Climate Action Project Harvests Political Leaders’ Attention to Make Nebbi District Green

On Tuesday December 12, 2024, we held a project exit meeting for the Climate Action for Improved and Sustainable Livelihoods (CAISL) Project that has been implemented by Joint Energy and Environment Projects, Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD) in partnership with the Nordic Folkecentre for Renewable Energy with support from CISU Denmark in Nebbi District from July 2023 – December 2024.

Against the backdrop of a harsh weather is Nebbi right now (temperature check is 29degC at lunch time) climate action is not something to sweep under the carpet. Whereas the transition from the rainy to the dry season is happening, it is now sharp rather than gradual. As Mr. Ojukwu Richard, the District Environment Officer noted,’ the sudden hot weather is quite unusual, though we have just come out a heavy rainy season’.

Similarly, Mr. Owachgin Donald - the Assistant Resident District Commissioner – Nebbi district in his remarks, cautioned the meeting participants about the effects of the current hot weather, where people cannot close houses at night.

Mr. Okello Geoffrey Anecho - the Vice Chairman LC 5 for Nebbi district urged participants to work on changing people’s mindsets to address the current level of environmental degradation. He also appreciated the CAISAL project for supporting the two schools in Atego and Padwot subcounties with lights that have enhanced learning and enrollment rates.

At the start of the meeting Kimbowa Richard, UCSD who moderated the meeting thanked all the partners for working together to realize the achievements made. He also relayed a written message of appreciation and encouragement to the meeting participants and Nebbi District Local Government from Lene Hogh on behalf of the Nordic Folkecenter for Renewable Energy.

Afterwards Mr. Mark Tumusiime from JEEP gave an overview of the CAISL project overview and achievements, which was followed by a feedback session where participants shared their experiences and views on the Project. Participants noted the need to document the good stories from the CAISL project for future reference and inspiration, but appreciated the diverse innovative ways of reaching out to communities including the Training of Trainers (ToT) approach, the energy hubs, radio talk shows and community drives. They also agreed with Mark on the many of the challenges noted including cultural barriers, and the scarcity of firewood in the district that is pushing people to cut trees including the roots in order to meet the rising demand for firewood.

Zeus Misagga and Mark Tumusiime (JEEP) then introduced the sustainability ideas and next steps which centred on upholding the ToT approach through linking them to other partners that work in the area, further providing them with training opportunities like the Skills Development for Climate Action (SDCA) Project (July 2024 – June 2026) that JEEP is implementing. Also, they highlighted the potential for the two tree nurseries supported, to be linked to existing demand - institutions that are in need of tree seedlings including NGOs, business entities like Banks that organize tree planting events in the region.

It was rewarding listening to the feedback from Nebbi district technical and political leaders on their interface with the CAISL project, and their interest to sustain this intervention as much as they can. As we ended the meeting, my perception was that there was general feeling to have the CAISL project concept scaled up in another phase, to other parts of West Nile and for a longer period than the 18 months in which the CAISL project was implemented.

UN Habitat Unveils Report on What Urban Areas can Do to Address the Existential Threat Posed by Climate Change

 

Summary: World Cities Report 2024 underscores the necessity for climate action to be participatory and community-led, urging the development of locally appropriate solutions that address the unique needs of residents, particularly in informal settlements and low-income neighborhoods that have often been side-lined in decision-making processes

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has unveiled its latest World Cities Report titled: Cities and Climate Action, focusing on the pressing challenges posed by climate change and rapid urbanization. The Report has been released to coincide with the twelfth session of the World Urban Forum that is taking place in Cairo, Egypt, 4 - 8 November 2024. The report warns that over 2 billion city dwellers could face an additional temperature increase of at least 0.5 degrees Celsius by 2040.

The World Cities Report 2024 provides a greater understanding of the role that urban areas can play addressing the existential threat posed by climate change. The Report explores how urban areas can be positioned to take effective action towards achieving the Paris Agreement of limiting global warming to 1.5°C and adapting to the impacts of climate change by building resilience across a wide range of dimensions.

In a Foreword to the Report, the UN Secretary General notes that: ‘When buildings, homes and vital infrastructure like water and transportation systems are poorly planned, built and managed, they are no match for climate-fueled disasters like rising seas, heat waves, and other extreme weather impacts. This challenge disproportionately affects the poorest and most vulnerable people’

‘What is clear is that climate change is already upon us. For those city dwellers caught on the frontline of the various catastrophes playing out in cities—houses destroyed by cyclones, roads melted by extreme heat, entire settlements inundated in flood water—denial or delay is not an option. We already have the solutions to act, should we so wish’, Anacláudia Rossbach Under-Secretary-General and Executive Director UH Habitat provides hope in the Report’s Introduction.

Four key issues underpin the framing of the Report: the urgency of action given the devastating impacts of climate change as witnessed in different parts of the world; the reinvigorated role of urban areas in addressing the climate crisis given their unique characteristics; the implementation of effective and inclusive climate action that cities and communities can take to address the scourge of climate change; and the people-centred nature of climate action.

The Report emphasizes implementation of effective climate action that cities and human settlements in diverse contexts can realistically take to address climate change. In other words, how can cities drive climate action? The Report identifies persistent bottlenecks to implementation and critically interrogates why the needle on climate action in cities is not moving as it should, given the devastating impacts of climate change.

The World Cities Report 2024 advances a people-centred approach to climate action, ably supported by nature-based solutions. This approach promotes effective and inclusive climate action as a framework for building climate resilience in urban areas. People, especially vulnerable groups, must be at the centre of any meaningful climate action. The World Cities Report 2024 offers clear policy directions to build resilience to climate change across multiple dimensions in urban areas. To prevent climate action from entrenching existing inequalities and vulnerabilities among urban population, the World Cities Report 2024 advocates for a just climate transition.

Renewable Energy Conference 2024 and Expo Should Reflect on Realities of ‘Tiny Actions’ With a Cumulative Impact

 

From 31st October to the 2nd of November, 2024, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, in partnership with the National Renewable Energy Platform (NREP), will host the Renewable Energy Conference & EXPO (REC24 & EXPO) at the Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort in Kampala, Uganda. The event will consist of high level discussions, energy financing, technology development and deployment, knowledge management, research, capacity building and communities of practice, policy, planning, standards and markets.

The theme of REC24 & EXPO: ‘Transforming Livelihoods through Clean Energy Access’ is well-timed to reflect on. This is because the Uganda’s energy sector is undergoing policy changes while institutional reforms are anticipated in future. Whereas these are commendable policy milestones, the devil is in the detail – how they will these be translated into tangible, time-bound actions?

‘Transforming Livelihoods Through Clean Energy Access’ is a loud voice calling for an equal response to meet the needs of the a (youthful) population in dire need of basic needs and (green) jobs, that are motivated by energy ‘hotspots’ in rural areas. For example, through addressing the deficit in energy for lighting where majority of households (52 per cent) are reported in the Uganda National Population and Housing Census 2024 to be using Tadooba (local paraffin candle) as the main source while only about 20 per cent used electricity. Action here can unlock economic, public health improvement and social transformation

Though it could be taken lightly, possession of kitchens is still a challenge much as it defines where, how, what, when and how to cook. TheUganda National Population and Housing Census 2024 Report has also noted that overall, about half of the households (51 per cent) used outside built kitchens while 25 per cent used open space. More households in rural areas (56 per cent) cooked outside in built up kitchens compared to households in urban areas (34 Per cent). This has implications on household energy efficiency and related investment decisions at that level.

Read the full article in the East African SusWatch INFORSE East Africa E bulletin (September 2024)

World Cleanup Day: Dealing with Blisters of Plastic Litter in Nebbi (West Nile region, Uganda)

 

On 8 December 2023, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) officially established World Clean-up Day in its resolution A/78/122, to be annually observed on 20 September.

The resolution welcomes the contribution of World Clean-up Day activities to date to addressing the environmental challenges associated with waste management by mobilizing people globally to participate in coordinated voluntary action, empowering collaboration, and raising broad awareness of the need to reduce waste pollution tangibly.

Over the years, many national, regional and local governments and communities have been undertaking clean-up activities globally. World Clean-up Day represents the reflection on their achievements. The clean-ups serve as a reminder of the collective responsibility we share in preserving and maintaining a clean and healthy environment as well as sustainable waste and resources management.

Despite these efforts, the impact of single use plastics in many parts of the world is huge but not yet fully understood. For example, in Nebbi district (West Nile region of Uganda) while local level clean-up efforts are being undertaken at community level, poor waste management especially the single use plastic bags and used plastic bottles in many trading centres chock drainage channels and farmlands, among other negative effects.

In April 2024, Joint Energy and Environment Projects (JEEP) and Uganda Coalition for Sustainable Development (UCSD) that are currently implementing the Climate Action for Improved and Sustainable Livelihoods (CAISL) Project in Nebbi District, were prompted to issue a joint civil society statement that called for a more nuanced national level action on single use plastics and used plastic bottles in order to back up community clean up exercises conducted in Nebbi and elsewhere in Uganda. Currently plastics make up a significant fraction of what is collected. Though this is partly reused in the community, a significant amount is burnt in the ‘open’ as the only ‘viable’ option.

Sustainable Development Goal 11: Life on Sustainable Cities and Communities aim to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. Target 11.6 specifically calls for reduction in the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality and municipal and other waste management by 2030.

World Clean-up Day aims to mobilise people globally to participate in coordinated voluntary action, empowering collaboration, and raising broad awareness of the need to reduce waste pollution tangibly. Further, it serves as a powerful reminder of the collective responsibility we share in preserving and maintaining a clean and healthy environment. Its inaugural commemoration will be observed on Friday 20 September 2024 in Tromsø, Norway.

World Food Day 2024: Celebrating 20 Years of the Right to Food Guidelines, But Is Ending Hunger & Food Insecurity Remain a Pipe Dream in Africa?

The World Food Day is celebrated on October 16 every year. The theme for this year is Right to foods for a better life and a better future. 

In addition, the international community this year celebrates an important milestone in the human right to adequate food - the 20th anniversary of the “Voluntary Guidelines to Support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security also known as the Right to Food Guidelines’

The Voluntary Guidelines to support the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security were adopted by the FAO in 2004, with the aim of guiding states to implement the right to food. It is not legally binding, but directed to states' obligations to the right to food under international law

At the World Food Summit that took place in Rome in 1996, governments reaffirmed the right to food and committed themselves to halve the number of hungry and malnourished from 840 to 420 million by 2015. The Summit declaration noted as ‘intolerable that more than 800 million people throughout the world, and particularly in developing countries, do not have enough food to meet their basic nutritional needs. The situation is unacceptable’.

But the recently released State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2024 (SOFI 2024) report, published by FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP, and WHO, noted that six years from 2030, hunger and food insecurity trends are not yet moving in the right direction to end hunger and food insecurity (SDG Target 2.1) by 2030. The indicators of progress towards global nutrition targets similarly show that the world is not on track to eliminate all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2). 

Billions of people still lack access to nutritious, safe and sufficient food. For example, the SOFI 2024 report warns that one out of every five people in Africa is facing hunger.

Furthermore, in Africa, Asia and South America - continents with the biggest food-related problems, not only is there shortage of food and lack of infrastructure but also mal-distribution and inadequate access to food. 

For example, according to FAO, while world’s farmers produce enough food to feed more than the global population yet, hunger persists. Around 733 million people are facing hunger in the world due to repeated weather shocks, conflicts, economic downturns, inequality, and the COVID19 pandemic. This impacts the poor and vulnerable most severely, many of whom are agricultural households. This is turn unwraps efforts to address widening inequalities and other global goals across and within countries. 

Therefore, on the occasion of the World Food Day 2024, the FAO call to governments for enhanced global commitment to the right to adequate food for all including through sustainable, fair and transformed agri-food systems, is more than urgent.

Read the full article from the East African INFORSE East Africa E bulletin, August 2024

Pact for the Future: Why Addressing Climate Finance is Fundamental

  

The Summit of the Future due 22-23 September 2024 is a high-level event, bringing world leaders together to forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future. Given the current global challenges, multilateral cooperation remains vital, but this depends on trust amongst the UN member states as well as the global citizens. Indeed the UN has described this Summit as ‘an opportunity to put ourselves on a better path’.

The scope of the Summit of the Future will encompass elements that will be reflected in the outcome document, entitled A Pact for the Future. These elements are Sustainable development and financing for development; International peace and security; Science, technology and innovation and digital cooperation; Youth and future generations; and Transforming global governance.

With regards to sustainable development and financing for development, the Summit of the Future must be an accelerator for the achievement of the 2030 Agenda in full and on time through urgent and scaled-up action, policies and investments, including through the SDG Stimulus endorsed by governments at the SDG Summit last year.

According to the UN Secretary General, It aims to provide at least $500 billion US dollars annually in affordable long-term finance for developing countries. It calls for urgent action on debt, including breathing space for countries facing impossible repayment schedules. Its offset addresses the challenging market conditions faced by developing countries and accelerate progress towards the SDGs, including through investments in renewable energy,

universal social protection, decent job creation and the digital transformation. The UN Trade and Development (2023) estimates that nearly 57% of the African population, or about 751 million people, live in countries that spend more on interest payments than in the social sectors like climate action that need increasing (global) solid responsiveness.

Furthermore, as the African Development Bank Group President Akinwumi Adesina noted at a high-level roundtable on climate finance convened during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Spring Meetings in April this year, “Africa is in the eye of the storm from climate change, accounting for 9 out of the 10 most vulnerable countries to climate change globally”. He added: “But Africa is not getting what it needs to adapt to climate change. Africa received just $30 billion per year for climate adaptation, while its needs are $277 billion per year, leaving a huge financing gap.”

Also UNEP’s Adaptation Gap Report that was released ahead of the UN Climate talks in Dubai last year finds that the adaptation finance needs of developing countries are 10-18 times as big as international public finance flows – over 50 per cent higher than the previous range estimate. According to this Report, as a result of the growing adaptation finance needs and faltering flows, the current adaptation finance gap is now estimated to be US$194-366 billion per year. At the same time, adaptation planning and implementation appear to be plateauing. This failure to adapt has massive implications for losses and damages, particularly for the most vulnerable.

So as the world gears up for the Summit of the Future, there are clear pointers of what needs to be done through multilateral approaches irrespective of political ideology, faith, gender or any socio-economic inclination. One of these is climate action that knows no borders.

Read the full article in the East African SusWatch INFORSE East Africa E bulletin (July 2024)

High Level Political Forum 2024: Climate Change is a New and Emerging Challenge to Uganda’s Development

                                            Picture: NGO Forum

 
Ahead of the UN High Level Political Forum (HLPF 2024) due to take place in New York (July 8 – 17, 2024), a Pre-HLPF CSO dialogue organised by the Uganda National NGO Forum at Mestil Hotel in Kampala, brought together a diverse range of actors in implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Climate action (SDG13) is one of the focus SDGs this time round, and Uganda will be among the 38 Countries that will present her VNR report at the HLPF 2024.

According to Uganda's Third National Communications to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Uganda faces numerous events associated with the adverse impacts of climate change. Record breaking occurrences of floods, devastating and frequent droughts and erratic rainfall patterns have been experienced. Severe impacts including landslides, loss of biodiversity, land degradation and increased incidences of diseases, pest and vector infestations in both humans and livestock have followed. The recurrent floods in River Nyamwamba in Kasese District on the slopes of The Rwenzori Mountains, and long droughts across the cattle-keeping belt of Uganda are always pointers to the magnitude of the menace.

Biomass is the most essential energy source for most Ugandan populations, accounting for 90.5% (2021) of the primary energy consumed. Also, Uganda’s electricity connectivity rate of 28% is still one of the lowest in Africa compared with the Sub-Saharan average of 43%. Access in rural areas is particularly low at 8%, with insufficient access to modern energy sources and services such as Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), biogas and improved cookstoves for clean cooking.

The widespread dependence on biomass energy resources for cooking and heating using inefficient methods, such as traditional cookstoves, has resulted in rapid forest depletion for firewood and charcoal, among others. The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA Uganda) reported in 2020 that ‘Uganda suffers a degradation loss of USD 2.3 billion, of which 25% is wood fuels and that 2.6% of Uganda’s forests are cut down annually for firewood, charcoal, agriculture and to make way for population growth. If this trend persists, Uganda will lose all its forest cover in less than 25 years’.

In effect, while efforts out by Government to put in place enabling laws and policies to facilitate increased production and supply of energy as reported in the VNR 2024 are plausible, a lot more needs to be done to counter the rampant use of biomass for cooking is a silent killer for Uganda’s tree cover, agricultural and other and landscapes. The VNR report 2024 presentation made by Mr Pascal Byarugaba from the SDGs Secretariat (Office of the Prime minister) noted that one of the steps is to,’ Prioritise the generation and use of more renewable and clean energy resources, especially nuclear power and solar energy’. This is within the framework of the enabling laws and policies that Government of Uganda has put in place to facilitate increased production and supply of energy.

However, the increased unpredictable negative effects of climate change that have led to the loss of human life, property, crops and livestock cannot wait, as they have disrupted the already stretched service delivery by destroying infrastructure, including schools, health facilities, roads, water and sanitation, including the very energy grid facilities.

It is an urgent matter to have interventions that ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Ugandans. As noted by the UN Women Leave No One Behind Report, ‘the average monthly cost of electricity of Ugshs 25,538 is too high to afford for vulnerable groups such as poor, female-headed households, older persons and Persons with Disabilities’.

This is driving the biomass reliance (firewood and charcoal) further as an affordable alternative for many people. To make matters worse, the price of charcoal and firewood has recently escalated, meaning that vulnerable groups have to rely on even more inferior fuels to cook or to miss out cooking schedules (for example boiling water for drinking, coking foods that require long timespan to be ready, and so on). This opens up another pending discussion on implications of the lack of clean cooking options, which directly impacts on women and children.

The Voluntary National Review (VNR) is a part of the follow-up and review mechanisms of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. This review is a process by which member states take stock of and assess progress and shortcomings in the implementation of the goals and targets. It is a regular and inclusive review of progress at the national and sub-national level, which is Country-led and Country-driven. The VNR reports are presented to the United Nations during the HLPF every July of the year

Ahead of 2030, Access to Clean Fuels and Technologies Fails in Sub Saharan Africa - Global Report

 

The 2024 Annual Report: Tracking SDG 7: The Energy Progress Report that tracks global progress with a global dashboard to register progress on the targets of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7): ensuring universal energy access, doubling progress on energy efficiency and substantially increasing the share of renewable energy is out.

It also registers progress towards enhanced international cooperation to facilitate access to clean and renewable energy by 2030, as well as on the expansion of infrastructure and technology upgrade for supplying modern and sustainable energy services for all in developing countries. It assesses the progress made by each country on these targets and provides a snapshot of how far we are from achieving SDG7.

It serves as a guide for policymakers and the international community in advancing energy access, energy efficiency, renewable energy and international cooperation.

According to this Report, the world is not on track to achieve universal access to clean cooking by 2030. This is more noticeable in sub-Saharan Africa (pink line below), where the number of people without access to clean fuels & technologies continues to climb 📈 . 

 

The Report is jointly prepared by the Custodian Agencies – the International Energy Agency (IEA), the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD), the World Bank, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

It also receives inputs from the SDG7 Technical Advisory Group which comprises more than 30 organizations around the world and has been made possible with the support of our partners.

World Environment Day 2024: Time for a Coherent Regional Climate Plan

 

The World Environment Day 2024 will focus on the critical theme of “Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience’. The theme aligns with the urgent call for action to restore degraded landscapes, protecting essential ecosystem services. Land restoration is a pivotal aspect of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), contributing significantly to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 15).

A case in point for this action is that land use and land degradation - ranked as the most pressing trans-boundary environmental issue in the Lake Victoria basin (one of the world’s most densely populated areas), according to the LakeVictoria Basin Commission’s Strategic Plan (2021-26). Land degradation has been recognized as a basin wide problem referring to decline in the overall quality of soil or vegetation condition commonly caused by human activities. The poor are impacted in a number of ways including reduced agricultural yields, higher energy prices, loss of future incomes and reduced access to lands. Soil erosion leads to land degradation. Also, the conversion of forests and wetlands into agricultural or urban lands affects water flow in rivers and increase siltation thus affecting hydro power generation and creates power outages that push up energy prices. In the past four decades, over 70% of the forest cover in the catchment area has been lost, about 75% of wetland area has been significantly affected by human activities and about 13% is severely degraded.

Therefore, this year’s theme on Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience, is a plain reminder of what has gone wrong as evidenced in the above challenges and the increased occurrence of unfamiliar extreme weather conditions that have resulted in loss of lives and property across East Africa. When land is poorly managed, unfavorable weather conditions like el Niño find a ‘soft’ landing to worsen environmental degradation including land degradation through flash floods and loss of soil productivity due to droughts. A clear starting point is therefore urgently needed to scale up land restoration efforts in this region.

A viable start is for East African Partner States to prioritize the implementation of their National Climate Plans (Nationally Determined Contribution – NDC) especially climate change adaptation. Under the Paris Agreement, each Party is required to establish an NDC (updated every five years with ambition in mind). For example, in Rwanda’s Plan, agriculture is prioritized in terms of developing sustainable land use management practices, expanding irrigation and improve water management; while in the land and forestry sector, focus is on development of agroforestry and sustainable agriculture, promoting afforestation / reforestation of designated areas, improving forest management for degraded forest resources, harmonized and integrated spacial data management system for sustainable land use, and inclusive land administration that regulate and provide guidance for land tenure security.

On agriculture, Tanzania’s Climate Plan seeks to up scale the level of improvement of agricultural land and water resources management, increase productivity in an environmentally sustainable way through, inter alia, climate-smart agriculture interventions and to promote accessible mechanisms for smallholder farmers against climate related shocks, including crop insurances and strengthening knowledge systems, extension services and agricultural infrastructure to target climate actions, including using climate services and local knowledge.

While similar actions are also present in the Uganda’s and Kenya’s national Climate Plans, it is time a coherent regional climate plan under guidance of either the East African Community (EAC) or The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) is generated to concretely address the rapidly growing borderless climate change challenge that is a key contributor to desertification and drought in East and the Horn of Africa. This will simultaneously enable focused implementation  of other global commitments under Agenda 2030 (SDG15), Africa 2063 of the African Union, the UN Convention on Drought and Desertification and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework for which East African Countries are Party. Nonetheless Community Driven Development (CDD) sub-projects with a focus on livelihood improvement are potential movers to address Land Restoration, Desertification, and Drought Resilience.

Read this and other articles in the EA SusWatch INFORSE East Africa Ebulletin (May 2024) from here

Are You Ready to Be Part of the Biodiversity Plan?

The worldwide observance of the International Biodiversity Day commemorates the adoption of the text of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on 22 May 1992 and provides a unique opportunity to foster wide support for the Convention, its Protocols and related action frameworks. The Theme of Biodiversity Day 2024 is: "Be part of the Plan"

This is a call to action for all stakeholders to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity by supporting the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, also referred to as the Biodiversity Plan. As humanity is facing the intertwined triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution, collaborative action is needed from all sectors of society to restore harmony with nature and foster a transition to sustainable socio-economic systems. Adoption of the Global Biodiversity Framework in December 2022 was therefore an important step to commit to action that protects nature.

East Africa is globally recognized for its rich biodiversity and iconic landscapes.  Wildlife is a critical asset for East Africa’s future growth and development.  For example, the total direct contribution toGross Domestic Product of nature-based tourism to Kenya and Tanzania is over USD $1.2 billion. Managed well, these resources spur economic growth and improve livelihoods.  However, factors like climate change, wildlife crime, habitat fragmentation, human wildlife conflicts, and urban expansion are threatening conservation efforts.  

Invasive alien species remains as a ‘silent’ but major challenge to biodiversity globally and in East Africa, as it is underappreciated, underestimated, and often unacknowledged. Goal D of the Biodiversity Plan (Invest and Collaborate) focuses on ensuring adequate financial resources, capacity-building, technical and scientific cooperation, and access to and transfer of technology is imperative to fully implement the Plan in addressing the above and other challenges.  But this should not suffer the fate of unfulfilled financial commitments (the USD 100 billion per year) under the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Read more from here

Can the First Ever UN General Assembly Sustainability Week Act to Brighten Up Progress on Access to Affordable, Reliable, Sustainable and Modern Energy For All?

 

                                              

Today, we enter the last day for the first ever United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Sustainability Week (15 – 19 April 2024) – yet another global gathering, which has brought together global leaders to discuss and debate five critical topics on this year’s General Assembly agenda, in the context of sustainable development: debt sustainability, sustainable tourism, sustainable transport, infrastructure connectivity, and sustainable energy.

What legacy does it leave behind with respect to access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all?

The SDG Summit 2023 that took place on 18-19 September 2023 in New York was clear that world remains woefully off track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, with development challenges compounded by COVID-19, armed conflict, geopolitical tensions, humanitarian crises, and the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.

Similarly, the Special Edition of the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023 warns that while lack of progress is universal, it is the world’s poorest and most vulnerable who are experiencing the worst effects of these unprecedented global challenges. It also points out areas that need urgent action to rescue the SDGs and deliver meaningful progress for people and the planet by 2030.

It is a hard fact that in 2023 - the mid-point of the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the picture on progress since the adoption of the Agenda in 2015 is mixed. SDG target 7.1 on ensuring universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services is off track, with an estimated 675 million people still without access to electricity and 2.3 billion without access to clean cooking in 2021. Current trends suggest that the world’s shot on the target will fall very wide of the mark in 2030.

Furthermore, The SDG 2023 Report notes that International public financial flows for clean energy in developing countries have declined consistently, even before COVID-19.

At the launch of the African Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP) on the sidelines of COP28 in Dubai last year, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania Samia Suluhu Hassan said 80% of households in sub-Saharan Africa rely on wooden biomass for cooking. She said, “Women and girls are disproportionately affected when there is no access to clean cooking solutions. Exposure to toxic fumes affects their health and well-being,” and that the programme will ensure the long hours they spend fetching firewood, are spent on productive economic activities.

President Suluhu said cooking with wooden biomass accelerates deforestation. “This has led to the loss of 3.9 million hectares of forest between 2010 and 2020 in Africa,” she said and pointed out that while access to clean cooking had increased across the world, in Africa it is the use of wooden biomass that is growing.

At this event, Dr. Akinwumi A. Adesina,  President of the African Development Bank said, “300,000 women and 300,000 children die every year due to respiratory diseases because of simply trying to cook a meal—what is taken for granted in developed economies.” Adesina said the global economic cost of women’s hours spent fetching firewood is estimated at $800 billion annually and the health cost for that is estimated at $1.4 trillion annually. “The risk of women dying from a lack of clean cooking solutions is three times higher than the risk of dying from malaria.”

It is therefore important that the first ever UNGA Sustainability Week goes an extra mile to brighten the future for the thousands of women and children who are currently victims of lack of clean cooking solutions. Scaling up diffusion of clean cooking solutions and options is something that should have been done yesterday – but calls for increased finance and other means of presentation.

As we noted at International Day of Clean Energy, it is also important to pursue and speed up inclusive clean energy solutions where there glaring gaps exist, for example in sub-saharan Africa. 

It is correspondingly important to note that there are inherent dividends in having a sharp progress towards SDG 7, as it is inextricably linked to other SDGs, including poverty eradication, food security, health, education, prosperity, gender equality, employment, transport, ocean, clean water and sanitation, as well as gender equality and the empowerment of women, youth and children. 

EU Deforestation Regulation Raises Anxiety Amongst East African Small holder Coffee Farmers

The EU's new deforestation regulation (EUDR) seeks to ensure that seven commodity products—soy, beef, palm oil, wood, cocoa, coffee and rubber, all of which are major drivers of deforestation—will no longer be sold in the EU if sourced from areas affected by deforestation or forest degradation practices. Operators and large traders will need to demonstrate origin, including geo coordinates in an auditable manner, to prove the product/commodity is deforestation free.

A key area of contention is how the EUDR will be implemented. As part of this regulation, the European Commission will create a three-tier benchmarking system to categorize commodity-producing countries and regions as low, standard, or high risk. The system will allow regulators to focus checks on products from high-risk countries, and allow operators to conduct simplified due diligence for products from low-risk countries. ‘However, it seems that the EU is oblivious to the potential consequences of these labels on the affected countries’ reputations. Many are concerned about being categorized as “high-risk”, which could discourage importers from buying coffee.’ notes Coffee Intelligence.

‘The need to prepare for the imminent enforcement of the EUDR and to demonstrate that the provenance of coffee from small scale farmers in East Africa is deforestation-free, is going to be taxing for coffee supply chain actors before entering the EU’, notes Kimbowa Richard, Chairman of INFORSE East Africa. In the meantime, climate change impacts that are pushing coffee farmers into fragile and in ‘more productive’ farmlands in coffee growing areas have been documented for both Robusta and Arabica coffee species. So, how will implementation of the EUDR be, given the structural bottlenecks and historical factors related to absence of property rights for many remote areas where small holder poor farmers are located, given that satellite imagery will need to be supplemented with field realities? How will climate change and the insatiable demand for fuel wood be factored in? How far are the coffee exporting countries ready in terms of facilitating provision of data, to be in line with the EUDR requirements for the coffee supply chain? To what extent are their agricultural extension set ups up to speed to support farmers, exporters and cooperatives to comply with the EUDR?

The stringent requirement of this legislation is of particular concern. For instance, aerial or satellite photography must be provided for every parcel of land used for coffee production. These images must demonstrate no deforestation has taken place and need to be submitted with each trade – or else the entire container can be rejected. In effect, many exporters feel the practicalities of mapping small farms and digitizing farm biodata to enhance sustainable coffee traceability to secure supply of accurate data on an ongoing basis as required under the law, will be very complex and quite costly.

Read the full article from the East African Suswatch INFORSE East Africa E bulletin (February 2024) from here