Page 201, T HIS DAY, Vol. 16, No. 5895
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
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FEATURES EDITOR: ROLAND OGBONNAYA "'4~·.
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Protecting Forests to Save the Earth Recently, stakeholders hom government and the dvil sodety, met in Lagos to fine tune strategies for the colmtry policy on United Nations Redudng Emissions hom Deforestation and Degradation (UN REDD) programme due to take effect in Nigeria soon Oirnate change issues and hwnan survival formed tlle major plank of the two-day discourse. By GODWIN HARUNA owcan Nigeria manageswwnably the \'aSl rores! resoun:es th.l t abound in the country? What IR- the pitfal ls to guard lIiainsl 10 a\uid the mist:u.::es or other countries c:urrenLly enrolled in the Uni\rd Nations Reducing Esnksions from [kJorcstation ;uxI t:Jegr.xi., tion (UN REDO) pmgrnmme? These om:. SO£TV:; of the questions SIakdtokbs from the govcmrnmt and civil society 1rietl 10 provide answes 10 when !hey rTEl m:encly in lagos, Facilitated by Ms. /lin I..aberge or the United Nations )):1.l'lopm:nI Programme (UNDP) Dakar Regional of'Iitt;, discussions ....= rran!.: and all onbr3cing. ~ said ~ .....as sincm:ly impt:S..~ and gR2Ily inspired 11)' the dedic:alion to ~g the best results possible through I PGA ror REOD+. ase\'idou rrom the thrt!e rull days tbdcd 10 the woric. She advised Nigeria. to learn from lhe mistakes or cthtt cwntries and rashion 001 a workable goynn:lnOl! procas. Speaking to 1l llS0AY althe venue of the ITlIXti ng, "Ir. Sali5ll Dahilll. Nation.ll Coon1inator, UN Rl:.l JD+ Nigeria, s.lid the c:sseno: of the mectin2 was to~groond forlle\-eloping oncofthelOOls to affect the Sm'm'lmmt structure: anti effectiveness of the REDO lO''e11wa in Nigeria. He said Lag05 SllIte hils p::ut!ciP:lItd in oo.'el· oping tcob thai will Unp!'Ol.'e g()\'ttMfIC."e willun the wban .sctting, v.'hir;h is m own II.'! Good Urbln Govttn3rre. . 1b:y t-'edr:veloped the numbc:rofindical1.rS that theyCUla.w:5.'i how effectf,.-e am !uN" is the p-em:ua at the urban b-el complying with best J!f3t1ices illlemationally. Since Nigeria has dn-e~ the REDD rc:adiness proposal document mil submitted to the United Nauons ror appr.d and ~orfund . we need to put ooracts togeth. er. We kflO'" IlJal Il'(: ne.~t sta~ is to can)' OIlt :Ill asscssmrnl or the go\'em.-n:e for- REDO ixcaLL<;e whate\'ef )'OU do in implmlmting L11CSe de\'eloprrQII prngr.munes. withi" Ihe dim3te sector must ma:t IIltcmatiooaJ st.1Jldard. must be atttpU\ble Mel must be cmfibk: inler-
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<:>ne of theCTiterla is th.:tt it must nttrt best practices in gu''erTlaI1CC . Will, tq. elements such as anti-ronuption safe-guarding Ihe interc:st or the klcal pecple. f~~( cummunllie5 through which the REDD programmes is going to take pl3CC and dtef1 ensuring 5lISIain-lIbiliry ~ there is going 10 be a lot im'eSlJTY:nt in the REDO go'o"mt:lllt'l:' Uur>U~h ~n:abIe rorest m:u13gement, carbon cred,t IUd the lim:' Oahiru a plaincd. I Ie I'C'futed th:: ~ in~ 1/1.31 ,!he ~'iu,cs of REOO ~ d~ to on:: stale. Al."C'OI"CImg 10 hl1T!. REDO ISa d lmalechangc miu!!aOoo programme and climate chnnge is betn!! d~ at a national le\d but 10 aroml ly implement or carryout the mitig:ation OCIion thai any COU1Ilry is-gain!!. 10 take, it is going 10 select what is regnnled as ~ilOl places. ~Ie added that ~[ates don't hnve specifIC ec0logical CIJIdJ\J011S. climate. CI1yironmental conditions and so wha\c\'· er they ~ going tn do. ' '\o.'e first of nJlIIll\'e 10 have the: number of places )'OO "ill use as pilots so d}.1[ )OO ..... ilItC5t tI-e5e:JCtiorU' and see whether there lIR: dJallen~es. suI\-e d105e challcn!!es and then )'OU will modify that and rrpeat the case in nil die: st:JteS. So il is \'Cf'j easy bccaU5e it p!'OI.ide5 you an opportunity 10 w ild on the initial im'e5t· ment th:u M\-e been done in th:lt Slate so that)'OlI will ta\-e this idea of Imn! fu ll OO\'iII1t:1gc orthe situation:- the national coordinalO'" said. D:lhiru added d..,. with LIltS inlmlational pmgrnmme. there is a 5)"5ICnwic m(';lilodology for e.~ pandinl the roasI of REDO beyond the Cross Rhm State as:m immedillle support kaeling to rull implementation. l-k said T3r.IbiJ State was :loocoming on board iUld thm: an: a TlUmber of ~;:des that I.., \'t shQo.\l1 inlt:feSl am dx:y are looking at how 10 accept thr:: COfnpar:ul\-e ad\'1uunge 5uch state h. .l\'~ so dUll wh.,te\'e!" they do ..."'I.lld be wi thin llle: progromme. Also speaking in i\Il inten·je.,.,·, Mr.GdJon. Kat.llps. II cor:nm~ssioner from Tarnba State said th:: St.lte I~ al the potnl of mtegrnlmg 111(0 die: national REDO progrnmme l:a:ause they ta\-e already done: the com· munity mobilisalion and enlightenment processes 1ll1d h:Jo.-e lnaugu· r1Iltd the (.UI11Tlitk'l:. ~REDD has SI:lr1ed ll1 Tanba Sb ll: rm a '1:1)' long time through various ac:tiYitics ltat im'o hu rln:Sl C'OmrTlUnitics in the Sl:lle. So I th ink its been so flV so good because Ihe rtnStcommunitics are k:x*.ing fOfVo'llnl1O imbibing Ihe w and !heir ctpeaalions ~ r.JtI-c:r 100 high th3lthey w:ant 10 SIX' immediate benefit or tile: progrnn1."1IC:,~ Katapi said. Acantin!! 10 him REDD was concri\'ed 10 (W1JVide means or Ij\-elihood.~mpowermenl lO the people in the fOl'C':$l communities and gh'e dlC:lll the ability to SlIst,in thcmsel\"CS a.~ "-ell as making I?~ " ret. He said lhe bellC:fits or the progmmme 10 the fUf1I l commurullCS are ~00f1l10U5 alld the people would real ly appm:i:ale hoping d1..1t die: pilot stale wi ll Ix: able to triggerother state5 to participate. Speaking during the WOOd Environment Day IIct;" ilie5 in Aooja. United Nations Resident Coordin:llor in Nigeria and UNDf> Resident R~'e, Mr. Cauda l bure, said the theme or this year: 'T~ N~ at Your Senicc". highlights the c:rucial mvi1'OlUTlen· Ill], economic and SOClal rob playm by the waid's fon:::sts. T~ :tclded dull it also draws attention 10 the alarming l3leor gJobaI deforestation; and tJr ~CfltY 10 proteCt fCRSUi , 35 a piIfI of the suategk ~ t(JIOoaUs meeting tile: Millctlllium De\-elopmenl Goals
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'Tourr planting tI trr'" on WED in /lbllja
,,.1005). conSCTVing biofu'aSity and tackling Ihe 1JC:83(h-e impacts
or climate ch3nge.
•'Fcn:sts 00\'1:f on:-thinl of Ihe CYth's l:and mass performing vital runctions acro55 the ....urId ~lI ly here in Africa. 1lJC:y lIR: tile: froSt culrurnJ ly rich and biaIogically di\'Cfr ~1S on l:n:l am hom: tollli kinds or lelTe5lriaJ species of i\Ilintnl.~ , planl."i and in.<a:lS. 1·lowe-'e!". as a result of the: growing global pollution k\'CIs fort:Sls ha\'C rome to be re:fmm lo ao; the ' lungs of the: earth' . This is panic. ularly btcause de rorestation and fnn:st degmciatiol1 /ICCOUllt ror nearly 20 per oml of global peenhouse gllS emissions. which fOJt::S1S would lIbsorb if can:fully managed. • " Beyond SlJAIOrting the. 11lX\ffi1J h.1bit3l. forests sustain ecooomic groy.th. ln 2004 tmde in forest products v.'O't eslim3lCd III S327 ~I lion. This goe:'IlO shoIv thai continued and uncoolrolkd deforcsrabon would not only h:Jo.-e cb'3SWing ~ for tile: r:rr..imnmrnt, the wiklllre and tomnKlni1ies . w t ~Id h3\-e ~11:r 3lh'CK effect for the economies arwrd the ....'Orid.- Tourc: s., id. I k said derorestation .....as a big problem in 5lIb-SalwanAfrica :vd especially in Nigeria. Atturding 10 him, Nigeria's forests and ...."OOdlands CQ\'ef approximately 9.6 million hectares RId its rich Gulf of Guinea" forests ~ n:cognizo:l as a global biodiversity ~. BowC\'e1'. lle:said as in many p:ut.~or the wortd, t11CSe rOl'C'SlS an: hIghly t!~1Imed and urxkr a lot of plWure:. " Ikt\\'ttt1 1976 :md 1995 Nigeria's forest and woodland cover decreased consider.K!ly from 23 million hectares to 15 million 1JC:ctares. While sino: 1990. the count!)' has lost close to 6.1 million hect.~ or 35.7 parmf of its forest CQ\'ef and worK still. Nigoeria's froSt bio-di\'eISe eco5}"SIems an: also di~ng , II.'! a resull or il1t"faSCd C(lfI\'("1'Sion orland for agriculture. (ores! degradalKxc commemlli logging, flItS. and g:dhoing o(\\"OOd for ruel;" he Sllid. Be added that rm)"Ca1'S now, tropical d1eforc:swion has been the 1l\lmCer one c;luse of species ctlinctions and number IWO cause; or hUn1.."ll1 greenhouse gas anissions. lifter the btmung of fossil fuels .
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Evidenlly, he ad1kd. the thI'C':3t5 facmg our fOfCSl5 In Nigena lIR: e.\tensr.-e and I'C'q\lIre urp:nt rn=asures if the country is 10 moe! its or II smooth transition into I sustaill3ble green economy. he Uniled Nations Systems Ln Nigeria ha.~ bren .....orking in soong partneMlP ..... ith the: goo.'mVTIC:IlI .I?" arresting this situ.1lion through i15 vision of making Nigeria RRetlucing Emissions rrom Deron::5UlUon and Degradation (REDO) country. I must say with a dc:cp sense of pride and achie"o'ef1lenl L11..11L1trol1gh this ongoing p:u!fIC:f1ihip, Nigt"ria h.t.~ Ixen able to ~ its NaIKn,1 Readiness Plan, which has now Ixen submincd for :tpprO\oaJ of the UN REDO Policy Boord. "The REDO rnxhani5m rqn:5Cn15 an example or climate fin.1fJ:e throu~ ....-nidI a range or other cb'elopment objeeIr.'CI can be achie\~ wnultano:ously. as it not only ~tJ in the: reduction of gn:enhouse gas emissions.wtcoukl a1SO en5Ull: bcner roresa per" ~ . protection orbiodi\-m;iIYwhile getIC:I<Iling sociaJ t.cr.:-fits and pcl\'t'It)' reduction. . "1t is inlpOltlUltto add th.:tt in cortSOIIiIlKle WIth the IICIed for strong safeguards to achieve the: goals of REDO . ....-e IRcornm.inal to h,l\" 109 the: inlC'f''CIltioo on emtiror'lTIC:ntal and SCICi3l safq:uanh for REnD+ initiatives in Nigeria meet the ctpec!.1tiotl\ 5eI OUI in the Cancun Agreements: such as de\'eloping a ~IIK ITIC:('hanism for sttlrtooklm nr,'oh-ed in REOD+.ensllri ng IICCOUfltability and human rig.h15, as "'tUas !he UN DedamOOn of Righl5 or I ~~ Peoples, including the right to free . prior. :and informed consent.~ Tourc: said. He said in addition 10 the ron-going; they f t also in Ihe ptl(CM of C'OfT1fllefX:ing the ~taIion of I Global En\'irorurrnl Factlit)' (GEF) funded "Cor1Scn-ation or biodi\'ersity in !he Niger DelL' and also, c;urT'Cl1lly providing support for local tOmmUnities. community-bao;cd awx:iations (CBOs) through the GEF Small Grnnts Programme.
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