ACCRA, Ghana (PAMACC News) - Stakeholders from across the globe have commended Africa’s trail-blazing web-based monitoring and reporting system for the water and sanitation sector. The laudatory remarks were made in Accra, Ghana at today’s opening of a week-long review workshop on the harmonised, region-wide monitoring and reporting framework for Water and Sanitation sector in Africa. The workshop draws participants from over 42 African countries as well as stakeholders from the global water family including the UN Water, WSSCC, UNICEF, UNESCO, UNECE and WHO GLAAS. Also in attendance are representatives of the African Union Commission (AUC) and the African Water Facility (AWF) Developed in 2016 by the African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW), the Pan African Monitoring and Reporting System serves as a platform to report progress on the implementation of the AU Heads of States and Governments’ Sharm el Sheikh Commitments which seek to accelerate the achievement of the Africa Water Vision 2025, as well as the global high level political commitments on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on water and sanitation. Considered as one of the most ambitious attempts at tracking sectoral progress, the system, according to Dr. Canisius Kanangire, AMCOW’s Executive Secretary, represents Africa’s readiness to learn from past mistakes in monitoring the implementation of the MDGs as well as efforts being made to attain Africa’s Agenda 2063. The Ghanaian Sanitation and Water Minister, Hon Joseph Koffi Adda while declaring open the workshop, expressed his delight at AMCOW’s decision to convene the first review process for the Pan African Water and Sanitation Sector Monitoring and Reporting System in Ghana which is the home of Pan-Africanism. Represented by the Ministry’s Chief Director, Joseph Obeng-Poku, the minister recalled the words of the late Pan Africanist leader, Kwame Nkrumah who on the 24th of December 1957 described access to water as a barometer for measuring the progress and welfare of the people. “I therefore see the decision by African Political leaders to set up a Pan-Africa Harmonised Monitoring and Reporting System for the water and sanitation sector in order to report regularly to the Assembly of Heads of State and Government under the Africa Union as a desire to fulfil the vision and dreams of founding fathers of the continent” Hon Adda said. Sylvester Matemu, AMCOW’s Technical Advisory Committee Chair, in his remarks lauded the workshop idea as a credible way of “reviewing the AMCOW monitoring system and deepening partnership with relevant global agencies for effective and harmonized monitoring and reporting processes.” According to Matemu, the workshop which also serves as the first inaugural meeting of the Integrated Monitoring Initiative under the UN Water Family “provides an opportunity to launch the 2017 data collection and submission campaign.” Representative of UN Water, William Reidhead in his remarks stated that “UN-Water is very pleased to have a chance to join efforts with AMCOW in this work. During the week to come we look forward to learning about the established mechanisms for national and regional monitoring in Africa, and steps that can be…

ESPUNGABERA, Mozambique (PAMACC News) - Samere Mashava could not hide his anger and frustration as he narrates how his wife fled from their village in Mozambique’s Espungabera area near the border with Zimbabwe. Mashava’s wife is one of the many women in this part of Mozambique who were forced to flee their homes as a result of the bloody civil conflict in the country. In small remote villages in Espungabera area, homes were burned down; livestock were taken by armed men believed to be from Mozambican National Resistance Army (Renamo), a militant organisation and political movement founded in 1975. It is led by Afonso Dhlakama. The civil war in Mozambique has been on and off since 2013 after the collapse of the 1992 peace agreement. The agreement brought peace to the country after nearly two decades of civil war. “My wife and many other people disappeared when our village was attacked in October last year. I was not in the village when armed men ravaged the village. I don’t know where my wife was,” Mashava said. “I have tried to look for her to not avail. I have gone to a radio station Espungabera so that they can broadcast that I am looking for her. I am calling for those fighting in the war to stop and discuss whatever problems they have. This war has affected many people and we are suffering,” he said. Mashava was worried that since she disappeared at the height of the severe drought and food shortages which hit Mozambique and some parts of the Southern African, she could have died of hunger. “She disappeared with nothing. And there was a serious drought in Zimbabwe where she could seek refuge. And still the serious floods which affected this area early this year could have affected heralot, assuming she survived the drought,” Mashava said, almost choking with tears. The civil war in Mozambique coupled with severe droughts and floods have become the major drivers of the crisis facing women in the country; sparking food insecurity, destroying assets and leaving households without income or means to access food. Mozambique is one the poorest countries in the world and is prone to flooding and storms. In 2000, floods killed more than 800 people and more than 100 were killed in 2015. The country has also faced serious climate change induced droughts. A tropical cyclone, Dineo, battered some parts of the country in February this year, making life even harder for people displaced by the civil war. Cyclone Dineo killed seven people, injured more than 50 and displaced over 100 000 people. Women who are actively involved in subsistence farming in Mozambique, and sourcing food for the families have been greatly affected by the combination of war and climate change induced calamities. Some people from Mozambique have fled into Zimbabwe where some have sought refuge at Tongogara Refugee Camp in Chipinge district, near the border with Mozambique. And at Tongogara Refugee Camp, conditions are not any better. A young girl…

NAIROBI, Kenya (PAMACC News) - The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has launched a programme that targets the youth to contribute towards conserving the environment.To mark the International Mother Earth Day, the UNEP launched Young Champions of the Earth, a new initiative to spot young, talented people between the ages of 18 and 30 and support their inspiring ideas to save the environment.Young Champions of the Earth is a global stage for young people to showcase technological inventions and innovative business models that improve our planet's health. The initiative aims to counter the negative discourse on the environment and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders.Young Champions of the Earth is sponsored by Covestro, one of the world’s leading polymer companies and a strong proponent of innovation for environmental sustainability.Each year, six young people – one from each of UN Environment’s global regions – will be named Young Champions of the Earth. The winners will each receive US$15,000 in seed funding as well as intensive training and tailored mentoring to help bring their big environmental ideas to life.The winners will be selected by a global jury that includes UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim and Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas. Winners will be invited to attend the Champions of the Earth Gala Dinner, to be held in Nairobi in December 2017.The application period opens on today, 22 April and will close on 18 June, 2017.“As I’ve seen time and again, when young people are given opportunities and support, they can be powerful catalysts for change. It is our hope that Young Champions of the Earth will inspire thousands of young people around the world to develop innovative ways to tackle the environmental issues that matter to them,” UNEP Executive Director Erik Solheim said.Covestro CEO Patrick Thomas said he was delighted to support UN Environment on the excellent initiative. "Sustainable thinking and acting is critical in preserving our planet and improving the safety and quality of millions of people," he said.He added, "Covestro seeks to contribute to this goal with products and technologies that benefit society and reduce the impact on the environment. This is the basis of our vision ‘To make the world a brighter place’ – and Young Champions invites the enthusiastic participation of all who care for our future.” With 2016 sales of 11.9 billion Euros, Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies. Business activities are focused on the manufacture of high-tech polymer materials and the development of innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life.The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction and sports and leisure industries. Covestro, formerly Bayer MaterialScience, has 30 production sites worldwide and employs approximately 15,600 people (calculated as full-time equivalents) at the end of 2016. UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.UNEP works…

KUMASI, Ghana (PAMACC News) - A new report has found that the complex risks arising from climate change, fragility and conflict can contribute to the emergence and growth of terrorist groups, like Boko Haram and ISIL. The new report: “Insurgency, Terrorism and Organised Crime in a Warming World”, by Berlin-based think tank, Adelphi, found that climate change multiplies and interacts with existing threats, risks and pressures, like resource scarcity, population growth and urbanization.Report author, Lukas Rüttinger, said these factors together could lead to fragility and violent conflict in which these groups can thrive. “Already vulnerable areas could get pulled into a vicious cycle, leading to the rise of terrorist groups who will find it easier to operate, with consequences for us all,” Rüttinger said. Terrorist groups are increasingly using natural resources – such as water – as a weapon of war, controlling access to it, further compounding and exacerbating resource scarcities. The scarcer resources become, the more power is given to those who control them, especially in regions where people are particularly reliant on natural resources for their livelihoods. For example, around Lake Chad, climate change contributes to resource scarcities that increase local competition for land and water. This competition in turn often fuels social tensions and even violent conflict. At the same time, this resource scarcity erodes the livelihoods of many people, aggravates poverty and unemployment, and leads to population displacement. Terrorist groups such as Boko Haram gain power in this fragile environment. As climate change affects food security and the availability of water, and land, affected people will become more vulnerable not only to negative climate impacts but also to recruitment by terrorist groups offering alternative livelihoods and economic incentives. Sometimes, terrorist groups try to fill the gap left by the state by providing basic services to build support among the local population. As climate impacts worsen, some states will increasingly struggle to provide services and maintain their legitimacy. The report comes as famine, drought and war threaten millions in the region around Lake Chad, in Africa. On March 31, the UN Security Council passed a resolution on the Lake Chad region – home to Boko Haram – outlining their concern about the interplay of factors leading to the crisis there and calling for better collaboration amongst UN armed to deal with the situation. The resolution, which also calls for the UNSG to issue a report on the crisis, came after UNSC ambassadors visited the region recently. The report echoes the UN’s findings. It finds that dealing with climate change, boosting development and strengthening governments will reduce the threat of terrorism. It also says climate action, development, counter terrorism strategies and peace building should be tackled together holistically – rather than in isolation which they are often are at present and which risks making each of the factors worse. Other recommendations include improving the rule of law and strengthening local institutions to help reduce the risk that climate change presents to the rise and growth of terrorist groups,…