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Residents wan .. . " ~1S to de more on flood control
Why nations need to invest in green economy hegnwrlngrl'~
Ea rth
and Impaas of
Sustainable Oeve.lopme nl
climate change on oceans require nations of the world (0 urgendy invest in a green economy
In Rio d Janeiro In Brazil thai the body released a report rindlng that
T
whereby they can achieve
developmem largels in an environmentally sustainable way while al the same lime meeting the needs of their citizens.
The move to g reen economies, which would
emil less carbon and use fewer resources Is a very Imporlant global Issue. The UN Environment Prognunme (UNEP) notes that the transition to green economies is being driven by concerns about climate change, air poUUllon and
energy securiry. and also by a desire to create jobs In new industries.
Yonnlck Glemarec, ezecutive coordinator of UNDP - Global Environment Facility hinled 81 the jusl conduded
Summi t on
wannlng ocean waters are causing major shiitsin fish dlstrlbullon and severe degradation of coasta l habitats. A new re pon from the UNEPreveals that the world "urgently needs to focus on maintaining and boosting th e underlying ecological foundations that suppon food production, which face growing threats from human acti vity, to help ensure food security for a growtng population.The report, 'Avoiding Future Famines : S tr eng th e ning the Ecologica l Basis of Food Securlly through Sus t ainable Food Systems: was produced In coUaboration with the International Fund for Agrlcu1nual Development, the Food and Agriculture Organiza tio n , the World
Ban k. the World Food Programme and the World Resources Institute. It warns that food security must e mbr ace the environmental services natureprovldesiftheworld is to feed Its seven billion inhabitants - a population predicted to cllmb to over rune billion by 2050. Inernclencles along the food delivery chain complicate lile challenge, and lile repo rt warns that an estimated one-third of food produced for human consumption Is lost or wasted, amounting to 1.3 billion tons per year. The UN Secretary Genera l, Ban KI- moon told the assembled world leaders in Rio that the o riginal Earth Summit 20 years ago progress has been 100 slow, and ml!dl more needs 10 be done. "We have been given a second chance. Rl0+20 Is nol an end but a beginning; II I. time for all of us 10 thlnkglobaUyand locally,"
he said Ahlea suppo r ts green economies, hut is con cerned that wealthy n a li o ns might use the global transition as a n excuse to Impose tnde restrlcdons ornot to fulfill their commitmen ts to poor coun tries. Africa Is also interested In renewable energy. AbDU l 3 b,lIIon people o n the planet - many of them in Africa - lack access to e lectridty. They musl use wood, coal or other unhealthy materials for cooking or heating h omes, which exposes them to harmful smoke. Already some Afric a n governments h ave adopted 's mart and rorward -Iooklng ' energy policies. Kenya. for esample , has an ambitious green-energy progTa mm e to Increase the production of energy from geothermal, wind and blo-fuel power.
agol Siale residenll have faulted the Slate JP'""".... 'upproach tofloodcontml, bLvnIng their harrowing esperlence In the past four days oJ heavy downpour in the stale on lad of efletdve drainage syslems in most pans of theslIlIe par1icu1ar al the subwb&. Me l eoro logisu had predicted Ihll lagos wou ld witness $eftn days of rainfall and in the pas! four dlys, rain has been pouring In the Siale wub Ittendant flooding lhat has wreaked havoc In many pans of theJlate. A resident who did OOt Wlnt to be named acknowledged Ihe efJon of the 1IIIe 10 conilin flood menace, polntlog OUI howevu thai their best Is not good enough. He esplained Ihl l ·the I tate'l ministry of environment seem to be doifll tu best to clear and desilt lOme drainage chanel.. but hal nol taken note that most road, and streets especiallyalthe suburbs have no drainage at all. lust lake a walk round the arel where you live and see what I 1m lalklng abo ut. Some reslden tl take il upon themselves 10 construct their own drainageI bUI this hudly lolves Iny problem because th ey d on' t know whe re 10 channel Ihe flood IO~ he lamented. Concerned about me devutalin(l: impact of flooding in the Slale In 2011, Ihe stale govemme.nt, through the Office of DnliQlge Services In the Mlnisuy of the Environment, made early preparations 10 mntto! fIoOOhll this year. To make Ihis succeed, the lWedtew OUI a holistic monthly cleaning and maintenance prognmme. llmed to deslh blocked drlinlge channels across 1M 57 local Government Councils and Development
MN! it the state. n. nJI Bdlo, Commissioner for th! [ nwooment. erpIained thallI( osiaru coWd not forget In I hw ry, the sad e:zperiences of th,"! My 10, 2011 Rooding. whidl c..dinarily would have ronst..med theaale if not fortbe effectM· drainage SYUml put in placeb) !he.sullegow:mment. a responsible and proa :Ilve government, the tlmt te In and commence serious !'to,t is now, given the predl::n on of e:lpC!:nI thallhe ralnf;J1 in 2012 will be much
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In vi,lWofthis therefOR. the office 01 Drainage ~ has comDC!Oced the cieaning of dnIn I 11 the foUowing areasAde.bJ'lle r-aluyi Road lUja. Worb-R )ad GRA lkeja. tcodesoh Road lI ,tll, Simp,o n Sireet Logos bland. uod Street hi Lagos Illand among other · tile coounissiDoer aid. Btilo aho up lllDtd th at, ~ hlle this cleaning and In • .intenance eJ:trcise wal ongOing and will lasl Ihro Hg1.0ut the year, the stale JOvtmmem would also continue 10 dredge and line eanh dlinneis to fKililale easy acus:. Il MI funhermairuenance
Son_
progr.m "'"
1h:! conunissioner JeW'aIed
thai his mlni.try would aJso embar~ on massive public enll&htt OlLent campaign 10 educL.u the people 00 what they net d to do 10 reduce the Incider ce of flooding Ind enhara puDlicsafecy. "\I.e on our pari In the Mlniltn of the Environment will I'OJ Uff thlt our drains art ciu n at all limes. while Lagos Iliishouid ensure Ihat thl'dralns n their rronllgel are dtlJ II aD times 10 that the flood ca.1 efiectivtly disc~ 1010 our "&0115': he saki.
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