Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, May 2004 ~ United Nations Environment Programme

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ROA N ew sROA N ew sUNEP ROA News is a Newsletter of the Regiona l Office for Africa (ROA) a t UNEP, Na irobi, Kenya

N° 6 Ma y 2004

The Continent goes unleaded: Over Fifty Per Centof Gasoline in Sub-Saharan Africa is Now Lead Free

Over half of all petrol sold in Sub-

Saharan Africa is now unleaded. This is

one of the key findings delivered to a

conference, which took place from 5-7

May 2004 at the headquarters of the

United Nations Environment Programme

(UNEP) to assess progress towards a lead-

free continent.

The report also indicated that 12 countries

with refineries have committed to lead

phase-out. Nine countries including Cape

Verde, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana (refiner),

Mauritania, Mauritius, Nigeria (refiner),

Rwanda, and Sudan (refiner) have already

switched entirely to unleaded fuel.

There was a major breakthrough at this

conference as Kenya announced that it toowill be switching to fully unleaded gaso-

line by 1 January 2006. This announcement

by Ochillo Ayako, the Kenyan Minister of

Energy, will help put Africa on track for a

continent-wide switch to lead-free petrol

by the end of 2005. Currently just four per

cent of the motor fuels sold in Kenya are

unleaded. Kenya’s announcement will have

impacts beyond its borders as the country

is an exporter of fuel in East Africa.

Delegates to the conference learnt that the

push towards phasing-out leaded gasoline

is emerging as a real success story in the

developing world. The move to remove

lead in petrol in Sub Saharan Africa began

in Dakar, Senegal, in 2001 where countries

agreed on the Dakar declaration for the

phasing-out of leaded fuel. At that time,

only the Sudan was fully unleaded. After

the declaration, five sub-regional Action

Plans came into effect that have been

paving way towards the cleaner, lead-free,motor fuels. The initiative was given fresh

political impetus at the World Summit on

Sustainable Development, which took place

in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002.

C o n t e n t s

Kenya To Go Fully Unleaded Putting the Continent on Track For a Full Phase-Out By 2005

Mr. Ochillo Ayacko, Minister for Energy, Kenya; Mr. Klaus Toepfer, ED, UNEP; Patrick Bultynck, Senior Economist, WB at the Press Conference.

1

The Continent goes unleaded: Over fifty per cent of Gasoline in Sub-Saharan Africa is Now Lead Free

3

10th Session of the African Ministerial Conference onthe Environment to meet from 26 to 30 June in Tripoli

3

World Environment Day 2004

5

Partners strongly support the action plan on the

Environment Initiatiave of NEPAD

7

Restoring the Battered and Broken Environment of Liberiaone of the keys to a new and sustainable future

9

French Speaking African experts express concern overpressure by importers of African agricultural products toincrease use of Methyl Bromide

10

Mega-Chad Community-based Project on NaturalResources Conservation: UNEP Response to the ThreatsFacing Lake Chad

13

African Ministers Meet in Nairobi to Tackle theSustainable Energy Challenge

14

African Chart their way to Sustainable Consumption andProduction

17

Africa Environment Outlook-2: Innovative Approachto Environmental Reporting

18

The Environmental Convergence of African Youth

19

African Delegates at the First Youth and Children Conferenceon the Environment in Brazil: Strengthening the South-South Co-operation in Protecting the Environment



2 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6

E n e r g y

Representatives from governments,

organizations, industry and members of

civil society attending the conference took

stock of the progress towards phasing-out

leaded gasoline or petrol across sub

Saharan Africa. The conference identified

the remaining barriers to delivering the

full and final phase-out of leaded petroland also discussed the wider issues of

urban air pollution.

Most of the countries that have not yet

switched are in the process of developing

action plans to ensure a complete phase

out by the end of 2005. In total, over 50

per cent of all motor gasoline sold in Sub-

Saharan Africa is now unleaded.

The conference was organised jointly by

the World Bank (the Clean Air Initiativefor Sub Saharan Africa) and UNEP, which

is hosting the Partnership for Clean Fuels

and Vehicles (PCFV).

Patrick Bultynck, Senior Urban Transport

Economist for the World Bank’s Africa

Region, said: “The phase out of lead in

petrol in Africa is part of our global

activities aimed at delivering a healthier

and cleaner urban environment across the

developing world. Indeed, a cleaner urban

environment is a key for sustainableeconomic and social development. Lead-

free petrol is one important aspect of this

work, but not the end of our ambitions”.

“There are numerous other pollutants

produced by transport and industry that

also need to be tackled. The fact that we

can rid cities of lead pollution give us all

the confidence and clear signal that these

other pollution concerns are within our

reach,” he said.

The expected output of the Conference was

the finalisation of Action Plans to reach at

national, sub-regional and regional level,

the deadline of December 2005.

Klaus Toepfer, UNEP’s Executive Director,

said: “ Removing lead from petrol in Af-

rica is proving to be one of the great envi-

ronmental and health success stories of the

early 21st century. At the World Summit

on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in

Johannesburg two years ago, Governments,the private sector, civil society and inter-

governmental organisations like UNEP

committed themselves to action on a wide

range of fronts. This project shows that a

concerted effort from governments, civil

society, and the private sector assisted by

international organisations can result in

rapid and important improvements”.

“The Clean Fuels and Vehicles Initiative

is living proof that the commitments

made there are bearing fruit and that thespirit of Johannesburg is being felt in the

air and on the streets and highways of the

developing world. This gives us hope that

many other pressing environmental

problems, from delivering freshwater and

sanitation to reversing the decline of

wildlife, can be tackled so we can swiftly

steer the planet onto a sustainable track”.

In September 2002, at the World Summit

on Sustainable Development (WSSD),

Governments and their Partners set thephase-out of leaded gasoline as a matter

of the highest priority. This was included

in the WSSD Plan of Implementation. A

global partnership for Clean Fuels and

Vehicles (PCFV) coordinated by UNEP

was set up to support the global phase-

out of leaded gasoline, with a focus on

sub-Saharan Africa.

Lead is a toxic metal that can cause damage

to the kidneys, nervous system, brain, car-

diovascular, and reproductive systems. Of most concern are its effects on the nervous

system of young children. It has been linked

with reduced intelligence, attention deficit

disorders, and behavioural difficulties.

The phasing out off lead in gasoline will

also pave the way for cleaner vehicle

technologies, such as catalytic converters,

which can reduce harmful emissions from

vehicles by over 90 percent. These

technologies are already standard in many

parts of the world but need unleadedpetrol/gasoline to be able to function.

The Conference on the progress made in

the phase-out of leaded gasoline in Sub-

Saharan Africa was the peak of a process,

which lead to the organisation of sub-

regional meetings.

The sub-regional meeting on the ‘Phasing

out of Leaded Gasoline in Southern Africa’

was held in October 2003 in Cape Town,

South Africa. The meeting, organized by UNEP in collaboration with the World

Bank and the International Petroleum

Industries Environmental Conservation

Association (IPIECA) was the third of the

five sub-regional meetings planned to be

held at the sub-regional level on the

phasing-out of lead. On of the significant

outcome of this meeting was the

importance given to public education and

participation in the process of developing

and implementing the national action

plan for the phase-out. More on the leadphase-out activity can be obtained from

www.unep.org/pcfv/ ❐

Kenya will switch to fully unleaded gasoline by 1 January 2006.



ROA N EW S ISSUE NO. 6 • 3

A M C E N

World Environment Day 2004

10th

Session of the African MinisterialConference on the Environment to meet

from 26 to 30 June in TripoliT he tenth regular meeting of the African Ministerial

Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) is scheduled to

be held in Tripoli, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 29-30 June,

2004 at the invitation of the Government of Libya. The

Ministerial segment will be preceded on 26-28 June 2004 by

a preparatory meeting at the level of experts.

This 10th

session is coming at a time when significant

achievements have been made, two years after the 9th

regular

session of AMCEN was held in Kampala, Uganda. The special

session of AMCEN endorsed the Action Plan of the

environment initiative of NEPAD and the second ordinary

Assembly of the African Union held in Maputo in July 2003

adopted it. Subsequent to these and in pursuance of the

decisions of AMCEN and the AU Summit, the fifth Meeting

of the Steering Committee on the environment initiative of

NEPAD was held in Cairo from 21-22 October 2003, at the

Ministerial level.

Furthermore, a very successful Partners Conference on the

environment initiative of NEPAD was held in Algiers, Algeria

from 15 –16 December 2003.

Issues to be discussed include the status of the Environment

Initiative of the NEPAD, the role of AMCEN in the context of

the implementation of the Environment Initiative of the

NEPAD, the amendments to the Constitution of AMCEN, the

status of the AMCEN Trust Fund and the International

Conference on the Small Islands developing States (SIDS) also

known as Barbados+10.

For further details on the 10th

regular session, please contact

Mr. Sekou Toure, Director Regional Office for Africa on Tel:

254-20-624279/624284, Fax: 254-20- 623928, Email:

[email protected] or Mr. Peter Acquah, Senior Programme

Officer and Secretary of AMCEN on Tel: (254-20) 624287/

624289-E-mail: [email protected] ❐

T he international community is ready

to celebrate World Environment Day. The

annual event, celebrated around the globe

each year on or around 5 June, will take

place in the city of Barcelona, Spainduring the nearly five-month long

Universal Forum of Cultures that is being

hosted by the Barcelona City Council, the

Catalan Autonomous Government and

the Spanish Government.

UNEP, in accepting the offer of Barcelona

and The Forum to stage World Environ-

ment Day (WED), has been impressed by

the wealth of ambitious and innovative

environmental ideas, technologies and

infrastructure developments being under-

taken by the hosts as part of the Universal

Forum of Cultures. This year’s theme

“Wanted! Seas and Oceans Dead or alive?”

reflects not only the activities in Barcelona

as part of the Forum is holding several

activities related to seas and oceans, but

also UNEP’s important activities in the

field of the marine environment and sus-

tainable coastal livelihoods.

WED will be another great opportunity

for many Kenyans and the rest of Africa

to demonstrate commitment towards a

healthier environment through political

attention and action.

Africa’s coastal and marine resources

contribute significantly to the economies

of the countries, mainly through fishingand tourism. They constitute a major

source of livelihood for many households.

Unfortunately, Africa’s marine habitats –

mangroves, lagoons, coral reefs, deltas and

estuaries- have been impacted upon by

pollution and over harvesting of

resources. As a result, 38 per cent of the

African coastline of 40,000km, including

68 per cent of marine protected areas are

under high levels of threat emanating

from human-induced erosion, waste

deposition, clearing of plant species to

“Wanted! Seas and Oceans Dead or alive?”

SEAS AND OCEANSSEAS AND OCEANS

U N I T E D N AT I O N S E N V I R O N M E N T PR O G R A M M EU N I T E D N AT I O N S E N V I R O N M E N T PR O G R A M M E

www.unep.org




Or Alive?

W o r l d E n v i r o n m e n t D a y

allow for development, coastal erosion and increased salinity. Inaddition, the waters of the Western Indian Ocean are major sea

routes for millions of tones of oil every year. Oil-spills and related

pollution has destroyed vital marine species.

Concerted efforts must be made to raise environmental

awareness and mobilize the larger community in preserving our

environment for a better future. World Environment Day was

established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972, to

mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human

Environment. It is one of the principal vehicles through which

the United Nations enhances political attention and action andstimulates worldwide awareness on environmental challenges

facing us.

In Kenya the UNEP-Regional Office for Africa, will in

collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and Natural

Resources organise and co-ordinate activities involving youth

groups, school children, environmental groups, and the general

public throughout the country. Activities to mark World

Environment Day 2004 will include an essay, art and

photographic competition among the schools, a tree planting

exercise in the Aberdares aimed at raising consumer

responsibility towards the environment, a clean up/Tree planting

event at the City Park in Nairobi and a green parade/clean up in

Mombasa.

UNEP will use the occasion of WED in Barcelona this year to

launch its new International Photographic Competition, which

is being sponsored by Canon. The new competition, with the

themes of ‘Focus on Your World’ and ‘Celebrating Diversity’, aims

to increase awareness of environment and sustainable

development issues. Entries are invited from all nationalities and

ages, and from amateurs and professionals alike. Some of the

world’s leading photographers will be judging the competition.

The award ceremony and winners’ exhibition will be held at EXPO

2005 in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.

Inquiries about the UNEP International Photographic

Competition should be directed to Steve Jackson, UNEP Audio

Visual Unit, on Tel: 254 20 623332 or

E-mail: [email protected] ❐

Seas and Oceans Dead?




N E P A D

Partners Strongly support the Action Planon the Environment Initiative of NEPAD

AMCEN, Hon. Col. Kahinda Otaffire,

Mrs. Rosebud Kurwijila, the African

Union Commissioner on Agriculture and

Rural development, Mr. Michel

Camdessus, Representative to the Chair of

the G8, Mr. Roberto Tortoli, State

Secretary of the Italian Ministry of

Environment and representing the

President of the European Union, and

Mrs. Eid Uschi, Parliamentary State

Secretary and G8 representative for Africa

took turns to deliver their opening

statements.

The Algiers legacy

More than thousand participants,

including twenty-seven Ministers of

Environment from Africa and Europe,

senior government officials, UN agencies

and civil society organizations and their

counterparts from the developed co

untries deliberated for two days on how

to put words into action, after the

development phase of the Action Plan.

The question was after the conclusion of

this groundbreaking gathering, what

would stand as the Algiers legacy to Africa

in particular.

It is generally accepted that the

development of the Action Plan marked a

milestone in environmental management

in Africa. For the first time ever, a continent

wide environment strategy was prepared.

The preparation of the Action Plan was

based on a wide consultation involving

over 800 African experts and the civil

society. Eight thematic workshops as well

as meetings for the civil society

organizations in Africa were held to solicit

views and priority projects. These were

conducted over a one-year period at the

end of which a draft Action Plan was

developed, and endorsed by AMCEN in a

special session held in June 2003 in Maputo

Mozambique. The Action Plan was

adopted by the African Union (AU)

summit held in Maputo in July 2003.

The AU summit further requested

AMCEN, UNEP, NEPAD Secretariat and

African Development Bank to implement

T he much-heralded Partners Conference

on the Environment Initiative of NEPAD

is over. The purpose of the Partners

Conference, held in Algiers from 15-16

December 2003, was for Africa to engage

its development partners in the process of

implementation of the Action Plan.

This conference was concerned about

African countries tackling the rather

pervasive poverty within the continent. As

stated by UN’s Secretary General in his

address:“ NEPAD’s Environment Action

Plan would help African countries address

the continent’s environmental challenges

while encouraging sustainable develop-

ment in one of the poorest regions in the

world. Its success is central to the overall

implementation of NEPAD and to the

realization of Millennium Development

Goals agreed by all the world’s countries.”

The Partners Conference was opened by

President M. Abdelaziz Bouteflika,

President of Algeria. He welcomed all

participants and reiterated that the

purpose of the meeting was to set up

implementing programmes to tackle

environment issues confronting the

continent. He noted that poverty was the

main underlying cause of environmental

degradation in Africa. This concern over

poverty and the potential role of the Action

Plan for the Environment Initiative of the

NEPAD is shared by all the senior

representatives of Governments and

institutions who attended the meeting.

These include Mr. Cherif Rahmani,

Minister of Land Planning and

Environment of Algeria, Dr. Klaus Topfer,

the Executive Director of UNEP, Prof.

Wiseman Nkuhlu, Chairman of the

NEPAD Steering Committee, Mr. Modou

Diagne Fada, Minister of the Environment

of Senegal, Mr. Leonard Goods, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of Global

Environment Fund, the President of

Peter Acquah and Shamim Okolloh

The NEPAD Action Plan is a holistic, comprehensive and integrated sustainable development initiative for the revival of Africa.




N E P A D

some of the provisions contained in the

Action Plan. Notable among these

provisions was the finalization of the

capacity building program, which was to

underpin implementation of the Action

Plan; and the donors’ conference to be

held in Algiers in December 2003.

It is worth noting that over 200 projects

were identified during the preparation of

the Action Plan. These were re-prioritized

prior to the Partners Conference in order

to bring into sharp focus those projects

that required urgent attention. In this

regard, about 80 projects were identified,

which included 21 projects already

selected through the African process and

which had been adopted by the AU

summit. It will be recalled that the Africanprocess covers issues on the coastal and

marine resources in sub-Saharan Africa.

The Partners Conference agreed that the

capacity building component would

constitute the supporting base for

implementation of the Action Plan. It is

noteworthy that there was overwhelming

support for the capacity building

programme from Germany, Sweden,

Egypt, Canada, Africa Development Bank,

Ethiopia, Cameroon, the Basel

Convention, Benin, Nigeria, International

Atomic Energy Agency, UNITAR, Malawi

and WHO.

There were also diverse forms of pledges

of support for the implementation of the

Action Plan during the Conference. The

Danish Government pledged to provide a

grant of 500,000 Danish Kroners to the

further development for Programme

Area 1, which covers combating landdegradation, drought and desertification.

Germany, France, the Islamic Development

Bank, and Global Mechanism affirmed

their support for the desertification

programme. Programme Area 2, which

covers Conserving Africa’s Wetlands, had

full support from RAMSAR, and with

WWF reaffirming its support for integrated

river basin and wetland management.

Programme Area 4 which covers

Conserving and Sustainable use of Marine,Coastal and Freshwater was supported by

UNESCO, WWF and UNIDO, while the

Islamic Development Bank, France and

WHO gave their support to water related

issues. Consistent with the spirit of NEPAD,

the Zambian Government pledged USD

10,000 towards the implementation of the

Action Plan.

The Islamic Development Bank also

committed USD 2 billion for the period

of 2003-2006 to its 23 African member

countries, with a view to seeking avenues

for development co-operation with its

member countries particularly in dealing

with desertification and water resources.

The representative from Switzerland

reaffirmed her country’s support to the

Environmental Action Plan, with

particular interest in biodiversity and soil

degradation and related issues, and statedthat his country had earmarked 100

million Swiss Francs for African countries.

France had actively supported NEPAD

from the onset, had already contributed _

164 million to the GEF in response to a

request made in respect of implement-

ation. The representative from Japan

stated that at TICAD III, Prime Minister

Koizumi announced a USD1 billion

contribution in development assistance to

Africa over a five-year period. On his part,

the representative from Canada said that

through the G8 Africa Action Plan,

Canada had earmarked USD 500 million

for Africa, of which 28 percent had been

allocated to agriculture, water and

environmental related issues. She noted

that through ODA activities some of the

objectives of the Environment Action Plan

had been met, by way of Canada’s support

to Nile River, Zambezi and Congo Basins.

The representative of UNIDO reaffirmed

their support to Africa through NEPADand recalled strong partnership between

UNEP and GEF in a number of projects

including reduction of environmental

impact from coastal tourism; industrial

approaches to combating land

degradation in addition to the USD 55

million UNIDO-GEF programme on

marine ecosystems in Central and West

Africa. He noted that these projects would

jumpstart the implementation of the

Action Plan.

The representative from the European

Commission urged all partners wishing to

contribute to the sustainable development

of Africa to support the implementation

of NEPAD. She stated that the

establishment of the African Union and

the adoption of the NEPAD programme

had reinforced the partnership between

Europe and Africa and had also given a

fresh impetus to the political dialogue

between Europe and Africa. The

environment is one of the eight priorities

of the Europe-Africa dialogue and this

dialogue would be enriched by the

Conference. She explained that three

specific budget lines existed in terms of

the environment within the framework of

the existing financial instruments and

could be used by countries or regions tocontribute to the implementation of the

NEPAD initiative. In this regard, a call for

proposals to support the environment and

the tropical forests in developing countries

had just been launched by the EC.

In order to support the process of

sustainable development in Africa and the

realization of the Millennium

Development Goals, the EU had launched

the “Water Initiative in Africa” and this

would be supported with one billion euros

during the implementation phase. This

Water initiative includes financial support

to the management of transboundary

basins in the region. The commission

intends also to contribute to the financing

of training projects implemented by

UNITAR in support to African countries

working towards the achievement of their

commitments to the climate change and

desertification conventions. She reiterated

the EC’s preparedness to contribute to theprocess of creating a system of

environmental governance at a Pan-

African level.

It is worth noting that other substantive

issues on the implementation of the

Action Plan are expected to be discussed

at the forth-coming AMCEN meeting to

be held in Tripoli, Libya. A review meeting

on the implementation of the Action Plan

is scheduled for December 2004, in Dakar,Senegal. ❐




N a t u r a l R e s o u r c e s

Restoring the Battered and Broken Environment ofLiberia One of the Keys to a New and Sustainable Future

Mohamed Abdel-Monem

They are a place of great spiritual and

cultural importance, and figure deeply in

nearly all Liberians’ psyches. Forests are

fundamental to the Liberian people.Forestry represented the country’s most

important economic activity, responsible

for over 60% of the nation’s foreign

exchange, and accounted for 26% of GDP

in 2002.

Impact of the Civil War on the

People and Natural Resources

The fifteen years of civil war in Liberia has

had a serious impact on the civilian

population in Liberia as well as on itsnatural resources. Tens of thousands have

been injured and killed, and many left

with disabilities. One in three Liberians

has been uprooted and displaced. More

than half a million remain in temporary

housing or camps. The remnants of war

and unexploded ordnance (UXO) cause

additional challenges for repatriation.

Major economic activities are limited to

shipping, rubber plantations, timber

production, and mining, with the export

of the latter two currently prohibited by

the United Nations sanctions. The

Liberian economy has collapsed and

unemployment is now estimated to be 80

per cent Infrastructure has been damaged

by the war and looting, leading to a

collapse in many areas. Key services such

as energy production and distribution,

provision of safe drinking water and waste

management are barely operational. In

addition, vital infrastructure in the energy,

water, sanitation, waste management andhousing sectors has been partially or

totally destroyed.

The exploitation of natural resources has

been linked to the arms trade and to

regional instability. The control of timber

and mineral wealth was linked to and

sustained the armed conflict. The export

of illegally logged timber has been a source

of income for parties involved in the

conflict. The uncontrolled construction of

logging roads has led to a growing

fragmentation of forests, provided easier

access to hunters and has accelerated the

spread of slash and burn farming practices.

UN EP Response

Following the signing of the Comprehen-

sive Peace Agreement on 18 August 2003,

UN Mission in Liberia, (UNMIL) and the

UN Country Team in Liberia met on 24

October with representatives of the

National Transition Government of

Liberia (NTGL) to reconcile an UNMIL

draft proposal for restoration of basic

T his small coastal nation on the West

African coast covering an area of about

111thousnad sq. km located on Atlantic

Ocean with an estimated population of 3.3million is believed to have been the only

country in West Africa that was once

covered with rain forest. It is estimated that

today there is only 4.3 million hectares of

forest remaining.

The Liberia portion of the remaining

Upper Guinean rainforest was estimated

at 42%, with the remaining 58% shared by

Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Sierra Leone

and Togo. Biologically, Liberia’s forests are

exceptionally diverse, with high rates of

endemism and many more species that are

endangered outside the country. They are

home to approximately 125 mammal

species, 590 bird species, 74 known reptiles

and amphibians and over 1000 described

insect species. It is thought to contain over

2000 flowering plants including 240 timber

species. Liberia’s flora, or its insects,

amphibians, arachnids, gastropods or

other animal species often displaying a

high degree of dependence on specificplant hosts. Liberia´s major protected area

is Sapo National Park covering 130,000

hectares. Ten National Forests also afford

a limited degree of protection.

Liberians live in extreme poverty: over 85

per cent of the population live on less than

1 USD per day and even more alarming,

52 per cent subsist on less than 0,50 USD.

Forests are likewise a source of subsistence,

economic activity and cultural identity for

rural Liberians. They are a source of

medicines, construction materials, fuel,

food, and commodities to sell for cash.

United Nations Environment Programme’s First ever post-conflict environmental assessment Report in Africa Highlights

How War and Conflict Have Harmed Forests and Water Resources in Liberia. The report, Desk Study on the Environment

in Liberia, which has been compiled by the Post Conflict Assessment Unit of UNEP, as part of the United Nations

Development Group’s (UNDG) Needs Assessment for Liberia carries 60 recommendations for improving the environment

and development prospects for this West African country.




infrastructures and services, for

presentation at the recent Reconstruction

Conference held in February 2004. To this

end, the UN and the World Bank

expressed their readiness to embark on a

co-ordinated effort by undertaking a joint

needs assessment, with additional

participation by the IMF on macro-

economic and budgetary issues.

The scope of the needs assessment focuses

on the identification of priority needs and

funding requirements for 2004 and 2005

and the development of a transition

strategy for 2004 and 2005, including key

considerations for sustainable longer-

term development beyond 2005.

A UNEP mission was fielded to Monroviabetween the 4

thand 15

thof December

2003. The UNEP team met with counter-

parts from the Liberian government,

representatives form different national an

International NGOs, academia, as well as

on-site UN and WB task managers

responsible for the various sectors. The

Team identified the following priority

areas as needing attention:

• The forest sector, (broadly defined to

include commercial, conservation and

community interests) is the most

important sector that should receive

immediate attention. Related to the

commercial aspects of forest

management (reform of concessions,

transparency, chain of custody and

good governance) other areas of forest

policy that require attention include

re-forestation policies, deforestation

caused by shifting cultivation

practices, agro-forestry, the fuel woodand charcoal industries, and forest

conservation.

• Other areas of concern include loss of

biodiversity due to wildlife depletion

as a result of uncontrolled hunting for

bushmeat, slash and burn practices,

deforestation, mining activities,

logging; land degradation due to poor

practices in agriculture, mining, and

forestry; coastal and marine pollution

due to poor waste and sewagemanagement and finally the

environmental impacts associated

with refugees and IDPs.

• The most important chal lenge to

environmental management is a lack

of capacity in all areas of government.

In the forestry sector the particular

institutions that require primary

attention are the Forest Development

Authority and the Environmental

Protection Agency.

• The mission confirmed the import-

ance of Mount Nimba as a potential

transboundary peace park, but any

associated fieldwork in this regard will,

like all activities outside of Monrovia,

be dependent on improved security in

the country.

• The only other hotspot identified

during the mission was Freeport

harbour, where sunken vessels and

extensive pollution around the fuel

storage installations were found on a

site inspection.

Based on the above the UNEP teamidentified the following urgent actions

were recommended:

1) Inclusion of environmental protection

and conservation components in all

rehabilitation, resettlement and

reconstruction programmes and

activities through sensitization and

awareness raising;

2) Strengthening the national institu-

tions responsible for the forests in thecountry through capacity building

programmes;

3) In the forestry sector, the need to

reform the timber policy to include

conservation forestry which would

include periodic appraisal of forestry

resources and the introduction of

sustainable forestry programs so that

timber potential can be conserved;

4) Development of a national policy on

environment in different areas related

to a)Forestry and timber exploitation,

b) Sustainable land use management;

c) Water management; d) Biodiversity

conservation; e) Marine protection

(coastal and marine; f)Ecosystem

services and poverty reduction;

5) Strengthening the capacities for

teaching environmental science by the

academic staff at the University of

Liberia through in service training and

exchange programmes with other

African Universities;

6) Training in the use of remote sensing/

GIS for analysis of deforestation andother environmental challenges to

back up the Liberian Forest Assess-

ment Project funded by the E.U.;

7) Introduction of environmental science

in national school curricula at primary

and secondary levels;

8) Awareness raising programmes at

community level on topics such as; the

damage done to biodiversity through

the use of bush meat of protected

species; alternatives to the use of shifting cultivation to discourage this

practice. ❐


Deforestation in Liberia.




O z o n e

A s the world was geared towardsMontreal Protocol talks planned for endMarch 2004 to consider exemptions frommethyl bromide ban for a number of developed countries to allow them to usethe pesticide for certain “critical issues”,representatives of eighteen French-speaking African countries were sharingexperiences at a workshop on the use of

alternatives to this ozone layer depletingchemical, as part of the phase-out process.

The Regional Workshop on experiences of use of Methyl Bromide alternatives held inDakar, Senegal from 8-10 March 2004came up with a firm commitment from theparticipating countries to a total phase outof methyl bromide before internationaldeadline set for 2015 by the MontrealProtocol. Successful methyl bromidealternatives would help them reduce by 20% the use of methyl bromide by 2005.

The regional workshop was organized toevaluate the achievements so far attained,and provide up-to-date information onspecific use patterns, existing or potentialalternatives and the impact MB-relatedactivities have had in the region. It broughttogether countries that need “hands-on”information on how available alternativeswork and offered an opportunity forexchange of results and lessons learnedfrom demonstration projects that havebeen successful in other countries.

Implementing Agencies and Expertsmembers to the Methyl Bromide technicalOption Committee (MBTOC) provided themeeting with different chemical and non-chemical alternatives as well as soilpathogens and weeds controlled by each of the alternative methods. The Combinationof these alternatives into an Integrated PestManagement (IMP) approach was also wellexplained. It appeared that the issue of alternative to methyl bromide is still achallenge in terms of cost, efficiency,availability, access and procedures, but somealternatives are already proving viable andwere demonstrated in the continent. Theseinclude hydroponics, soil solarisation, Bio-fumigation, Dazomet (Basamid),

Chloropicrin, 1,3 D (Telone), Metam Sodium(Vapam). Other altern-atives for post harvestand as well as for Quarantine and Pre-Shipment (QPS) included Phosphine, SulpurylFluoride, Carbondoixide, Dichlorvos,Malathion, Chlopyriphos, Pyrimiphos-methyl,Deltamethrine.

One major concern that was expressedduring the workshop was the attitude of some importers of commodities produced inthe region tenting to encourage the use of Methyl Bromide. Whereas some importingcountries accept products treated withapproved alternatives prior to export, othersmake it mandatory on African countries tofumigate those products destined for exportwith Methyl Bromide. For example Coted’Ivoire and Senegal which are the largestexporters of cocoa beans and cottonrespectively are being forced to have theirproducts exclusively treated with MethylBromide by importers from some developed

countries and Latin America. This situationis not likely to encourage African countriesto continue their effort in expediting theelimination of Methyl Bromide.

As part of the recommendations of theworkshop, participants called on theTechnical and Economic Assessment Panel(TEAP) to provide the next meeting of Parties to the Montreal Protocol with basic

scientific and technical elements thatwould justify the need for certainimporting countries, to fumigateagricultural products for which thealternatives exist and which were publishedin the last report of the MBTOC (2002).

Some specific strategies were highlighted,such as the one used by PAN Africa, an NGOin Senegal in communicating MethylBromide alternatives during theirimplementation of UNEP Methyl BromideCommunication Programme. The Kenyansuccess story on Farmer Field School (FFS)implemented jointly by UNEP and the Foodand Agriculture Organization (FAO) wasalso presented as another Programme to beextended to other countries in the region.

This Workshop was an important milestonein communicating ozone related issues.Journalists were involved in the process aspartners and strategic allies in support of

the goals of UNEP’s public awarenessprogramme in the region. A specific sessionwas organized as part of the program of theworkshop. This session aimed at equippingWest African French speaking journalistswith relevant information and skills withwhich to improve the level and quality of environmental reporting and specifically ozone issues under the Montreal Protocol

is bearing fruits. ❐

The issue of alternative to methyl bromide i s still a challenge but some alternatives are already providing viable solutions to Africa.

French Speaking African experts express concernover pressure by importers of African agricultural

products to increase use of Methyl BromideJeremy Bazye/ Florence Asher



1 0 • RO A N EW S ISSUE N O. 6

Mega-Chad Community-based Project on NaturThreats Faci

Elizabeth Migongo-Bake

miles (10,000 square km) to only 839

square miles (1,350 square km). It was

estimated that, the lake’s size decreased by 30 percent between 1966 and 1975.

The drier climate and high agricultural

demands for water as reasons for shrinking

the lake. In fact irrigation only accounted

for 5 percent of that decrease, with drier

conditions accounting for the remainder.

It was noticed that irrigation demands

increased four-fold between 1983 and

1994, accounting for 50 percent of the

additional decrease in the size of the lake.

This, in turn, led to loss of plant and animal

habitats. Animal populations have droped,

and many larger mammals such as giraffes,

striped hyenas, western kob, bushbuck and

sitatunga are now considered extinct in the

area around the lake.

The inhabitants of this sub-region, with a

population increasing at the rate of 3

percent per year, are mostly resource-poor

pastoralists and peasant farmers who are

forced to exploit the natural resources of

the fragile ecological zone to satisfy their

immediate socio-economic needs. This

situation gives rise to increasing land

degradation which poses a major threat

to biodiversity of both flora and fauna and

indeed to the conservation of specializedplant species, especially in view of the

scanty rainfall characteristic of the area

and the relatively low level of awareness

on the need for environmental protection.

The problem is further exacerbated by the

almost complete reliance on fuel wood for

domestic uses in the sub-region. The

Right on the edge of the world’s

largest, driest desert the Sahara, there lies

a large freshwater lake. The lake is sharedby Cameroon, Chad, Nigeria and Niger

who, along with CAR, make up the Lake

Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), whose

name in French is the Commission du

Basin du Lac Chad (CBLT). Its basin

extends over 967,000 km2 and is home

to about 20 million people, according to

LCBC. These include 11.7 million in

Nigeria, 5.0 million in Chad, 2.5 million

in Cameroon, 634,000 in CAR and

193,000 in Niger. It was once the sixth-

largest lake in the world, and was thesecond largest wetland in Africa, but

persistent drought since the 1960s

shrank it to about a tenth of its size.

Lake Chad has always undergone

seasonal and inter-annual fluctuations

because it is less than 23 feet (7 m) deep.

In recent decades, during wet periods the

lake expands up to 10,000 square miles

(25,900 square km). The warming

climate and increasing desertification in

the surrounding Sahel region havedropped water levels far below the

average dry season level of 4,000 square


Conserving biodiversity in drylands in Lake Chad Basin countries is one of UNEP’s focus

UNEP’s Mega Chad project aims at establishing self-sustained communities in Lake Chad Basin countries including Nigeria ...




Resources Conservation: UNEP Response to theg Lake Chad

Mohamed Abdel-Monem

inhabitants of the area are also opening

up marginal land areas for cultivation in

a desperate attempt to sustain their

livelihoods. Many plants which are highly adapted to the region and are of great

value to the inhabitants of this area, are

fast disappearing, since the inhabitants

have a culture of exploiting these species

without commensurate attempt to replace

them through deliberate propagation.

Despite the increased aridity, however, the

Mega-Chad area has been noted for its

rich biodiversity in good quality millet,

wheat, rice, melon and date; it also has an

abundance of livestock and fish. The hardy plant species are unique and support a

wide variety of wildlife. The wetlands

associated with Lake Chad and the river

plains provide international haven for the

migrating bird life.

UN EP prom otes self-sustaining

comm unities in a desert-

threatened environment

The trans-boundary areas between

Northeast Nigeria, northern Cameroon,Southwest Chad and the eastern part of

Niger (a sub-region popularly referred to

as Mega-Chad) are essentially arid. Rural

livelihood in this sub-region is based

mainly on transhumance pastoralism and

small-scale dry and irrigated agriculture.Due to increasing pressure on land as a

result of the ever-increasing population,

persisting dry conditions, as well as

inadequate policies hindering free

mobility of pastoralists in the sub-region,

land degradation has become a major

threat to biodiversity of both flora and

fauna and the conservation of plant

species of special concern.

The major threats in the area include

1) Loss of biodiversity due to habitat

loss as a result of uncontrolled

exploitation of vegetal resources. 2)

Increasing rate of land degradation,

which exacerbates the poverty levels of

the inhabitants. This in turn hasnegative implications for global climate

change.

As a response to the pressing issues of

natural resource conservation and

management in Africa, UNEP, through

financial support from the government

of Belgium, is implementing a pilot

project titled “Promotion of the Use of

Renewable Energy Resources and

Conservation of Flora Species in the

Drylands of Mega-Chad of the WestAfrican Sub-Region: Good Practices

Model Village Approach in land

degradation control”. The Project is

known as Mega Chad Project.

The overall objective of the project is

to, through appropriate education and


And Cameroon.

Supporting the livelihood of dryland communities




inputs of materials, financial, intellectual

resources and good practices, establish

self-sustaining communities in a desert-

threatened environment.

This coordination of project

implementation is handled by the

University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), incollaboration with the Lake Chad Basin

Commission (LCBC), given its mandate

in the basin, and as the project addresses

issues of concern in the basin as presented

in the 1992 Master Plan document

prepared in collaboration with UNEP.

The Project activities include:

• Demonstration on the use of solar

cookers, biogas digesters and fuel-

efficient stoves as well as training of

women and local artisans on theconstruction and maintenance of

these new technologies.

• Formation and promotion of

environmental social clubs at the

Model Communities as well as

promotion of youth activities and

environmental social clubs.

• Establishment and maintenance of

nurseries on threatened flora species

• Community training on composting,

on-farm soil conservation measures

and other sustainable agricultural

practices

• Community training on rain-water-

harvesting .

• Establishment and maintenance of

wood lots for the propagation of

threatened flora species

• Establishment and promotion of

community-based regulatory and

management frameworks, including

revolving-funds for the purchase and

maintenance of Renewable Energy

Technologies.

• Product ion of leaf le ts and v ideo

documentaries to be used for training.

The Project impact:

• Fue l-ef f ic ient s toves (clay and

sawdust) have been adopted by the

communities very favourably.

Community members have been

trained on fabrication (women for the

clay and men for the metal sawdust

stove). Five prototypes of each were

introduced to each community. The

adoption rate varied from one

community to another. However, it is

estimated that, using Fuel-efficient

stoves can save about 50% of the fuel-

wood consumption.

• Nurseries have been established in all

four countries. The seedlings planted

consist of over-exploited and

threatened indigenous and a few exotic

species of economic, dietary,

medicinal and cultural value to

communities in the project area. These

include species such as Khayasenegalensis, Tamarindus indica,

Boabab spp. And Acacia Senegal.

Between 2 and 5 hectares have been

established as community woodlot

sites and planted with species using

seedlings from the nurseries.

Community members have been

provided with tree seedlings of their

choice, which they have successfully

planted and are managing around

household compounds and farmland.

• Awareness has been raised in the

communities on the need to conserve

biodiversity. School Environmental

Clubs, Women Groups and Social

Environmental Clubs that were

established as part of the project

activities, have been actively involved

in planning and maintenance of

indigenous species both in the

community woodlots and around the

households and farms. Higher impact

rates were found in Cameroon and

Nigeria.

• Awareness has been raised on the use

of solar energy and biogas as

alternatives to the diminishing fuel-

wood resources and local experts are

now available for production of these

at each community. However, as the

two are new technologies, more time

is required for adoption impact.

• The idea of water harves t for

household use has been instilled in the

community and created a potential for

installation of bigger tanks for

conservation of rainwater for use inthe dry season.

• The project has created environmental

awareness amongst the project

communities including youth and

women. Through the youth clubs and

women groups awareness on

environmental issues as related to land

degradation control, especially

deforestation, have been transmitted to

the communities. These groups

through training and awareness-raising

on conservation of trees and adoption

of fuel-efficient stoves and renewable

energy sources has significantly

changed the beneficiary communities’

perceptions on the environment in

general and the natural resources on

their land in particular. These impacts

have been realised beyond the

community boundaries to other

surrounding localities including the

local authorities. ❐


Community awareness field day.




I n d u s t r y

African Ministers Meet in Nairobi to tacklethe Sustainable Energy Challenge

A frican Ministers of Energy recently

gathered at the UN Headquarters in

Nairobi, Kenya to discuss practical and

sustainable solutions to energy problems

in the continent. The meeting on energy

and sustainable development held from

7-8 May 2004 was organized by the

United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP) in collaboration

with the United Nations Economic

Commission for Africa (ECA) and the

African Union (AU), in Africa, in the

context of the Johannesburg Plan of

Implementation and the New

Partnership for Africa’s Development

(NEPAD). This meeting came in

response to a request made by African

ministers during the WSSD in September

2002 and the EU-Energy Initiative

meeting in November 2003. It aimed at

catalyzing the development and

implementation of sound energy policies

and strategies for the development and

management of the region’s energy

resource on a sustainable basis.

The development of renewable energies

was one of the major focus of discussions

as participants reviewed the related key

priorities and policy issues to be included

as a basis for the African Position on

Renewable Energy which will be presented

as their input to International Conference

on Renewable Energy to be held from 5-7

June in Bonn, Germany.

Klaus Toepfer, Executive Director of UNEP,

said: “The provision of environmentally sound energy services are integral to

poverty alleviation and sustainable

development. Over two billion people in

developing countries do not have access to

reliable forms of energy. Nine out of ten

Africans have no access to electricity”.

“ Providing access to economically viable,

socially acceptable and environmentally

sound energy on a sustainable basis is not

only vital for fighting environmental issues

like global warming but for reducingpoverty and misery in Africa and parts of

Asia and Latin America. Technological

solutions to energy problems are available

today. The challenge remains to introduce

or scale up the application of sustainable

energy services. Similarly, policy and

regulatory challenges remain if these are

to become commercially viable options

and able to compete with conventional and

environmentally harmful energy options

that typically benefit from favourable

pricing conditions and perverse policy incentives”, he said.

Using renewable energy sources means

reducing the release of harmful emissions

into the atmosphere, thus minimising

environmental pollution and the effect of

climate change, reducing the dependence

on fossil fuels, which not only cause wide-

spread environmental damage, but will in

the near future not be freely available any

longer and making use of local resources.

In recent years, numerous projects havebeen initiated, aiming to promote social,

economic and environmental sustainable

development through energy efficiency

and the use of renewable energy sources

such as solar, wind, and geothermal.

UNEP, in collaboration with the UN

Foundation and Ministers from

Denmark, France Germany, and the UK

at WSSD launched the Global Network

on Energy for Sustainable Development

(GNESD), to help all partners to develop

and apply policies suitable to the needsand constraints of developing countries,

thus supporting the use of energy as an

instrument for poverty alleviation and

sustainable development. The Network

is also meant to promote the research,

transfer and take-up of green and cleaner

energy technologies to the developing

world.

ALS

The Global Network on Energy for

Sustainable Development (GNESD) is

a partnership, and was submitted to the

World Summit on Sustainable

Development for recognition as a

“Type Two” partnership project. UNEPhosts a small secretariat for the

Network. ❐

Renewable energy, an opportunity for Africa.

The move to remove lead in petrol in Africais emerging as a real success story.




I n d u s t r y

African Chart their Way to SustainableConsumption and Production

and strategies implemented in the region.

They also provided the basis for the

institutionalisation of the Regional

Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption

and Production, and identified key areas

of regional focus for the 10-Year

Framework of Programmes on sustainable

consumption and production.

The WSSD gave a new impetus to the need

to achieve more sustainable consumption

and production patterns. The

Johannesburg Plan of Implementation

calls for the development of a 10-year

Framework of Programme on Sustainable

Consumption and Production in support

of the regional and national initiatives.

Following the mandate, UNEP together

with the United Nations Department of

Economic and Social Affairs (UN-DESA)

have initiated a global and regional

process in order to develop and support

regional initiatives to promote sustainableconsumption and production (SCP). The

main outcomes of the regional meetings/

consultation would be the identification

of regional priorities and needs to achieve

sustainable patterns of consumption and

production, and the development of

regional frameworks/strategies on SCP.

The ARSCP-3 was attended by 70

participants from 31 countries represent-

ing government agencies, Directors and

Deputy Directors of National Cleaner

Production Centres, regional environ-

mental networks, non-governmental

organisations, consumer and youth

associations, industries and academia.

Participants also discussed the charter of

the African Roundtable for Sustainable

Consumption and Production (ARSCP).

This Charter is a response to the need to

create a regional institution that would

provide support to activities at the nationallevel and facilitate regional cooperation on

sustainable consumption and production

activities in the Region. It aims to achieve

industrial economy of African countries

that has effective contribution to the

reduction of poverty, improvement of well

being and improvement of the

environment on a sustainable basis.

The meeting also focused on the devel-

opment of Africa’s priorities in the con-text of the 10 -Year Framework Plan on

Sustainable Consumption and Produc-

tion. This is a follow-up to the recommen-

dation from the World Summit on

Sustainable Development and Interna-

tional Expert Meeting on a 10-Year

Framework of Programmes for Sustain-

able Consumption and Production that

was held in Marrakech in June 2003.

The Roundtable on sustainable consump-

tion and production hosted by theMorocco Ministry of Land Management,

R epresentatives of governments,

business sectors, civil society and

consumer groups met in Casablanca,

Morocco from 17-20 May 2004 for the

Third African Roundtable on Sustainable

Consumption and Production (ARSCP-

3). This African Roundtable was initiated

with the view to facilitate the development

of national and regional capacities for


and promote the effective implement-

ations of the concepts and tools of


in African countries.

The overall objective of the ARSCP-3 is

to provide a forum for further

strengthening of the activities on cleaner

production and sustainable consumption

in Africa. Participants to the Roundtable

specifically reviewed the current status of

activities on cleaner production and

sustainable consumption in the regionand shared experiences on best practices

Desta Mebratu

UNEP launched the International Programme on Cleaner Production to increase overall efficiency and reduce risks to humans and environment.




Water and Environment and the Morocco

Cleaner Production Centre (MCPP) was

organised by the United Nations

Environment Programme (UNEP) in

collaboration with the United Nations

Industrial Development Organisation

(UNIDO).

UNEP launched the International

Programme on Cleaner Production in

1989 with an objective of applying

integrated preventive environmental

strategy to increase overall efficiency and

reduce risks to humans and environment.

In 1994, UNEP and UNIDO joined forces

and launched the National Centre

Production Centres (NCPCs) program-

mes for promoting cleaner production in

developing countries and countries in

transition.

The UNIDO/UNEP Programme for

NCPCs is a unique programme of capacity

development to help achieve adoption and

further development of the cleaner

production concept at the national level.

Over the last ten years, twenty-four National

Cleaner Production Centres (NCPCs) have

been established under the programme in

developing countries and economies in

transition of which nine are in Africa.

With the increasing number of NCPCs

and CP promoting institutions at the

national level, Regional Roundtables

emerged as a useful forum for experience

sharing and information dissemination at

the regional level. UNEP assists the

launching of Regional Roundtables,

particularly in the developing world.

Accordingly, in August 2000, UNEP

organised the First African Roundtable on

Cleaner Production and Consumption in

Nairobi, Kenya. The Second African

Roundtable on Sustainable Consumption

and Production was organised by the

Cleaner Production Centre of Tanzania

(CPCT) in collaboration with UNEP in

January 2002, in Arusha, Tanzania.

Regional Seminar on EMF Emissions

and the Environment A regional seminar on the ‘Impacts of Electromagnetic Field Emissions on the

Environment’ was organised by the Regional Office of the International

Telecommunication Union in collaboration with the Uganda Communication

Commission (UCC) in Kampala. 35 participants drawn from 10 African countries

attended the seminar. Michael Werikhe, Minister of State for Works, Housing and

Communications noted that, ‘much has been said about the technological advancement

in the telecommunication industry and the wide opportunities it offers. It is perhaps

important now that the debate is shifted to the other side of the coin – the effect of

these ICTs on the users and the environment’.

The seminar covered the key features of EMF Emissions, the recent developments withinthe communication industries and the important measures that need to be taken in

order to mitigate their adverse impacts on the environment. The seminar underlined

the need to give an early consideration for the management of the impacts of EMF on

the environment and human health and stressed the importance of having such regional

forums on a continuous basis.

More information about the seminar can be obtained from http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/

worksem/impact/index.html ❐

I n d u s t r y

Measures need to be taken in order to mitigate adverse impact on the environment.




Africans Trained onClean Development

Mechanism

A‘Regional Workshop on Clean Development Mechanism

(CDM) and LULUCF’ was recently held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

with an objective of enhancing the knowledge of African

negotiators about the Clean Development Mechanism under the

Kyoto Protocol. The workshop, organised by UNEP-RESO in

collaboration with UNEP-DPDL, at the request of the African

Group, underlined the need to enhance the capacities of African

countries to benefit from developing and implementing projects

under the CDM Framework.

Among the issues discussed, participants agreed that CDM will

continue in one or another form creating a significant potential

benefit for the developing world although the full

implementation of CDM at the global level impinges upon the

ratification of the Kyoto Protocol. They also agreed that Africa

is lagging behind in terms of the required preparedness to benefit

from CDM. The enhancement of the technical capacity of local

expertise, which could be involved in the verification of CDM

projects also emerged as essential. These experts would initially

work with ‘Designated Operational Entities’ (DOEs) that are

already accredited by UNFCCC Secretariat with a subsequent

possibility of being an independent DOEs on their own merits.

The need to create a broad awareness amongst the potential CDM

project promoters, both in the public and private sector was

highlighted as critical in terms of getting the maximum possible

benefit from CDM. The presence of a conducive investment

framework for foreign direct investment (FDI) provides a fertile

ground for the promotion of CDM projects in developing

countries. It was agreed that each country could adopt its own

mechanism of ensuring that CDM projects are fulfilling the

sustainable development criteria of the country and that

concerted effort should be made to enhance the capacities of

African countries

Mining and SustainableDevelopment

A ‘Regional Conference on Mining and Sustainable

Development’ was held last November in Johannesburg, South

Africa. The Conference was organised by the Chamber of Mines

of South Africa under the theme ‘Implementing Sustainable

Development in Mining: From Talk to Action’. The conference

was attended by more than three hundred eighty participants

from over 12 countries. Honourable Rejoice Mabudafhasi,

Deputy Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism

underlined the importance of the development of the mining

sector on a sustainable basis for the development of the region.

She also stressed the strong linkages between mining, tourism

and environment and noted that the mining industry can play asignificant role in the protection of the environment and thereby

the promotion of tourism.

Some progress has been made by the mining industries to address

the key environmental issues related to the sector. However, there

is a need to shift towards addressing the nexus challenges at the

inter-phase of the environmental, economic and social

dimension. Discussions on the key challenges with respect to

the sustainable development of the mining sector lead to

consensus points on how to promote the sustainable

development of the mining sector in the region.

More on the conference could be obtained from http://

www.bullion.org.za/. ❐

I n d u s t r y

The Mining Industry can play a significant role ...

... in the protection of the environment.




Africa Environment Outlook-2: InnovativeApproach to Environmental Reporting

T he production of the Africa

Environment Outlook-2 takes a crucial

step as experts from many stakeholders,

including sub-regional economic bodies

from across the continent have finalized

the structure of the second edition of

this authoritative and comprehensive

report on the state of the environment

in Africa.

AEO-2, which is being prepared in the

context of the Action Plan of the

Environment Initiative of the New

Partnership for Africa’s Development

(NEPAD), the World Summit for

Sustainable Development (WSSD) Plan

of Implementation, international agreed

goals under the Millennium

Declaration, and various multilateral

environmental agreements will profile

Africa’s environmental resources as anasset for the continent’s development. It

will highlight the potential of the

region’s natural resource base to support

the development agenda of NEPAD and

the opportunity cost of its misuse. It will

serve also as a monitoring and

evaluation tool for the implementation

of the programmes and activities

contained in the NEPAD Environment

Action Plan.

One of the functions of AEO as a

monitoring tool is to keep track of

environmental problems and solutions,

and bring them to the attention of policy

makers. The second edition of Africa

Environment Outlook will review issues

such as land, forests and woodlands,

Atmosphere, Freshwater, Biodiversity,

Coastal and marine, Human Settlements,

using the AEO-1 report as the baseline.

The new report which will be launchedin 2006 will take a closer look at the

emerging challenges facing the continent

such as conflict and environment, human

vulnerability to extreme environmental

events and natural disasters, vulnerabil-

ity of Small Island Developing States, ge-

netically modified organisms (GMOs)

and the environment, the changing de-

mography, Non-timber forest products

such as flora and fauna, especially bush

meat, emergence of new and re-emer-

gence of old diseases, ecosystem services,

trade and environment, the effect of non-

environmental agreements on the envi-

ronment in Africa, transboundary

resources use, especially groundwater.

Other themes such as Health and

environment, Energy, Technology

solutions, Natural disasters and

environmental performance, Gender

disparities will be considered as cross-cutting issues.

Different development paths towards

achieving MDGs will also be examined,

based on selected scenarios. The time

horizon for the outlook will be the year

2025 in order to be in harmony with the

national development visions and poverty

reduction strategies, which have already

been developed by a number of countries

in the region.

The report will underscore the concept of

sustainable livelihoods, and the

importance of the environmental

initiatives in supporting them in an

innovative approach that places the

human being at the center of sustainable

development. This approach is focused on

adding value to what exists or remains by

using it efficiently to derive maximum

benefit to alleviate poverty. It also includes

mitigating the constraints and negativeeffects, maximizing the total value of

Africa’s natural asset and safeguarding

and improving the remaining asset in

terms of ecosystem and economicgoods and services and social value/

services at the national and community/

household levels.

The production of the first AEO Report

was a learning experience for all

concerned. It was a new departure for

SOE reporting in Africa, a new concept

without antecedents. Taking the lessons

from AEO-1 on board, the process for

AEO-2 will have guidelines set up from

the beginning, taking into account andtackling the difficulties experienced in

the first report. These guidelines

provide a reference point for all players

in the AEO-2 process, and are meant to

streamline, the presentation of data

gathered, analyzed and interpreted at

the sub-regional to regional levels. ❐

ALS

A f r i c a E n v i r o n m e n t O u t l o o k




The Environmental Convergence Of African Youth

‘ An ocean is the convergence of water

drops.’ This ancient African saying sums

up the spirit of the Africa Environment

Outlook for Youth. From Lagos to Cape

Town, Nairobi to Cairo, St. Louis to

Libreville, African youth are united in the

AEO-for-Youth process. Commissioned

by the Africa Ministerial Conference on

the Environment (AMCEN), AEO-for-

Youth is an unprecedented initiative that

is geared towards mobilizing the African youth into a collective process that will

result in a youth version of the Africa

Environment Outlook Report. This

initiative is a part of the Division of Early

Warning Assessment of UNEP and was

conceived by the African Youth Caucus

that met in Nairobi in February 2003 for

UNEP’s Governing Council meeting. The

initiative upholds close-working relations

with other arms of UNEP, more so ROA,

GEO and the UNEP program of work

related to youth and education. AEO-for-

Youth will especially work closely with

TUNZA, UNEP’s long-term strategy for

youth.

The AEO-for-Youth Publication will

combine the scientific information in

AEO with illustrations, short case studies,

poems, photos, quotes and opinions on

environmental issues submitted by

African youth in a format that appeals to

them. Through such participation, theenvironmental awareness and action

amongst young people will be increased.

From its very inception, AEO-for-Youth

has been youth driven. Six youth from

Africa’s six sub-regions were elected to

oversee the implementation of AEO-for-

Youth in their respective sub-regions.

These six Sub-Regional Officers are

working hand in hand with DEWA’s

Collaborating Centers. At the National

level, National Focal Points have beenidentified to oversee national

implementation.

The process has gained momentum and

African youth are already writing articles

on the atmosphere while others are takingphotos of the flora and fauna. Some are

drawing coastal features, while others are

coming up with illustrations on the forests

and freshwater. And it doesn’t stop here.

African youth are also writing honestly

and objectively on issues that affect them

closely like land and urbanization.

Through it all, they are striking a positive

chord as they speak out optimistically on

the state of the environment and human

vulnerability to this state. Youth are alsospotlighting the future of the environment

as they write on different scenarios of the

future, in relation to the main AEO

Report.

Sustained and informed youth activity in

environmental matters can be achieved

through sustained and strategic

collaborative effort, as exhibited in AEO-

for-Youth. As African youth struggle for a

better tomorrow, their efforts are often

hampered by a series of challenges like

conflict, famine, acute unemployment and

AIDS. Due to these numerous challenges,

youth often find it immensely difficult tofind a place for environment on their

priority lists. As the name suggests, AEO-

for-Youth has fully prioritized both the

youth and the environment. This will give

youth a voice even as it gives the

environment youthful and energized

advocates. Through the six sub-regional

frameworks and National Focal Points,

AEO-for-Youth appreciates the different

sub-regional contexts within which youth

live in. This also enables a bottom-upstructure that ensures the full participation

of youth at the grassroots level. Indeed,

AEO-for-Youth is both a wake-up calls for

the African Society to give youth an

audience and for African Youth to speak

out on environmental issues, even as they

engage in environmental initiatives.

Through AEO-for-Youth, African youth

have already signed on, and are still signing

on, for environmental action. ❐

David John Bwakali, AEO-for-Youth Regional Officer

Y o u t h a n d C h i l d r e n

AEO-for-Youth: Mobili zing the African youth.




African Delegates at the First Youth and ChildrenConference on the Environment in Brazil:

Strengthening the South-SouthCo-operation in Protecting the Environment

Constantino Mendes, Ecological Youth of Angola

A bout Ten young African delegates

mainly from Portuguese countries

attended the First Youth and Children

Conference on the Environment in

Brazil recently. This Conference

brought together young participants

from 15.148 schools across Brazil,

representatives of Indigenous People

and over 10 international observers

from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea

Bissau, Sao Tome and Principe, South

Africa, Mexico and India.

Their participation was facilitated by

UNEP’s Regional Office for Africa, in

pursuance of UNEP’s strategy to create a

global movement in which children and

youth worldwide will massively and

actively participate in environmental

activities.

The First Children and Youth

Conference on the Environment

convened in Brasilia aimed at

mobilizing youth leaders in caring for

the environment, establishing

partnerships, and producing a Youth

Vision Charter with proposals for a

sustainable environment from young

people to the government of Brazil and

the world. Issues discussed included

Y o u t h a n d C h i l d r e n



Documents

Regional Office for Africa Newsletter, May 2004 ~ United Nations Environment Programme