africa, enabling them to provide timely assistance to the affected population.

Following requests from Member States, ARC has been intensively working on the development of River Flood and Tropical Cyclones Models to derive corresponding risk financing products that will provide immediate access to financing to African countries that are prone to such hazards and enable them to provide timely assistance to affected communities.

It is unfortunate that these massive disasters have happened whilst the development work for these tools is still in progress.

Technical experts from ARC have been working closely with other partners to provide information from the models on the areas affected and evaluate the extent of the impact from these two events.

We expect that this information will be helpful in facilitating a good response; and providing better understanding of the prevailing situation.

It is our sincere hope that the ARC River Flood and Tropical Cyclone financial products will soon be made available to Member State Governments to better prepare them for responding to disasters of this nature.

The African Risk Capacity Group would like to commend these governments and partners that have already responded, for their efforts in supporting affected communities and call upon more partners, donors, stakeholders and friends to join the ongoing relief efforts, in solidarity with the Governments and peoples of Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe, to mitigate the impact of this devastating catastrophe.

Isaac Oyimah/Editor

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