The post Revolutionising Waste Management in Nigeria’s Urban Centers: A Market-Based Solution to the Solid Waste Crisis. By Muhammad Sheriffdeen first appeared on Green Habitat Initiative.

                                                                                                                                                                  A coalition of Nigeria’s leading women-led civil  society organisations (CSOs), under the      auspices of the Development Research and Projects Centre (dRPC), is calling on the federal government to put in place an inclusive and effective mechanism for the swift implementation of Nigeria’s resolutions made at the just concluded COP28 .

The Women Economic Empowerment CSO coalition (WEE-COL) expressed concern about the need for a clear monitoring and evaluation performance indicators for line MDAs and high-level government stewardship around the intersectionality of climate action and the health, agriculture, resilient food systems, education and security sectors.

In a statement issued in Abuja on 20^th December and signed by the coalition’s coordinator, Mrs Ruth Agbor, who is also the President of the Association of Women in Agriculture and Trades (AWITA), the women economic empowerment coalition (WEE-COL) commended the Nigerian government for recognising the severe and disproportionate impacts of climate change on women’s health, their well-being and livelihoods. The group also commended the Nigerian government for signing the Declarations at the recently concluded COP28 Dubai.

The women’s economic empowerment coalition noted that the COP28 Declaration on Sustainable Agriculture, Resilient Food Systems and Climate Action, as well as the COP28 Declaration on Climate and Health, present a critical framework for addressing the intersectionality between climate action and women-facing sectors such as health, education, agriculture, and food security.

Mrs Agbor said:

 ‘‘Women’s civil society organisations are ready to play a vital role, contributing to the realisation of government’s COP 28 commitments at all levels. Women’s groups are prepared to share lived experiences about the impact of the climate crisis. They are indispensable to processes of formulation, implementation and evaluation of climate action policies and projects in key sectors such as health and agriculture. We are therefore calling on the Nigerian government and particularly the National Council on Climate Change to actively engage and collaborate with women’s CSOs in the planning, implementation, and monitoring of climate action policies, programs and projects.’’

WEE-COL called on all Nigerians to join hands with the government to ensure that the policy and political value to accrue from the just concluded COP28 is utilised to effectively increase the capacity of Nigerians, especially the more vulnerable, women and girls, to adapt to the climate crisis which is now upon humanity affecting livelihood, health and survival.

Written by: dRPC

The post COP28: CSO COALITION CALL FOR ACTION ON COMMITMENTS ON HEALTH, AGRICULTURAL, SECURITY AND EDUCATION SECTORS first appeared on Green Habitat Initiative.

Access to safe drinking water and sanitation is regarded as a basic human need that every society must strive to achieve. Inadequate access to sanitation, water and hygiene facilities has been linked to water-borne diseases and associated socio-economic challenges. This report presents a detailed assessment of the existing conditions of WASH services in Kebbi State. It is informed by the statistics from the WASH-NORM II (2019) report, which reveals that only about 22% of the average population in Kebbi State has access to an improved water supply. In fact, Kebbi State has the third-highest percentage of people who have access to unimproved water supplies in Nigeria, trailing only Zamfara and Sokoto States. However, a recent Satisfaction Survey Analysis (SSA) conducted by the Kebbi State Government has shown an improvement in the status of water supply and sanitation compared to the 2019 WASH-NORM report. This baseline survey by Green Habitat Initiative also reflects this improvement, even though the survey was limited to only 10 out of the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the State. Over 1,000 new water pumps and 300 sanitary facilities have been installed across the State. Furthermore, with support from multiple donor agencies, the State Government has reactivated and fully disinfected over 900 non-functional water systems to a globally acceptable quality level for potable water. Nevertheless, there is still more work to be done to achieve the sustainable development goal in water, sanitation and hygiene in Kebbi state. 4 | Page The baseline survey of WASH infrastructure conducted by the Green Habitat Initiative (GHI) is a welcome development for Kebbi State. I believe that the findings of this baseline survey will serve its main purpose of drawing the attention of all the relevant stakeholders towards the critical need of addressing the WASH challenges Kebbi State is facing. Furthermore, it will serve as a reference point for planning and management of WASH facilities in Kebbi State. Engr. Aminu Umar (MNSE) Ag. Permanent Secretary Kebbi State Ministry of Water Resources

The post I-WASH Baseline Report of WASH Services in 10 LGAs of Kebbi State first appeared on Green Habitat Initiative.

The so-called urbanization has been described as a major contributor to the rise of global warming. Urbanization refers to the migration of people from rural settlements to urban cities. It could also mean the development of local societies into more sophisticated ones, with better infrastructures and amenities.

The duo of – urbanization and climate change, have been converging dangerously which their collective prowess could potentially be two factors that would shape the future of global development.

Urban sprawl is a consequence of economic development, population growth, technological advancement and innovation among others, which follows urbanization. Urban sprawl describes a phenomenon where there is a large concentration of people who moved away from the low-density areas into the mono-functional communities. It is accompanied by increasing demand for energy and resources to provide amenities for the exodus of the newcomers. This would mean that there would be greater need for land for construction of houses, roads and other infrastructure. For this to be possible, trees would be cut down, natural waterways and water bodies would be altered, endangered species would be displaced and the natural habitat almost completely altered. These ultimately results in the increased greenhouse gases and thus, increasing the rate of global warming because the earth does not work as it should.

Generally, urban cities are warmer than the rural areas. Cities that grow at a steady state on another hand are not as warm as cities that have experienced urban sprawl at a geometric rate. For the same reasons also, urban cities exert more pressure on natural resources than do rural areas. This is termed the urban heat island phenomenon. Urban sprawl and uncontrolled surge in population growth have  consistently exacerbates vulnerable areas, primarily slums and shanties, who concentrate along river banks, coastal areas, hillsides and other marginal land areas at risk from disasters such as landslide, erosion, flood and earthquakes.

On an economic scale, urban development has proven it indeed keeps the world running. This is because most of the economic trades happen in urban areas. In fact, without development a society is considered backwards economically, socially and otherwise. Urban cities serve as economic hub and the level and percentage of urban cities with the geography of a nation is also a yardstick for development. Therefore, one can confidently infer that societies and even countries have greater opportunities for socio-economic growth and developments as they urbanize.

Urbanization has over the decades contributed immensely to climate change.  According to UN Habitat, cities cover less than 2% of the earth’s surface but consume more than 78% of world’s energy with a corresponding 60% carbon dioxide emission. More than half of the world’s greenhouse gas emission comes from cities. How ironic.

Role of Stakeholders

The role of the key stakeholders in the control and or mitigation of urban sprawl and urbanization cannot be underestimated. The role of government and other regulatory authorities in Nigeria is not something to write home about. It has become necessary that the regulatory authorities discourage urban sprawl by controlling the agents of demand and supply.

On the demand end, green buildings, effective town planning, strict laws on sustainable practices as well as discouraging urban sprawl can go a long way in reducing its environmental impacts. Uncontrolled deforestation must be squarely addressed. Recently for instance, Kaduna state launched a very laudable project that would shape the future of urban development. The project’s idea is to compel any land development that exceeds 900 square meters to plant four trees in replacement. The departments of land and housing, urban development, as well as development control must live up to their institutional responsibilities and work to ensure this is followed to the latter.

On the supply end, the problems of fossil fuel burning, air and land pollution must be tackled through controlling the factors that cause them. Overreliance on unsustainable agents of power and energy sources must be cut down to a bearable minimum. Effective public transport systems would discourage the overdependence on private vehicles, while engaging private and public factories, companies and industries to live up to sustainable practices.

Citizens must stand up to defend the environment. The protection of the environment is a collective responsibility hanging on the neck of every member of the society. Engage in sustainable practices such as curtail pollution, plant trees, protect endangered species and keep the government on its toes with regards environmentalism.

Urbanization is absolutely inevitable, especially with the consistent need for growth and development, but what is absolutely possible is development without urban sprawl. Indeed, we live in a precarious world. However, we must only engage sustainable practices while we exert our natural insatiable demand on the natural resources.

The post Urbanization and Global Warming: What role for key stakeholders? first appeared on Green Habitat Initiative.