GOING
Tuesday 02 October 2012
BUSINESSDAI(: www.businessdayonline.com
Zero Carbon evolves new approach to conununicaLing climate cbange In funhennce of effom 10
ante awareness on the Impaa of dimate chanse. Zern carbon Africa. an alliancz of youth.1edj
Iixused organization and young
Fresh threat to food production as flooding overruns Nigerian communities River Niger overflows i15 slgnlficantly alter water banks. In Taraha, about flows in major river basins h mnS cllmatic 30 communities have In Africa, presenting a cund! Ion has been submerged leading new barrier to efrons to posed fresh to the displacement of better manage water for :.brenl to food over 13,428 persons. food production and to production The flooding in Kogi, resolve potential cross· in Nigeri£ as noodlng particularly, bas been border water conflicts alJ bas ove r run many described as a national over southern Africa. Nigedan (ommunities, disaster In which houses "Climate c h ange submergingmaryofthem have been submerged; Introduces a new element and leavtnu tllOl153nds of communities displaced of uncertainty precisely people baUlch·ss. This and roads blocked. when governments has thre.u ened effortS According to Mike and dOlla rs are starting at improvLd agriculture Onolememen. the to have more open and increas( d food Minister of Works who discussions about sharing production i]' these was In the state along water resources and cammuni t ic£ where with his Environment to consider long-term farmland'i bale been counterpart. Hadlza invesunems In boosting washeda\\ay. Mallana, for an on+the- food production; said Many lomlllunilies Spot assessment, such Alain Vidal, dIrector in variou" p:IIIS have a disaster bad nOI been of the Challenge been under lege of seen In hundred years. Programme on Water OoodiogthllhiU wreaked pohlllng out that the and Food (CPWF). "To havoc of Tlon .Imenlal water level has risen by prevent this wlcertalnty proportilll ,5. Flom Eda, as high as two metres from undermining NasaJaWf ,uld J lateau to In both RJver Niger and ker agreements Kogi, Beo",e and Bayelsa River Benue. and COmmilJll ents, states. it bas bl-en tales Experts say that the researchers must build of woes 111 families and grealC3t threal to buman a reliable basis for commun..l es Cl un! their exist e nce In Africa decisions, which takes 10..... presently is climate into accouOI the variable By the 1;051 count, over change which . they impactsofclimatechange 5,000 hou'.es hive been s ay . is undermining on river basins: submergl'tl ln Kogi while the continent ' s Particularly alarming about 3iO,OOO persons transformation efforts are tlle projeC1ed changes in over 20 communities un farming. In southern Africa's have bh n rt ndered According to them , Limpopo Basin, which home1es; In Et lu as the climate change could Is home to 14 million STOIUES BY :J iUftA 111101«)
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Individuals working 10 build grauroots movement acron Africa. has Inuoduced I new approKbiOit. Known IS 'Aning Climale Chlnge: this new approach, Iccordlng to the ~up, Is In Initiative taUored lowards showclling climate change impacu: on dIfferent St!CIor' of Nlr:rian sodety using an such 8J music, Interpretative dance perfomwJCC, poeny. sharing of reaJ life experiences and vkleo dorumenwy ..iJh kDl content laid ShopeJu. Zero Carbon'. Project Director, told OUI correspondent in-.n interview thathls grout' isalsolM II)lXIInbal the effea 01 climall~ dIange and environmental degnldallons throuBh me innovathoe projects and condnerual DIy 01 Acdon5IO mobilize Africa lOremimrunerllai sustaInabIlity. With a vision to provide the best platfonn conducive (or the emergence and sustainabilhy of a green economy, Zero Carbon aha has the mission 10 sensidse, engage and empower young peJp6e 10 dlampioo JOIutionl at ~ 1eYeI!hat will emuare environmental, economic and sodaJ weU-being for today and
thai will enhanctt, promote. and support enrironmemal ptotect:ion fusI: III we empower them 10 creale a sustainable social enterprise thatlUpp0n5
the mmmunity. offerq heallhy and \liable ure opponunities 10 them and the society ilia
wtvJIe:
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He that through me programme, the Zero Carbon Africa National Day of Action on almate Change would be adopIed ....'hIIe thegeneral public wuuld be sensitised on climate change impact on different sectors in NigeriI using amM! om.
·This Is aimed to raise a\\'3Ime5Iabout dimite
mange
and inspire positive aedons
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""-"'""'"..".. National DayciAaiononOlmate
a.angeslaled fotOctober2S this ytar';hesald In his speech at Ihe even!. Tunj! Bello. the Lagos Stale Commiliionet for Ihe Environmem. commended the group for ita novellnltlatlve, noting that Nigmans are IMng lnWlCa1alntimelwhenoolhing &eeml10 be ce1aln anymore in terms III weather condition. Belle, ..no_ reprnemed b). an afficial of the minbary, noted that some anempu al dimale art are more erfective than othen. "but they an MId up to an increasing cullum awareness of the crisis; an reminds us of whafs al Slake. helps us fully comprehend the illuel and teaches us how 10 adapL But
people and Includes partS ofBo15wana, South Africa, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. Using data averages from climate models by the In t e rgo vernm en tal Panel on Climate Change, CPWF experts found that rising temperatures and de clining rainfall in the Limpopo over 10""""",, Speakingal theAlttn80imale the next few decades could deliver a one-two ~rw:nlheldatlbel.lniYenity punch to the already that Owe m in this enterprise 10 pet:baps. most impor!&n( of an. marginal envirorunent- sensitise. engage and empower: an can ~ us to take aakJn: depressing food explaining thIlllhe)· sensitlse the production and gmeral public on dimale change He disclosed Ihal lAgos Intensifying poveny_ Imp.1lct. Indigenous mitigation Siale governnlenl has laken ·We need and adaptation SlRlrgies USing s teps 10 lackle the menace 10 ask whether eal)'-tG-UIldemand language in of c1imale change through summiu. seminar1. ..~ current agriculture n!Iadon to their kx2I mmen ·Wtt also engage young landscaping. beautificatio n development suategies peopJein development pro;ecu in the Limpopo. which are predicated on ~-.... current levels of water availability, are ill fa ct realistic for a clima te future that may present new challenges and different oppornmities," said Simon Cool . a scientist wit h the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (ClAT) and bead of Cpwp's 8asln Focal Projects (DFP).
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Empowering our people to succeed Over 7 million Ntgerians ar~ unemp50y~ At FCMB we are helpmg lnembe,'s of our QOmmunrties to acquire new skills and open business opportumties
My Bonkond;