Our Vision for the Green Climate Fund, by GCF CSO Observers Network

 

A group of feminists, who gathered at a recent forum under the aegis of the Women’s Environment & Development Organization (WEDO), has said that its vision for the Green Climate Fund (GCF) is for the facility to be one that responds swiftly to the climate finance needs of those who are at the frontlines of climate change and bearing the heaviest burdens of its impacts.

A member of the Women and Gender Constituency (WGC), Ms. Titi Akosa, who is Executive Director, Centre for 21st Century Issues, made the submission in a presentation titled “Vision for the GCF” on April 27, 2023, when WEDO hosted a special webinar session on the GCF replenishment for the WGC.

The webinar, designed for WGC network members to better understand, appreciate, and support an ambitious second replenishment of the GCF, explored the fundamental question of why feminist civil society should care about the GCF replenishment, recognizing interlinkages with an overarching feminist climate and climate finance demands. It was themed: “GCF Replenishment: Why feminist civil society should engage.”

According to Akosa, the GCF should likewise be a fund that ensures a rights-based approach for delivering climate finance for locally held adaptation actions.

Akosa, who spoke alongside two other alternate CSO Active Observers to the GCF, Liane Schalatek and Tara Daniel, stressed that the GCF should enable processes that present opportunities for feminists to engage and realize their vision. 

“Also, the GCF should display robust gender policy and gender action plans, stakeholder consultation, country ownership and direct access,” she stated, adding: “We as feminists should continue to engage the process up to the local level.”

The GCF CSO observer network had earlier called for an ambitious second replenishment that more than doubles the resources committed under GCF-1, in line with ongoing efforts to set a New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance that is needs-based and drastically more than the current US $100 billion goal.

They urged developed country Parties to contribute their fair share to the GCF replenishment, especially those countries that have not contributed, only contributed in the initial resource mobilization

, or not fulfilled their pledges in the past, and to deliver 100% of their commitments in the form of grants.

“While voluntary contributions from other Parties are welcome, we urge developed country Parties to be the primary contributors for GCF-2, in line with the Paris Agreement and their obligations under the UNFCCC and international law. A successful GCF replenishment serves as a clear sign of Parties’ commitment to the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

Credit: EnviroNewsNG

Stakeholders set agenda for Climate Change Mitigation during World Health Day

 

The occasion was the seventh World Health Day organized by the Centre for 21st Century Issues (C21st) on Friday April 7, 2023. The event was also used to mark the 75th anniversary of the World Health Organization (WHO).

The theme of the event which was held virtually with participation of valued stakeholders from all parts of the world was “The Health System in a Changing Climate".

The tone for the event was set by the Program Manager of the Centre, Mrs. Titilola Kazeem-Arnold who expressed the desire of her organization to partner all relevant stakeholders both at home and abroad in finding lasting solutions to the scourge which threatens human existence.

To achieve the desire for working out a sustainable blueprint for stemming the tide, Kazeem-Arnold stated that the Centre took extra care to select experts with practical experience to speak on the various topics that have been identified for discussion at the event.  

“The speakers and participants for this event have been drawn from the health system and the environmental community,”  she said, adding that the issue of climate change should be mainstreamed into the global discourse as a means of sustaining human existence.

According to her, millions of people across the globe suffer some form of negative impact from the effects of climate change directly or indirectly, saying the major impact has been seen in the extreme weather events, disruption in the food system.

She stated that the event was specifically put in place to appraise the impact of climate change in the global health system, particularly in West Africa with specific focus on Nigeria, adding that the event was also aimed at not only identifying the problems but to also articulate solutions to the problems in a more sustainable manner.

In her opening remarks, the Executive Director of C21st, Ms Gbemisola Akosa echoed Kazeem-Arnold to stated that participants are renowned global experts with cognate experience in the health and environmental communities with a view to do justice to the task of appraising the theme of the event.

Akosa apologized for the timing of the event which fell within the Easter celebration period when Christians all over the world were celebrating the death and resurrection of Christ all over the world.

She stated that her Centre decided to go ahead with the event as the day fell on the precise date that had been earmarked for marking the day and that it was not expedient to shift it away as it is customary globally.

The climate and gender activist stated that the impact of climate change has been so disruptive to human existence, with specific regards to global health which is constantly reeling under its negative impacts.

She acknowledged efforts of various organizations` such as the United Nations through many of its agencies and other numerous institutional and individual partners for doing a lot to stem the tide using data and advocacy as tools.

According to her, concerted efforts must be made by all and sundry to assist these numerous institutions in ensuring a more sustaining world free of the pangs of climate change in the world.

Akosa urged speakers and participants to clearly identify all the issues attached to the scourge with a view to fashion out workable solutions for solving the problems in the interest of humanity.

The Lead Speaker, Dr. Ayodotun Bobadoye who is the Chief Operating Officer of Global Emerging Pathogens Treatment Consortium (GET). He is also an Associate Professor of Environmental Biosecurity at the Forestry Research Institute (FRIN) titled his paper, “Addressing Ecological Determinants of Human Health and Ecosystem.

He started by identifying Mother Earth as the basis for studying the scourge in terms of its negative impact on the ecosystem with respect to global wellbeing of both the flora and fauna assets of the country.

Bobadoye stated that concerted efforts must be made to protect the Earth as giver of life to humanity and other living and non-living that dependent on it for sustainability, saying if we fail to protect the Earth, it would not be able to take care of humanity and all others who depend on it for survival.

While listing the various determinants for good health, Bobadoye stated that ecological determinants have had so much impact on the well-being of humanity in the last few years when the pang of climate change is being felt by humanity.

To him, the components of ecology to which humanity depends on for its survival include, the air, water and food, saying anything that affects these three elements will impact positively or otherwise the collective wellbeing of man.

“The impact of climate change on the quality of air we breathe affects, the food we eat and the water we drink affect and impact positively or negatively on our individual and collective wellbeing,” he said.

He attributed the upsurge in the number of diseases plaguing humanity to the scourge saying these diseases are carried by vectors and quality of air available to humanity especially in the third world countries.

While tracing the evolution of climate change, he stated that the changes that have occurred in the weather pattern, particularly the frequency of rainfall and heat wave is also a cause for concern for the health of humanity with respect to their wellbeing.

He stated that rainfall patterns have disrupted the ecosystem prompting security and water related crises amongst communities in Africa just as it has impacted negatively on personal or communal sanitation in various countries making up the continent.

According to him, the impact is even becoming pronounced in the health sector prompting upsurge in vector induced diseases such as malaria and the likes which is even more becoming so prevalent across the continent.

Apart from irregular water supply through rainfall and drought occasioned by drying up of lakes and rivers, Bobadoye stated that air pollution is also a factor in the scourge saying the quality has dropped significantly necessitating health issues amongst the citizens.

He added that uncontrolled human settlement development efforts have even exposed humanity to airborne diseases carried by animals which are eventually transmitted to man from animals.

On the way forward, he stated that “For us to address the problem of public health, we need to take care of our neighbours adequately. Who are our neighbours? I mean the plants and animals we live with. We have to take care of the Earth which God has given to us all.”

While advocating for what he termed “One Health”, Bobadoye stated that humanity needs to take into cognizance, issues of plant, animal and human health as another means of combating the scourge.

He stated that humanity cannot live outside its environment; he concluded that humanity needs to evolve inter-disciplinary methods to address the problem, saying it would cater effectively for plant, animal and human health as a connective mode to sustain global wellbeing of all living things.

A health researcher, consultant and scholar with the Federal University, Akure; Mrs. Oluwaseun Lawal in her paper titled “The Impact of Climate Change on Healthcare: Issues and Challenges took an holistic overview of healthcare and system put in place to manage it.

Like Bobadoye, she linked human activities to the scourge of climate change, saying human health and wellbeing have been badly affected and vector causing diseases relating to the phenomenon, saying no fewer than 400,000 people are lost to the problem on an annual basis due to diseases related to climate change.

“This data is so scary and we have been told that the figure will rise up to 700,000 fatalities by the year 2030,” she said, adding that 2.5 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product is lost to the scourge.

According to her, the damage to the global health system amounts to between $2 to 4 billion annually    when quantified, saying the cost is resultant from too much demand on the health system facilities owing to increase in prevalence of diseases globally.

Lawal also highlighted impacts of climate change induced fatalities, which she stated usually impact negatively on healthcare delivery as these natural disasters disrupt supply chains thus reducing access of those who seek cure and remedy from healthcare providers. 

She also linked the prevailing issue of malnutrition to climate owing to the fact that the continent has witnessed so much distribution in the pattern of rainfall and other occurrences of natural disasters which has impacted negatively on food production necessitating food shortage.

According to her, “Globally, the healthcare sector emits 4.4 per cent of global greenhouse gas emission,” and that the multilateral funding or support for the sector has been very low and insignificant for so long.

She stated that over 24 million people across the globe have been left without access to healthcare services from providers across the world with a call on governments across the world to scale up the budget for the sector and that materials to be deployed for the envisaged infrastructure upgrade must be tailored towards the reduction of greenhouse emission.

This she said must go hand in hand with training of personnel on the issues around climate change as well as deployment of climate friendly tools in the day-to-day operations of these personnel in the discharge of their duties.

An infectious disease consultant with the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Dr. Adefolarin Opawoye in his paper titled “Pathway to Climate Resilient Health System in Nigeria” spoke on how the country’s healthcare have evolved adaptive measures against climate change.

He started his paper with a call on government officials in the healthcare sector to understand all the issues around climate change with a view to developing a workable framework but he however lamented that the sector has faced so much in terms of brain drain and underfunding from government over the years to be able to turn things around urgently.

Specifically, he listed impacts that climate change have made in the sector to include, damage to facilities, disruption of healthcare supply chain and brain drain of personnel needed to man the sector effectively.

Opawoye listed four cardinal climate change mitigation plan such as effective disease monitoring and surveillance mechanism, improvement in the laboratory services, disease reporting systems as well as improvements in the public health emergency systems in the country.

Other measures include public awareness, community participation in advocacy as well as use of adaptive policies and tools. He also called for political will for multi-lateral cooperation amongst all stakeholders on the path of government.

Rounding off the event was the vote of thanks offered by the Programmes of the Centre, Mrs. Titilola Kazeem-Arnold who thanked both participants and resource persons for the attendance stated that the event indeed generated some solutions to the problem with a call on everyone to be at the vanguard of safeguarding the world from the pang of climate change.

Africa Policymakers highlights opportunities at the Africa Climate Week

The Africa Climate Week (ACW) is the first of three annual regional climate events this year to chart a pathway for Africa to the UN Climate Action Summit happening in New York in September, 2019. At the summary event of the ACW on Friday, March 22nd, African policymakers presented the key takeaways to Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, UN Secretary-General`s Special Envoy for this year`s Climate Action Summit, who will pass them on for deliberation at the September gathering. These takeaways were organized around three themes which were the focus of discussions at the Climate Week- CITIES & LOCAL ACTION, ENERGY TRANSITION, AND NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS and which correspond directly to three of the `Transformational Areas` that the United Nations Secretary-General has specially selected to guide the Summit in New York City later in the year. The highlights from the ACW centred around the following: • Africa has solutions to climate change which need to be scaled up and participants across sectors are mobilized for taking action because we can go much farther if we all go together. • Africa Youth have the potentials for taking action on climate change and as a matter of urgency, the continent must harness their enthusiasm and strengthen their capacities, • African policymakers are now concertedly focusing on the opportunities of their countries` Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). NDCs are national climate action plans under the Paris Agreement. . Securing this level of progress is a necesaary investment for the future of our planet, that needs to be facilitated with proper enabling environments and regionally-tailored financial instruments, such as green climate bonds, special-purpose bonds and crowdfunding platforms. The world is currently at a tipping point and further delay may be hazardous. This year is a unique chance to take action on climate change and we sincerely hope that world leaders at the climate summit deliver on their promises and commitments towards the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and that the September Summit would deliver not just documents of declaration, but a concrete list of actions to be taken to achieve our goals. #AfricAfricaClimateWeek #climateaction #climatesolutions #youthaction

Africa Climate Week 2019

Africa Climate Week (ACW) 2019 hosted by the Government of Ghana between 18th and 22nd March is organized by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). ACW 2019 is a wholly inclusive, "go-to" hub for showcasing ground-breaking action in the Africa region on the implementation of the countries Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and climate action to deliver on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and the Agenda 2030. As a stakeholder, participating in this event is important in amplifying the voices of the most vulnerable- smallscale women farmers, grassroots women, and youth while influencing and informing the outcomes of the ACW.

Information Leaflet on Voters Registration Exercise in Lagos State.

CLIMATE CHANGE AND AGRICULTURE IN NIGERIA

The Federal Republic of Nigeria is in West Africa between Latitudes 4° to 14° North and between Longitudes 2°2` and 14° 30` East. To the north, the country is bounded by the Niger Republic and Chad; in the west by the Benin Republic, in the East by Cameroon Republic and to the south by the Atlantic Ocean. Environment of Nigeria (FMEN, 2011) 1993 estimate of irrigated land is 9 570km² and arable land about 35%; 15% pasture; 10% forest reserve; 10% for settlements and the remaining 30% considered uncultivable for one reason or the other. Nigeria is a country with diverse agro-ecological zones, seasons, crops and farming systems. For a majority of people in Nigeria, to this day, agriculture is the main source of livelihood and contributing over 40% of the country`s total GDP. Agriculture is one of the sectors most vulnerable to global climate change impact; the impact is even stronger in Nigeria as it is inherently sensitive to climate variability and climate Change is already impacting on Nigerian Agriculture in various direct and indirect ways. This obviously means an impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of Nigerians, where agriculture is truly essential for the daily subsistence, and where adaptive capacity is low. IPCC (2007) indicated that smallholder and subsistent farmers will suffer complex, localized impacts of climate change. Climate change is already manifesting itself in many ways across the country. Among the indicators, is the 150 percent above normal rainfall that lashed the country in 2012 leaving many homeless, destroying and sacking farm lands? Uncertainties in the onset of the farming season, due to changes in rainfall characteristics; Extreme weather events such as thunderstorms, heavy winds, and floods, devastate farmlands and can lead to crop failure; Insecurity – conflict between farmers and pastoralist and parts of the country that experienced soil erosion and operate rain-fed agriculture could have decline in agricultural yield of up to 50 % between 2000 – 2020 due to increasing impact of climate change (Agoumi, 2003; IPCC, 2007). While climate change affects Nigerian farming and farmers` livelihoods adversely, the converse is also true- Nigerian agriculture, even if not in the same degree as the developed world`s agriculture, does contribute to climate change, Farming activities – bush burning, over grazing, fertilizer application etc. Extreme and unpredictable weather conditions are part of the reality of climate change even as temperature rise and changes in rainfall, changes in pest and disease incidence etc., will also be the stark reality for farmers. What the situation then requires are RESILIENT AND ADAPTIVE FARMING SYSTEMS with the least amount of loss to the productive resources, production and the farmer. One of the most important requirements for adaptation would be farmers` knowledge, in negotiating complex agro-systems. Several large organic farming projects across the world have built successful institutional models for systematic support for farmers` knowledge, innovation and constant enhancement. This forms a key part of the adaptation potential for sustainable agriculture. To address extreme weather conditions, organic farms will be better suited. The better drainage and water holding capacity of organic soils reduces the risk of drought and soil erosion. For instance, Organic farming practices are in a good position to maintain productivity in the event of drought, irregular rainfall events and rising temperatures, notes a technical paper from International Trade Center (WTO) and FiBL. This paper notes that soils under organic management retain significantly more rainwater, thanks to the “sponge properties” of organic matter. Water percolation is 15-20% more in organic systems. Water capture in organic plots was twice as high as conventional plots during torrential rains, which in turn reduces the risk of floods. The most important component of organic systems – diversity- contributes a lot to the resilience of organic farms. Enhanced biodiversity of organic farms have several positive implications- pest prevention, and similar effects on diseases, better utilization of soil nutrients and water etc. organic farming is also associated with decreased irrigation needs by about 30-50%. This becomes an important part of adaptation in drought conditions. Given the mitigation and adaptation potential of organic systems, as well as the potential to increase food security, it becomes imperative to shift agriculture in Nigeria towards more ecological farming models which are sustainable. Further, sustainable agriculture holds great potential for meeting global and national food security requirements even as it leads to improvement of farmers` livelihoods through enhancing their net incomes and improving the productivity of their resources in the long run. KAZEEM AISHA TITILOLA

FOR A GREEN LAND WE MUST BE GREEN

“History teaches us that one of the most effective ways to pull people and entire Nations out of poverty is to invest in their Agriculture”. -Barack Obama. Human Environmental and Development Agenda (HEDA Resource centre) is one of the reputable non- governmental organisations in the field of sustaining the environment in Lagos, Nigeria organised a 4-day program for young people from 8th-11th October, 2012 tagged “Promoting Youth-centred activities in raising awareness and mobilising public support for Food Security and Livelihoods Protection” as part of their commitment to ending hunger, advancing food security while protecting the livelihoods of small scale farmers. The program, which encourages young people to advocate for small scale farmers and inspire them to embracing agriculture; understand the nitty- gritty of food production and distribution and use of social media as a tool for advocacy. Participating in the program helped improve my understanding of the issues plaguing small-scale farmers and use of social media as a tool for advancing my work objectives, it helped to deepen my knowledge of and interest in Agriculture. It also served as an eye opener that Nigerians are majorly fed by SSF and kept as safe as the ancient monks from the perils of the world`s hunger, homelessness and starvation and; made us realize that as young people, we can be the swords of change by giving voice to the voiceless-the small scale farmers. Amazingly, despite my being a graduate of agriculture, I never knew that cassava has seeds. Not only was I stunned seeing cassava seeds, I also couldn’t resist the urge of picking some as take away. Another profound experience I had during the program, one that left an indelible mark on me and makes me to question the decision of the federal government in purchasing and distributing 10 million mobile phones to farmers in Nigeria was the interaction I had with farmers at Oke-Osun narrating their ordeals. I had a one-on one- interaction with a woman farmer in Ilesa, Osun State. These people are faced with numerous challenges ranging from lack of access to basic services- such as information, land, water, extension services; lack of voice; fertilizers; low income etc yet, they strive to bring food to millions of Nigerian households using their available resources but still wallow in poverty. A vegetable farmer on her leased plot in Ilesa, Osun State. These challenges make Nigerian small-scale farmers extremely vulnerable than most to changes-global climate change that are beyond their control. So, this makes me wonder that in light of the weight faced by these farmers, the federal government is offering to distribute 10 million mobile phones to farmers, as if this should be the priority of the government in addressing issues faced by small scale farmers. It is indisputable that inadequate access of farmers to agricultural information is a key factor limiting the sector’s development in Nigeria and that mobile phones usage in some parts of the world has provided unique platforms towards food security efforts but IS THIS REALLY WHAT THE NIGERIAN RURAL FARMERS NEED NOW? Instead of distributing mobile phones, why not collate farmers’ number through Nigerian Communication Commission database and address the inadequate information via this means? Nigerian government needs to have a rethink on this decision as there is a great need for paradigm shift in information dissemination and management with clear understanding and consideration to the needs of farmers. There is also need to revisit and re- packages the extension workers and services for harnessing the potential in sustainable agriculture, being a resilient farming system to achieve food security. If we have to think, we can as well think big as a country and stop replicating actions and deeds from other countries which might not be good enough for our country.