ACCRA, Ghana (PAMACC News) - Stakeholders from across the globe have commended Africa’s trail-blazing web-based monitoring and reporting system for the water and sanitation sector.
 
The laudatory remarks were made in Accra, Ghana at today’s opening of a week-long review workshop on the harmonised, region-wide monitoring and reporting framework for Water and Sanitation sector in Africa. The workshop draws participants from over 42 African countries as well as stakeholders from the global water family including the UN Water, WSSCC, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNECE and WHO GLAAS. Also in attendance are representatives of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Water Facility (AWF)
 
Developed in 2016 by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), the Pan African Monitoring and Reporting System serves as a platform to report progress on the implementation of the AU Heads of States and Governments’ Sharm el Sheikh Commitments which seek to accelerate the achievement of the Africa Water Vision 2025, as well as the global high level political commitments on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation.
 
Considered as one of the most ambitious attempts at tracking sectoral progress, the system, according to Dr. Canisius Kanangire, AMCOW’s Executive Secretary, represents Africa’s readiness to learn from past mistakes in monitoring the implementation of the MDGs as well as efforts being made to attain Africa’s Agenda 2063.
 
The Ghanaian Sanitation and Water Minister, Hon Joseph Koffi Adda while declaring open the workshop, expressed his delight at AMCOW’s decision to convene the first review process for the Pan African Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting System in Ghana which is the home of Pan-Africanism. Represented by the Ministry’s Chief Director, Joseph Obeng-Poku, the minister recalled the words of the late Pan Africanist leader, Kwame Nkrumah who on the 24th of December 1957 described access to water as a barometer for measuring the progress and welfare of the people.
 
“I therefore see the decision by African Political leaders to set up a Pan-Africa Harmonised Monitoring and Reporting System for the water and sanitation sector in order to report regularly to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government under the Africa Union as a desire to fulfil the vision and dreams of founding fathers of the continent” Hon Adda said.
 
Sylvester Matemu, AMCOW’s Technical Advisory Committee Chair, in his remarks lauded the workshop idea as a credible way of “reviewing the AMCOW monitoring system and deepening partnership with relevant global agencies for effective and harmonized monitoring and reporting processes.” According to Matemu, the workshop which also serves as the first inaugural meeting of the Integrated Monitoring Initiative under the UN Water Family “provides an opportunity to launch the 2017 data collection and submission campaign.”
 
Representative of UN Water, William Reidhead in his remarks stated that “UN-Water is very pleased to have a chance to join efforts with AMCOW in this work. During the week to come we look forward to learning about the established mechanisms for national and regional monitoring in Africa, and steps that can be taken to harmonise the regional and global efforts.”  “We are excited to explore opportunities for collaborating with AMCOW and with participating countries in the 2017 baseline process; and we are additionally interested in learning about communities of practice in Africa which can serve as an example for other regions in the world” Reidhead added.
 
Olushola Olayide of the AU Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture while delivering the statement of the African Union at the workshop expressed delight over the fact that “the Monitoring and Reporting System for the Water and Sanitation Sector in Africa allows AMCOW, through the Specialised Technical Committee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Water and Environment of the AUC to report periodically on the progress of Water and Sanitation in Africa vis-à-vis progress made towards achieving the Africa Water Vision 2025; the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs); the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR); and our Africa Agenda 2063.”
 
The African Union Commission in its statement urged UN Agencies and Partners to ensure that monitoring and reporting processes at Global level are aligned and linked with the Pan Africa Water and Sanitation sector Monitoring and Reporting System by working closely with the AMCOW Secretariat. This according to Olayide, is to “avoid unnecessary duplication and placing an unwarranted additional monitoring burden on Member States.”  
 
Francis Konu, representative the African Water Facility (AWF) hailed the continental monitoring and reporting platform established by AMCOW as timely and highly appropriate as “it is in sync with the African Development Bank’s drive to Light up and power Africa, Feed Africa, Integrate Africa, Industrialize Africa, and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa.”
 
The web-based Reporting system was developed with funding from the African Water Facility (AWF), and supported by the M&E Task Force, the German Cooperation as well as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and with technical assistance from UNEP-DHI. The highlight of the portal which can be accessed at http://www.africawat-sanreports.org is the 2016 Status Report of 42 African member states submitted using an online reporting framework. It also contains the 2013 and 2014 data submitted by Member States using a temporary paper based template.
 
The system which serves as database on water and sanitation for Member States in Africa is expected to promote cross-sector learning and knowledge dissemination within the water, sanitation, food, energy and climate nexus while supporting joint sector reviews. The online portal comes with maps and tabular view options which makes it easy to compare progress on various indicators across Member States in Africa.

NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a programme that targets the youth to contribute towards conserving the environment.

To mark the International Mother Earth Day, the UNEP launched Young Champions of the Earth, a new initiative to spot young, talented people between the ages of 18 and 30 and support their inspiring ideas to save the environment.

Young Champions of the Earth is a global stage for young people to showcase technological inventions and innovative business models that improve our planet's health. The initiative aims to counter the negative discourse on the environment and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.

Young Champions of the Earth is sponsored by Covestro, one of the world’s leading polymer companies and a strong proponent of innovation for environmental sustainability.

Each year, six young people – one from each of UN Environment’s global regions – will be named Young Champions of the Earth. The winners will each receive US$15,000 in seed funding as well as intensive training and tailored mentoring to help bring their big environmental ideas to life.

The winners will be selected by a global jury that includes UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim and Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas. Winners will be invited to attend the Champions of the Earth Gala Dinner, to be held in Nairobi in December 2017.

The application period opens on today, 22 April and will close on 18 June, 2017.

“As I’ve seen time and again, when young people are given opportunities and support, they can be powerful catalysts for change. It is our hope that Young Champions of the Earth will inspire thousands of young people around the world to develop innovative ways to tackle the environmental issues that matter to them,”  UNEP Executive Director Erik Solheim said.

Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas said he was delighted to support UN Environment on the excellent initiative. "Sustainable thinking and acting is critical in preserving our planet and improving the safety and quality of millions of people," he said.

He added, "Covestro seeks to contribute to this goal with products and technologies that benefit society and reduce the impact on the environment. This is the basis of our vision ‘To make the world a brighter place’ – and Young Champions invites the enthusiastic participation of all who care for our future.”

With 2016 sales of 11.9 billion Euros, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life.

The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. Covestro, formerly Bayer MaterialScience, has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 15,600 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2016.

UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.

UNEP works with governments, the private sector, the civil society and with other UN entities and international organizations across the world.

KUMASI, Ghana (PAMACC News) - A new report has found that the complex risks arising from climate change, fragility and conflict can contribute to the emergence and growth of terrorist groups, like Boko Haram and ISIL.

The new report: “Insurgency, Terrorism and Organised Crime in a Warming World”, by Berlin-based think tank, Adelphi, found that climate change multiplies and interacts with existing threats, risks and pressures, like resource scarcity, population growth and urbanization.
Report author, Lukas Rüttinger, said these factors together could lead to fragility and violent conflict in which these groups can thrive.

“Already vulnerable areas could get pulled into a vicious cycle, leading to the rise of terrorist groups who will find it easier to operate, with consequences for us all,” Rüttinger said.

Terrorist groups are increasingly using natural resources – such as water – as a weapon of war, controlling access to it, further compounding and exacerbating resource scarcities. The scarcer resources become, the more power is given to those who control them, especially in regions where people are particularly reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods.

For example, around Lake Chad, climate change contributes to resource scarcities that increase local competition for land and water. This competition in turn often fuels social tensions and even violent conflict.

At the same time, this resource scarcity erodes the livelihoods of many people, aggravates poverty and unemployment, and leads to population displacement. Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram gain power in this fragile environment.

As climate change affects food security and the availability of water, and land, affected people will become more vulnerable not only to negative climate impacts but also to recruitment by terrorist groups offering alternative livelihoods and economic incentives.

Sometimes, terrorist groups try to fill the gap left by the state by providing basic services to build support among the local population. As climate impacts worsen, some states will increasingly struggle to provide services and maintain their legitimacy.

The report comes as famine, drought and war threaten millions in the region around Lake Chad, in Africa. On March 31, the UN Security

Council passed a resolution on the Lake Chad region – home to Boko Haram – outlining their concern about the interplay of factors leading to the crisis there and calling for better collaboration amongst UN armed to deal with the situation.

The resolution, which also calls for the UNSG to issue a report on the crisis, came after UNSC ambassadors visited the region recently.

The report echoes the UN’s findings. It finds that dealing with climate change, boosting development and strengthening governments will reduce the threat of terrorism.

It also says climate action, development, counter terrorism strategies and peace building should be tackled together holistically – rather than in isolation which they are often are at present and which risks making each of the factors worse.

Other recommendations include improving the rule of law and strengthening local institutions to help reduce the risk that climate change presents to the rise and growth of terrorist groups, as well as being a core component of adaptation and peace building writ large.

People who are vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist groups are often reliant on agriculture for their livelihoods, so development efforts should focus on ensuring those livelihoods are sustainable in a changing climate.

Lastly, cities are often the pressure valve when climate, conflict and fragility occur – building resilient cities will therefore minimize the chances of tensions spilling over.

“A broader perspective will help to better address the root causes of the rise and growth of non-state armed groups,” Rüttinger said.

KUMASI, Ghana (PAMACC News) - A new report has found that the complex risks arising from climate change, fragility and conflict can contribute to the emergence and growth of terrorist groups, like Boko Haram and ISIL.

The new report: “Insurgency, Terrorism and Organised Crime in a Warming World”, by Berlin-based think tank, Adelphi, found that climate change multiplies and interacts with existing threats, risks and pressures, like resource scarcity, population growth and urbanization.
Report author, Lukas Rüttinger, said these factors together could lead to fragility and violent conflict in which these groups can thrive.

“Already vulnerable areas could get pulled into a vicious cycle, leading to the rise of terrorist groups who will find it easier to operate, with consequences for us all,” Rüttinger said.

Terrorist groups are increasingly using natural resources – such as water – as a weapon of war, controlling access to it, further compounding and exacerbating resource scarcities. The scarcer resources become, the more power is given to those who control them, especially in regions where people are particularly reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods.

For example, around Lake Chad, climate change contributes to resource scarcities that increase local competition for land and water. This competition in turn often fuels social tensions and even violent conflict.

At the same time, this resource scarcity erodes the livelihoods of many people, aggravates poverty and unemployment, and leads to population displacement. Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram gain power in this fragile environment.

As climate change affects food security and the availability of water, and land, affected people will become more vulnerable not only to negative climate impacts but also to recruitment by terrorist groups offering alternative livelihoods and economic incentives.

Sometimes, terrorist groups try to fill the gap left by the state by providing basic services to build support among the local population. As climate impacts worsen, some states will increasingly struggle to provide services and maintain their legitimacy.

The report comes as famine, drought and war threaten millions in the region around Lake Chad, in Africa. On March 31, the UN Security

Council passed a resolution on the Lake Chad region – home to Boko Haram – outlining their concern about the interplay of factors leading to the crisis there and calling for better collaboration amongst UN armed to deal with the situation.

The resolution, which also calls for the UNSG to issue a report on the crisis, came after UNSC ambassadors visited the region recently.

The report echoes the UN’s findings. It finds that dealing with climate change, boosting development and strengthening governments will reduce the threat of terrorism.

It also says climate action, development, counter terrorism strategies and peace building should be tackled together holistically – rather than in isolation which they are often are at present and which risks making each of the factors worse.

Other recommendations include improving the rule of law and strengthening local institutions to help reduce the risk that climate change presents to the rise and growth of terrorist groups, as well as being a core component of adaptation and peace building writ large.

People who are vulnerable to recruitment by terrorist groups are often reliant on agriculture for their livelihoods, so development efforts should focus on ensuring those livelihoods are sustainable in a changing climate.

Lastly, cities are often the pressure valve when climate, conflict and fragility occur – building resilient cities will therefore minimize the chances of tensions spilling over.

“A broader perspective will help to better address the root causes of the rise and growth of non-state armed groups,” Rüttinger said.