THE ENVIRONMENT 37
JHEGUARPIAHMQnday January 2,2012
Global efforts needed in combating desertification, says UNCCD official i he Environment ASENIOR United Nations /\N (environmental official has called for joint efforts by the international community and governments to fight aga inst d esertificaa'OR "It's both a local and global challenge, which requires the international cooperation to face." said LucGnacadja, executive secretary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), in an interview with-Kf/j/iua He said the most significant thing was to prevent further desertification caused by mismanage me n t of e nvironmen L "Each year, due to drought and land degradation in 3ry areas all over the world, 12 million hectares of fertile lands have been turned into barren lands," Gnacadja said after a conference on desertification in the southern province of Adrar. The conference marked the start of the UN Decade for Deserts and die Fight against Desertification (2010-2020), which was launched on August is, 2010 to raise public awareness of desertification and promote action to improve the protection and management of the world's drylands. Twelve million hectares was bigger than Benin, a western African country, and was three times as the size of
Lake Chad...fast drying up due to desertification"
Switzerland, he said, adding that if the trend of desertification could not be reversed, Africa would lose two-thirds of arable lands. The UN official expressed worries that most of the affected developing countries lack funds yet are ill prepared to combat desertification. Many
developing countries have not incorporated the fight against desertification into their national development pi an. More than 110 countries around the wotld have dry lands, which were either potentially threatened or already affected by desertification, according to UN figures. Gnacadja also urgea devel-
oped countries, as part of the convention, to provide support through technology transfer. What's more, he noted, efforts to combat land degradation, climate change and worsening biodiversity lack effective coordination and cooperation. He also stressed the need to
improve living conditions of the people affected by desertification, as poverty remains a major factor of land degradation. He urged the govern merits to invest more to improve the ecosystem and enable it to regenerate,n oti ng lha t proper functioning of land would lead to climate regulation
through improved vegetation. Cnacadja said his institution helps with technology transfei, the sharing of relevant knowledge, guiding parrnersli:p at the international level and improving efficiency in combating desertification by integrating efforts in tackling climate change, and ensuring biodiversity and food security
Green initiative: Firm test runs wind, solar-powered base station ie Environment By Chmedu UwaegWam
TH the new global >rder that dictates susW tainable business practice, one of Nigeria's foremost telecommunication firms has launched a green initiative, which requires an integration of wind and solar energy to re-engineer its base stations. The new technology being piloted by Airtel Nigeria and supported by Ericsson will reduce operational expenses and impact on the environment; guide the nation towards its transition to low carbon economy. A test run of the first e-site completed in Lekki, Lagos State, was held recently. In fact, the hybrid solution will take advantage of local weather conditions and
Tlie company is playing a critical role in Nigeria's transition to low carbon economy and global efforts to address environmental issues such as climate change by providing alternative energy solutions in its base stations. improve the quality of maintenance at remote or inaccessible sites. In existing technology, the wind turbine will be mounted on top of existing mast to leverage higher winds. The energy controller simultaneously draws power from both the photovoltaic panels and wind turbine, based on the solar intensity and wind speed. Already, Airtel Nigeria has set the foundation fora betterand cleaner environment with the sign ing of a historical agreement with Ericsson to upgrade 250 diesel-powered stations and take
advantages of freeing its operations from the dependency on public power supply ancfdiesel. According to Airtel Nigeria's senior officials, the firm is looking at the longterm scheme of mobile telephony in Nigeria. "Not only is the company contributing to a better and cleaner environment, Airtel is looking ahead to thegrowing number of subscribers in the country, and especially those in the rural communities. It is estimated that 90 per cent of future subscribers will be in developing markets with more than
half of this population living outside the city limits where power is scarce and unreliable," Airtel Nigeria, Chief Operating Officer, Deepak Srivastava said: "In a world where the effects of global warming are already felt strongly, there is urgent need for businesses to speed up the adoption of clean energy, especially in the telecom industry which is rapidly evolving into one of the largest consumers of dtesel. Airtel's determination to make a positive socio-economic and environmental impact, contributing in building energy efficient and environmentally sustainable telecom infrastructure, is one more step towards its vision to becoming the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians. He said: "With the huge
Govts urge cleaner environment, move against poly-products pollution CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36. Aregbesola, stated that, the scale government would employ the use of additives to curb the menace of poly product pollution. Ilori, who was a former Special Assistant in Lagos State government, stated that he actually started the testing of the products five years ago and therefore recommend it to poly products manufacturers. He noted that his experience in Lagos and Osun states had shown that recycling the waste poly products is not the best way to solve the problem because the recycled products still found
theirway back to be used. The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment, Tunji Bello who was represented by Oni Sarutu, also supported the idea of using additives in Che manufacture of poly and plastic products. He noted that the use of additives is "by far cheaper than recycling the waste roduct, which according to im, is costing the state government a lot of money at the Ikorodu recycling plant." In her comment, Plateau State Commissioner for the Environment, Mrs. Sarah Yusuf, said the challenge polythene and poly products bring on the nation's envi-
E
ronment is alarming, saying it was time drastic was taken. "The issue of polythene is all over our streets, and indeed a serious environmental threat to the country. Going forward, Plateau State is willing to partner with you and we wil! try to partner with you." In his comment, Chairman of the EGL, Mr. Olufem Atilade Oshoniyi, said: "Here, wearetaikingabout the stubborn plastic wastes. The importance of this menace can be Judged by the huge litters left at dumpsites after several years waiting to degrade/ He added that Oshoniyi stated that the additives, when applied to the poly and plas-
tic products, during production, would turn them to soil mass, when they are disposed after use. EGL's Managing Director, Mr. Olusanmi Aoejide noted that nylon and pet bottles constitute the major parts of the refuse that pollute the environment, adding that the situation is made more corqplex by the lifespan of the products. He also stated that the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Lagos State government and the National Agency for Food, Drugs Administration and Control had all tested the additives and certified it safe and effective.
growth in the telecommunication industry, especially in developing markets, Airtel is creating the foundation that will enable the company to provide access to mobile services to everyone, improving on coverage and Quality of service, whilst at the .same time keeping telecommunications at affordable prices, since operating expenses will be sufficiently reduced through this green investment." The poor power supplies across the country to the firm's sites, Srivastava said, has been "responsible for over 70 per cent of downtime, resulting in poor quality of service.' For him, the green-site would go a long way in addressing this critical challenge even as his company is also exploring other options including a partnership with the World Bank to address the nagging
issue of power supply especially co remote communities. 'Even as we pursue the green-site solution we have in the last six months installed dual generating sets m 200 sites as well as high back-up batteries in 600 sites. By March, we are looking at deploying an additional high capacity back up batteries and 500 new gen era ti ng sets." Airtel lias also promised to follow global best practices in its quest for its green initiaiives towards improving the capacity and robustness of the firm s network as the customer base grows. "Nigerians should rest assured that we will cooperate with the regulator to ensure that the prescribed quality standards are always met and even surpassed," Srivastava added.
Eldti warns against bush burning i he Environment From Muyiwa Adeyemi, Ado Ekiii
Km State government has Eburning warned against bush in the state to avoid
fire disaster and other menace associated with hammattan period. A statement by the state Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Hon. Funminiyi Afuye said the state government is committed to the protection of lives and properties, and the maintenance of eco-balance which bush burning can inhibit. He urged the citizens not to wilfully set fire on the bushes in their environment: in the name of hunting for animals, noting that the law banning busn burning is in
existence in the state and warned that anyone who runs foul of it would be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the law. Afuye noted that every citizen of the state has the responsibility of ensuring that no action or inaction affect the lives and properties of his fellow citizen in the stateHe also railed on owners of undeveloped lands in the state to immediately clear them to avoid providing shield for criminals. He said it has been observed that many pockets of bushef are abound in the State capital, Ado-Ekiti as a result of undeveloped plots that are being used as hideout by miscreants to cairy out their nefarious activities.