As stakeholder increasingly take steps to develop and implement forestry compatible development, there is increased need for a better understanding of forest related regional and international agreements experts say.

Various presenters at the opening of a regional workshop on “sharing knowledge and experiences to strengthen collaboration among stakeholders in African forestry” in Lome  Togo on September 26, 2016, agreed that a more in-depth understanding on forest intricacies was necessary to permit African countries draw maximum benefits from their huge spans of forest resources.

The African forest scientists say, is worth far more than just REDD+ financing for carbon sequestration and storage, thus the need for a more deeper knowledge and understanding of its potential.

“African countries need to strike the right balance to optimize benefits from their rich forest resources. The worth of the vast spans of rich African forest cannot be measured by just carbon sequestration and storage,” says Dr. Aster Gebrekirstos, a scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) at a presentation on knowledge gaps in climate change and its impact in Africa and the African Forest Forum in Lome, Togo.

Aster who leads the Dendrochronology Laboratory in ICRAF says to address the gaps on multipurpose trees, there is need to raise awareness on untapped opportunities that can better contribute to the local needs of forest communities in Africa.

Africa lacks long term climate data to better implement knowledge and science based investment to address forest conservation challenges.

 “Trees live for hundreds of years and store lots of information used as tools for climate data,” says Aster Gebrekirstos.

The need for information and knowledge on forestry issues therefore has become more that ever before imperative in Africa to better improve forest management in a manner that better address poverty eradication and environmental protection.

According to the AFF executive secretary, Godwin  Kowero, Africa’s contribution in international processes has not been effective due to insufficient capacity , attributed to  little understanding of the processes and this has resulted in poor ownership and low implementation of  both regional and international agreements.

And this where the African Forest Forum comes in handy “ to facilitate strengthening of  Africa’s participation in regional and international debates and negotiations and actions related to forestry and enhance informed country adoption and implementation of international and regional forest and related agreements, ” Godwin said.

The African Forest Forum has to that effect recently generated considerable information on various aspects of forestry that includes climate change, green economy, provision of quality tree germplasm, forest and tree pests and diseases, forest governance, forest certification and public-private partnership investment in the sector.

Experts say African economies are largely market oriented with the private sector having a big role to in poverty alleviation. According to AFF executive secretary, there is a critical need to encourage private sector investments in forest management in Africa.

“There is an urgent need to facilitate the development of an organized private sector in forestry for an all inclusive forest compatible sustainable livelihood development in Africa,” Godwin said.

The Forum brought over 70 participants, experts in forestry issues drawn from all the five regions in the African continent.

Among other topics participants are looking at key forest related issues like the balance between food-fuel-fibre production in the context of climate change in Africa, experience with REDD+, CDM, African Forest  Organisation and Land Use, AFOLU and voluntary market oriented activities in African countries, disaster management in Africa, forest sector potential for green economy, forest pests and disease management, the state and future forest certification and the potential and experiences with public-private partnership in African forestry.

The African Forest Forum accordingly is an association of individuals who share the pursuit and commitment to the sustainable management, use and conservation of the forest and tree resources of Africa for the betterment of the socio-economic wellbeing of its people and for the stability and improvement of its environment.

13 year old Joshua Ushie lives in Ikeja layout community, Beten, Bekwarra Local Government Area in Cross River State in Northern Nigeria.

His community is one of those triggered and declared open defecation- free by Concern Universal, an NGO implementing agency of the Rural Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion in Nigeria (RUSHPIN) Programme in Benue and Cross River states.

Ushie and his friends have seen the benefit of not defecating in the bushes, rivers and other public places, they are aware of handwashing with water and soap or ash at critical times.

As a curious reporter on a field visit to RUSHPIN Project sites, I tested their knowledge on such issues.

I asked Ushie if I could use his parents' toilet, he responded in the affirmative, yes ma.

"We don't 'shit' in the open here, our community have been taught on why we should build our toilets, if you are caught doing it in public, there is a fine for that offense."

"In this community, if anybody is caught defecating in the bush, the person will pay fine, crate of beer, goats etc, if the person refuses, he is arrested."

Ushie said most of the children who previously died and fell sick often due to faecal-oral disease transmission were no longer experiencing such.

Corroborating this fact, the Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator, Bekwarra LGA, Mr Godwin Aghwanya, said the WASH Community Group raise money though a cooperative account to give loans to those who can't afford them to build toilets.

He said this was also done to make the community members convert their toilets from pit latrines to pour-flush types, towards moving up the sanitation ladder.

At a visit to Otuche community in Yala Local Government Area, there was an obvious stench of human faeces permeating the environment.

Around the houses, we could see flies perching on freshly done faeces, creating an atmosphere of poor Hygiene and sanitation.

The Village Head, Godwin Ogar, was educated on the importance of building and using toilets and also in stopping open defecation.

Ogar said before the coming of RUSHPIN Project, his community members defecate only in the bush, saying he would take it upon himself to encourage them to construct and use toilets.

"I will tell my people to construct and use thier toilets, because most times, they fall ill, children die anyhow.

"Some of us have dig the toilets, but I will encourage everybody to build and use theirs."

He pledged that within two months, the community would be declared open defecation free.

Ogar said the community has appointed a four-man committee to inspect houses,saying they would also serve as watchdog towards sustaining total sanitation in the vicinity.

He said there was a fine of 5, 000 naira for penalty for anyone found defecting in the open, saying this would also include the deliberate construction of tigers in such cases.

Mrs Scholastical Beshel, Hygiene Officer, WASH, Yala LGA, one of those who triggered the community was optimistic that the community would change and be committed to hygiene promotion.

She said some of them have decided to end open defecation in their area, saying they have confessed to previously digging their toilets.

"We could see shame and disgust in theirs eyes, that symbolizes that they have been triggered, they have all seen the effect of eating and drinking their shit.

"We will follow up in the village to see that what they have decided to do, will be achievable, although it's a huge task, it is doable, "Beshel said.

Mr Oliver Okon, Project Manager, RUSHPIN, said the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF), has threatened to withdraw funding from sanitation and hygiene in the country, if  the Benue and Cross River governments do not pay their counterpart funds.

He said it was saddening to note that the project, which has been on for three years, has no commitment, despite several advocacy visits.

“The GSF has said that if the government of  Cross River and Benue states does not pay their counterpart funding for the RUSHPIN programme,, they would withdraw funding by the end of the year.”

He further disclosed that the Federal Government would be leading a high delegation to the two states to sensitise the state governments on the need to scale up funding for sanitation and hygiene.

Okon explained that when the FG signed the MOU with GSF in 2014, the design was for the Global body to provide $5million for the project implementation.

He said for the programme to be implemented in Benue and Cross river state, the states must commit $2.2 million each, for it to be replicated in three other local governments.

Lamenting the poor attention given to sanitation and hygiene in the country, Okon said more attention was given to water supply as against Sanitation and hygiene, adding that this trend needed to stop.

“Over the years, budget to the sanitation sub-sector has continue to dwindle adding that the government does not have a tangible funds allocated to sanitation and hygiene.”

The Project manager further lamented that the country loose $5.5billion annually to poor sanitation, adding that Nigeria is at the bottom of 25 countries in world in terms of sanitation.

Disclosing that the country ranks 5th position in Open Defecation index, he said 868,000 Nigerian children die annually as a result of open defecation and experience stunted growth.

He pointed out that the RUSHPIN project has triggered awareness in 1,028 communities out of which 823 communities in the six LGAs have been certified Open Defecation Free (ODF).

LUSAKA, Zambia (PAMACC News) – Ahead of COP 22 in less than two months, Civil Society Organisations working on climate related activities in Zambia have been urged to intensify their sensitisation programmes on climate change.

Speaking during the CSO Paris Agreement review meeting in Lusaka, Richard Lungu, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) country focal point in Zambia reminded delegates of their critical role in simplifying the Paris Climate Agreement to the masses.

Lungu, who also announced the recent approval of the country’s climate change policy by cabinet, believes CSOs have a greater responsibility of educating the masses on the implications of the Paris Agreement in their lives.

“Our economy is natural resource intensive,” he said, adding “it is incumbent upon us to make people understand the Paris Agreement provisions and what they mean for the implementation of our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).”

The UNFCCC Zambia Focal Point, who is also the Chief Environmental Officer at the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, said government wants to see an active involvement of CSOs especially in the implementation of the climate change policy.

“Now that we have an agreement in place, COP 22 and beyond is about implementation and requires support in form of ideas from all concerned stakeholders so that Zambia, and Africa in general, continues with its push for a successful implementation of the Paris Agreement,” emphasizedLungu, stressing that Africa remains a vulnerable region to climate change with limited capacity to cope without external support.

Organised by Green Enviro Watch with support from Oxfam Zambia, the CSO meeting was called to deliberate on the linkages between the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the country’s development agenda.

Adopted in New York in September last year, SDGs have become a foundation on which governments are anchoring their sustainability actions. However public sensitization and awareness has been low, prompting the CSOs to brainstorm and chart the way forward.

“Our goal is to carry everyone on board especially youth and rural populations who are ironically the most affected by policy decisions and/or omissions,” said Abel Musumali, Green Enviro Watch Executive Director.

He said “while Africa continues to push certain demands collectively especially on finance and technology transfer, national circumstances as outlined in the NDC have become a key focus area in the implementation stage of the land mark climate agreement.”

Meanwhile, French Ambassador to Zambia, Emmanuel Cohet implored the CSO representatives to work in partnership with one another not only to strengthen their proposals for support from development partners, but also complimenting each other’s capacities in terms of project implementation.

Cohet assured that his government remains committed to aspirations of the global community as espoused in the Paris Agreement to which France played a key role to achieve.

And in amplifying the role of partnerships, Oxfam Zambia Humanitarian Programme Manager, Teddy Kabunda said there is more to be gained when working in synergies.

“We know that government is making a lot of progress but as civil society, we need to do our part by helping to move climate change matters away from being an exclusive subject to the elite, hence our approach to support CSO networks who are more closer to the community,” stressed Kabunda, pointing out that the importance of ordinary people’s involvement to the actualization of the Paris Agreement cannot be overemphasized.

LUSAKA, Zambia (PAMACC News) – Ahead of COP 22 in less than two months, Civil Society Organisations working on climate related activities in Zambia have been urged to intensify their sensitisation programmes on climate change.

Speaking during the CSO Paris Agreement review meeting in Lusaka, Richard Lungu, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) country focal point in Zambia reminded delegates of their critical role in simplifying the Paris Climate Agreement to the masses.

Lungu, who also announced the recent approval of the country’s climate change policy by cabinet, believes CSOs have a greater responsibility of educating the masses on the implications of the Paris Agreement in their lives.

“Our economy is natural resource intensive,” he said, adding “it is incumbent upon us to make people understand the Paris Agreement provisions and what they mean for the implementation of our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).”

The UNFCCC Zambia Focal Point, who is also the Chief Environmental Officer at the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, said government wants to see an active involvement of CSOs especially in the implementation of the climate change policy.

“Now that we have an agreement in place, COP 22 and beyond is about implementation and requires support in form of ideas from all concerned stakeholders so that Zambia, and Africa in general, continues with its push for a successful implementation of the Paris Agreement,” emphasizedLungu, stressing that Africa remains a vulnerable region to climate change with limited capacity to cope without external support.

Organised by Green Enviro Watch with support from Oxfam Zambia, the CSO meeting was called to deliberate on the linkages between the Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the context of the country’s development agenda.

Adopted in New York in September last year, SDGs have become a foundation on which governments are anchoring their sustainability actions. However public sensitization and awareness has been low, prompting the CSOs to brainstorm and chart the way forward.

“Our goal is to carry everyone on board especially youth and rural populations who are ironically the most affected by policy decisions and/or omissions,” said Abel Musumali, Green Enviro Watch Executive Director.

He said “while Africa continues to push certain demands collectively especially on finance and technology transfer, national circumstances as outlined in the NDC have become a key focus area in the implementation stage of the land mark climate agreement.”

Meanwhile, French Ambassador to Zambia, Emmanuel Cohet implored the CSO representatives to work in partnership with one another not only to strengthen their proposals for support from development partners, but also complimenting each other’s capacities in terms of project implementation.

Cohet assured that his government remains committed to aspirations of the global community as espoused in the Paris Agreement to which France played a key role to achieve.

And in amplifying the role of partnerships, Oxfam Zambia Humanitarian Programme Manager, Teddy Kabunda said there is more to be gained when working in synergies.

“We know that government is making a lot of progress but as civil society, we need to do our part by helping to move climate change matters away from being an exclusive subject to the elite, hence our approach to support CSO networks who are more closer to the community,” stressed Kabunda, pointing out that the importance of ordinary people’s involvement to the actualization of the Paris Agreement cannot be overemphasized.