US: Working globally to improve water security—Salzberg

United States’ Special Coordinator for Water Resources, Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science Affairs, Aaron A. Salzberg, recently had a teleconference with journalists across some African regions on transboundary water issues and the Water for the World Act, among other germane issues. DOYIN ADEOYE, who was among journalists gathered at the US Consulate, Victoria Island, Lagos, writes.

Although a lot of progress has been recorded in the global water challenge, today, somewhere between 1.5 and two billion people still lack access to water that is safe to drink, while more than two billion people lack access to basic sanitation.

With a high proportion of these people in Africa, particularly in poor and rural populations, this lack of safe water, sanitation and basic hygiene, remains one of the leading causes of death of children under five, and a major source of both physical and cognitive stunting which can have a major impact on development outcomes.

Salzberg, who is the first person to hold the title of Special Coordinator for Water Resources, Bureau of Oceans, Environment, and Science Affairs, noted that “Many countries throughout the world remain water insecure; they remain at risk of shortages of water, lack of water for drinking, water for food, for industrial use, or are at risk of floods and other water related natural disasters.

“Climate change, of course, is exacerbating many of these challenges and this water insecurity is becoming a growing impediment to economic growth and an increasing source of tension between communities and countries.”

However, he reaffirmed the United States’ commitment in ensuring that people have sustainable supplies of water, adding that the “United States is working globally to improve water security. This means increasing access to safe drinking water and sanitation, improving water resources management, and promoting cooperation on shared waters.”

Through capacity building, investment in infrastructure, diplomatic engagement, science and technology cooperation, and partnerships, a lot is been done to ensure that many people access the world have access to safe and clean water.

Pangolin Day: Saving world’s most trafficked mammal

With one million pangolins estimated to have been traded illegally in the last decade, this solitary, primarily nocturnal animal is the most trafficked mammal in the world.

Also known as the scaly anteaters, there are eight species of the pangolin, with four found in Asia and the rest in Africa. While all four Asian pangolins are listed as endangered or critically endangered under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, the four African pangolins are all listed as vulnerable under the IUCN Red List.

According to an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study on all publicly available records for pangolin seizures globally, the number of documented seizure incidents within Africa had gone up from 39 in February 2016 to 113 reported seizures now, with Tanzania, Nigeria, Cameroon and Uganda emerging as key export hubs.

Trafficking in such large quantities occurring on an international scale highlights the organised nature of this illegal trade which is proving increasingly profitable to wildlife traffickers. Although with its protective scales and unusual stance, the pangolin may appear to be aggressive, it is however, vulnerable, as it rolls itself into a ball for protection when threatened, thereby making it easy for poachers to simply pick up.

The demand for pangolin scales comes mostly from China and Vietnam, where its scales are unfortunately believed to be a cure-all of sorts and its flesh is considered a delicacy.

Nigerians are not wildlife conscious — Dr Morenikeji

Dr Olajumoke Morenikeji is the Director, Zoological Garden, University of Ibadan (UI). She speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on Nigerians’ unimpressive attitude towards wildlife as well as animal rights, and how government can boost the economy through wildlife, among other issues.

Does wildlife truly exist in Nigeria?
We have wildlife in Nigeria; we have a very rich wildlife resource, but we are not wildlife conscious people. The country is not really interested in wildlife, as the government is not really doing anything to boost the sector of wildlife consciousness, wildlife management, as well as wildlife tourism. It is an area we have not fully developed as a country and I think it is something we should look into because if we continue to be over dependent on oil, as the case is now, it is failing us already.

There is a lot to gain as a country if money is invested in this sector, because there are many animals that are indigenous to the country; they will not be found anywhere else on the planet, except here in Nigeria. So if we can build tourism around our indigenous species, we will make a lot of money as a country.

What are those animals indigenous to us?

One that readily comes to mind is the Ibadan malimbe, which is a bird that is indigenous to our environment. And there are other animals like that which you can’t find in other places. So we need first, to have a data of what we have, to protect them and ensure that they continue to exist.

As a director of a zoological garden, what would you say it takes to run one?

It takes a lot. That is why most zoos all over the world depend heavily on donations. You have to feed the animals, cater for their health needs, and maintain their enclosure. To do all these, it takes a lot of money.

For instance, we have many lions here; and feeding one lion takes about N1 million annually. That doesn’t include the health needs and the enclosure maintenance. So it takes a lot of money to keep animals in the zoo. Enriching the enclosure and ensuring that it simulates the natural environment of the animal so that they can behave and breed normally is also important.

World Wildlife Day: Stepping up for endangered species

BY DOYIN ADEOYE
The international community is geared up to celebrate wildlife tomorrow, as well as channel a way forward, especially in the area of eradicating wildlife crimes.

With the theme: ‘The Future of Wildlife is in Our Hands” and African and Asian elephants being the main focus of the 2016 global campaigns, the World Wildlife Day (WWD) is an annual event marked every 3 March, and aimed at celebrating and raising awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.

Speaking with Ecoscope, the Director, University of Ibadan (UI) Zoological Garden, Dr Olajumoke Morenikeji, noted that Nigeria has a very rich wildlife resource, but unfortunately we are not wildlife conscious.

“It is unfortunate that the country is not really interested in boosting the wildlife sector, wildlife management, wildlife consciousness and wildlife tourism. These are areas where we have not fully developed as a country and it is something we should look into.

“There are lots of animals that are indigenous to Nigeria; they will not be found in any other place in the planet. If we can build tourism around our indigenous animals, we will make a lot of money,” she said.

The WWD was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2013 and the theme of this year’s edition is a call to people around the world to play their roles in protecting the wild animals and plants who share the planet with us.

Illegal international trade of ivory and poaching has remained a major threat to African elephants. As at 1979, the population of African elephant was estimated to be around 1.3 million in 37 range states, but by 1989 only 600,000 remained. Around 100,000 African elephants are estimated to be slaughtered in three years to feed the demand for ivory.

In his message for the 2016 WWD, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, said that global efforts to protect wildlife are gathering force.

Leonardo DiCaprio talks climate change at Oscar Awards

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

Hollywood star, Leonardo DiCaprio, for the first time, won in the Best Actor category at the Oscars on Sunday.

The United Nations (UN) Messenger of Peace seized the moment to talk about climate change, urging the audience to support leaders around the world who speak for all of humanity.

“Climate change is real. It is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating. We need to support leaders around the world who do not speak for the big polluters, the big corporations, but who speak for all of humanity, for the indigenous people of the world.

“Let us not take this planet for granted,” he said.

Leonardo is one of the many celebrity environmentalists, advocating for a greener planet.  The likes of Woody Harrelson, Julia Roberts, James Cameron, Arianna Huffington, George Clooney, Tom Hanks and Brad Pitt, among others, are actively involved in one environmental project or the other.

Climate change is a matter of life and death — Okali

Professor David Okali is a retired professor of Forest Ecology from the University of Ibadan (UI), and the Chairman, Nigeria Environmental Study/Action Team (NEST). He speaks with DOYIN ADEOYE on climate change issues, as well as other global environmental concerns.

Why should Nigerians be concerned about climate change?
It is not just about Nigerians, anybody who lives on planet earth should be concerned about climate change because it is a change that is affecting the whole planet. Climate change is a matter of life and death, a matter of survival and non-survival.

Taking Ibadan’s temperature for instance, by now, we should have had rainfall so that the high temperature would go down. All of this is happening because of climate change; the climate is not behaving as it is supposed to. The things that we have adapted to are changing and we have not been able to change fast enough to keep up with it. The consequence of that would be termination of existence in the environment and Nigeria is a part of the planet earth.

So Nigeria, like many other developing parts of the world should be very concerned about the changing climate. Our livelihood, the way we get our resources, depends almost 80 per cent on the environment, which includes the land on which we farm and the rainfall on which we depend on for farming. So if we don’t have an environment that allows agriculture, food insecurity will arise. Also we don’t have the technology yet to be able to react when the environment is changing beyond the natural form. And even if the technology is available, we don’t have the money and economic power.

So we are very vulnerable to climate change. Climate change is also causing the sea to rise, which is affecting our coastline. Taking the Nigerian coastline for instance, all our economic activities is from the coastline, so if the coastline is affected, that would affect our economic activities in a very bad way. So we must be very concerned and we should be doing something about it.

Bill Gates charges teenagers on climate change

BY DOYIN ADEOYE

Annually, Bill and Melinda Gates publish a letter where they outline the goals of their philanthropic organisation, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

In its recent letter released online last week, the billionaire urged high school students, who are the next generation of world leaders, to think about how they can be a force for good in the world.

The letter outlines the environmental and economic quandary that the world faces: a growing population, growing demand for services and increased energy use, with each of these factors contributing to the rising carbon dioxide emissions, a major driver behind climate change.

“In short, we need an energy miracle. When I say ‘miracle,’ I don’t mean something that’s impossible. I’ve seen miracles happen before. The personal computer; the Internet; the polio vaccine, none of them happened by chance. They are the result of research and development and the human capacity to innovate.

“In this case, however, time is not on our side. Every day we are releasing more and more CO2 into our atmosphere and making our climate change problem even worse. We need a massive amount of research into thousands of new ideas, even ones that might sound a little crazy if we want to get to zero emissions by the end of this century,” he said.

In an interview, Gates expounds on his energy ideas and faith in the world’s youth, noting why the year’s edition of the annual letter is targeted at the teenage audience.

“I think this younger group has a lot of advantages. They will tend to take a long-term view of things. They’re more scientific oriented and more interested in opportunities they can dream about where our generation hasn’t solved the problem, and therefore, they can take up and surprise everybody by what they are able to do.

“With scientific innovation, you see that people in their 20s get a depth of knowledge and a willingness to look at things in a different way. So, I would say it’s likely that if an energy miracle comes in the next 15 years, key participants will be the teenagers of today.”