Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, November 2007 ~ United Nations Environment Programme

8/9/2019 Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, November 2007 ~ United Nations Environment Programme

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ROA NEWS ISSUE NO. 13 1

ROA NewsROA NewsUNEP ROA News is a Newsletter o the Regional Ofce or Arica (ROA) at UNEP, Nairobi, Kenya

No 13 July 2008

Linking AfricA to copenhAgen:Aa Mss Ma Way a

cmsv Say a clma carm By 2012

The 12th session o the Arican

Ministerial Conerence on theEnvironment was held rom 7-12

June 2008 at the Sandton International

Convention Centre in Johannesburg, SouthArica. The main objective o this sessionwas to provide a platorm or environmentministers to review the progress made inthe implementation o the action planor the environment initiative o the NewPartnership or Aricas Development(NEPAD) with the view to enhancing itsimplementation.

The twelth session also provided an op-portunity or environment ministers to ad-dress emerging environmental challengesin Arica, particularly issues related to cli-

C O N t E N t S

Linking Arica to Copenhagen: Arican Ministers Map the Way to aComprehensive Strategy or a Climate Change Regime Beyond 2012

Interview with Peter Acquah, Secretary o the Arican MinisterialConerence on the Environment

Aricas Climate Roadmap: rom Johannesburg to Copenhagen

Arican Civil Societys Participation: Communiqu o Arican CivilSociety Organizations (CSOs) to the 12th Session o AMCEN

Aricas Vision or International Environmental Governance

Third Arica Environment Outlook Process and the AricaEnvironment Inormation Network

Implementation o the Action plan or the Environment Initiativeo the New Partnership or Aricas Development

Arica Environment Days Celebrations Go Regional

Enhancing Environmental Education and Technology-supportedLearning in Arica

Arica: Atlas o Our Changing Environment

Chemicals and Hazardous Waste Management

Arican Ministerial Conerence on the Environment JohannesburgDeclaration on the Environment or Sustainable Development

Fith Arican Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption andProduction (ARSCP-5)

Special Conerence o Parties to the Abidjan Convention BringsNew prospects or Coastal and Marine Environment in the AtlanticCoast o Arica

Climate Change Grips Finance and Development Ministers

First Inter-Ministerial Conerence on Health and Environmentin Arica

China Arica Cooperation

Launching Bridges Across rom Latin America to AricaUniversity Students rom Colombia visit UNEP

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Mr. Marhinus van Schalkwyk, Presiden of he AfricanMiniserial Conference on he Environmen, Miniser ofEnvironmenal Affairs and tourism of Souh Africa

During our Presidency o AMCEN, South Arica will seek to strengthen and support theimplementation o the Johannesburg Plan o Implementation across the Arican Continent. It

is in this very venue o the Sandton Convention Centre that the global community gatheredunder the slogan people, planet, prosperity to participate in the World Summit on SustainableDevelopment more than ve years ago. It is also here where the WSSD gave birth to theJohannesburg Plan o Implementation. At that time we recognized that poverty and global

inequality were the greatest threats to sustainable development. It is this very challengethat aces us today in the ace o even greater threats o climate change and environmentaldegradation.

It is in particular in the climate change negotiations that Arica would need to stand togetherover the next two years. Our message is that Arica will not be divided and will be well-prepared

or these negotiations.

As South Arica assumes the Chair o AMCEN at this 12th Session, our commitment is to

strengthen AMCEN as the key Arican Ministerial Forum to lead policy dialogues and improveco-ordination in the environmental sphere. Our message or this gathering is that we are readyto assist in shaping and building a cohesive Arican environmental agenda. We look orward to

doing so by working closely with all our colleagues and partners on the continent.

mate change. On assuming the presidency,Mr. Marthinus van Schalkwyk emphasizedthat AMCEN had a key role to play in har-

monizing programmes and initiatives inArica, especially those related to climatechange. Expressing concern about the ap-

Mr. Marthinus van Schalkwyk, President of

AMCEN

Mr. Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director


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2 ROA NEWS ISSUE NO. 13

A M C E N 1 2 t h S E S S I O N

ivw w p Aqua,Say Aa Msal

c evm

ROA News: the 12th session is over and isviewed as an important milestone, not only inthe history of AMCEN

Peter Acquah: Organizing the 12th sessionposed a special challenge since a new or-mat was used or this regular session oAMCEN. This however oered a uniqueopportunity or UNEP to work as one. Iwish to thank everyone or the invaluablecontribution towards the success o this12th session o AMCEN. United NationsEnvironment Programmes team, led by theExecutive Director, made a remarkable im-pact at the session. I had very positive eedback rom many delegations. As you mayrecall when the new President o AMCEN,Hon. Marthinus van Schalkwyk o SouthArica, ormally announced the closure othe 12th session, he proclaimed it a successand publicly thanked UNEP and AMCENSecretariat or the proessional way the ses-sion was organized and substantively sup-ported to make it a resounding (emphasismine) success.

ROA News: what are the major outcomesthat made this session so special?P.A.: There were a number o signicantoutputs or the 12th session and these in-cluded the AMCEN Johannesburg Dec-

laration on Environment or SustainableDevelopment; the President o AMCENssummary on the ministerial policy dia-

logue on Climate change- Bali Action Plan;Financing climate change and NEPAD en-vironmental programmes and projects; and

International Environmental Governance inthe context o UN reorms; Eight Decisionsand the indicative Work programme or the2009 2010 biennium. The eight Decisionswere made on the ollowing issues:

Implementation o the Action Plan orthe Environment Initiative o NEPAD

Climate Change Constitution o AMCEN Status and use o the general trust und

or AMCEN Chemicals and hazardous waste manage-

ment Environmental education and technol-

ogy supported learning Arica Environment Day Arica Environment Outlook

The Decision on climate change is a land-mark one and it oers an opportunity and amajor challenge to AMCEN Secretariat vis--vis its implementation. The Decision werein two parts; namely, Aricas preparations or developing a

common negotiating position on a com-prehensive international climate change

regime beyond 2012; and Comprehensive ramework o Arican

climate change programmes

One o the highlights o this 12th session wasthe launch oAfrica - Atlas of Our Chang-ing Environmentby the out going President

o AMCEN (Minister o Environment oCongo). This was a memorable event whichthe world press covered extensively.

ROA News: During the 12th session the issueof half full-half empty came up in relationto the implementation of environmental programmes /projects in Africa. Where doyou see Africa standing at this point?P.A.: Some modest progress is being madein Arica but Arican countries still need tobe encouraged to do more. This vexed ques-tion o is it hal-ull or hal-empty vis--visactivities being undertaken in Arica was elo-quently answered by Marco Gonzalez, Execu-tive Secretary o the Montreal Protocol. In hisbrie presentation at the Ministerial session,he clearly illustrated the act that the optionprevailing or Arica now is the hal ull. Heemphasized that Arica as a continent hadbeen a leader in the Montreal Protocol. Hewent on to commend Arican States on theirimplementation o and compliance with theProtocol, noting Aricas strong commitmentand willingness to play a signicant role inglobal environmental protection.

We should start celebrating our successeseven when we still have some challengesconronting us.p

Mr. Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director

AMCEN, as part o the Arican Union and as the driving orce on the environment in NewPartnership or Aricas Development (NEPAD), has a critical role in shaping current and uturechoices. Arica is vulnerable to cl imate change, but does not have to be a vict im o climate change.The dening moment or action and or infuencing the uture is now. Here in Johannesburg.

The Bali Road Map - the two year negotiation under the climate change convention - has 18months to run. A deep and decisive agreement must be achieved by the climate conventionmeeting in Copenhagen in 2009. An agreement that is inclusive - that involves all nations withcommon but dierentiated responsibilities. An agreement that includes not only deep cuts ingreenhouse gases by developed countries. But one that addresses the needs and opportunitiesor developing nations not least those in Arica. Opportunities or cleaner and renewable energieso which Arica has abundant but untapped potential. Opportunities to include tropical orests - inwhich Arica is also rich - in the suite o climate change solutions either via a und or via inclusionin the carbon markets. Opportunities to climate proo economies and in doing so contribute toaddressing poverty and the achievement o the Millennium Development Goals.

I we ail to combat climate change, the recessions o today will be as nothing to those o theuture. But i we can navigate the Bali Road Map to a successul conclusion - putting an everhigher price on carbon - there is every chance that we can unlock some and indeed more oAricas huge potential.

parent divide-and-rule policy ollowed

by the developed countries in relation to

climate change, he stressed the need or

Arica to put in place agreed common

positions on climate change, in order to

combat such divisive tactics, and pledged

the determination o South Arica to strive

to attain the objectives o AMCEN.

This special issue o ROA News highlights

the major outcomes o the 12th Session o

AMCEN.p


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AfricAS cLiMAte roAdMAp:m Jasbu ca

The United Nations Climate Change

Conerence held in Bali, Indonesia,in December 2007 resulted in the

agreement on the Bali Action Plan, which

set 2009 as the end date or negotiations on

strengthening the climate regime beyond

2012. The Bali Action Plan oered Arica

the opportunity to build consensus on the

complex issues o climate change and sus-

tainable development, to the benet o the

continent. It was thereore critical or Ari-

can Ministers to lay the building blocks or

a clear position and appropriate strategy to

ensure Aricas specic concerns and needsare addressed in the ongoing negotiations

on the post Kyoto climate regime.

Arica must speak with one voice in ad-

vancing the continents interests in negoti-

ations or the climate regime beyond 2012

and on ways o enhancing implementa-

tion o the Framework Convention on

Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol

beyond Copenhagen, on the basis o the

established principles o equity and com-

mon but dierentiated responsibilities andrespective capabilities. The roadmap is

thereore based on the continents shared

vision on adaptation and mitigation, us-

ing a sustainable development policies

and measures approach, supported and

enabled by nance, technology and ca-

pacity-building. The President o AMCEN

will steer the Arican Roadmap process.

Given that intensive negotiations are

needed to achieve an outcome by the end

o 2009, Arica will identiy the key politi-

cal messages to inorm the global debateand negotiating process, in terms both o

the commitments that it sought rom the

international community, and also o the

actions that Arican countries would take

themselves.

For the development o an Arican com-

mon position as part o the Arican Road-

map to Copenhagen, an Arican high-level

expert panel on climate change will be

established, to include senior ocials and

Arican ocal points or the FrameworkConvention on Climate Change, working

in collaboration with UNEP, NEPAD and

the Commission o the Arican Union.

The high-level expert panel will be man-

dated to develop a drat common position,

including a plan o action or building

consensus in the region and supporting

a ocused and coordinated approach to

the climate change negotiations. AMCEN

had decided to establish a work plan with

milestones or the development o the

common position.

Algeria will host the rst meeting o the

planned AMCEN high-level expert panel,

working towards the Arican ministerial

meeting on climate change to be held in

Algiers in October 2008. The nal com-

mon position should be adopted at the

special session o AMCEN to be held in

2009 and later submitted to the Arican

Union Summit scheduled to be held in

June/July 2009.

In addition, a joint annual meeting o

the Arican Union Conerence o Arican

Ministers o Economy and Finance andthe Conerence o Ministers o Finance,

Planning and Economic Development o

the United Nations Economic Commis-

sion or Arica (ECA), to establish an A-

rica climate-change policy centre at ECA

is planned. This joint meeting will play an

important role in supporting the develop-

ment o an Arican consensus.

ten Elemens for he processof developing a common

posiion as oulined by herepresenaives:

Arica agreed to put orward a shared

vision based on scientic evidence and

broad political consensus. That shared

vision would have several key elements:

the incorporation o Aricas priorities

or sustainable development, poverty

reduction and attainment o the Mil-

lennium Development Goals in the u-

ture climate-change regime; Provision

o increased support under the regime


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ROA NEWS ISSUE NO. 13

or capacity-building, nancing and

technology development and transer

or adaptation and mitigation in A-

rica; and the stabilization o emissionsin the atmosphere;

With regard to the need to keep global

atmospheric concentrations o green-

house gases at a manageable level, A-

rica would seek agreement on a uture

global emissions reduction regime

with targets or all developed countries

to reduce their emissions, by 2020, to-

wards the upper end o the 25-40 per

cent range or emissions reductions

below 1990 levels, and, by 2050, by be-

tween 80 and 95 per cent below thoselevels, to achieve the concentration o

450 ppm o carbon dioxide equivalent

in the atmosphere. With developed

countries taking the lead in that regard,

developing countries would be able to

deviate substantially rom business-

as-usual baseline emissions, enabled

and supported by nance, technology

and capacity-building rom developed

countries, in a measurable, reportable

and veriable manner;

Higher priority should be on adapta-

tion in Arica in order to balance it

with mitigation on the international

negotiating agenda. The uture regime

should emphasize assisting developing

countries with adaptation technolo-

gies, nance and capacity-building.

The adoption and urther develop-

ment o Aricas indigenous knowledge

relating to sustainable development

and natural resource management are

critical or successul adaptation pro-

grammes in Arica;

Signicantly up scaled adaptation -

nancing, that is new and additional

o Clean Development Mechanism

projects at the international level, and

to rationalize nancial and investment

rameworks and mechanisms. It is es-

sential to negotiate improvements to

the Clean Development Mechanism

rules to enable Aricans to take advan-

tage o unds rom the carbon marketto support sustainable development

and the transer o climate-riendly

technologies to Arica. Institutional ca-

pacity-building, awareness-raising and

more active involvement o the private

sector in carbon trading is critical;

National growth and poverty reduc-

tion aspirations remain key impera-

tives and could be supported through

increased investment and incentives

or technological innovations, includ-

ing incentives to support home-growntechnology. Representatives called or

direct access to unds and or the cre-

ation o mechanisms or the develop-

ment, transer and uptake o mitiga-

tion and adaptation technologies;

Paramount importance o regional

preparations or the Copenhagen meet-

ing in 2009 and regional strategies or

implementation. Representatives also

called or the involvement o women

and young people as well as the private

sector and civil-society organizationsin climate strategies at all levels, par-

ticularly in the areas o education and

awareness-raising and capacity-build-

ing in order to ensure an eective Ari-

can response to climate change.

In regard to international cooperation and

solidarity, Arica should renew partner-

ships on an equitable basis with, among

others, the Group o Eight, China, India,

Japan, South America and the European

Union, through concrete projects in Arica

and that does not divert existing over-

seas development assistance away rom

poverty eradication and other devel-

opment priorities, must be channeledthrough the Kyoto Protocols Adapta-

tion Fund.

Importance o a coherent nancial ar-

chitecture or climate change, guided

by agreed principles and with equitable

governance; Simplication o proce-

dures and the removal o condition-

alities; Importance o climate-riendly

investment fows. Arica must use the

opportunity created by the current ne-

gotiating processes to act immediately

and create enabling conditions or therapid transition o Arican countries

away rom carbon-intensive develop-

ment towards a low carbon economy

and society. Arica must also position

itsel to build international competi-

tiveness within the emerging low-car-

bon global economy and must work to

structure the climate change regime in

a way that enabled it to build its own

competitive advantages and to reach

economic development and sustain-

able development goals while decar-

bonizing growth;

With regard to the carbon markets and

the Clean Development Mechanism in

particular, engagement by all developed

countries in ambitious multilateral, le-

gally binding, absolute emission reduc-

tions is critical in securing the carbon

market. These carbon markets could

provide some incentives or available

commercial technologies but their

nancing must be supplemented by

private sector nancial fows and mas-

sively scaled-up public investment;

Need to rectiy the skewed distribution


Yogesh Vyas, Lead Environmental Specialist, African Development Bank; and Sylvie Lemmet,Director, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP

Jian Liu, UNEP


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to deal with the global problem o climate

change at the continental and sub regional

levels. (Decision 2 o the 12 session on Cli-

mate Change is available on:http://www.

unep.org/roa/Amcen/Amcen_Events/

12th_Session_AMCEN/docs/AMCEN-

Ministerial-Segment-Report.pdf)

Comprehensive Frameworkfor African Climae ChangeProgrammes

In response to the need to integrate Aricas

existing climate change initiatives and pro-

grammes under a consolidated ramework

to ensure coordination and coherence in

the implementation and review o climate

change initiatives and sustainable develop-

ment plans in Arica at all levels, AricanMinisters o Environment, decided to cre-

ate a comprehensive ramework o Arican

climate change programmes, bringing to-

gether existing and new intergovernmental

decisions and initiatives and programmes

in a consolidated manner, to be imple-

mented at the regional, sub regional, na-

tional and local levels. This decision was

prompted by their concerns about the sci-

entic conclusions contained in the ourth

assessment report o the Intergovernmen-

tal Panel on Climate Change, particularlyas they relate to the social, economic and

environmental impacts o climate change

in Arica and the act that, while Arica

has contributed the least to the increas-

ing concentration o greenhouse gases in

the atmosphere, it is the most vulnerable

continent to the impacts o climate change

and has the least capacity to adapt.

The Arican Union and related Arican

intergovernmental bodies are establishing

initiatives to meet the challenge o climate

change, but since progress in responding

to the challenge o climate change in Arica

is ar rom sucient, it is essential to de-

velop urther and supplement these initia-

tives through a comprehensive ramework

o programmes to meet the challenges o

climate change in Arica. This ramework

is also in line with the adoption by the A-

rican Union o the Tunis Declaration and

action plan and the decision to determine

the rationale and modalities or establish-

ing an Arican panel on climate change,

and in particular the Declaration on Cli-

mate Change and Development in Arica,

in which the heads o State and Govern-

ment requested the Commission o the

Arican Union to consult the Arican Min-

isterial Conerence on the Environment

with a view to establishing the necessary

mechanisms to ollow up on the imple-

mentation o the Declaration.

Indicaive concepual ouline ofa comprehensive frameworkof African climae changeprogrammes

Aricas priorities are to implement climate

change programmes in such a way as to

achieve sustainable development, in par-

ticular to alleviate poverty and attain the

Millennium Development Goals, with em-

phasis on the most vulnerable groups, such

as women and children. Given that Arica

is the most vulnerable region with the least

adaptive capacity, adaptation is the most

immediate priority. There is a need, how-

ever, or global mitigation o greenhouse

gas emissions as a primary mechanism to

prevent long-term climate change impacts

on this region. In addition, eective imple-

mentation o mitigation measures oers

opportunities or Arica to increase its eco-

nomic competitiveness along a sustainable

path o low-carbon development.

The ollowing indicative outline covers the

two implementation areas o adaptation

and mitigation supported and enabled by

nance, capacity-building and technology.

The successul implementation o the ad-

aptation and mitigation areas o work will

require the ull participation o all stake-

holders, including the ull involvement

and empowerment o, and partnership

with, civil society.



Gustavo Man*ez i Gomis, UNITAR; Merle Sowman, University of Cape Town; Zaheer Fakir (South Africa); Berhanu Solomon Genet (Ethiopia); MohamedHamouda (Libya); Mary Fosi Mbantenkhu (Cameroon); and Hany Shalaby, African Development Bank

Informal consultations before the opening of the session. L-R: Jackson Kiptanui Kiplagat, AssistantMinister for Environment and Natural Resources (Kenya); Amb. Ali Goutali, Ambassador of Tunisiato South Africa (Tunisia); Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; and Juliette Biao Koudnoukpo,Minister of Environment and Protection of Nature (Benin).


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Adapaion

Areas o ocus: Disaster reduction and risk manage-

ment: including early warning, pre-

paredness, emergency response and

post-disaster recovery;

Sectoral planning and implementation:

adaptation in key sectors including wa-

ter, agriculture, coastal zones, health,

inrastructure, biodiversity and ecosys-

tems, orests, energy, urban manage-

ment and tourism, taking into account

the cross-sectoral implications;

Building economic and social resiliencethrough the diversication o econo-

mies to reduce dependence on climate-

sensitive sectors, including through the

use o indigenous knowledge and prac-

tices and the strengthening o commu-

nity organizations.

MiigaionKey areas o mitigation work:

Energy sector: Including scaling up

investment to provide access to aord-

able cleaner energy, especially or ruralcommunities; development o appro-

priate alternative energy sources; poli-

cies and measures to increase energy

eciency; precautionary approach to

the development o biouels or miti-

gation and energy security;

Reduced emissions rom deoresta-

tion and orest degradation (REDD):

Including the development o mar-

ket-based mechanisms to reward or

provide incentives or orest conserva-

tion or the avoidance o deorestation

and sustainable orest management

practices;

Land-use, land-use change and orest-

ry: As the primary source o emissions

in Arica, this represents one o the key

areas or mitigation work in the conti-

nent, which includes best practices to

enhance carbon sequestration and re-

duced emissions;

Using and maximizing opportunitiesrom the international carbon market:

Arica to call or binding ambitious

targets or developed countries to se-

cure the price o carbon. Key areas o

work or Arica include reorming the

rules o market mechanisms such as

the Clean Development Mechanism

to increase accessibility by Arican

countries, the ull implementation o

the Nairobi Framework and build-

ing capacity in Arica to gain access

to the available nancial mechanisms(the Clean Development Mechanism,

Global Environment Facility, the

World Bank and the Arican Develop-

ment Bank, among others).

Supporing and enablingmeasures

Key areas:

1. Capacitybuilding

To enable human resource developmentthrough ocused training, mentoring

and learning-by-doing approaches,

among other measures

To empower relevant institutions at

various levels

To enhance observation, research and

knowledge management

To strengthen communication, educa-

tion and awareness-raising at all levels,

especially at the local and community

levels

To strengthen and use the regionalnetworks o inormation and knowl-

edge-sharing

To develop tools, methods and tech-

nologies and support their application

To encourage and strengthen partici-

patory and integrated approaches in

planning and decision-making, in-

cluding the meaningul participation

o civil society

To share experiences, inormation and

best practices o Arican countries

To assess, strengthen and mobilize the

capacities o existing relevant acilities

and institutions in Arica

2. Finance

Scaling up sources o nancing, includ-

ing: National or domestic investment;

Multilateral unding: grant, loan and

concessional; Bilateral investment and

donor unding; Insurance and otherrisk management instruments; Pri-

vate sector instruments; Market-based instruments, e.g., carbon -nance

Improving access to nancing through

rationalizing the ever-growing number

o unds (including eliminating du-

plications and harmonizing the gov-

ernance o these unds, among other

things to reduce conditionalities to

disbursement o the unds); stream-lining bureaucratic procedures andreducing transaction costs

3. Technologydevelopmentand

transfer

Key areas o work:

Enhancing technology development

and transer, including hard technolo-

gies (e.g., drip irrigation, water harvest-

ing, drought-resistant crop varieties,

renewable energy technologies, building

technologies, etc.) and sot technologies

(e.g., knowledge, systems, procedures,

best practices) Addressing technology transer bar-

riers, including rules o trade taris,

intellectual property right-barriers and

technical trade barriers (standards,

ecolabelling)

Enhancing and supporting the research

and development capacity in Arican

countries to oster the development

and local manuacture o cleaner miti-

gation and adaptation technologies

Enhancing technology cooperation

between Arican countries and oth-

ers, particularly the Arica-European

Union joint strategy, Arica-China, A-

rica-India, Arica-South America and

the Tokyo International Conerence on

Arican Development cooperation pro-

gramme with Japan, including through

encouraging member States to develop

specic programme proposals and

submit proposals or consideration.

(Decision 2 o the 12 session on Climate

Change and all annexes are available on:

http://www.unep.org/roa/Amcen/Amcen_

Events/12th_Session_AMCEN/docs/AM-

CEN-Ministerial-Segment-Report.pdf p


Prof. Ogunlade Davidson of University of SierraLeone


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Aa cvl Sys paacmmuqu Aa cvl Sy oazas

(cSos) 12 Sss AMcen

Johannesburg, RSA, 7-12 June 2008

The need by Arican policy makers toprioritize climate change as a sustain-

able development issue with en Arican

perspective.

Special attention should be given to

marginalized groups such as women,

children, rural olk, and the pastoralists.

We are opposed to the multiplicity o

unding mechanisms addressing adap-

tation Issues. All other adaptation unds

should channel their contributionsthrough the und established at Bali.

That, in order to achieve the Millen-

nium Development Goals and reduce

impacts o climate change, Arican gov-

ernments should enhance the capacity

or adaptation at all levels (institutional,

human, nancial, technological) includ-

ing improving the national and regional

systematic observation networks and

early warning systems.

That the best way to address the impacts

o climate change on the poor is by in-

Arican CSO5 met in Johannesburg

rom 6-7 June 2008 to deliberate

on climate change, particularly

the outcome o the Bali Conerence and

the NEPAD Environment Initiative.

This meeting provided an opportunity to

start developing a common1

unied and

consultative process o including majorgroups in -orging an Arican voice in in-

ternational climate change negotiations

or a post-Kyoto regime

In this regard, Arican CSOs recognize and

acknowledge the eorts by AMCEN and the

NEPAD Environment Initiative in trying to

mainstream environmental concerns in the

Arican development agenda.

Mindul o the act that climate change is the

dening human development and securityissue o our generation and that millions o

Aricans are being orced to cope with the

impacts o climate change; and consider-

ing the act that Arica contributes the least

to greenhouse gas emissions and yet those

responsible or causing the problems o cli-

mate change appear to always come to ne-

gotiations driven rst and oremost by eco-

nomic interests, then political hegemony

and lastly environmental concerns.

Arican CSOs recommend the ollowing:

The right to energy includes S right to

emit an equal amount o carbon, per

person, on a planetary basis. Over-emit-

ters should compensate those who save

on emissions. The roles o men and

women in energy use are dierent, and

no new burdens or energy provision

should be imposed on women.

The polluter pays principle should appJy

to historical greenhouse gas emissions aswell as current emissions. The payment

should be mandatory compensation.

tegrating adaptation responses into pre-disaster and development planning.

That there is an urgent need or Arican

countries to assess the eectiveness o

the Clean Development Mechanism as a

means o mitigation, nancing and de-

livering sustainable development as well

as assessing who benets. We must use

the lessons rom this to inorm the post-

Kyoto ramework

In view o the above, we specically rec-ommend the ollowing:

AMCEN must strengthen and support

national and regional civil society net-

works working on climate change and

make them key stakeholders in all cli-

mate change response measures.

AMCEN should lobby or increased

unding or adaptation in key global

negotiation bra. They should make it

clear that adaptation nance is sepa-

rate rom the normal development co-operation assistance as well as Ocial

Development Assistance.


An effective African response to climate change will incude Civil Societys participation in climatestrategies at all levels


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Arican governments must ensure that they have, and Imple-

ment, national adaptation strategies that guarantee the protec-

tion o vulnerable communities especially women and chil-

dren.

Arican governments should build the capacity o local scien-

tists and engineers with a view to strengthening indigenous

technology suitable or their environment and economy.

Arican governments should ormulate economic and legal

policy rameworks that promote environmentally sound tech-

nology.

Alternative energy sources, including biogas digesters, judicious

use o uelwood and improved charcoal technology should be

supported. Poor rural communities who use energy sparingly

and eciently should be rewarded. We advise caution on bio-

uels to ensure that ood security is not threatened. We reject

nuclear energy and the harmul eects o uranium mining.

Mitigation measures should be considered within the principle

o common but dierentiated responsibilities where develop-

ing nations have a right to development. However, Arican

governments should resist the infow o energy-Intensive and

other industries which pollute the environments in which peo-

ple live. Arican governments need to judge growth in terms

o human wellbeing rather than gross domestic product.

Arican countries must demonstrate their commitment to the

NEPAD Environment Initiative and other Arican unding

initiatives by rst ullling their nancial obligations to thoseinitiatives.

Developed countries should ulll their nancial commit-

ments under the Climate Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

Such unding fows should be predictable, reliable, additional

and reportable.

In addition to existing commitments, developed countries

should commit at least 1% o their GDP to the climate change

adaptation und and establish an emergency und to deal with

climate change related disasters.


A special and less bureaucratic unding window should be cre-

ated to be accessed only by national Arican CSOs or climate

change adaptation activities at the continental and national

levels.

The proposed World Bank Climate Investment Funds (CIFs)

should be re-directed to the existing unding mechanisms al-

ready existing under the UNFCCC (e.g. The Adaptation Fund,

SCCF, and the LUC Fund).

AMCEN should call or the cancellation o Arican oreign

debts to ree unds or climate change adaptation activities. In

this regard, we are opposed to the re-indebting o the Arican

people by way o climate change adaptation loans.

In conclusion, we as Arican civil society call on our govern-

ments to take responsibility or protecting Arican people rom

the worst ravages o the climate change crisis. This is not a crisis

o Aricas making, but it could be Aricas undoing. We thereore

appeal to Arican governments to speak and act with one voice in

demanding global action on climate change.p

Johannesburg, 7th June 2008

Mithika Mwenda, Climate Network (South Africa)


9/28


Aas Vs iaal evmalgva

In response to the challenge posed by theprolieration o agreements and con-

ventions which demand ever-increasing

resources and capacity to ensure their eec-

tive implementation, it is essential to engage

the Arican Union and, through that body, to

build capacity to ensure the national opera-

tionalization o multilateral and regional en-

vironmental conventions and agreements, in

particular the Convention or the Protection,

Management, and Development o the Ma-

rine and Coastal Environment o the Eastern

Arican Region, the Convention or Coopera-tion in the Protection and Development o

the Marine and Coastal Environment o the

West, Central and Southern Arican Region,

the Arican Convention on the Conservation

o Nature and Natural Resources and the Ba-

mako Convention on the Ban o the Import

into Arica and the Control o Transbound-

ary Movement and Management o Hazard-

ous Wastes within Arica. The ull implemen-

tation o UNEP Governing Council decision

SS.VII/1 on international environmental gov-

ernance oten reerred to as the Cartagena

package is also important.

AMCEN should participate in the global

discussion on international environmental

governance and bring an Arican vision to the

negotiation process. In this regard, there is a

need to establish a think tank as a working

group to guide Aricas position in and input

on international environment governance.

The AMCEN President and Bureau are urged

to consider establishing a process to prepare

a consolidated Arican position on that sub-

ject and to convene preparatory processes toensure the enhanced participation o Arican

negotiators in international meetings on in-

ternational environmental governance.

The strategic role o AMCEN in regional gov-ernance and its cooperation with the growing

intergovernmental machinery in Arica, such

as the Arican Ministers Council on Water,

the Forum o Energy Ministers in Arica and

the structures o the Arican Union should be

examined.

AMCEN may need to review its institutional

and governance structures and take measures

to structure the agenda o meetings to ocus on

strategic political issues, related to the environ-

ment in particular, and to encourage participa-tion at the highest level. There is a strong sense

that AMCEN should play a key role in taking

Aricas environmental agenda to the interna-

tional community, and, through the structures

o the Arican Union, act as Aricas environ-

mental conscience and voice. It is essential that

AMCEN provides Arica with the opportunity

to drive the global agenda and not to be its vic-

tims. The proposal was supplemented by the

suggestion or AMCEN also to tackle issues o

national environmental governance and work

towards greater harmonization o environ-

mental policies and programmes.

Representatives called or a review o the

role o Arican ministers o environment and

their contribution to the sustainability agen-

da. They underscored the need to bring the

global debate on environmental issues to the

oreront o the developmental debate and

to ensure that environment concerns were at

the heart o political and economic decision-

making at the national and global levels. They

highlighted the need to make the notion o

sustainability central to ministries o envi-ronment and to use those notions as the basis

or a uture role or UNEP in that eld. It was

emphasized that orm must ollow unction.

There is also a need or stronger involvemento ministries o nance and o oreign a-

airs to support the AMCEN programme at

the national level. Representatives also high-

lighted the need to engage with ambassadors

in Nairobi and New York.

Representatives called or a review o envi-

ronmental nancing and, in particular, the

role o GEF. They also called or the eective

mobilization and use o resources (nance,

technology, knowledge and capacity) or ac-

tual implementation o environmentally sus-tainable development interventions.

Many representatives supported the idea o

transorming UNEP into a central, rather

than marginal, player at the intergovernmen-

tal level. In relation to enhancing the leader-

ship role o UNEP within the United Nations

system, representatives suggested a number o

innovative measures, such as enhancing the

role o the Governing Council/Global Minis-

terial Environment Forum in providing pol-

icy advice and guidance; Establishing UNEP

as authoritative voice on the environment by

strengthening scientic knowledge and assess-

ment capacity; Bridging the gap rom science

to policy implementation; Renewing the ocus

on capacity-building or implementation; Se-

curing predictable, adequate and stable nan-

cial resources; Intensiying awareness-raising

and environmental education, in cooperation

with regional structures and national Gov-

ernments, with a view to creating bottom-up

community-driven environmental agendas;

Conerring resh mandates to ensure coor-

dination and cooperation at the multilateralenvironmental agreements and inter-agency

levels. p

Alf Wills (South Africa); Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP; Momodou Cham, Minister for the Environment, Gambia and Peter Acquah, UNEP ROA



10/28


t Aa evm oul pss a Aa evm ima nw

Following the successul productiono the publication Africa: Atlas of

Our Changing Environment within

the ramework o the Arica Environ-

ment Outlook process and the progress

made by the United Nations Environment

Programme to prepare the third Arica

Environment Outlook report, as well as

UNEPs decision and the support o the

development partners to enhance the role

o the Arica Environment Inormation

Network and integrated environmental

assessment in the United Nations countryprogramming processes, Arican Ministers

o Environment rearmed their commit-

ment to the Arica Environment Outlook

process as a tool or monitoring sustain-

able development in Arica and a rame-

work or environmental reporting at the

national and sub regional levels.

This decision is also based on the eective

implementation o an Aricaenvironment

inormation network and its increasing

contribution to building the capacity orthe implementation o national develop-

ment programs, including poverty reduc-

tion strategies within the United Nations

development assistance rameworks and

introducing state o the art technology,

such as remote sensing to monitor envi-

ronmental changes in Arica and to sup-

port decision-making.

Concretely, Arican ministers requestedthe Executive Director o the United Na-

tions Environment Programme to contin-

ue to mobilize nancial resources to build

the capacity o Arican countries in inte-

grated assessment and reporting, includ-

ing environmental data and inormation

management and to continue to support

the production o the third Arica Envi-

ronment Outlook report and the produc-

tion o the publicationAfrica: Atlas of Our

Changing Environmenton a regular basis,

and to assist countries to develop nationalatlases; as requested by the Arican Minis-

terial Conerence on the Environment at

its eleventh session. In order to mobilize

resources or the Arica Environment Out-

look, Arica Environment Inormation

Network and the atlas processes, the Exec-

utive Director o UNEP is invited to liaise

with secretariats o relevant conventions

and other international organizations.

Ministers called upon Governments to

take advantage o earth observation tech-nologies, such as remote sensing, support-

ed by the United Nations Environment

Programme to undertake regular national

integrated environmental assessments to

strengthen the strategic positioning o

the national environmental agencies and

departments in national development

planning processes such as the poverty

reduction strategies and United Nations

development assistance rameworks.

They urged the secretariat o the AricanMinisterial Conerence on the Environment

increasingly to involve the scientic com-

munity, non-governmental organizations

and the private sector in integrated environ-

mental assessment and reporting and the

related capacity-building activities;

At its eleventh session held in Brazzaville,

Congo in May 2006 AMCEN requested

UNEP to assist it in preparing a third A-

rica Environment Outlook. The Arica En-

vironment Outlook process incorporatesthe Arica Environment Inormation Net-

work (AEIN) and early-warning activities,

particularly in the Great Lakes region.

The eleventh regular session o AMCEN

requested the Executive Director o UNEP

to continue mobilizing nancial support

or capacity-building through the Arica

Environment Outlook and the Arica En-

vironment Inormation Network process-

es and to support the production o the

third Arica Environment Outlook reportas one o the main components o the

programme o work o AMCEN. In this

regard, an inception meeting or Arica

Environment Outlook 3 was held in Cairo,

Egypt rom 1 to 2 August 2007. This was

a scoping meeting aimed at establishing

the principal ocus or the report (AEO-3)

taking into account the current environ-

ment and development debate in the A-

rica region and other global processes.p



11/28


imlma A la evm iav nw pas

Aas dvlm

The eective implementation othe Environment Initiative o theNEPAD was the overall theme or

the 12 session o the Arican MinisterialConerence on the Environment. AricanMinisters o Environment, ater extensivediscussions, decided to request the Com-mission o the Arican Union to providehigh-level political support to the suc-cessul implementation o the action planor the environment initiative o the New

Partnership or Aricas Development andto strengthen its environment section andthose o the relevant technical units o theregional economic communities to enablethem to carry out their responsibilities othe action plan or the environment ini-tiative o the New Partnership or AricasDevelopment.

They also resolved to urge developmentpartners to assist in providing requiredresources or the implementation o subregional environmental action plans by

the regional economic communities andto provide nancial support or the imple-mentation o the projects and programmeso the Action Plan at the sub regional andnational levels. Development partners arealso requested to provide support to theUnited Nations Environment Programmeor the reactivation o the Partnership orthe Development o Environmental Lawand Institutions in Arica; ministers in-vite UNEP to benet rom the experienceswithin Arican countries in the eld o en-

vironmental law institutions.

Countries are also urged to implement theprojects o the action plan in conormitywith the spirit o the New Partnership orAricas Development.

Ministers also requested the United Na-tions Environment Programme to providetechnical support to the regional econom-

ic communities in the implementation othe sub regional action plans or the en-vironment initiative o the New Partner-ship or Aricas Development; The UnitedNations Economic Commission or Aricais also called to enhance its acilitation oUnited Nations agency consultations, co-ordination and cooperation in respect othe thematic cluster concerned with theenvironment, population and urbaniza-tion, together with sub-clusters concernedwith water, energy, biotechnology, biosae-

ty and post-confict environmental recon-struction and other relevant sub-clusters;

Arican ministers agreed to maintain eec-tive communication between the AricanMinisterial Conerence on the Environ-ment and the relevant organs o the Ari-can Union, including the secretariat o theNew Partnership or Aricas Developmentand the regional economic commissions;and to enhance the ratication and imple-mentation o the revised Algiers Conven-tion on the Conservation o Nature and

Natural Resources and other relevant con-ventions or the eective management onatural resources.

Financing for NEPADimplemenaion and Secreariafuncions

The perennial problem o nancial con-

straints continues to hamper the realiza-

tion o the ull potential o AMCEN. The

twelth session noted that enhanced secre-

tariat unctions and the implementationo its programmes, in particular the action

plan or the environment initiative o the

New Partnership or Aricas Development,

will require additional human and nan-

cial resources. In order to address these

challenges, Arican Ministers identied the

ollowing needs, gaps and opportunities:

Regarding enhancing the work o the sec-retariat, there is an urgent need or coun-tries that have not contributed to the gen-

eral trust und o AMCEN to endeavour tocontribute to the und to enable the Con-erence to scale up its activities. Countriesthat have contributed but have outstand-ing contributions to make are urged tomake every eort to pay their outstandingcontributions to the general trust und oAMCEN.

In order to gain access to nancing mech-anisms, there is a need to simpliy thevarious mechanisms or the expeditiousallocation o unds once country and re-gionally driven needs had been identied.New reorms and simplication o pro-cedure, including the reduction o con-

Hany Shalaby, African Development Bank; Sylvie Lemmet, UNEP; Halima Tayo Alao (Nigeria); PeterAcquah, UNEP ROA; and Sekou Toure, Global Environment Facility



12/28


ditionalities, must be adopted as a mattero urgency as most developing countries

lacked access to adequate sources o und-ing. Partnerships between the public andprivate sectors should be enhanced andstrengthened. Capacity-building and thedevelopment o technology were alsoidentied as priorities.

Regarding the nancing o environmentprogrammes, there is a need to reocusthe discussion on how Arica could en-sure the sustainable use and managemento its rich environmental resources. Theenvironment should take centre stage in

economic and development activities, inorder to ensure true sustainable develop-ment where all three pillars economic,social and environmental were placed onan equal and integrated ooting.

In the context o climate change, a suite o

unding mechanisms, investment struc-

tures and policy tools would be required

to overcome barriers associated with the

various types o technology and stages o

technology development. For the wider de-

ployment or existing technology, the pricegap must be closed. For retrotting, reur-

bishment and rehabilitation projects, the

challenge is to overcome the overcapitaliza-

tion risk. Venture capital would be required

or bringing near-commercial technologies

to the market, whereas public-private in-

vestment would be required or technology

research and development o a longer term

nature. Arican countries are called to also

source unds rom outside the convention

process. In addition, Arica should insist on

an eective and equitable carbon price. Fi-

nancing or adaptation must be additional

to the existing commitment o developed

countries to provide 0.7 per

Aaevm

daysclbasg ral

The need to take ull advantage o the NE-PAD capital fows initiative was stressed

and the Arican Development Bank urgedto provide additional environmental -nance.

The need to increase domestic resourcemobilization was also emphasized. Re-source mobilization eorts oten ell shortor a number o reasons. For example, ac-cessibility o many o the global undingmechanisms continued to be a problem,and unding or NEPAD programmesmight not necessarily be a priority orGovernments aced with competing de-

mands or nance. One approach wouldbe to consider integrating environmentalpriorities into national planning processesto attract support rom national budget-ary allocations. cent o gross domesticproduct to development assistance.

The twelth session urged Arican De-velopment Bank to ormally clariy itsposition on the long-standing request byAMCEN and the Arican Union or theestablishment o the Arican Environment

Facility.

The important role o GEF is recognized.However it should undertake a seriousreview o its co-nancing principles, anduse vulnerability criteria in the allocationo resources based on countries needs andpriorities. The World Banks proposalson new climate investment unds are alsonoted.

Arican ministers recognized the need orthem to plan in an integrated way andidentiy their own national needs and pri-orities or support.

p

The celebration o the Arica

Environment Day gained new

impetus as Arican Ministers

o Environment, renewing the com-

mitment o the Arican Ministerial

Conerence on the Environment to

promoting environmental awareness

at all levels o the continent decided

that every year one country will host

the continental celebration o Arica

Environment Day, on a regional ro-

tation basis. The Commission o the

Arican Union and its cooperation

partners will be requested to work

with the hosting State to make ad-

equate preparations or the occasion.

The Arica Environment Day was in-

stituted by a decision by the Council

o Ministers o the Organization o

Arican Unity calling upon all mem-

ber States to celebrate Arica Envi-

ronment Day on March 3. p


Halima Tayo Alao, Minister for Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Nigeria, chairedPolicy Dialogue II

Babagana Ahmadu, Director for ruralEconomy and Agriicullture, African UnionCommission (AUC)


13/28


ea evmal eua a tly-su La Aa

The enhancement o Aricas human

resources through the provision

o more and better education and

training, especially in inormation and

communications technology is a commit-

ment by the New Partnership or Aricas

Development. In addition, Arican Min-

isters o Education, in 2006, vowed to

implement the United Nations Decade o

Education or Sustainable Development

and, in particular, to support the develop-

ment o strategies or its implementation

in their respective countries within the

ramework o the Arican Unions Second

Decade on Education, and to ensure that

principles o sustainable development

are included in educational development

rameworks, programmes and activities at

all levels.

Opportunities and challenges or envi-

ronmental institutions and universities in

adopting technology-supported learning

in Arica were presented at the 12 th Session

o AMCEN as a way to promote and sup-port environmental education programmes

as a highly eective tool or building an

environmentally sensitive and responsive

populace capable o partnering with Gov-

ernments in achieving established policy

goals and targets.

As a result, Arican Ministers decided to en-

courage Governments, through their prin-

cipal environmental authority, to acilitate

inter-ministerial cooperation to undertake,

among other things, the ollowing key ac-

tions in the area o environmental educa-

tion and technology-supported learning:

An assessment o existing environmen-

tal education strategies, needs and chal-

lenges acing Governments in the area

o technology-supported learning;

The development o a strategic ap-

proach to mainstreaming environmen-

tal education across all relevant gov-

ernmental institutions, including the

design o programmes suitable or the

primary, secondary and tertiary educa-

tion sectors; and ostering cooperation

with the non-ormal environmental

education sector;

The development o an action plan

or technology-supported learning in

conjunction with the Human Resourc-

es, Science and Technology Depart-

ment o the Arican Union (including

e-learning) in ollow-up to the strate-

gic approach

A Small group o members o the Arican

Ministerial Conerence on the Environ-

ment will be constituted to undertake, on

a trial basis, the development o 12 year

pilot action plans or technology-sup-

ported learning. Governments undertak-

ing the pilot action plans will provide an

interim report to the Arican Ministe-

rial Conerence on the Environment at its

thirteenth session and a nal report to the

Arican Ministerial Conerence on the En-

vironment at its ourteenth session on the

status o their implementation. Ministers

also invited countries to establish an Ari-

can environmental e-learning network to

share expertise, best practices and content

and to identiy a coordinating hub.

In this process, the Executive Director o

the United Nations Environment Pro-

gramme is invited to provide strategic

guidance and technical advisory services

and identiy partnerships involving inter-

national organizations, the donor com-

munity, the private sector and centres o

excellence that will support the imple-

mentation o the pilot set o action plans.

In addition, UNEP and the United Na-

tions Educational, Scientic and Cultural

Organization (UNESCO) are requested to

enhance greater stakeholder involvement

including non-governmental organiza-

tions, scientic organizations, nature clubs

and local communities in the e-learning

programme and in dissemination and ex-change o inormation. They are also re-

quested, in collaboration with multilateral

development partners to strengthen their

cooperation within the ramework o the

United Nations Decade o Education or

Sustainable Development and other mul-

tilateral development partner, in order to

provide their technical support and ex-

pertise to Arican countries to implement

eectively and develop e-learning on en-

vironmental education or sustainable de-

velopment.p



14/28


AfricA: Alas ou

A

ricas rapidly changing environ-

mental landscape, rom the disap-

pearance o glaciers in Ugandas

Rwenzori Mountains to the loss o CapeTowns unique ynbos vegetation, was

presented to the Arican Ministerial Con-

erence on the Environment (AMCEN) at

the opening o its 12th session.

The Atlas, compiled on behal o the

ministers by the UN Environment Pro-

gramme (UNEP), underlines how devel-

opment choices, population growth, cli-

mate change and, in some cases, conficts

are shaping and impacting the natural

and nature-based assets o the region.

The nearly 400-page long publicationAf-

rica: Atlas of Our Changing Environment

eatures over 300 satellite images taken in

every country in Arica in over 100 loca-

tions. The AfricaAtlas is the rst to use

high quality satellite images or all 53 A-

rican countries, providing an important

tool or raising public awareness and sup-

porting policy making and action. The

beore and ater photographs, some o

which span a 35-year period, oer strik-

ing snapshots o local environmental

transormation across the continent.

In addition to well-publicized changes,

such as Mount Kilimanjaros shrinking

glaciers, the drying up o Lake Chad and

alling water levels in Lake Victoria, the

Atlas presents, or the rst time, satellite

images o new or lesser known environ-

mental changes and challenges including:

Disappearing glaciers in Ugandas

Rwenzori Mountains, which decreased

by 50 per cent between 1987 and 2003. The widening corridors o deoresta-

tion that have accompanied expanding

roads in the northern Democratic Re-

public o the Congo since 1975. New

roads threaten to bring even greater

trac to this biologically rich rain-

orest and urther uel the bushmeat

trade.

The disappearance o a large portion

o Madagascars South Malagasy spiny

orest between 1973 and 2003 as a result

o arming and uelwood gathering.

The northern edge o Cape Town, whichhas seen much o its native ynbos veg-

etation replaced with arms and subur-

ban development since 1978. Fynbos

make up 80 per cent o the plant variet-

ies in the Cape Floristic Region, an area

with over 6,000 plant species which are

ound nowhere else in the world and

are an economic asset or tourism.


Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, and Andr Okombi Salissa, outgoing President of AMCEN(Republic of Congo), ofcially launching Africa: Atlas of our Changing Environment, during theopening ceremony of AMCEN-12.

Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; Andr Okombi Salissa, outgoing President of AMCEN (Republic of Congo); and Marthinus Van Schalkwyk,Minister of Environment and Tourism (South Africa)


15/28


Contd. on page xx

a evm

The loss o trees and shrubs in the ragile

environment o the Jebel Marra oothills

in western Sudan as a result o popula-

tion growth due in part to an infux oreugees feeing drought and confict in

neighbouring Northern Darur.

The dramatic expansion o Senegalese

capital Dakar over the past hal cen-

tury rom a small urban centre at the

tip o the Cap Vert Peninsula to a met-

ropolitan area with 2.5 million people

spread over the entire peninsula.

The Atlas, compiled in cooperation with

researchers and organizations in Arica

and elsewhere, oers a sobering assess-ment o thirty-six years o environ-

mental change, including: The swell o

grey-coloured cities over a once-green

countryside; protected areas shrinking as

arms encroach upon their boundaries;

the tracks o road networks through or-

ests; pollutants that drit over borders o

neighboring countries; the erosion o del-

tas; reugee settlements scattered across

the continent causing urther pressure on

the environment; and shrinking moun-

tain glaciers.

The satellite images also highlight positive

signs o management that is protecting

against and even reversing environmental

degradation, say the authors.

Action on overgrazing in the Sidi Toui

National Park, southeastern Tunisia

has produced a dramatic rebound in

the natural ecosystem. The park has

seen the reintroduction o the Scimi-

tar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah)

which is currently on the verge o ex-

tinction.

A new management plan or the Ite-

zhi-tezhi dam in Zambia has helped to

restore the natural seasonal fooding

o the Kaue fats, as shown in the 2007satellite image.

The expansion o wetlands result-

ing rom a restoration project in and

around Diawling National Park is

helping to control fooding and im-

prove livelihoods in Mauritania.

New policies and improved enorce-

ment have signicantly reduced un-

sustainable exploitation o the orests

o Mount Kenya, which is a crucial

area or water catchment and hydro-

power generation.

Achim Seiner, UN Under-Secreary-General andUNEP Execuive Direcor

As shown throughout the Atlas, there are many places across Arica wherepeople have taken action where there are more trees than thirty years ago,where wetlands have sprung back, and where land degradation has beencountered. These are the beacons we need to ollow to ensure the survival oAricas people and their economically important nature-based assets.

The Atlas also however clearly demonstrates the vulnerability o peoplein the region to orces oten outside their control, including the shrinkingo glaciers in Uganda and Tanzania and impacts on water supplies linkedwith climate change. These underline the urgent need or the internationalcommunity to deliver a new climate agreement by the climate change

convention meeting in Copenhagen in 2009one that not only delivers deepemission reductions but also accelerates the fow o unds or adaptationand the climate proong o economies.


Fatoumata Keita Ouane of the Secretariat of the Stockholm Convention on Persistent OrganicPollutants and Mounkaila Goumandakoye, New Director UNEP-ROA


16/28


Farmer initiatives ocusing on the

planting and protection o trees have

led to signicant land revitalization

in Tahoua Province, Niger. A recentstudy revealed that there are now 10

to 20 times more trees across three

o Nigers southern provinces than

there were in the 1970s.

A review o orest concessions in Li-

beria has helped protect the orest in

Sapo National Park rom logging as

well as illegal mining and poaching.

Main Findings and KeyConcerns

Between 1990 and 2004, many Ari-

can countries achieved some small but

promising environmental improve-

ments, mainly in the eld o water and

sanitation, according to the Atlas. A ew

countries have expanded protected areas

currently numbering over 3,000 across

the continent.

However, loss o orest is a major con-

cern in 35 countries, including the

Democratic Republic o the Congo,Malawi, Nigeria and Rwanda, among

others. This is closely ollowed by bio-

diversity loss which is occurring in 34

countries such as Angola, Ethiopia, Ga-

bon and Mali.

Land degradation, similarly, is a major

worry or 32 countries in Arica includ-

ing Cameroon, Eritrea and Ghana. Other

problems include desertication in

Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya and Niger

among others as well as water stress,rising pollution and coping with rapid

urbanization.

Arica is losing more than our million

hectares o orest every year twice the

worlds average deorestation rate, says

the Atlas. Meanwhile, some areas across

the continent are said to be losing over 50

metric tones o soil per hectare per year.

The Atlas also shows that erosion and

chemical and physical damage havedegraded about 65 per cent o the con-

tinents armlands. In addition, slash and

burn agriculture, coupled with the high

occurrence o lightning across Arica, isthought to be responsible or wild res.

Over 300 million people on the continent

already ace water scarcity, and areas expe-

riencing water shortages in Sub-Saharan

Arica are expected to increase by almost

a third by 2050.

Climate change is emerging as a driving

orce behind many o these problems and

is likely to intensiy the already dramatic

transormations taking place across thecontinent.

Although Arica produces only our per

cent o the worlds total carbon dioxide

emissions, its inhabitants are poised to

suer disproportionately rom the conse-

quences o global climate change.

Aricas capacity to adapt to climate change

is relatively low, with projected costs esti-

mated to reach at least 5-10 per cent o

GDP.

Finally, transboundary issues are a key

eature o Aricas environment, rom in-

ternational river basins to cross-border air

pollution.

Reugee migrations are also causing ur-

ther pressure on the environment, with

major population movements due to

confict but also increasingly as a result

o ood and water shortages. Cooperative

approaches involving several borderingcountries are becoming essential or the

conserving and enhancing o shared eco-

systems i they are to remain productive

into the 21st century.

Taking advantage o the latest space tech-

nology and Earth observation science,

including the 36-year legacy o the US

Landsat satellite programme, the Atlas

serves to demonstrate the potential o

satellite imagery data in monitoring eco-

systems and natural resources dynamics.

This in turn can provide the kind o hard,

evidence-based data to support political

decisions aimed at improving manage-

ment o Aricas natural resources.

The publication is the ruit o collabora-

tive work between UNEP and partners

including the Arican Ministerial Con-

erence on the Environment (AMCEN),

the US Geological Survey, Global Earth

Observations (GEO) Secretariat, United

States Agency or the International De-

velopment (USAID), the World Resourc-

es Institute (WRI), Belgian Development

Cooperation, the University o Maryland,

South Dakota State University, the South-

ern Arican Development Community,the Arican Association or Remote Sens-

ing o the Environment (AARSE), Re-

gional Centre or Mapping o Resources

or Development (RCMRD), EIS-AFRI-

CA, Environmental Systems Research In-

stitute (ESRI), DigitalGlobe and GeoEye.

Africa: Atlas of Our Changing Environ-

mentcontains 316 satellite images taken

in 104 locations in every country in Ari-

ca, along with 151 maps and 319 ground

photographs and a series o graphs il-

lustrating the environmental challenges

aced by the continent.

All the materials in the Atlas are non-

copyrighted and available or ree use.

Individual satellite images, maps, graphs

and photographs, can be downloaded

rom http://na.unep.net/AfricaAtlas

The Atlas can also be purchased at www.

earthprint.comp

Aa: Alas ou ca evm Contd. from page xx



17/28


cmals a hazaus Was Maam

I

n the Johannesburg Plan o Imple-

mentation adopted at the World Sum-

mit on Sustainable Development,

countries agreed on a common objective

to achieve by 2020 that chemicals are used

and produced in ways that lead to the min-

imization o signicant adverse eects on

human health and the environment. The

twelth session o the Arican Ministerial

Conerence on the Environment, recog-

nizing the direct adverse eects o chemi-

cals on public health and the environment,

including loss o productivity and income

owing to ill health, and noting that the

chemical-related conventions are key tothe successul attainment o the objectives

o the World Summit on Sustainable De-

velopment and the Strategic Approach to

International Chemicals Management has

adopted a decision on chemicals and haz-

ardous waste management.

This would strengthen the initial capac-

ity-building activities or implementing

the Strategic Approach to International

Chemicals Management through the

Quick Start Programme in which Aricancountries have been active through the

nomination o national ocal points, the

development o an Arican regional plan

o action and submission o project und-

ing requests under the Quick Start Pro-

gramme and other related activities.

Arican environment ministers have spe-

cically decided to prioritize sound chem-

ical management in regional, sub regional

and national environmental planning, sus-

tainable development and poverty reduc-

tion strategies; provide high-level political

support to the development and imple-

mentation o the national implementa-

tion plans or the Strategic Approach to

International Chemicals Management and

chemicals-related conventions. They will

also develop eective chemicals manage-

ment inrastructures, using the assistance

mechanisms available under the Strate-

gic Approach to International Chemicals

Management Quick Start Programme andchemicals-related multilateral environ-

mental agreements.

Governments are called upon to promote

at the national level an integrated approach

to the implementation o these three con-

ventions as a set o tools to assist countries

in taking a holistic or lie cycle approach

to the sound management o chemicals.

This will be done through the prevention

o unwanted trade in hazardous chemi-

cals that cannot be managed saely at the

national level; access to inormation on

banned or severely restricted chemicals;

Promotion o coordination and links

with public health structures; Identiying

persistent organic pollutants and other

toxic and hazardous chemicals in use or as

wastes or sound management.

Arican Governments will also be called to

promote at the national level the establish-

ment o an institutional ramework and

strengthening o national capacity within

an integrated programme or the sound

management o chemicals and the imple-

mentation o the Strategic Approach to

International Chemicals Management.

Arican Governments are urged to pro-

mote synergies among the various initia-

tives or the sound management o chemi-

cals and hazardous waste, to participate in

the Arican Stockpiles Programme and to

recognize it as the continental programme

or the sae disposal o obsolete pesticides.

Sub regional and regional economic com-

munities and regional economic integra-

tion organizations are also invited to co-

operate with convention secretariats and

the Strategic Approach to InternationalChemicals Management secretariat or

successul regional delivery.

Recognizing that nancial and technical

support is essential to developing coun-

tries to deliver their commitments un-

der existing policies and instruments or

the sound management o chemicals and

hazardous waste, the donor countries, the

Global Environment Facility and other

donors are equally be called to support

the work o regional centres as centreso excellence or regional capacity-build-

ing and technology transer and the work

o national civil-society organizations in

raising awareness o populations o the

eects o chemicals and to make available

new and additional resources or expand-

ing the chemical management portolio o

the Global Environment Facility beyond

persistent organic pollutants.

A special request is directed to the Chie

Executive Ocer o the Global Environ-

ment Facility, with the support o the

Executive Director o the United Nations

Environment Programme, to make unds

available to support least developed coun-

tries in reaching the capacity necessary to

initiate implementation o the Stockholm

Convention and other chemical manage-

ment instruments and programmes;

The International Conerence on Chemi-

cals Management is invited to consider

the adoption o a sustainable nancial

mechanism or the Strategic Approach to

International Chemicals Management in

attaining the 2020 chemicals saety goals

at its second session.

UNEP as a key partner will play an impor-

tant role. The 12 session o AMCEN calls

on the Executive Director o the United

Nations Environment Programme to a-

cilitate the promotion o regional and

sub regional cooperation and exchange o

experiences and to make use o regional

centres to dene projects o regional scope

and to support countries eorts to partic-

ipate eectively in international meetings

and activities relating to the sound man-

agement o chemicals.

The secretariat o the Arican Ministe-

rial Conerence on the Environment, in

conjunction with the conventions secre-

tariats and the secretariat o the Strate-

gic Approach to International Chemicals

Management will periodically review the

progress o integration o sound chemical

management into national planning strat-

egies and programmes and implementa-

tion o the conventions and the Strategic

Approach to International ChemicalsManagement in Arican countries and to

report back to the Conerence. p



18/28


Aa Msal c evmJasbu dlaa evm

Susaabl dvlm

We, Arican Ministers o Environment,

Commission on Sustainable Develop-

ment is ocusing on the thematic clus-

ter o agriculture, rural development,

land and drought and desertication,

particularly in Arica,

Recognizing the eorts and progressmade so ar regarding environmental

assessment in Arica and in increasing

the awareness and capacity o Arican

proessionals in environmental assess-

ment and management in support o

the action plan or the environment

initiative o the New Partnership or

Aricas Development,

Recognizingwith appreciation the im-

portant role that the private sector andthe civil society play in sustainable de-

velopment,

Recalling the special eort needed by

Arican countries to attain the Millen-

nium Development Goals and the 2010

targets or reducing biodiversity loss,

Recalling the commitments made at

the two partners conerences on the

environment initiative o the NewPartnership or Aricas Development

held in Algiers, in December 2003, and

in Dakar, in March 2005,

Hereby declare our resolve:

To continue implementing ully the

action plan or the environment initia-

tive o the New Partnership or Aricas

Development and the sub regional en-

vironmental action plans;

To urge the President o the Arican

Concerned further by the impact onwomen o environmental degradation

and recognizing the importance o

mainstreaming gender in all environ-

mental policies, strategies and related

programmes,

Notingprogress made so ar in imple-menting the action plan o the envi-

ronment initiative o the New Part-

nership or Aricas Development as

presented at the twelth session o the

Arican Ministerial Conerence on the

Environment,

Noting also the progress made so ar byArican countries in the implementa-

tion o the Strategic Approach to In-ternational Chemicals Management

and the chemicals conventions,

Acknowledging the need or Aricancountries to comply with and enorce

their international environmental

obligations and commitments under

multilateral environmental agree-

ments through eective regional and

national implementation,

Notingwith appreciation the supportprovided by the United Nations Envi-

ronment Programme, the Global En-

vironment Facility and other partners

to the regional economic commissions

to enable them to prepare their sub re-

gional environmental action plans, as

presented at the twelth session o the

Arican Ministerial Conerence on the

Environment,

Recalling urther that, at its seven-teenth session, the United Nations

Having met in Johannesburg, South

Arica, rom 10 to 12 June 2008 at the

twelth session o the Arican Ministe-

rial Conerence on the Environment,

Reinforcing the role o the Arican

Ministerial Conerence on the Envi-ronment in providing political guid-

ance and leadership or environmental

management and advocacy in Arica,

Notingthe close linkages between the

success o policies and actions or the

protection o the environment and

the success o national programmes

to combat poverty and promote equi-

table human development,

Recallingthe outcomes o major Unit-

ed Nations conerences and summits,

Arican Union summits and related

Arican meetings, in which the spe-

cial challenges acing Arica have been

identied and commitments made to

support Arica in achieving sustain-

able development,

Concerned by the increasing number

o environmental challenges acingArica and the continents vulner-

ability to global climate change, the

increasing need or capacity-building

and technology transer and the inad-

equate nancial and technical resourc-

es to meet these challenges,

Concerned also by the act that Arica

is the most vulnerable region with

the least capacity to adapt to climate

change and that, while Arica contrib-utes the least, it suers most rom the

impacts,



19/28


Ministerial Conerence on the En-

vironment to strengthen eorts to

orge cooperative links with the rel-

evant structures o the Arican Union

and other relevant Arican ministerial

bodies with a view to harmonizing in-

stitutional arrangements, policies and

programmes;

To urge the President o the Arican

Ministerial Conerence on the Envi-

ronment to strengthen the relation-

ship with United Nations agencies,

particularly the United Nations Envi-

ronment Programme and other rel-

evant international institutions and

bodies, through constant liaison with

the Executive Director o the United

Nations Environment Programme

and the secretariats o relevant inter-

national institutions on issues related

to the environment;

To urge Aricas development part-

ners to support the Arican Ministerial

Conerence on the Environment, the

Commission o the Arican Union, the

secretariat o the New Partnership or

Aricas Development and the regional

economic communities in implement-

ing their environmental action plans;

To call upon Governments to support

capacity-building in the area o tech-

nology-supported learning to enhance

the delivery o environmental educa-

tion, training and awareness-raising;

To call upon Arican countries and

development partners to mainstream

gender issues into national and subregional environmental programmes

and to initiate programmes aimed at

promoting gender-sensitive capaci-

ty-building in relation to the environ-

ment;

To call upon Arican countries to

participate eectively in upcoming

negotiations on key multilateral en-

vironmental agreements, particularly

those related to biodiversity, climatechange, chemicals, land degradation

and drought and desertication;

To call upon Arican countries to

participate ully and eectively in the

various capacity-building and en-

hancement activities or the imple-

mentation o multilateral environ-

mental agreements, including the Bali

Strategic Plan or Technology Support

and Capacity-building and the Euro-

pean Commission programme on ca-

pacity-building related to implemen-

tation o multilateral environmental

agreements in Arican, Caribbean and

Pacic countries;

To call upon the Global Environment

Facility and the TerrArica initiative

to continue to support eorts being

made by Arican countries to promote

sustainable land management in the

cont

Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, November 2007 ~ United Nations Environment Programme

Documents

Transcript of Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, November 2007 ~ United Nations Environment Programme