MONDAY. OCTOBER 24. 20\ 1
Climate change: Experts advocate physical planning system reform Akinre lu Dl' da
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to effectively tad:!e the ad\'er5e e ffects 01 dimate change. it must critically examine ils physICal planning systen1 through ,th~ ~iew of its devclopmerll plans. ~'Outs. building designs lind o ther urb&n planning programmes and striJtegie5 to Il'SpOnd to conlemporary
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issues This was ~he view of wnior government off!d8Is. urban and regional plannIng professionals. environ ment<lllsis and concem~d stakeholders. who gathered in lkeja on Thursday to celebrate this year's Work! Habitat Day" In Lagos State. The forum v..'2I5" -:'-"--C the sta te
Physical Planning and Urban Development. Governor Babatunde Fashol.. ~t th e ball rolling by accepting tkat the entire physic,.,,1 planning systl!m in the state needed thorough evaluation in order to make it tackle emerging problems arising from changes in the c1lrm\tic condi1ions. The governor said it WilS sad to note that over the
~aB. the a itical ~clor of urban planning ~eived less attention from sucreli5ive military administrations in the state. leading to Ihe developml!nt of the lagos mega city in a \O.'2Iy that posed challenges to planners as it result of ineffective and fragmented management and administration of the urban planning s!.'5tem.
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" I t I Dulles. and General /VInnager. Lagos State Emergency Marlllgemenl AgellC}.'. Dr. Feml Oke.Osonyll1lo/u, during an assessment lour oj (loaded communifiu ill Ajeg!lnle. off lkorodu Rood .. on Sunda}(
last 10 ye<m;. physical planning sysleJnand uri>an development twI been given adequate attl!fltion in the policy thrust of the slate government Ulban planning is Olrrently being em~ as a writable tool lor environmental protection 01 our city. - Most important!!.', planning poliCies and strategle5 are fOm'lull1ted to mitigate the risks involved in climate change On the part of government. we haYe tllken bold steps in the crusade 10 create awaleness and taken action against the effects of dim<tle change '" FlIshola said In recognit ion of lhe lact Ihilt climate change h&1 no bo\mdllly, the state had enlered into p!lrtnership with other tiers of governmellt in Ihe country. Ihe C-40 g.oup 01 cities. In lemationlll developmen t and donor agencies. private sector. Investors lind Mn· govl!mmenlill orgMISlitions to form alliance In advocacy. knowledge sharing and support The Comm~ioner Physical Planning Urblln Development.
HE l agos StZlte Governmen, has roliciled Ihe SUI>jX"l't 01 the Inlormal sector in its quest 10 I:i'Ime the m('nace of ncxxllng in the Sta.t->. The Com nissioner for the [ mirann.en!. ,.,.if. Tunji Bello. canv<lS..ced the suppor t at an ill teractive session be tween ofnclals of the ministry and ope rato[1; In the inlormal5ecloJ of the economy. Bello noted that the state government in its determination 10 prevenl fkxxling. hoo ta~ m some proactivl:o mea5UM. including dredging and El'N:ua t!on of canals and thaI the citizenry. f'lIrUculll iy those in the infomlal ~. woo coosliluted i!Ibout 6') per cent or the ~ econllflly. must coope-rale and 5Uolf)Oft the governmenlto do nore. ~ I I is now tlrre for a ll Lagosians 10 rise '.lp to the environmental clK'i!enges in lag<)!' by recogn sing that we aTe in one W.I~' or Ihe o lher responsible for the environmenlal r kallenges current!!.' being ex'leflenced in the slate. ~ he ~jd. The commissioner. therefore. solici ed the support and coor)'!1'2Ition of trade association! such as welders. la ilors, mechanics and ha in:J reuers among others. 10 comple ment government's ellorts by $hunningbaden'Jho nmental pritClkes like clu'llplng of wasle eng:ne 0 :1 !:l1rel(>$sly. cooking on maJol highwl1!r'5 and dumpng 0 1 \\'2151(>$ in
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The wife 01 the governor. Mrs. Abimbola Fashola. who was the special guest 01 honour al the, eve nt. comml!!'KIed the alertl
informationlothegoYemlllent on environmental abu..ces. She made relerence to the deveklped world where despile the lIdvMCement in technology. fl ood was still a
they dispose! wasle, saying the government had invested so much money into Ihe environment through ad\lOCtlCY. planting of trees and fl Ol.Wf5. OOfIslruction
no tifications the min istry was sending to residents of the stille on Hood. adding that lor it 10 have taken Iha t step meZlnt it was moving lorw<lrd and thinking ahead. She adVIsed those ~t Ihe gathering to be good ambasSlldo[1; of the environmenL \\·ho would nol only encourage good environmental practices. but would also vol unteer
challenge " II is not a matter of whether we can do it better; il is because v..-ell iher has changed allover the world as a resu lt of c1lmll te change. The developed wOlfd with beller channels eKperience more disasters at any flood event.'" she added. Mrs. Fa.-'<hola cautioned members of the public. 10 be c:<m'ful In Ihe \O.'2Iy
of drainage channels and imp!'O\.w wasle management. Speaking on nood management in the state. Ihe Permanent Secretary. OffICe of Drainage Services. Mr. Muy;dee n Akinsanya. noted tkat Lagos was usually nooded because it was o n a !kat plaIn lind its rivers \\.-ere inundated wi lh rain \\'2Iter from Ogun and Osun rivers.
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n...12~ sIiIte~~ , Tourism """"'....."!Twnl ..nu nvestment Com id it rec.a:Ied the _" """, sa .-1. I"' ..... er or COIlD\'te \"VI" 01'\ the Ji"llnk Ge.~~~ ~useumbecause lt ~~ng
strlltegy for handmg out jobs ~IrlIdOB. It didnl say ,vhen i1 \VOUJd lIgain seek bids. The Guggenheim is ooe 01 ."- ,"'-.~ ~- ,,- IDIC II"" .""""""""- '''...,.. ~ .~ is buDding 01'\ Abu Dhabis 11$
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A spokeswoman insisIed Sunday that the Guggenl1ein1 p!ojed is sIlII moving ahead. but didn't provide details. IDIC has pn!'JiousIy said it would open the rnuwum by
2013. Some preliminalY grounch\'Ork for the .:ISO,onsquare-fo:>! museum has been rompleted. The construction
toninlcl T'IOUI 01'\ hold would
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the museum's base and other parts 01 the building. IDIC has na t released the Villue of IhlIt deal TOIC is one of several companies set up by Abu Ohabi lodiversifytheeconomy --" d~- " - ~opn-' ,'" ,I" <V... " w" uo:vo::I "'' ' ' ' emirate_ ....ilich borders Dubai to the south. Themoney.\osingcompany
relies heavily on direct cash Inl~ions from the oil·rich Abu nalional museum. perfonning Dhabi govemmelll b4t it also I\lIS tl.ll'T1l?d 10 banks to fund arts center and a branch 01 the l.ouvn! ~ of its openItions.
IDIC exK\J tive5 traveled 10 Europe and Asia over the swnmer to meet with potenl01 ill\leslOl5 about the possibility or issuing new bonds. but then pul off those fundra~ing plans. TIle Guggenheim project has been a Ilashpoint for conlrovlmio;.
Unive!l;ity 01 Lagos. said dimate change htld become one of the most serious prolkms facing hUTTlllnity and lhat the effects " '€!'Ie long. term. global and even life iJvelltenlng. He saki. ~The probk>:m is not only environmental. but it is encompassing social and economic issues which need to be addumed withoul delay. aimale change is thus one 01 the defining ch&lenges of our age i'lnd iI IS one of the priori ties of the United NlItiOl1S system. ~
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The nlate. the statement
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Nigerians. UACN Property Developmenl Coml>any Pic hM procured two contiguous I--d, ,'n th, r""'''',",'- I "" 0"'" Apo" Du':::,~A"b"~J' ....n "'" "'" .. .... 1_" ,", '"""N"I,'o" 0' - " ,-II " , , ' " '" the UPDC Metro City has commenced. A statemen t made available on Friday by the Marketing ~lanager. UPOC. Mrs. TIliiayo Ajayi. said the Metto City was the lourlh sile where the company had commenced work in 20 11 and WM the largest reridenllal project it had done to date.
detached h0USt'5. fourbedroom terraces. three. bedroom btlngalov.~. lind d" "-cl fl r..\l0 an j"ree· .... room als. It said the houses had "_ d ' cl ' " ""en !!SIgne to SUit I"e budgets 01 difFerent :\Oticeconomic groups. adding that the delivery 01 the houses would be phased \\'ith the entire e5t<lte scheduled For (omplellon in December 20 14 . " Iodem facilities. it <tdded. would be made availOOIe in UPDC Metro City to ensule that a high sllIndard of lile w.as malTltainer.Jintheestale.
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Ab U Dh a b i f irm b acIdrac k s on G uggen h eim contract 'T"t-lE Abu Dhabi Company 1 buUding a branch of the Guggenheim ~m i1 Ihe Emirati capital SZlid Sunc:ti8y it htwj tem(Xllariy dropped plans 10 award II major oonstruction contmcl. rai!ing questions about Ihe Future 01 the high profile project. the ~ed
forum. Prof. Dele ()Io.\Ua.xie-jo of the Department 01 Botany.
UPDC begins work on Abuja Metro City
N bid Floods' Lagos canvasses informal sector SUDDort Iplesence Ranke Ba'd nus
Oluloyin Ayinde. said Ihe ongoing reform~ in mOOn planning with Ihe enactment of enabling h!gislation \\'('Te geared !olVards mitigating and adap1ing to dimate change through urban design i'lnd planning. The issue of dimate chllnge. according 10 him. hilS shilted from being 1I mere envilonmcntal concern to developmental issues affecting economic growth ilnd sustainable human settlements.. The Q\lest speaker at the
In
March. more than 130 Intemational <lrtists lind I.Vriters promised to boycott Ihe museum unless authorities do more 10 protecl \YOrkers' rights at the site. TIllIt followed an earlier repor1 by Human Rights Watch that outlined alleged abu9!:5againslmigmnt workeB on the project
Th"";[iI~,ind"d."m;[,
sv.,·imming pool. children's playground. shopping arcMe. solt landscape and ample pmking lots for re5idenb and visilOB. II will 1I1so have an events hall. borehole a.nd water tT eatment plant. sewlIge treatment plant. lind alternative pQ\O.'er supply.
Structural engineers to discuss emerging innovations M EMBERS
01 the engineering family wUl gather in lbadan. the Oyo Slate capitlll on Tuesday lind Wednesday 10 discuss unfolding innovations in structural ~ngtne1rring an~ how ~ch Impad on theIr professIon . Theeventisthe24thAnnua.l ,..- f---,.....--~ . M ' ....... . ~~~~... eeling 01 the Nigerian Instilulion of Structura1I:''''''': d' . . .... ~,neers.a tvlSton ~~ t,he Nigerillll Society 01 Ulgoneers.
According to the President of the institution. Dr. Victor Oyenuga. Ihe theTTIe of Ihe confere~ - l nnC'Vati~n
in S!r\ll:tural Engineering.'" is to highlight the fad thai changes aid in comforl convenience and efficiency o f everyday activities. nollng that structural engineering was continuously endolved by changes and innova liOll$. He said tM I the , ._ recommendations 0 I<Ist ., ", " yellr s con ere-nce. w"te" focused on the collapse of
of Engineering in Nigl!Jia 11M dl!!igned alld approved a new form to be used on building si tes and the lagos State Governmenl has had a stakeholders' meeling on the new phYSIcal planning law. "The needs to u~ prof~nals and carry
engineering structu res. were /lOW being implemented by the re levllnl tler3 01 governmenl Oyenuga s.-rid. "The Council lor the Regulalion
economy. We sincerely pray that these efforts lI'i li be !-fielding Iruits :50011 and the collapse 01 building structures wll] be a Ihing 01 the past in ~ r dear country '"
out site soil lests are being b '-_'" ... _.... I... im h...".... by ...um I"e public il nd private sectQTS 01 the