The pollutants include manmade chemicals used in fridges and air conditioners, and have an impact on depletion of the Ozone Layer.

Christian Aid, among other nongovernmental organisations have called on delegates at the ongoing 28th Meeting of Parties (MOP-28) to the Montreal Protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer to ambitiously set up a date when the world should stop using hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

HFCs are manmade chemical gases used mainly in refrigerators, air conditioners across the world, created to replace CFCs in 1990. However, science has found out that these gases are thousands times more lethal to the climate than Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) as a greenhouse gas and their use is increasing at 10-15% a year.

Greenhouse gases are important compounds that are able to trap heat in the atmosphere, hence, giving the earth warmth that sustains life. But overproduction of these gases has led to over warming of the earth surface, leading to serious changes in climatic conditions, a condition that is already having devastating impacts on livelihoods.

Gaby Drinkwater, a Senior Policy Officer for Christian Aid told delegates at the talks in Kigali, Rwanda that it is in everyone’s interests to phase out HFCs as soon as possible.

 “HFCs were created to replace HCFCs (hydrochlorofluorocarbons), which in turn replaced CFCs, after it was discovered that the gases were putting a hole in the ozone layer.  “But we didn’t realise that in HFCs we had created another thing that is even more devastating than Carbon dioxide,” said Drinkwater.

However, said Drinkwater,the good news is “we’ve already created their benign replacements, which are also more energy efficient. We now need to start using them, in conjunction with controlling the destruction of existing HFCs in a safe way,” she said.

With the growing population and the changing climatic conditions, people in developing countries seek more air conditioners and refrigerators, which has led to heavy expansion of HFCs, and could deal a significant blow to the ambition of the Paris Agreement.

The ongoing negotiations in Kigali are focusing on agreeing an ambitious and equitable HFC amendment proposal, including the date when the HFCs must be phased-out. Most of the developed countries are pushing for a date closer to 2031 while a majority of the developing countries want a much more ambitious timeline in the early 2020s.  

Good news is that richer countries have already provided funds to help developing countries make the transition and leap-frog to the safer alternatives, with philanthropists adding another $53m to the pot to aid this process just a month ago.

Ms Drinkwater said countries had nothing to fear from a rapid phasedown: “By leapfrogging polluting HFCs, developing countries can cut their energy use, reduce their climate impact, ensure they deliver on their Paris Agreement pledges and benefit from financial support towards equipment upgrades.”

“The combination of removing HFCs and the energy efficiency savings of new technology could see global temperatures reduced by a full degree centigrade by the end of the century.”
She said.

Tina Birmpili, the Executive Secretary, Ozone Secretariat, stated that projected increases in demand for cooling mean that, by mid-century, more energy will be used on cooling than on heating. She underlined how this trend makes reaching an agreement on an HFC phasedown, combined with efforts to improve energy efficiency, as crucial to mitigating climate change.

Some 244 farmers from Bangema local forest community in the Southwest region of Cameroon have taken court action against SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon PLC (SGSOC), a palm oil developer in Cameroon, reports Greenpeace Africa. The farmers say their communities have been affected by the large-scale palm oil plantation projects developed by the international agro-industry, calling on the Court of First Instance in Bangem, Southwest Cameroon, to render justice. 

Hearing on the matter has been set for 9 November, reports Greenpeace Africa.

Greenpeace Africa is among the many civil society organizations fighting against land rights and forest conservation abuse in local communities in Cameroon and other parts in Africa . They have in this light championed campaigns to stop SGSOC from developing palm trees in the ecologically sensitive region of the Southwest region of Cameroon.

In a press release of 4th October, 2016,Green Peace says two collective complaints involving 244 farmers were filed against SG Sustainable Oils Cameroon (SGSOC) on 27 September for trespass to land. 231 of these farmers from the village of Nguti, are demanding that SGSOC  respect a 5km buffer zone around their farmlands. However, the concession area demarcated by SGSOC encroaches on many farms in the forest areas around Nguti, showing no respect for the buffer zone, says Greenpeace.

“How are we going to live if SGSOC takes our farms? How are we going to eat? I have no other means. I don’t want money, because who knows for how many years it will last? It won’t help my children and grandchildren, but my farm will, as I have crops every year,” said Susan Tah Agbo, who takes care of 24 people thanks to her 20 hectares (49 acres) of farmland.

In Babensi II, 13 farmers also went to court as their lands have been seized by SGSOC, without any consultation or prior agreement, writes Greenpeace Africa. “One day, I came to my farm, and I found that they had bulldozed everything. I knew I was going to develop this place to earn my living and when I die, my children will remain there, but today, I have no place. We are all crying here, and we don’t know how we can be rescued”, said Adolf Ngbe Ebong, a 62-year-old retired policeman.

SGSOC, the Cameroonian company which holds a concession of approximately 20,000 hectares for palm oil plantation development, was owned by the US-based company Herakles Farms until 2015. Since 2009, when the company settled in Cameroon, Greenpeace Africa and national and international NGOs have released numerous documents based on investigations into the many misdeeds of SGSOC.

“SGSOC activities are tainted with illegalities. Not only does their establishment convention with the Cameroonian government violate the law, but they also cleared the forest without a permit, intimidated several traditional chiefs and used bribery and promises which are yet to be realized to obtain local authorities’ favors”, said Sylvie Djacbou Deugoue, Greenpeace Africa forest campaigner.

The provisional land lease granted via a presidential decree in November 2013 to SGSOC expires this November. A coalition of several NGOs, of which Greenpeace is a part, today launched a petition in Cameroon and internationally, to ask the Cameroonian government not to extend or to renew it.

“SGSOC violated the law many times and didn’t fulfill the numerous promises they made to the communities, such as the building of roads and schools, so one can’t think how they could improve. Cameroon needs development, but always while protecting local communities and the significant biodiversity that surrounds them. SGSOC is a destructive project, located in between four protected areas, so it must end,” added Sylvie Djacbou Deugoue.

The project site is located in the Guinean forest of West Africa Biodiversity Hotspot, which shelters 1,800 endemic species of vascular plants and an extraordinary diversity of the world’s top species priorities for primate conservation.

Les pays côtiers africains sont confrontés aux différents fléaux maritimes qui contribuent au ralentissement de leur développement économique. Ces fléaux sont la piraterie maritime, la pêche INN, la migration clandestine, la dégradation de l’environnement marin et côtier et les trafics illicites en tous genres. Que doit-on faire pour réussir à éradiquer efficacement ces fléaux des eaux africaines et donner plus d’opportunité et de possibilité aux économies émergentes  des Etats Africains ?

C’est bien en ces réponses que réside tout le mérite du sommet extraordinaire de l’Union Africaine sur la sécurité et la sûreté Maritimes qui aura lieu du 10 au 15 Octobre 2016 à Lomé au Togo.

 J-15, tous les acteurs de la vie socio politique se mobilisent et mutualisent leur force pour la bonne réussite de ce sommet d’où sortira une charte pour protéger les eaux africaines.

Pour donner plus de chance de réussite à ce sommet, le Haut Conseil pour la Mer et la Haute Autorité de l’Audio Visuel et de la Communication ont jugé utile d’informer et de former  les hommes du quatrièmes pouvoir sur les enjeux et défis de cette problématique ce jour à Lomé.

« Contribution des professionnels de la communication dans la lutte pour la sécurité et la sûreté maritimes et le développement en Afrique » c’est le thème autour duquel les médias venus de toutes les régions du Togo ont eu à se plancher ce matin à Lomé .

Il s’agit entre autres d’amener les journalistes togolais des medias publics et privés à comprendre la nécessité de leur implication dans la lutte contre l’insécurité maritime ; maitriser les terminologies appropriées sur la thématique de la sécurité et de sûreté maritimes.   

As stakeholder increasingly take steps to develop and implement forestry compatible development, there is increased need for a better understanding of forest related regional and international agreements experts say.

Various presenters at the opening of a regional workshop on “sharing knowledge and experiences to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders in African forestry” in Lome  Togo on September 26, 2016, agreed that a more in-depth understanding on forest intricacies was necessary to permit African countries draw maximum benefits from their huge spans of forest resources.

The African forest scientists say, is worth far more than just REDD+ financing for carbon sequestration and storage, thus the need for a more deeper knowledge and understanding of its potential.

“African countries need to strike the right balance to optimize benefits from their rich forest resources. The worth of the vast spans of rich African forest cannot be measured by just carbon sequestration and storage,” says Dr. Aster Gebrekirstos, a scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) at a presentation on knowledge gaps in climate change and its impact in Africa and the African Forest Forum in Lome, Togo.

Aster who leads the Dendrochronology Laboratory in ICRAF says to address the gaps on multipurpose trees, there is need to raise awareness on untapped opportunities that can better contribute to the local needs of forest communities in Africa.

Africa lacks long term climate data to better implement knowledge and science based investment to address forest conservation challenges.

 “Trees live for hundreds of years and store lots of information used as tools for climate data,” says Aster Gebrekirstos.

The need for information and knowledge on forestry issues therefore has become more that ever before imperative in Africa to better improve forest management in a manner that better address poverty eradication and environmental protection.

According to the AFF executive secretary, Godwin  Kowero, Africa’s contribution in international processes has not been effective due to insufficient capacity , attributed to  little understanding of the processes and this has resulted in poor ownership and low implementation of  both regional and international agreements.

And this where the African Forest Forum comes in handy “ to facilitate strengthening of  Africa’s participation in regional and international debates and negotiations and actions related to forestry and enhance informed country adoption and implementation of international and regional forest and related agreements, ” Godwin said.

The African Forest Forum has to that effect recently generated considerable information on various aspects of forestry that includes climate change, green economy, provision of quality tree germplasm, forest and tree pests and diseases, forest governance, forest certification and public-private partnership investment in the sector.

Experts say African economies are largely market oriented with the private sector having a big role to in poverty alleviation. According to AFF executive secretary, there is a critical need to encourage private sector investments in forest management in Africa.

“There is an urgent need to facilitate the development of an organized private sector in forestry for an all inclusive forest compatible sustainable livelihood development in Africa,” Godwin said.

The Forum brought over 70 participants, experts in forestry issues drawn from all the five regions in the African continent.

Among other topics participants are looking at key forest related issues like the balance between food-fuel-fibre production in the context of climate change in Africa, experience with REDD+, CDM, African Forest  Organisation and Land Use, AFOLU and voluntary market oriented activities in African countries, disaster management in Africa, forest sector potential for green economy, forest pests and disease management, the state and future forest certification and the potential and experiences with public-private partnership in African forestry.

The African Forest Forum accordingly is an association of individuals who share the pursuit and commitment to the sustainable management, use and conservation of the forest and tree resources of Africa for the betterment of the socio-economic wellbeing of its people and for the stability and improvement of its environment.