YAOUNDE, Cameroon (PAMACC News) - The Cameroon government says it is intensifying efforts to protect wetlands. An inventory conducted recently by the ministry of environment shows that of the hundreds of wetlands existing, the country can boast of six wetlands of international importance. These, according to the Minister of environment, Hele Pierre, include the flood plain of Waza Logone, the wetlands of the Bakassi Peninsula, part of the Ntem and Sanaga Rivers, the crater lake of Barombi-Mbo and Lake Chad. Speaking at a workshop in Yaounde recently, Hele Pierre said heavy sanctions will be taken against people who encroach into wetland areas in violation of the law.He recalled that wetlands are no go areas for human habitation and potentially disastrous for the population.Environment experts say Wetlands are ecosystems with depth of not more than six metres and where water is the most determinant factor and constitute a potentially dangerous zone for habitation.The minister stated that by adhering to the Convention on wetland protection, Cameroon is manifesting its willingness to manage the wetlands for the wellbeing of the population. This was marked by the creation of the National Ramsar Committee and the national focal point to deal specifically with issues of wetlands. In addition, and projecting the importance Cameroon attaches to wetlands, a Network of Parliamentarians on wetlands was created while several integrated management project such as the Ebogo Ramsar site, Cameroon’s portion of Lake Chad and the Bakassi Peninsula are being elaborated officials said.“We need to give the wetland ecosystem the importance and value it deserves,” says Prudence Galega, secretary general in the ministry of environment and nature protection.She also disclosed that since November 2008, Cameroon is a member of the Conference of Committee – the highest decision making organ of the Ramsar Convention. Galega acknowledged however, that in spite of the progress made, the government still needs to put in much for the population to directly feel the impact of the results recorded so far.Government recommended the elaboration of a national policy on wetlands as one of the priorities for the said objective to be attained. "To succeed in drawing benefits from wetlands by the population, we must ensure the respect of environmental norms in their exploitation," Helé told his collaborators and other stake holders working in the domain of nature protection, preservation and conservation. Public administrations, NGOs and development partners were also urged to adopt a multi-sectoral approach in the management of ecosystems. The government called on people recovering wetlands for construction purposes in the Yaounde VI council area to desist from such practices which are not ecologically friendly. The Minister of the Environment, Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development, Hele Pierre, who led a delegation on a field visit to wetlands in the Simbock neighbourhood condemned the uncontrolled occupation of wetland areas by the population. The field assessment of the marshy area was to mark the 21st edition of the World Wetlands Day in Cameroon. The commemoration was celebrated under the theme “Wetlands for a sustainable urban…

NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) - It will take more than policy change for Africa to shift from the fuel to the renewable energy economy, scientists have warned. Prof. James Nyang’aya, of the University of Nairobi, says governments must be ready to invest in clean innovation and technology, if the continent is to make the next growth leap. “It is not an easy replacement process,” says Prof. Nyang’aya. “Renewable energy must be accompanied by devices that are able to function with new power sources.”Experts at an April UN summit in Nairobi singled out the transport sector as the most urgent economic engine that needs to shift from ‘dirty’ to ‘clean’ fuel. According to the report, hybrid electric vehicles, continued use of old vehicles is one of the leading contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, using over a quarter of the world’s energy. It recommends the adoption of light duty vehicle fleets by African governments. “The push all over the world is about making renewable energy as efficiently accessible as fossil fuels,” says Prof. Nyang’aya. “Africa should find out what works economically and environmentally.” However, East Africa has made headways in ensuring its vehicle fleet uses petroleum products that are of very high standards, says Wanjiku Manyara, of the Petroleum Institute of East Africa. According to her, the region imports fuel products with less than 50 ppm, adding that: “The East African Community is the only one outside the AU that was able to enforce and harmonize regional standards that met the international threshold.” But a growing number of experts prefer innovation to ride along policy change, if Africa is to achieve the green mile. Jane Akumu of UN Environment says governments should build bigger lanes to enable people to walk and cycle. At the same time, walkways should be lined with fruit trees to protect pedestrians with shade and even provide edibles. “There is a lot of advancement in terms of the fuel economy,” says Akumu while wondering: “Why is Africa not taking advantage of where the world is moving?”

PAMACC, Nairobi-KENYA: Possibilities for swift transition to clean and efficient mobility exist more in Africa than other regions, experts have affirmed.Experts at the ongoing Africa clean mobility week in Nairobi, Kenya believe that Africa’s readiness for the much-needed transition remains exceedingly higher than those of other regions that are deeply entrenched in dirty and inefficient fuel economies.Africa, according to Rob de Jong, Head of the Air Quality and Mobility Unit of the UN Environment, is very ready to transit because the region depends largely on imported fuel to meet 80% of its consumption needs.The region he added, “is not producing a lot of vehicles, most vehicles are imported and more than any other continent in the world, Africa can today decide to import cleaner cars and efficient fuel and through this, leapfrog to a new era of clean mobility.”In other continents like Asia, where there is so much production of poor quality vehicles, its very difficult to introduce vehicle standards, but for Africa, it becomes easier for the region to set up policy frameworks that regulate the quality of fuel it imports and many African states are already doing that,” Jong said.Experts are also of the view that a larger part of Africa's vehicular need is yet to be met even though the region is motorizing very quickly. In Kenya for example, the number of vehicles doubles every 7 years while in Europe, there are already too many cars and if Africa adopts the clean transition policy today, it will successfully influence a cleaner future.Jane Akumu, Programme Officer at the Economy division of the Air Quality and Mobility Unit of the UN Environment sees great prospects in Africa’s transition to a clean mobility future.“We see good prospects for progress,” Akumu said. “when we started this move less than a decade ago, Africa was predominantly using lead petrol but today its only one country that is still using lead petrol out of Africa’s 55 countries,” she says.“What took other regions over a decade was achieved within less than 5 years in Africa,” Akumu added.The UN Environment, on its part, has been prioritising and bringing the issues of cleaner transport into the discussions of African ministers and various stakeholders including the private sector, civil society and the media.“Once issues are prioritised with cost-effective solutions, we see very good and remarkable progress in Africa especially when we link them with health, environment and climate change considerations, it’s a win-win situation, Jane Akumu said.

PAMACC, Nairobi-KENYA: As the African clean mobility week drew to a close today, participants have identified electric mobility as a workable pathway to a more sustainable and cleaner transport system in Africa.This recommendation, alongside other strategies, was approved by delegates to the Africa clean mobility week which comprised representatives of government agencies responsible for transport, environment, energy and finance from 42 African countries; oil and vehicle industry; and donor agencies.Other delegates were drawn from the academia, civil society and the media.Taking cognisance of the rapid urbanisation fueled by technological growth as well as Africa’s increasing rate of motorization which is considered the highest in the world, electric mobility, delegates say, presents an opportunity for African countries to leapfrog to cleaner transport with regards to reduced carbon emissions, improved air quality and economic growth.African countries, according to the recommendations, are to explore the two low-hanging entry points into electric mobility. These low-hanging entry points revolve round deploying electric/hybrid buses and electric two/three wheelers for public transport.In view of the fact that only a handful of African countries have put in place policies and regulations on electric mobility, delegates urged African governments to develop fiscal and institutional policy interventions capable of creating a favourable environment for electric mobility uptake.These policies they underlined, must be integrated into the wider urban transport system planning with solutions for batteries, recycling and end of life programmes.However, they warn that Africa’s unique mobility challenges with electric solutions must be understood.The Africa clean mobility week therefore called for tailor-made products for African countries. These products according to the delegates, must incorporate electric motorcycles that can run long distance, and on high-load and rough roads.Local manufacturing capacities are to be strengthened while governments are to set aside resources for peer reviews, and consumer awareness campaigns on the benefits of electric mobility and its impact on everyday life including road safety.Other recommendations aimed at fast-tracking Africa’s switch to electric mobility include mainstreaming electric mobility policies into their nationally determined contributions as a way of supporting national and global climate change targets, and the constructive engagement of the private sector. UN Environment's Deputy Executive Director, Ibrahim Thiaw, sees green transportation as an imperative in order to boost sustainable development in Africa."Africa should leapfrog to clean mobility by domesticating best practices from elsewhere and investing in cleaner technologies like electric cars, two and three wheel machines," said Thiaw.Urias Goll, the Deputy Executive Director of Liberia's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said that Africa required home-grown initiatives to advance the green mobility agenda."There is need to support local industries to manufacture hybrid and electric vehicles tailor made for the local market," Goll said, adding that consumer awareness is key to boosting the adoption of non-motorized and cleaner transport models in Africa.