regional office for africa newsletter, may 2004 ~ united nations environment programme
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8/9/2019 Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, May 2004 ~ United Nations Environment Programme
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ROA N ew sROA N ew sUNEP ROA News is a Newsletter of the Regiona l Office for Africa (ROA) a t UNEP, Na irobi, Kenya
N° 6 Ma y 2004
The Continent goes unleaded: Over Fifty Per Centof Gasoline in Sub-Saharan Africa is Now Lead Free
Over half of all petrol sold in Sub-
Saharan Africa is now unleaded. This is
one of the key findings delivered to a
conference, which took place from 5-7
May 2004 at the headquarters of the
United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) to assess progress towards a lead-
free continent.
The report also indicated that 12 countries
with refineries have committed to lead
phase-out. Nine countries including Cape
Verde, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana (refiner),
Mauritania, Mauritius, Nigeria (refiner),
Rwanda, and Sudan (refiner) have already
switched entirely to unleaded fuel.
There was a major breakthrough at this
conference as Kenya announced that it toowill be switching to fully unleaded gaso-
line by 1 January 2006. This announcement
by Ochillo Ayako, the Kenyan Minister of
Energy, will help put Africa on track for a
continent-wide switch to lead-free petrol
by the end of 2005. Currently just four per
cent of the motor fuels sold in Kenya are
unleaded. Kenya’s announcement will have
impacts beyond its borders as the country
is an exporter of fuel in East Africa.
Delegates to the conference learnt that the
push towards phasing-out leaded gasoline
is emerging as a real success story in the
developing world. The move to remove
lead in petrol in Sub Saharan Africa began
in Dakar, Senegal, in 2001 where countries
agreed on the Dakar declaration for the
phasing-out of leaded fuel. At that time,
only the Sudan was fully unleaded. After
the declaration, five sub-regional Action
Plans came into effect that have been
paving way towards the cleaner, lead-free,motor fuels. The initiative was given fresh
political impetus at the World Summit on
Sustainable Development, which took place
in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002.
C o n t e n t s
Kenya To Go Fully Unleaded Putting the Continent on Track For a Full Phase-Out By 2005
Mr. Ochillo Ayacko, Minister for Energy, Kenya; Mr. Klaus Toepfer, ED, UNEP; Patrick Bultynck, Senior Economist, WB at the Press Conference.
1
The Continent goes unleaded: Over fifty per cent of Gasoline in Sub-Saharan Africa is Now Lead Free
3
10th Session of the African Ministerial Conference onthe Environment to meet from 26 to 30 June in Tripoli
3
World Environment Day 2004
5
Partners strongly support the action plan on the
Environment Initiatiave of NEPAD
7
Restoring the Battered and Broken Environment of Liberiaone of the keys to a new and sustainable future
9
French Speaking African experts express concern overpressure by importers of African agricultural products toincrease use of Methyl Bromide
10
Mega-Chad Community-based Project on NaturalResources Conservation: UNEP Response to the ThreatsFacing Lake Chad
13
African Ministers Meet in Nairobi to Tackle theSustainable Energy Challenge
14
African Chart their way to Sustainable Consumption andProduction
17
Africa Environment Outlook-2: Innovative Approachto Environmental Reporting
18
The Environmental Convergence of African Youth
19
African Delegates at the First Youth and Children Conferenceon the Environment in Brazil: Strengthening the South-South Co-operation in Protecting the Environment
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2 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
E n e r g y
Representatives from governments,
organizations, industry and members of
civil society attending the conference took
stock of the progress towards phasing-out
leaded gasoline or petrol across sub
Saharan Africa. The conference identified
the remaining barriers to delivering the
full and final phase-out of leaded petroland also discussed the wider issues of
urban air pollution.
Most of the countries that have not yet
switched are in the process of developing
action plans to ensure a complete phase
out by the end of 2005. In total, over 50
per cent of all motor gasoline sold in Sub-
Saharan Africa is now unleaded.
The conference was organised jointly by
the World Bank (the Clean Air Initiativefor Sub Saharan Africa) and UNEP, which
is hosting the Partnership for Clean Fuels
and Vehicles (PCFV).
Patrick Bultynck, Senior Urban Transport
Economist for the World Bank’s Africa
Region, said: “The phase out of lead in
petrol in Africa is part of our global
activities aimed at delivering a healthier
and cleaner urban environment across the
developing world. Indeed, a cleaner urban
environment is a key for sustainableeconomic and social development. Lead-
free petrol is one important aspect of this
work, but not the end of our ambitions”.
“There are numerous other pollutants
produced by transport and industry that
also need to be tackled. The fact that we
can rid cities of lead pollution give us all
the confidence and clear signal that these
other pollution concerns are within our
reach,” he said.
The expected output of the Conference was
the finalisation of Action Plans to reach at
national, sub-regional and regional level,
the deadline of December 2005.
Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive Director,
said: “ Removing lead from petrol in Af-
rica is proving to be one of the great envi-
ronmental and health success stories of the
early 21st century. At the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in
Johannesburg two years ago, Governments,the private sector, civil society and inter-
governmental organisations like UNEP
committed themselves to action on a wide
range of fronts. This project shows that a
concerted effort from governments, civil
society, and the private sector assisted by
international organisations can result in
rapid and important improvements”.
“The Clean Fuels and Vehicles Initiative
is living proof that the commitments
made there are bearing fruit and that thespirit of Johannesburg is being felt in the
air and on the streets and highways of the
developing world. This gives us hope that
many other pressing environmental
problems, from delivering freshwater and
sanitation to reversing the decline of
wildlife, can be tackled so we can swiftly
steer the planet onto a sustainable track”.
In September 2002, at the World Summit
on Sustainable Development (WSSD),
Governments and their Partners set thephase-out of leaded gasoline as a matter
of the highest priority. This was included
in the WSSD Plan of Implementation. A
global partnership for Clean Fuels and
Vehicles (PCFV) coordinated by UNEP
was set up to support the global phase-
out of leaded gasoline, with a focus on
sub-Saharan Africa.
Lead is a toxic metal that can cause damage
to the kidneys, nervous system, brain, car-
diovascular, and reproductive systems. Of most concern are its effects on the nervous
system of young children. It has been linked
with reduced intelligence, attention deficit
disorders, and behavioural difficulties.
The phasing out off lead in gasoline will
also pave the way for cleaner vehicle
technologies, such as catalytic converters,
which can reduce harmful emissions from
vehicles by over 90 percent. These
technologies are already standard in many
parts of the world but need unleadedpetrol/gasoline to be able to function.
The Conference on the progress made in
the phase-out of leaded gasoline in Sub-
Saharan Africa was the peak of a process,
which lead to the organisation of sub-
regional meetings.
The sub-regional meeting on the ‘Phasing
out of Leaded Gasoline in Southern Africa’
was held in October 2003 in Cape Town,
South Africa. The meeting, organized by UNEP in collaboration with the World
Bank and the International Petroleum
Industries Environmental Conservation
Association (IPIECA) was the third of the
five sub-regional meetings planned to be
held at the sub-regional level on the
phasing-out of lead. On of the significant
outcome of this meeting was the
importance given to public education and
participation in the process of developing
and implementing the national action
plan for the phase-out. More on the leadphase-out activity can be obtained from
www.unep.org/pcfv/ ❐
Kenya will switch to fully unleaded gasoline by 1 January 2006.
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 3
A M C E N
World Environment Day 2004
10th
Session of the African MinisterialConference on the Environment to meet
from 26 to 30 June in TripoliT he tenth regular meeting of the African Ministerial
Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) is scheduled to
be held in Tripoli, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 29-30 June,
2004 at the invitation of the Government of Libya. The
Ministerial segment will be preceded on 26-28 June 2004 by
a preparatory meeting at the level of experts.
This 10th
session is coming at a time when significant
achievements have been made, two years after the 9th
regular
session of AMCEN was held in Kampala, Uganda. The special
session of AMCEN endorsed the Action Plan of the
environment initiative of NEPAD and the second ordinary
Assembly of the African Union held in Maputo in July 2003
adopted it. Subsequent to these and in pursuance of the
decisions of AMCEN and the AU Summit, the fifth Meeting
of the Steering Committee on the environment initiative of
NEPAD was held in Cairo from 21-22 October 2003, at the
Ministerial level.
Furthermore, a very successful Partners Conference on the
environment initiative of NEPAD was held in Algiers, Algeria
from 15 –16 December 2003.
Issues to be discussed include the status of the Environment
Initiative of the NEPAD, the role of AMCEN in the context of
the implementation of the Environment Initiative of the
NEPAD, the amendments to the Constitution of AMCEN, the
status of the AMCEN Trust Fund and the International
Conference on the Small Islands developing States (SIDS) also
known as Barbados+10.
For further details on the 10th
regular session, please contact
Mr. Sekou Toure, Director Regional Office for Africa on Tel:
254-20-624279/624284, Fax: 254-20- 623928, Email:
sekou.toure@unep.org or Mr. Peter Acquah, Senior Programme
Officer and Secretary of AMCEN on Tel: (254-20) 624287/
624289-E-mail: peter.acquah@unep.org ❐
T he international community is ready
to celebrate World Environment Day. The
annual event, celebrated around the globe
each year on or around 5 June, will take
place in the city of Barcelona, Spainduring the nearly five-month long
Universal Forum of Cultures that is being
hosted by the Barcelona City Council, the
Catalan Autonomous Government and
the Spanish Government.
UNEP, in accepting the offer of Barcelona
and The Forum to stage World Environ-
ment Day (WED), has been impressed by
the wealth of ambitious and innovative
environmental ideas, technologies and
infrastructure developments being under-
taken by the hosts as part of the Universal
Forum of Cultures. This year’s theme
“Wanted! Seas and Oceans Dead or alive?”
reflects not only the activities in Barcelona
as part of the Forum is holding several
activities related to seas and oceans, but
also UNEP’s important activities in the
field of the marine environment and sus-
tainable coastal livelihoods.
WED will be another great opportunity
for many Kenyans and the rest of Africa
to demonstrate commitment towards a
healthier environment through political
attention and action.
Africa’s coastal and marine resources
contribute significantly to the economies
of the countries, mainly through fishingand tourism. They constitute a major
source of livelihood for many households.
Unfortunately, Africa’s marine habitats –
mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs, deltas and
estuaries- have been impacted upon by
pollution and over harvesting of
resources. As a result, 38 per cent of the
African coastline of 40,000km, including
68 per cent of marine protected areas are
under high levels of threat emanating
from human-induced erosion, waste
deposition, clearing of plant species to
“Wanted! Seas and Oceans Dead or alive?”
SEAS AND OCEANSSEAS AND OCEANS
U N I T E D N AT I O N S E N V I R O N M E N T PR O G R A M M EU N I T E D N AT I O N S E N V I R O N M E N T PR O G R A M M E
www.unep.org
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4 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
Or Alive?
W o r l d E n v i r o n m e n t D a y
allow for development, coastal erosion and increased salinity. Inaddition, the waters of the Western Indian Ocean are major sea
routes for millions of tones of oil every year. Oil-spills and related
pollution has destroyed vital marine species.
Concerted efforts must be made to raise environmental
awareness and mobilize the larger community in preserving our
environment for a better future. World Environment Day was
established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, to
mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human
Environment. It is one of the principal vehicles through which
the United Nations enhances political attention and action andstimulates worldwide awareness on environmental challenges
facing us.
In Kenya the UNEP-Regional Office for Africa, will in
collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural
Resources organise and co-ordinate activities involving youth
groups, school children, environmental groups, and the general
public throughout the country. Activities to mark World
Environment Day 2004 will include an essay, art and
photographic competition among the schools, a tree planting
exercise in the Aberdares aimed at raising consumer
responsibility towards the environment, a clean up/Tree planting
event at the City Park in Nairobi and a green parade/clean up in
Mombasa.
UNEP will use the occasion of WED in Barcelona this year to
launch its new International Photographic Competition, which
is being sponsored by Canon. The new competition, with the
themes of ‘Focus on Your World’ and ‘Celebrating Diversity’, aims
to increase awareness of environment and sustainable
development issues. Entries are invited from all nationalities and
ages, and from amateurs and professionals alike. Some of the
world’s leading photographers will be judging the competition.
The award ceremony and winners’ exhibition will be held at EXPO
2005 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
Inquiries about the UNEP International Photographic
Competition should be directed to Steve Jackson, UNEP Audio
Visual Unit, on Tel: 254 20 623332 or
E-mail: steve.jackson@unep.org ❐
Seas and Oceans Dead?
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 5
N E P A D
Partners Strongly support the Action Planon the Environment Initiative of NEPAD
AMCEN, Hon. Col. Kahinda Otaffire,
Mrs. Rosebud Kurwijila, the African
Union Commissioner on Agriculture and
Rural development, Mr. Michel
Camdessus, Representative to the Chair of
the G8, Mr. Roberto Tortoli, State
Secretary of the Italian Ministry of
Environment and representing the
President of the European Union, and
Mrs. Eid Uschi, Parliamentary State
Secretary and G8 representative for Africa
took turns to deliver their opening
statements.
The Algiers legacy
More than thousand participants,
including twenty-seven Ministers of
Environment from Africa and Europe,
senior government officials, UN agencies
and civil society organizations and their
counterparts from the developed co
untries deliberated for two days on how
to put words into action, after the
development phase of the Action Plan.
The question was after the conclusion of
this groundbreaking gathering, what
would stand as the Algiers legacy to Africa
in particular.
It is generally accepted that the
development of the Action Plan marked a
milestone in environmental management
in Africa. For the first time ever, a continent
wide environment strategy was prepared.
The preparation of the Action Plan was
based on a wide consultation involving
over 800 African experts and the civil
society. Eight thematic workshops as well
as meetings for the civil society
organizations in Africa were held to solicit
views and priority projects. These were
conducted over a one-year period at the
end of which a draft Action Plan was
developed, and endorsed by AMCEN in a
special session held in June 2003 in Maputo
Mozambique. The Action Plan was
adopted by the African Union (AU)
summit held in Maputo in July 2003.
The AU summit further requested
AMCEN, UNEP, NEPAD Secretariat and
African Development Bank to implement
T he much-heralded Partners Conference
on the Environment Initiative of NEPAD
is over. The purpose of the Partners
Conference, held in Algiers from 15-16
December 2003, was for Africa to engage
its development partners in the process of
implementation of the Action Plan.
This conference was concerned about
African countries tackling the rather
pervasive poverty within the continent. As
stated by UN’s Secretary General in his
address:“ NEPAD’s Environment Action
Plan would help African countries address
the continent’s environmental challenges
while encouraging sustainable develop-
ment in one of the poorest regions in the
world. Its success is central to the overall
implementation of NEPAD and to the
realization of Millennium Development
Goals agreed by all the world’s countries.”
The Partners Conference was opened by
President M. Abdelaziz Bouteflika,
President of Algeria. He welcomed all
participants and reiterated that the
purpose of the meeting was to set up
implementing programmes to tackle
environment issues confronting the
continent. He noted that poverty was the
main underlying cause of environmental
degradation in Africa. This concern over
poverty and the potential role of the Action
Plan for the Environment Initiative of the
NEPAD is shared by all the senior
representatives of Governments and
institutions who attended the meeting.
These include Mr. Cherif Rahmani,
Minister of Land Planning and
Environment of Algeria, Dr. Klaus Topfer,
the Executive Director of UNEP, Prof.
Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chairman of the
NEPAD Steering Committee, Mr. Modou
Diagne Fada, Minister of the Environment
of Senegal, Mr. Leonard Goods, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Global
Environment Fund, the President of
Peter Acquah and Shamim Okolloh
The NEPAD Action Plan is a holistic, comprehensive and integrated sustainable development initiative for the revival of Africa.
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6 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
N E P A D
some of the provisions contained in the
Action Plan. Notable among these
provisions was the finalization of the
capacity building program, which was to
underpin implementation of the Action
Plan; and the donors’ conference to be
held in Algiers in December 2003.
It is worth noting that over 200 projects
were identified during the preparation of
the Action Plan. These were re-prioritized
prior to the Partners Conference in order
to bring into sharp focus those projects
that required urgent attention. In this
regard, about 80 projects were identified,
which included 21 projects already
selected through the African process and
which had been adopted by the AU
summit. It will be recalled that the Africanprocess covers issues on the coastal and
marine resources in sub-Saharan Africa.
The Partners Conference agreed that the
capacity building component would
constitute the supporting base for
implementation of the Action Plan. It is
noteworthy that there was overwhelming
support for the capacity building
programme from Germany, Sweden,
Egypt, Canada, Africa Development Bank,
Ethiopia, Cameroon, the Basel
Convention, Benin, Nigeria, International
Atomic Energy Agency, UNITAR, Malawi
and WHO.
There were also diverse forms of pledges
of support for the implementation of the
Action Plan during the Conference. The
Danish Government pledged to provide a
grant of 500,000 Danish Kroners to the
further development for Programme
Area 1, which covers combating landdegradation, drought and desertification.
Germany, France, the Islamic Development
Bank, and Global Mechanism affirmed
their support for the desertification
programme. Programme Area 2, which
covers Conserving Africa’s Wetlands, had
full support from RAMSAR, and with
WWF reaffirming its support for integrated
river basin and wetland management.
Programme Area 4 which covers
Conserving and Sustainable use of Marine,Coastal and Freshwater was supported by
UNESCO, WWF and UNIDO, while the
Islamic Development Bank, France and
WHO gave their support to water related
issues. Consistent with the spirit of NEPAD,
the Zambian Government pledged USD
10,000 towards the implementation of the
Action Plan.
The Islamic Development Bank also
committed USD 2 billion for the period
of 2003-2006 to its 23 African member
countries, with a view to seeking avenues
for development co-operation with its
member countries particularly in dealing
with desertification and water resources.
The representative from Switzerland
reaffirmed her country’s support to the
Environmental Action Plan, with
particular interest in biodiversity and soil
degradation and related issues, and statedthat his country had earmarked 100
million Swiss Francs for African countries.
France had actively supported NEPAD
from the onset, had already contributed _
164 million to the GEF in response to a
request made in respect of implement-
ation. The representative from Japan
stated that at TICAD III, Prime Minister
Koizumi announced a USD1 billion
contribution in development assistance to
Africa over a five-year period. On his part,
the representative from Canada said that
through the G8 Africa Action Plan,
Canada had earmarked USD 500 million
for Africa, of which 28 percent had been
allocated to agriculture, water and
environmental related issues. She noted
that through ODA activities some of the
objectives of the Environment Action Plan
had been met, by way of Canada’s support
to Nile River, Zambezi and Congo Basins.
The representative of UNIDO reaffirmed
their support to Africa through NEPADand recalled strong partnership between
UNEP and GEF in a number of projects
including reduction of environmental
impact from coastal tourism; industrial
approaches to combating land
degradation in addition to the USD 55
million UNIDO-GEF programme on
marine ecosystems in Central and West
Africa. He noted that these projects would
jumpstart the implementation of the
Action Plan.
The representative from the European
Commission urged all partners wishing to
contribute to the sustainable development
of Africa to support the implementation
of NEPAD. She stated that the
establishment of the African Union and
the adoption of the NEPAD programme
had reinforced the partnership between
Europe and Africa and had also given a
fresh impetus to the political dialogue
between Europe and Africa. The
environment is one of the eight priorities
of the Europe-Africa dialogue and this
dialogue would be enriched by the
Conference. She explained that three
specific budget lines existed in terms of
the environment within the framework of
the existing financial instruments and
could be used by countries or regions tocontribute to the implementation of the
NEPAD initiative. In this regard, a call for
proposals to support the environment and
the tropical forests in developing countries
had just been launched by the EC.
In order to support the process of
sustainable development in Africa and the
realization of the Millennium
Development Goals, the EU had launched
the “Water Initiative in Africa” and this
would be supported with one billion euros
during the implementation phase. This
Water initiative includes financial support
to the management of transboundary
basins in the region. The commission
intends also to contribute to the financing
of training projects implemented by
UNITAR in support to African countries
working towards the achievement of their
commitments to the climate change and
desertification conventions. She reiterated
the EC’s preparedness to contribute to theprocess of creating a system of
environmental governance at a Pan-
African level.
It is worth noting that other substantive
issues on the implementation of the
Action Plan are expected to be discussed
at the forth-coming AMCEN meeting to
be held in Tripoli, Libya. A review meeting
on the implementation of the Action Plan
is scheduled for December 2004, in Dakar,Senegal. ❐
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 7
N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s
Restoring the Battered and Broken Environment ofLiberia One of the Keys to a New and Sustainable Future
Mohamed Abdel-Monem
They are a place of great spiritual and
cultural importance, and figure deeply in
nearly all Liberians’ psyches. Forests are
fundamental to the Liberian people.Forestry represented the country’s most
important economic activity, responsible
for over 60% of the nation’s foreign
exchange, and accounted for 26% of GDP
in 2002.
Impact of the Civil War on the
People and Natural Resources
The fifteen years of civil war in Liberia has
had a serious impact on the civilian
population in Liberia as well as on itsnatural resources. Tens of thousands have
been injured and killed, and many left
with disabilities. One in three Liberians
has been uprooted and displaced. More
than half a million remain in temporary
housing or camps. The remnants of war
and unexploded ordnance (UXO) cause
additional challenges for repatriation.
Major economic activities are limited to
shipping, rubber plantations, timber
production, and mining, with the export
of the latter two currently prohibited by
the United Nations sanctions. The
Liberian economy has collapsed and
unemployment is now estimated to be 80
per cent Infrastructure has been damaged
by the war and looting, leading to a
collapse in many areas. Key services such
as energy production and distribution,
provision of safe drinking water and waste
management are barely operational. In
addition, vital infrastructure in the energy,
water, sanitation, waste management andhousing sectors has been partially or
totally destroyed.
The exploitation of natural resources has
been linked to the arms trade and to
regional instability. The control of timber
and mineral wealth was linked to and
sustained the armed conflict. The export
of illegally logged timber has been a source
of income for parties involved in the
conflict. The uncontrolled construction of
logging roads has led to a growing
fragmentation of forests, provided easier
access to hunters and has accelerated the
spread of slash and burn farming practices.
UN EP Response
Following the signing of the Comprehen-
sive Peace Agreement on 18 August 2003,
UN Mission in Liberia, (UNMIL) and the
UN Country Team in Liberia met on 24
October with representatives of the
National Transition Government of
Liberia (NTGL) to reconcile an UNMIL
draft proposal for restoration of basic
T his small coastal nation on the West
African coast covering an area of about
111thousnad sq. km located on Atlantic
Ocean with an estimated population of 3.3million is believed to have been the only
country in West Africa that was once
covered with rain forest. It is estimated that
today there is only 4.3 million hectares of
forest remaining.
The Liberia portion of the remaining
Upper Guinean rainforest was estimated
at 42%, with the remaining 58% shared by
Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone
and Togo. Biologically, Liberia’s forests are
exceptionally diverse, with high rates of
endemism and many more species that are
endangered outside the country. They are
home to approximately 125 mammal
species, 590 bird species, 74 known reptiles
and amphibians and over 1000 described
insect species. It is thought to contain over
2000 flowering plants including 240 timber
species. Liberia’s flora, or its insects,
amphibians, arachnids, gastropods or
other animal species often displaying a
high degree of dependence on specificplant hosts. Liberia´s major protected area
is Sapo National Park covering 130,000
hectares. Ten National Forests also afford
a limited degree of protection.
Liberians live in extreme poverty: over 85
per cent of the population live on less than
1 USD per day and even more alarming,
52 per cent subsist on less than 0,50 USD.
Forests are likewise a source of subsistence,
economic activity and cultural identity for
rural Liberians. They are a source of
medicines, construction materials, fuel,
food, and commodities to sell for cash.
United Nations Environment Programme’s First ever post-conflict environmental assessment Report in Africa Highlights
How War and Conflict Have Harmed Forests and Water Resources in Liberia. The report, Desk Study on the Environment
in Liberia, which has been compiled by the Post Conflict Assessment Unit of UNEP, as part of the United Nations
Development Group’s (UNDG) Needs Assessment for Liberia carries 60 recommendations for improving the environment
and development prospects for this West African country.
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8 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
infrastructures and services, for
presentation at the recent Reconstruction
Conference held in February 2004. To this
end, the UN and the World Bank
expressed their readiness to embark on a
co-ordinated effort by undertaking a joint
needs assessment, with additional
participation by the IMF on macro-
economic and budgetary issues.
The scope of the needs assessment focuses
on the identification of priority needs and
funding requirements for 2004 and 2005
and the development of a transition
strategy for 2004 and 2005, including key
considerations for sustainable longer-
term development beyond 2005.
A UNEP mission was fielded to Monroviabetween the 4
thand 15
thof December
2003. The UNEP team met with counter-
parts from the Liberian government,
representatives form different national an
International NGOs, academia, as well as
on-site UN and WB task managers
responsible for the various sectors. The
Team identified the following priority
areas as needing attention:
• The forest sector, (broadly defined to
include commercial, conservation and
community interests) is the most
important sector that should receive
immediate attention. Related to the
commercial aspects of forest
management (reform of concessions,
transparency, chain of custody and
good governance) other areas of forest
policy that require attention include
re-forestation policies, deforestation
caused by shifting cultivation
practices, agro-forestry, the fuel woodand charcoal industries, and forest
conservation.
• Other areas of concern include loss of
biodiversity due to wildlife depletion
as a result of uncontrolled hunting for
bushmeat, slash and burn practices,
deforestation, mining activities,
logging; land degradation due to poor
practices in agriculture, mining, and
forestry; coastal and marine pollution
due to poor waste and sewagemanagement and finally the
environmental impacts associated
with refugees and IDPs.
• The most important chal lenge to
environmental management is a lack
of capacity in all areas of government.
In the forestry sector the particular
institutions that require primary
attention are the Forest Development
Authority and the Environmental
Protection Agency.
• The mission confirmed the import-
ance of Mount Nimba as a potential
transboundary peace park, but any
associated fieldwork in this regard will,
like all activities outside of Monrovia,
be dependent on improved security in
the country.
• The only other hotspot identified
during the mission was Freeport
harbour, where sunken vessels and
extensive pollution around the fuel
storage installations were found on a
site inspection.
Based on the above the UNEP teamidentified the following urgent actions
were recommended:
1) Inclusion of environmental protection
and conservation components in all
rehabilitation, resettlement and
reconstruction programmes and
activities through sensitization and
awareness raising;
2) Strengthening the national institu-
tions responsible for the forests in thecountry through capacity building
programmes;
3) In the forestry sector, the need to
reform the timber policy to include
conservation forestry which would
include periodic appraisal of forestry
resources and the introduction of
sustainable forestry programs so that
timber potential can be conserved;
4) Development of a national policy on
environment in different areas related
to a)Forestry and timber exploitation,
b) Sustainable land use management;
c) Water management; d) Biodiversity
conservation; e) Marine protection
(coastal and marine; f)Ecosystem
services and poverty reduction;
5) Strengthening the capacities for
teaching environmental science by the
academic staff at the University of
Liberia through in service training and
exchange programmes with other
African Universities;
6) Training in the use of remote sensing/
GIS for analysis of deforestation andother environmental challenges to
back up the Liberian Forest Assess-
ment Project funded by the E.U.;
7) Introduction of environmental science
in national school curricula at primary
and secondary levels;
8) Awareness raising programmes at
community level on topics such as; the
damage done to biodiversity through
the use of bush meat of protected
species; alternatives to the use of shifting cultivation to discourage this
practice. ❐
N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s
Deforestation in Liberia.
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 9
O z o n e
A s the world was geared towardsMontreal Protocol talks planned for endMarch 2004 to consider exemptions frommethyl bromide ban for a number of developed countries to allow them to usethe pesticide for certain “critical issues”,representatives of eighteen French-speaking African countries were sharingexperiences at a workshop on the use of
alternatives to this ozone layer depletingchemical, as part of the phase-out process.
The Regional Workshop on experiences of use of Methyl Bromide alternatives held inDakar, Senegal from 8-10 March 2004came up with a firm commitment from theparticipating countries to a total phase outof methyl bromide before internationaldeadline set for 2015 by the MontrealProtocol. Successful methyl bromidealternatives would help them reduce by 20% the use of methyl bromide by 2005.
The regional workshop was organized toevaluate the achievements so far attained,and provide up-to-date information onspecific use patterns, existing or potentialalternatives and the impact MB-relatedactivities have had in the region. It broughttogether countries that need “hands-on”information on how available alternativeswork and offered an opportunity forexchange of results and lessons learnedfrom demonstration projects that havebeen successful in other countries.
Implementing Agencies and Expertsmembers to the Methyl Bromide technicalOption Committee (MBTOC) provided themeeting with different chemical and non-chemical alternatives as well as soilpathogens and weeds controlled by each of the alternative methods. The Combinationof these alternatives into an Integrated PestManagement (IMP) approach was also wellexplained. It appeared that the issue of alternative to methyl bromide is still achallenge in terms of cost, efficiency,availability, access and procedures, but somealternatives are already proving viable andwere demonstrated in the continent. Theseinclude hydroponics, soil solarisation, Bio-fumigation, Dazomet (Basamid),
Chloropicrin, 1,3 D (Telone), Metam Sodium(Vapam). Other altern-atives for post harvestand as well as for Quarantine and Pre-Shipment (QPS) included Phosphine, SulpurylFluoride, Carbondoixide, Dichlorvos,Malathion, Chlopyriphos, Pyrimiphos-methyl,Deltamethrine.
One major concern that was expressedduring the workshop was the attitude of some importers of commodities produced inthe region tenting to encourage the use of Methyl Bromide. Whereas some importingcountries accept products treated withapproved alternatives prior to export, othersmake it mandatory on African countries tofumigate those products destined for exportwith Methyl Bromide. For example Coted’Ivoire and Senegal which are the largestexporters of cocoa beans and cottonrespectively are being forced to have theirproducts exclusively treated with MethylBromide by importers from some developed
countries and Latin America. This situationis not likely to encourage African countriesto continue their effort in expediting theelimination of Methyl Bromide.
As part of the recommendations of theworkshop, participants called on theTechnical and Economic Assessment Panel(TEAP) to provide the next meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol with basic
scientific and technical elements thatwould justify the need for certainimporting countries, to fumigateagricultural products for which thealternatives exist and which were publishedin the last report of the MBTOC (2002).
Some specific strategies were highlighted,such as the one used by PAN Africa, an NGOin Senegal in communicating MethylBromide alternatives during theirimplementation of UNEP Methyl BromideCommunication Programme. The Kenyansuccess story on Farmer Field School (FFS)implemented jointly by UNEP and the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO) wasalso presented as another Programme to beextended to other countries in the region.
This Workshop was an important milestonein communicating ozone related issues.Journalists were involved in the process aspartners and strategic allies in support of
the goals of UNEP’s public awarenessprogramme in the region. A specific sessionwas organized as part of the program of theworkshop. This session aimed at equippingWest African French speaking journalistswith relevant information and skills withwhich to improve the level and quality of environmental reporting and specifically ozone issues under the Montreal Protocol
is bearing fruits. ❐
The issue of alternative to methyl bromide i s still a challenge but some alternatives are already providing viable solutions to Africa.
French Speaking African experts express concernover pressure by importers of African agricultural
products to increase use of Methyl BromideJeremy Bazye/ Florence Asher
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1 0 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
Mega-Chad Community-based Project on NaturThreats Faci
Elizabeth Migongo-Bake
miles (10,000 square km) to only 839
square miles (1,350 square km). It was
estimated that, the lake’s size decreased by 30 percent between 1966 and 1975.
The drier climate and high agricultural
demands for water as reasons for shrinking
the lake. In fact irrigation only accounted
for 5 percent of that decrease, with drier
conditions accounting for the remainder.
It was noticed that irrigation demands
increased four-fold between 1983 and
1994, accounting for 50 percent of the
additional decrease in the size of the lake.
This, in turn, led to loss of plant and animal
habitats. Animal populations have droped,
and many larger mammals such as giraffes,
striped hyenas, western kob, bushbuck and
sitatunga are now considered extinct in the
area around the lake.
The inhabitants of this sub-region, with a
population increasing at the rate of 3
percent per year, are mostly resource-poor
pastoralists and peasant farmers who are
forced to exploit the natural resources of
the fragile ecological zone to satisfy their
immediate socio-economic needs. This
situation gives rise to increasing land
degradation which poses a major threat
to biodiversity of both flora and fauna and
indeed to the conservation of specializedplant species, especially in view of the
scanty rainfall characteristic of the area
and the relatively low level of awareness
on the need for environmental protection.
The problem is further exacerbated by the
almost complete reliance on fuel wood for
domestic uses in the sub-region. The
Right on the edge of the world’s
largest, driest desert the Sahara, there lies
a large freshwater lake. The lake is sharedby Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger
who, along with CAR, make up the Lake
Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), whose
name in French is the Commission du
Basin du Lac Chad (CBLT). Its basin
extends over 967,000 km2 and is home
to about 20 million people, according to
LCBC. These include 11.7 million in
Nigeria, 5.0 million in Chad, 2.5 million
in Cameroon, 634,000 in CAR and
193,000 in Niger. It was once the sixth-
largest lake in the world, and was thesecond largest wetland in Africa, but
persistent drought since the 1960s
shrank it to about a tenth of its size.
Lake Chad has always undergone
seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations
because it is less than 23 feet (7 m) deep.
In recent decades, during wet periods the
lake expands up to 10,000 square miles
(25,900 square km). The warming
climate and increasing desertification in
the surrounding Sahel region havedropped water levels far below the
average dry season level of 4,000 square
N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s
Conserving biodiversity in drylands in Lake Chad Basin countries is one of UNEP’s focus
UNEP’s Mega Chad project aims at establishing self-sustained communities in Lake Chad Basin countries including Nigeria ...
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 11
Resources Conservation: UNEP Response to theg Lake Chad
Mohamed Abdel-Monem
inhabitants of the area are also opening
up marginal land areas for cultivation in
a desperate attempt to sustain their
livelihoods. Many plants which are highly adapted to the region and are of great
value to the inhabitants of this area, are
fast disappearing, since the inhabitants
have a culture of exploiting these species
without commensurate attempt to replace
them through deliberate propagation.
Despite the increased aridity, however, the
Mega-Chad area has been noted for its
rich biodiversity in good quality millet,
wheat, rice, melon and date; it also has an
abundance of livestock and fish. The hardy plant species are unique and support a
wide variety of wildlife. The wetlands
associated with Lake Chad and the river
plains provide international haven for the
migrating bird life.
UN EP prom otes self-sustaining
comm unities in a desert-
threatened environment
The trans-boundary areas between
Northeast Nigeria, northern Cameroon,Southwest Chad and the eastern part of
Niger (a sub-region popularly referred to
as Mega-Chad) are essentially arid. Rural
livelihood in this sub-region is based
mainly on transhumance pastoralism and
small-scale dry and irrigated agriculture.Due to increasing pressure on land as a
result of the ever-increasing population,
persisting dry conditions, as well as
inadequate policies hindering free
mobility of pastoralists in the sub-region,
land degradation has become a major
threat to biodiversity of both flora and
fauna and the conservation of plant
species of special concern.
The major threats in the area include
1) Loss of biodiversity due to habitat
loss as a result of uncontrolled
exploitation of vegetal resources. 2)
Increasing rate of land degradation,
which exacerbates the poverty levels of
the inhabitants. This in turn hasnegative implications for global climate
change.
As a response to the pressing issues of
natural resource conservation and
management in Africa, UNEP, through
financial support from the government
of Belgium, is implementing a pilot
project titled “Promotion of the Use of
Renewable Energy Resources and
Conservation of Flora Species in the
Drylands of Mega-Chad of the WestAfrican Sub-Region: Good Practices
Model Village Approach in land
degradation control”. The Project is
known as Mega Chad Project.
The overall objective of the project is
to, through appropriate education and
N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s
And Cameroon.
Supporting the livelihood of dryland communities
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1 2 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
inputs of materials, financial, intellectual
resources and good practices, establish
self-sustaining communities in a desert-
threatened environment.
This coordination of project
implementation is handled by the
University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), incollaboration with the Lake Chad Basin
Commission (LCBC), given its mandate
in the basin, and as the project addresses
issues of concern in the basin as presented
in the 1992 Master Plan document
prepared in collaboration with UNEP.
The Project activities include:
• Demonstration on the use of solar
cookers, biogas digesters and fuel-
efficient stoves as well as training of
women and local artisans on theconstruction and maintenance of
these new technologies.
• Formation and promotion of
environmental social clubs at the
Model Communities as well as
promotion of youth activities and
environmental social clubs.
• Establishment and maintenance of
nurseries on threatened flora species
• Community training on composting,
on-farm soil conservation measures
and other sustainable agricultural
practices
• Community training on rain-water-
harvesting .
• Establishment and maintenance of
wood lots for the propagation of
threatened flora species
• Establishment and promotion of
community-based regulatory and
management frameworks, including
revolving-funds for the purchase and
maintenance of Renewable Energy
Technologies.
• Product ion of leaf le ts and v ideo
documentaries to be used for training.
The Project impact:
• Fue l-ef f ic ient s toves (clay and
sawdust) have been adopted by the
communities very favourably.
Community members have been
trained on fabrication (women for the
clay and men for the metal sawdust
stove). Five prototypes of each were
introduced to each community. The
adoption rate varied from one
community to another. However, it is
estimated that, using Fuel-efficient
stoves can save about 50% of the fuel-
wood consumption.
• Nurseries have been established in all
four countries. The seedlings planted
consist of over-exploited and
threatened indigenous and a few exotic
species of economic, dietary,
medicinal and cultural value to
communities in the project area. These
include species such as Khayasenegalensis, Tamarindus indica,
Boabab spp. And Acacia Senegal.
Between 2 and 5 hectares have been
established as community woodlot
sites and planted with species using
seedlings from the nurseries.
Community members have been
provided with tree seedlings of their
choice, which they have successfully
planted and are managing around
household compounds and farmland.
• Awareness has been raised in the
communities on the need to conserve
biodiversity. School Environmental
Clubs, Women Groups and Social
Environmental Clubs that were
established as part of the project
activities, have been actively involved
in planning and maintenance of
indigenous species both in the
community woodlots and around the
households and farms. Higher impact
rates were found in Cameroon and
Nigeria.
• Awareness has been raised on the use
of solar energy and biogas as
alternatives to the diminishing fuel-
wood resources and local experts are
now available for production of these
at each community. However, as the
two are new technologies, more time
is required for adoption impact.
• The idea of water harves t for
household use has been instilled in the
community and created a potential for
installation of bigger tanks for
conservation of rainwater for use inthe dry season.
• The project has created environmental
awareness amongst the project
communities including youth and
women. Through the youth clubs and
women groups awareness on
environmental issues as related to land
degradation control, especially
deforestation, have been transmitted to
the communities. These groups
through training and awareness-raising
on conservation of trees and adoption
of fuel-efficient stoves and renewable
energy sources has significantly
changed the beneficiary communities’
perceptions on the environment in
general and the natural resources on
their land in particular. These impacts
have been realised beyond the
community boundaries to other
surrounding localities including the
local authorities. ❐
N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s
Community awareness field day.
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 13
I n d u s t r y
African Ministers Meet in Nairobi to tacklethe Sustainable Energy Challenge
A frican Ministers of Energy recently
gathered at the UN Headquarters in
Nairobi, Kenya to discuss practical and
sustainable solutions to energy problems
in the continent. The meeting on energy
and sustainable development held from
7-8 May 2004 was organized by the
United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) in collaboration
with the United Nations Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA) and the
African Union (AU), in Africa, in the
context of the Johannesburg Plan of
Implementation and the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD). This meeting came in
response to a request made by African
ministers during the WSSD in September
2002 and the EU-Energy Initiative
meeting in November 2003. It aimed at
catalyzing the development and
implementation of sound energy policies
and strategies for the development and
management of the region’s energy
resource on a sustainable basis.
The development of renewable energies
was one of the major focus of discussions
as participants reviewed the related key
priorities and policy issues to be included
as a basis for the African Position on
Renewable Energy which will be presented
as their input to International Conference
on Renewable Energy to be held from 5-7
June in Bonn, Germany.
Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP,
said: “The provision of environmentally sound energy services are integral to
poverty alleviation and sustainable
development. Over two billion people in
developing countries do not have access to
reliable forms of energy. Nine out of ten
Africans have no access to electricity”.
“ Providing access to economically viable,
socially acceptable and environmentally
sound energy on a sustainable basis is not
only vital for fighting environmental issues
like global warming but for reducingpoverty and misery in Africa and parts of
Asia and Latin America. Technological
solutions to energy problems are available
today. The challenge remains to introduce
or scale up the application of sustainable
energy services. Similarly, policy and
regulatory challenges remain if these are
to become commercially viable options
and able to compete with conventional and
environmentally harmful energy options
that typically benefit from favourable
pricing conditions and perverse policy incentives”, he said.
Using renewable energy sources means
reducing the release of harmful emissions
into the atmosphere, thus minimising
environmental pollution and the effect of
climate change, reducing the dependence
on fossil fuels, which not only cause wide-
spread environmental damage, but will in
the near future not be freely available any
longer and making use of local resources.
In recent years, numerous projects havebeen initiated, aiming to promote social,
economic and environmental sustainable
development through energy efficiency
and the use of renewable energy sources
such as solar, wind, and geothermal.
UNEP, in collaboration with the UN
Foundation and Ministers from
Denmark, France Germany, and the UK
at WSSD launched the Global Network
on Energy for Sustainable Development
(GNESD), to help all partners to develop
and apply policies suitable to the needsand constraints of developing countries,
thus supporting the use of energy as an
instrument for poverty alleviation and
sustainable development. The Network
is also meant to promote the research,
transfer and take-up of green and cleaner
energy technologies to the developing
world.
ALS
The Global Network on Energy for
Sustainable Development (GNESD) is
a partnership, and was submitted to the
World Summit on Sustainable
Development for recognition as a
“Type Two” partnership project. UNEPhosts a small secretariat for the
Network. ❐
Renewable energy, an opportunity for Africa.
The move to remove lead in petrol in Africais emerging as a real success story.
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1 4 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
I n d u s t r y
African Chart their Way to SustainableConsumption and Production
and strategies implemented in the region.
They also provided the basis for the
institutionalisation of the Regional
Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption
and Production, and identified key areas
of regional focus for the 10-Year
Framework of Programmes on sustainable
consumption and production.
The WSSD gave a new impetus to the need
to achieve more sustainable consumption
and production patterns. The
Johannesburg Plan of Implementation
calls for the development of a 10-year
Framework of Programme on Sustainable
Consumption and Production in support
of the regional and national initiatives.
Following the mandate, UNEP together
with the United Nations Department of
Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA)
have initiated a global and regional
process in order to develop and support
regional initiatives to promote sustainableconsumption and production (SCP). The
main outcomes of the regional meetings/
consultation would be the identification
of regional priorities and needs to achieve
sustainable patterns of consumption and
production, and the development of
regional frameworks/strategies on SCP.
The ARSCP-3 was attended by 70
participants from 31 countries represent-
ing government agencies, Directors and
Deputy Directors of National Cleaner
Production Centres, regional environ-
mental networks, non-governmental
organisations, consumer and youth
associations, industries and academia.
Participants also discussed the charter of
the African Roundtable for Sustainable
Consumption and Production (ARSCP).
This Charter is a response to the need to
create a regional institution that would
provide support to activities at the nationallevel and facilitate regional cooperation on
sustainable consumption and production
activities in the Region. It aims to achieve
industrial economy of African countries
that has effective contribution to the
reduction of poverty, improvement of well
being and improvement of the
environment on a sustainable basis.
The meeting also focused on the devel-
opment of Africa’s priorities in the con-text of the 10 -Year Framework Plan on
Sustainable Consumption and Produc-
tion. This is a follow-up to the recommen-
dation from the World Summit on
Sustainable Development and Interna-
tional Expert Meeting on a 10-Year
Framework of Programmes for Sustain-
able Consumption and Production that
was held in Marrakech in June 2003.
The Roundtable on sustainable consump-
tion and production hosted by theMorocco Ministry of Land Management,
R epresentatives of governments,
business sectors, civil society and
consumer groups met in Casablanca,
Morocco from 17-20 May 2004 for the
Third African Roundtable on Sustainable
Consumption and Production (ARSCP-
3). This African Roundtable was initiated
with the view to facilitate the development
of national and regional capacities for
sustainable consumption and production
and promote the effective implement-
ations of the concepts and tools of
sustainable consumption and production
in African countries.
The overall objective of the ARSCP-3 is
to provide a forum for further
strengthening of the activities on cleaner
production and sustainable consumption
in Africa. Participants to the Roundtable
specifically reviewed the current status of
activities on cleaner production and
sustainable consumption in the regionand shared experiences on best practices
Desta Mebratu
UNEP launched the International Programme on Cleaner Production to increase overall efficiency and reduce risks to humans and environment.
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 15
Water and Environment and the Morocco
Cleaner Production Centre (MCPP) was
organised by the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) in
collaboration with the United Nations
Industrial Development Organisation
(UNIDO).
UNEP launched the International
Programme on Cleaner Production in
1989 with an objective of applying
integrated preventive environmental
strategy to increase overall efficiency and
reduce risks to humans and environment.
In 1994, UNEP and UNIDO joined forces
and launched the National Centre
Production Centres (NCPCs) program-
mes for promoting cleaner production in
developing countries and countries in
transition.
The UNIDO/UNEP Programme for
NCPCs is a unique programme of capacity
development to help achieve adoption and
further development of the cleaner
production concept at the national level.
Over the last ten years, twenty-four National
Cleaner Production Centres (NCPCs) have
been established under the programme in
developing countries and economies in
transition of which nine are in Africa.
With the increasing number of NCPCs
and CP promoting institutions at the
national level, Regional Roundtables
emerged as a useful forum for experience
sharing and information dissemination at
the regional level. UNEP assists the
launching of Regional Roundtables,
particularly in the developing world.
Accordingly, in August 2000, UNEP
organised the First African Roundtable on
Cleaner Production and Consumption in
Nairobi, Kenya. The Second African
Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption
and Production was organised by the
Cleaner Production Centre of Tanzania
(CPCT) in collaboration with UNEP in
January 2002, in Arusha, Tanzania.
Regional Seminar on EMF Emissions
and the Environment A regional seminar on the ‘Impacts of Electromagnetic Field Emissions on the
Environment’ was organised by the Regional Office of the International
Telecommunication Union in collaboration with the Uganda Communication
Commission (UCC) in Kampala. 35 participants drawn from 10 African countries
attended the seminar. Michael Werikhe, Minister of State for Works, Housing and
Communications noted that, ‘much has been said about the technological advancement
in the telecommunication industry and the wide opportunities it offers. It is perhaps
important now that the debate is shifted to the other side of the coin – the effect of
these ICTs on the users and the environment’.
The seminar covered the key features of EMF Emissions, the recent developments withinthe communication industries and the important measures that need to be taken in
order to mitigate their adverse impacts on the environment. The seminar underlined
the need to give an early consideration for the management of the impacts of EMF on
the environment and human health and stressed the importance of having such regional
forums on a continuous basis.
More information about the seminar can be obtained from http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/
worksem/impact/index.html ❐
I n d u s t r y
Measures need to be taken in order to mitigate adverse impact on the environment.
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1 6 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
Africans Trained onClean Development
Mechanism
A‘Regional Workshop on Clean Development Mechanism
(CDM) and LULUCF’ was recently held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
with an objective of enhancing the knowledge of African
negotiators about the Clean Development Mechanism under the
Kyoto Protocol. The workshop, organised by UNEP-RESO in
collaboration with UNEP-DPDL, at the request of the African
Group, underlined the need to enhance the capacities of African
countries to benefit from developing and implementing projects
under the CDM Framework.
Among the issues discussed, participants agreed that CDM will
continue in one or another form creating a significant potential
benefit for the developing world although the full
implementation of CDM at the global level impinges upon the
ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. They also agreed that Africa
is lagging behind in terms of the required preparedness to benefit
from CDM. The enhancement of the technical capacity of local
expertise, which could be involved in the verification of CDM
projects also emerged as essential. These experts would initially
work with ‘Designated Operational Entities’ (DOEs) that are
already accredited by UNFCCC Secretariat with a subsequent
possibility of being an independent DOEs on their own merits.
The need to create a broad awareness amongst the potential CDM
project promoters, both in the public and private sector was
highlighted as critical in terms of getting the maximum possible
benefit from CDM. The presence of a conducive investment
framework for foreign direct investment (FDI) provides a fertile
ground for the promotion of CDM projects in developing
countries. It was agreed that each country could adopt its own
mechanism of ensuring that CDM projects are fulfilling the
sustainable development criteria of the country and that
concerted effort should be made to enhance the capacities of
African countries
Mining and SustainableDevelopment
A ‘Regional Conference on Mining and Sustainable
Development’ was held last November in Johannesburg, South
Africa. The Conference was organised by the Chamber of Mines
of South Africa under the theme ‘Implementing Sustainable
Development in Mining: From Talk to Action’. The conference
was attended by more than three hundred eighty participants
from over 12 countries. Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi,
Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism
underlined the importance of the development of the mining
sector on a sustainable basis for the development of the region.
She also stressed the strong linkages between mining, tourism
and environment and noted that the mining industry can play asignificant role in the protection of the environment and thereby
the promotion of tourism.
Some progress has been made by the mining industries to address
the key environmental issues related to the sector. However, there
is a need to shift towards addressing the nexus challenges at the
inter-phase of the environmental, economic and social
dimension. Discussions on the key challenges with respect to
the sustainable development of the mining sector lead to
consensus points on how to promote the sustainable
development of the mining sector in the region.
More on the conference could be obtained from http://
www.bullion.org.za/. ❐
I n d u s t r y
The Mining Industry can play a significant role ...
... in the protection of the environment.
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 17
Africa Environment Outlook-2: InnovativeApproach to Environmental Reporting
T he production of the Africa
Environment Outlook-2 takes a crucial
step as experts from many stakeholders,
including sub-regional economic bodies
from across the continent have finalized
the structure of the second edition of
this authoritative and comprehensive
report on the state of the environment
in Africa.
AEO-2, which is being prepared in the
context of the Action Plan of the
Environment Initiative of the New
Partnership for Africa’s Development
(NEPAD), the World Summit for
Sustainable Development (WSSD) Plan
of Implementation, international agreed
goals under the Millennium
Declaration, and various multilateral
environmental agreements will profile
Africa’s environmental resources as anasset for the continent’s development. It
will highlight the potential of the
region’s natural resource base to support
the development agenda of NEPAD and
the opportunity cost of its misuse. It will
serve also as a monitoring and
evaluation tool for the implementation
of the programmes and activities
contained in the NEPAD Environment
Action Plan.
One of the functions of AEO as a
monitoring tool is to keep track of
environmental problems and solutions,
and bring them to the attention of policy
makers. The second edition of Africa
Environment Outlook will review issues
such as land, forests and woodlands,
Atmosphere, Freshwater, Biodiversity,
Coastal and marine, Human Settlements,
using the AEO-1 report as the baseline.
The new report which will be launchedin 2006 will take a closer look at the
emerging challenges facing the continent
such as conflict and environment, human
vulnerability to extreme environmental
events and natural disasters, vulnerabil-
ity of Small Island Developing States, ge-
netically modified organisms (GMOs)
and the environment, the changing de-
mography, Non-timber forest products
such as flora and fauna, especially bush
meat, emergence of new and re-emer-
gence of old diseases, ecosystem services,
trade and environment, the effect of non-
environmental agreements on the envi-
ronment in Africa, transboundary
resources use, especially groundwater.
Other themes such as Health and
environment, Energy, Technology
solutions, Natural disasters and
environmental performance, Gender
disparities will be considered as cross-cutting issues.
Different development paths towards
achieving MDGs will also be examined,
based on selected scenarios. The time
horizon for the outlook will be the year
2025 in order to be in harmony with the
national development visions and poverty
reduction strategies, which have already
been developed by a number of countries
in the region.
The report will underscore the concept of
sustainable livelihoods, and the
importance of the environmental
initiatives in supporting them in an
innovative approach that places the
human being at the center of sustainable
development. This approach is focused on
adding value to what exists or remains by
using it efficiently to derive maximum
benefit to alleviate poverty. It also includes
mitigating the constraints and negativeeffects, maximizing the total value of
Africa’s natural asset and safeguarding
and improving the remaining asset in
terms of ecosystem and economicgoods and services and social value/
services at the national and community/
household levels.
The production of the first AEO Report
was a learning experience for all
concerned. It was a new departure for
SOE reporting in Africa, a new concept
without antecedents. Taking the lessons
from AEO-1 on board, the process for
AEO-2 will have guidelines set up from
the beginning, taking into account andtackling the difficulties experienced in
the first report. These guidelines
provide a reference point for all players
in the AEO-2 process, and are meant to
streamline, the presentation of data
gathered, analyzed and interpreted at
the sub-regional to regional levels. ❐
ALS
A f r i c a E n v i r o n m e n t O u t l o o k
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1 8 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6
The Environmental Convergence Of African Youth
‘ An ocean is the convergence of water
drops.’ This ancient African saying sums
up the spirit of the Africa Environment
Outlook for Youth. From Lagos to Cape
Town, Nairobi to Cairo, St. Louis to
Libreville, African youth are united in the
AEO-for-Youth process. Commissioned
by the Africa Ministerial Conference on
the Environment (AMCEN), AEO-for-
Youth is an unprecedented initiative that
is geared towards mobilizing the African youth into a collective process that will
result in a youth version of the Africa
Environment Outlook Report. This
initiative is a part of the Division of Early
Warning Assessment of UNEP and was
conceived by the African Youth Caucus
that met in Nairobi in February 2003 for
UNEP’s Governing Council meeting. The
initiative upholds close-working relations
with other arms of UNEP, more so ROA,
GEO and the UNEP program of work
related to youth and education. AEO-for-
Youth will especially work closely with
TUNZA, UNEP’s long-term strategy for
youth.
The AEO-for-Youth Publication will
combine the scientific information in
AEO with illustrations, short case studies,
poems, photos, quotes and opinions on
environmental issues submitted by
African youth in a format that appeals to
them. Through such participation, theenvironmental awareness and action
amongst young people will be increased.
From its very inception, AEO-for-Youth
has been youth driven. Six youth from
Africa’s six sub-regions were elected to
oversee the implementation of AEO-for-
Youth in their respective sub-regions.
These six Sub-Regional Officers are
working hand in hand with DEWA’s
Collaborating Centers. At the National
level, National Focal Points have beenidentified to oversee national
implementation.
The process has gained momentum and
African youth are already writing articles
on the atmosphere while others are takingphotos of the flora and fauna. Some are
drawing coastal features, while others are
coming up with illustrations on the forests
and freshwater. And it doesn’t stop here.
African youth are also writing honestly
and objectively on issues that affect them
closely like land and urbanization.
Through it all, they are striking a positive
chord as they speak out optimistically on
the state of the environment and human
vulnerability to this state. Youth are alsospotlighting the future of the environment
as they write on different scenarios of the
future, in relation to the main AEO
Report.
Sustained and informed youth activity in
environmental matters can be achieved
through sustained and strategic
collaborative effort, as exhibited in AEO-
for-Youth. As African youth struggle for a
better tomorrow, their efforts are often
hampered by a series of challenges like
conflict, famine, acute unemployment and
AIDS. Due to these numerous challenges,
youth often find it immensely difficult tofind a place for environment on their
priority lists. As the name suggests, AEO-
for-Youth has fully prioritized both the
youth and the environment. This will give
youth a voice even as it gives the
environment youthful and energized
advocates. Through the six sub-regional
frameworks and National Focal Points,
AEO-for-Youth appreciates the different
sub-regional contexts within which youth
live in. This also enables a bottom-upstructure that ensures the full participation
of youth at the grassroots level. Indeed,
AEO-for-Youth is both a wake-up calls for
the African Society to give youth an
audience and for African Youth to speak
out on environmental issues, even as they
engage in environmental initiatives.
Through AEO-for-Youth, African youth
have already signed on, and are still signing
on, for environmental action. ❐
David John Bwakali, AEO-for-Youth Regional Officer
Y o u t h a n d C h i l d r e n
AEO-for-Youth: Mobili zing the African youth.
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ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 19
African Delegates at the First Youth and ChildrenConference on the Environment in Brazil:
Strengthening the South-SouthCo-operation in Protecting the Environment
Constantino Mendes, Ecological Youth of Angola
A bout Ten young African delegates
mainly from Portuguese countries
attended the First Youth and Children
Conference on the Environment in
Brazil recently. This Conference
brought together young participants
from 15.148 schools across Brazil,
representatives of Indigenous People
and over 10 international observers
from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea
Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, South
Africa, Mexico and India.
Their participation was facilitated by
UNEP’s Regional Office for Africa, in
pursuance of UNEP’s strategy to create a
global movement in which children and
youth worldwide will massively and
actively participate in environmental
activities.
The First Children and Youth
Conference on the Environment
convened in Brasilia aimed at
mobilizing youth leaders in caring for
the environment, establishing
partnerships, and producing a Youth
Vision Charter with proposals for a
sustainable environment from young
people to the government of Brazil and
the world. Issues discussed included
Y o u t h a n d C h i l d r e n
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