Nairobi: Kenya’s forests are being depleted rapidly because competitively priced liquefied petroleum gas is not available in rural areas. Despite removal of both Value Added Tax in 2004 and common external tariff on LPG in 2005, Kenya’s per capita consumption of 1.5 kilogrammes lags behind Senegal, at 12... Read more...
Denmark, UK commission study on climate change in Eastern Africa
Nairobi: The Danish government, in collaboration with the United Kingdom, has commissioned a study on the economic impacts of climate change in three East African countries - Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi - to detail the potential economic impacts of climate change in the region, a senior Danish official announced here Wednesday... Read more...
Nairobi: Kenya's Environment and Mineral Resources Minister, John Michuki, on Wednesday unveiled a US$ 20 billion 20-year countrywide tree-planting programme in a move meant to mitigate the effects of climate change and enhance environmental conservation efforts in the country.Michuki, while speaking at a two-day national stakeholders' workshop on climate change which took off here on Wednesday, said the project, which targets schools, women groups, regional authorities and youth ones, was necessary as effects of climate change continued to take toll on the country... Read more...
IPCC to help prepare for short-term climate extremes
24 July 2009, source: Irin URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200907220701.html
Johannesburg: In a significant move, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), an international body of climate change experts, is set to produce a "how to" manual for policy-makers and disaster officials on managing the risks of extreme weather events and bolstering resilience, to promote adaptation to global warming... Read more...
Lagos: Achieving long-term development in West Africa requires much more than just exploiting the region’s natural resources. Sustainable development would entail integrating livelihood, climate adaptation and mitigation initiatives with agriculture. In many parts of West Africa, tropical forests are disappearing at a much faster rate than many of governments and their agencies are willing to admit... Read more...
Abuja: The Senate yesterday passed the bill seeking to enact a law establishing a commission to manage the effects of global warming and other related ecological problems in the country. The bill which was sponsored by Senator Grace Folashade Bent [PDP, Adamawa South], was passed after senators considered it for several hours, clause by clause, in a committee of the whole Senate... Read more...
Malawi: Rethinking OVOP's future in green belt
24 July 2009, source: The Daily Times URL: http://www.dailytimes.bppmw.com/article.asp?ArticleID=13859
Lilongwe: Perhaps, before unrolling his nine priorities, President Bingu wa Mutharika might have sat down and pondered on what his number one dream should be, and finally came to this conclusion: the green belt. It is the dream, it seems, Mutharika has cherished so dearly. With success already registered in maize production, Mutharika seems to be suggesting green belt is another drive, the drive to prosperity... Read more...
Central African parliamentarians reflect on climate change road map
24 July 2009, source: Cameroon Tribune URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200907230423.html
Yaounde: Members of the coordination bureau of the Central African Parliamentary Network for the Sustainable Management of the Forest Ecosystems (REPAR), are meeting in Yaounde to come with a road map on the use and conservation of the Congo Basin forest and rendering the forest central in fighting against climate change... Read more...
Climate change to worsen poverty amongst Ugandans
24 July 2009, source: UG Pulse.com URL: http://www.ugpulse.com/articles/daily/news.asp?about=Climate+Change+to+worsen+poverty+amongst+Ugandans+&ID;=11215
Kampala: Climate change is likely to worsen the poverty levels amongst Ugandans if the country does not come out to counter this problem. According to a report from the Population Secretariat on Population and Development, climatic scientists have warned that developing countries like Uganda shall have the highest spells of climate change because their adaptation measures and early warning mechanisms on climate change are inadequate... Read more...
Loggers invade water catchment area as settlers' eviction looms
24 July 2009, source: Business Daily URL: http://allafrica.com/stories/200907220987.html
Nairobi: Hundreds of new settlers are trooping into the controversial Mau Forest every day in a last attempt to cut down trees for timber and firewood as Government evictions loom. This is worrying the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), the environmental watchdog which is being accused of being slow in dealing with the Mau issue... Read more...
Climate insurance: what kind of deal can be made in Copenhagen?
London: As even the staunchest advocates will tell you, climate insurance is by no means a magic bullet. But clearly the tools of modern finance could certainly help make poor nations prepare for and respond to all manner of natural disasters big and small.
We explore some of these ideas in this week's issue of Nature, taking a quick look at how the insurance debate is playing out in the ongoing United Nations climate talks... Read more...
Abu Dhabi: Top US officials have been travelling to China and India to urge those countries to do more to curb carbon emissions. But they may be preaching to the converted.
Last weekend, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, called on the two most populous Asian nations to sign on to a "global framework" to fight climate change during her first official visit to India since taking the office... Read more...
Playing with fire
23 July 2009, source: Inter Press Service URL: http://www.ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=47699
Durban: Nigeria's gas flare-out date has once again been extended - this time to 2011. The decision follows 25 years of political procrastination by the federal government and illegal behaviour on the part of major oil multinationals engaged in flaring associated gas (AG), the byproduct of oil production in the Niger Delta... Read more...
Dakar: Partnerships between aid agencies and climate experts are finally paying off by helping NGOs’ disaster prevention and response, but specialists question why it took so long. “The question is not why meteorological services and humanitarian organizations are talking to each other today, but why they have not been talking for one-and-a-half centuries,” said Maarten van Aalst, associate director of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) regional climate centre in the Senegalese capital, Dakar... Read more...
EU energy and environment ministers focus on climate
23 July 2009, source: Monsters and Critics URL: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/news/europe/news/article_1491106.php/PREVIEW_EU_energy_and_environment_ministers_focus_on_climate_
Stockholm: Back to back meetings of European Union energy and environment ministers in Sweden this week are part of efforts to coordinate EU positions on climate change and energy efficiency. On assuming the rotating presidency of the 27-nation EU on July 1, Sweden said one of its main tasks is to push for an international agreement on reducing greenhouse gases at a summit in Copenhagen in December... Read more...
