Le numéro de ce jour, nous emmène à Somalomo. Un petit coin de paradis situé à 208 kilomètres de Yaoundé (la capitale du Cameroun), où la nature est reine et les abeilles sont les gardiennes du trésor écologique de la réserve du Dja. Somalomo, quand l’apiculture moderne se positionne comme alternative de développement et de protection de la Biodiversité. Environnementales est un magazine radiophonique conçu et présenté par Boris Ngounou.
Email: contact@environnementales.com
Toute l'actu sur la protection de l'environnement
Le numéro de ce jour, nous emmène à Somalomo. Un petit coin de paradis situé à 208 kilomètres de Yaoundé (la capitale du Cameroun), où la nature est reine et les abeilles sont les gardiennes du trésor écologique de la réserve du Dja. Somalomo, quand l’apiculture moderne se positionne comme alternative de développement et de protection de la Biodiversité. Environnementales est un magazine radiophonique conçu et présenté par Boris Ngounou.
Email: contact@environnementales.com
WhatsApp: +237674033989
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To mark the 49th International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March 2024, Environnementales highlights the vital role of African women in the fight against climate change. The devastating effects of climate change on the African continent are amplifying already existing gender disparities, highlighting the urgent need for concerted action to strengthen women’s resilience.
Women are 14 times more likely to die from climate-related disasters than men. This finding by UN Women reflects the growing recognition that the adverse effects of natural disasters disproportionately affect marginalised groups, particularly women and children.
The reason for this is simple. African women, particularly in rural areas, are the pillars of communities, shouldering crucial domestic and economic responsibilities. However, the scarcity of natural resources and climatic shocks are increasing their vulnerability. In Ethiopia, where the worst drought in nearly 40 years has hit, thousands of girls have been forced to drop out of school to take on the increased burden of household and agricultural tasks. They are suffering loss of income due to lower agricultural productivity and are travelling longer distances to access water, while men and teenagers are migrating to urban centres in search of work.
The situation is the same in West and Central Africa, where women are on the front line of these effects of climate change. According to analyses of the impact of climate change, reported by AfricaInteract, a 2% rise in temperature is likely to lead to the disappearance of 10-15% of species in West Africa, and would affect agricultural production by 30%, a sector that employs 60% of the working population.
Women, the key to the future of climate action in Africa
On this Women’s Day, it is essential to recognise the challenges faced by African women in the context of climate change, while celebrating their central role in the search for sustainable solutions. For they bring effective knowledge and skills. In rural areas, women, who are often responsible for the family water supply, have invaluable expertise in rainfall patterns and water conservation practices. With this in mind, involving women in the development of effective adaptation strategies has become a priority in many African countries.
By August 2023, 40 of the 41 African countries that had updated their nationally determined contributions (NDCs) had integrated gender considerations, with 25 countries focusing on adaptation and 12 on mitigation. Notable advances have been made, notably in Nigeria, where the National Gender Policy has been revised and a National Action Plan on the link between gender and climate change adopted in 2022. Similarly, Malawi has set up a National Technical Committee on Climate Change, with representation from the Ministry of Gender, Community Development and Social Security, thereby strengthening its policy and institutional frameworks for more inclusive climate action.
Fanta Mabo
8 March: African women’s challenges and priorities in the face of climate change
To mark the 49th International Women’s Rights Day on 8 March 2024, Afrik21 highlights the vital role of African women in the fight against climate change. The devastating effects of climate change on the African continent are amplifying already existing gender disparities, highlighting the urgent need for concerted action to strengthen women’s resilience.
Sierra Leone’s coastal communities, faced with rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms, are receiving crucial support with the announcement on 6 March 2024 of a $26.8 million initiative. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), in collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Save the Children, is launching an ambitious project to build resilience to the devastating effects of climate change along the coast of this West African country.
The Sierra Leone Coastal Resilience Project aims to enable communities to better plan for and adapt to the impacts of climate change, while improving their livelihoods. With the direct aim of reaching 260,000 people and benefiting a further million, the initiative will involve the conservation and restoration of 1,500 hectares of mangrove ecosystems essential for coastal protection and marine biodiversity.
Working with local partners, this five-year project will focus on improving food and water security, supporting education, enhancing social inclusion, and improving the health and well-being of coastal populations. Particular attention will be paid to women, young people and children, who are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Efforts will include building resilience in more than 70 schools, as well as improving education on climate change.
The $26.8 million funding comes primarily from a $25 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), supplemented by contributions from Sierra Leone’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the law firm Clifford Chance and Jersey Overseas Aid. This project, Save the Children’s fourth with the GCF and the first in sub-Saharan Africa, reflects the commitment of international organisations to supporting the most vulnerable communities in the face of the impacts of climate change.
Inclusive approaches and nature-based solutions
« Through this project, we have the opportunity to implement innovative solutions, harnessing nature-based approaches and sustainable practices to strengthen our coastal defences. We will work hand in hand with local communities, ensuring that they are actively involved in the decision-making process and that their voices are heard and valued, » explains Abu Bakar Massaquoi, Executive Chairman of the Sierra Leone EPA.
The project will be implemented in partnership with the EPA, local communities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), following extensive consultations with all relevant stakeholders. The funding agreement was signed on 6 March 2024 at the GCF Board meeting in Kigali, Rwanda.
Fanta Mabo
SIERRA LEONE: a $26.8 million investment to strengthen climate resilience
Sierra Leone’s coastal communities, faced with rising sea levels and increasingly violent storms, are receiving crucial support with the announcement on 6 March 2024 of a $26.8 million initiative. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), in collaboration with the government of Sierra Leone and the non-governmental organisation (NGO) Save the Children, is launching an ambitious project to build resilience to the devastating effects of climate change along the coast of this West African country.
Launched in 2017 by the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) is launching two new platforms to support sustainable cocoa farming in West Africa. The two new resources presented on 14 February 2024 aim to halt deforestation caused by cocoa and restore forest areas. This initiative commits companies in the sector to mapping their supply chains and adopting methodologies for assessing the risks of deforestation, all with a view to transparency and reporting.
As part of these efforts, the World Resources Institute (WRI) has teamed up with 19 major cocoa and chocolate companies to create two key new databases.
The West Africa Cocoa (WAC) dataset, listing the location of cocoa plots in the direct supply chains of participating companies in Ghana and Ivory Coast. Available on Global Forest Watch (GFW), an application that monitors the world’s forests in real time, it provides a detailed view of cocoa production in the region.
Cocoa Deforestation Risk Assessment (Cocoa DRA), a standardised map assessing the risk of future deforestation linked to cocoa production. This resource can be used to identify priority areas for action to promote sustainable production and protect the remaining forests.
These initiatives, the result of unprecedented collaboration, provide a common vision of priority areas for coordinated action to promote an environmentally friendly cocoa sector in West Africa. The WAC data, although sensitive, is made available to the public in the form of a heat map on GFW, guaranteeing the protection of farmers’ privacy. Similarly, the Cocoa DRA identifies areas at risk of future deforestation, helping companies to make informed decisions to reduce their environmental impact.
In 14 years, cocoa has razed 1/3 of Ghana’s forest cover
Together, the WAC and the Cocoa DRA provide a solid basis for decision-making and collective action to eliminate cocoa-related deforestation. As public resources, they contribute to transparent monitoring of the sector and the promotion of sustainable cocoa production in West Africa.
The growing demand for chocolate is having a significant impact on the region’s forests. Around 70% of the world’s cocoa supply comes from Ghana and Ivory Coast, where production sites have replaced millions of hectares of forest. Between 2001 and 2015 alone, cocoa was associated with the loss of a third of Ghana’s forest area and a quarter of that of Ivory Coast.
Fanta Mabo
WEST AFRICA: two new tools to combat cocoa deforestation
Launched in 2017 by the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF) and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH), the Cocoa & Forests Initiative (CFI) is launching two new platforms to support sustainable cocoa farming in West Africa. The two new resources presented on 14 February 2024 aim to halt deforestation caused by cocoa and restore forest areas. This initiative commits companies in the sector to mapping their supply chains and adopting methodologies for assessing the risks of deforestation, all with a view to transparency and reporting.
The biodiversity crisis was at the heart of a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on February 18, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria. Participants were invited to make proposals for a regional action plan to extend the 30×30 target for biodiversity in West Africa.
Leaders in charge of environmental protection in West Africa are paving the way for the conservation of their biodiversity. This was the subject of a coordination meeting organized by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on February 18 in Abuja. Nigeria, which holds the rotating presidency of ecowas, is leading the sub-region’s efforts to draw up a regional action plan to extend the 30×30 target for biodiversity in West Africa.
This collective effort is further supported by the Ecowas Commission, led by Commissioner Massandje Touré-Litse, who stressed the global importance of the region’s actions to achieve the 2030 biodiversity conservation target. The stakeholders present at this coordination meeting have an important mandate. They must produce a regional implementation plan for the 30×30 target, which aims to ensure the effective protection of at least 30% of Ecowas biodiversity by 2030, in order to preserve vital ecosystems and halt the extinction of wildlife species caused by man.
« I want to be convinced that thanks to your work over the next few days, Ecowas will once again take the lead in biodiversity ambitions. We will work through the difficult technical aspects and devise new ways forward, knowing that the eyes of the world are upon us. Our hard work to expand and strengthen our protected areas will serve not only as a sign of our commitment, but also as a wake-up call to the rest of the world, » says Iziaq Salako, Nigeria’s Minister of State for the Environment.
According to the « 30×30 » target as set out in the Convention on Biological Diversity adopted in December 2022 at the 15th Conference of the Parties in Canada, Parties must ensure and enable that, by 2030, at least 30% of terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine areas, particularly areas of particular importance for biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services, are effectively conserved and managed through ecologically representative, well-connected and equitably managed systems of protected areas.
The achievement of this objective must recognize and respect the rights of indigenous peoples and local communities, including their traditional territories.
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WEST AFRICA: towards a regional action plan for biodiversity
The biodiversity crisis was at the heart of a meeting of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on February 18, 2024 in Abuja, Nigeria. Participants were invited to make proposals for a regional action plan to extend the 30×30 target for biodiversity in West Africa.