Commonwealth News and Information Service (London)
4 November 2009
On the shores of Lake Victoria two years ago, Commonwealth leaders agreed a comprehensive action plan on climate change, which reaffirmed the collective vision of member countries.
One of the six areas outlined by Heads of Government for the Commonwealth Secretariat to pursue is in supporting the effective management of natural disasters throughout the 53 countries in the association.
Since this mandate, the Secretariat has organised programmes focused on helping countries reduce risks associated with disasters - including cyclones, floods, landslides and tsunamis.
The latest such programme on 'Disaster Risk Reduction and Management in Commonwealth Africa' is taking place this week in Uganda's capital, Kampala.
At the opening of the conference, Uganda's State Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, Hon Musa Ecweru, placed blame for the recent increase in disasters firmly with global warming.
In a heartfelt message, he called natural and man-made disasters "big impediments to our desire to get our people out of poverty," adding that they are "hurdles on the road to attaining the Millennium Development Goals."
Mr Ecweru outlined gaps in the management of disasters in Uganda and across the continent, including an absence of robust early warning systems, poor infrastructure, and a lack of co-ordination between academics, policy-makers and legislators when formulating and implementing policies.
He then called on all participants - of which there are over 70 - to share experiences with each other so that when they return to their respective countries, they will be better equipped at dealing with disasters.
Experiences were not confined to African countries. Jeremy Collymore, the Executive Co-ordinator from the Caribbean Disaster Management Agency, discussed some of the strategies that have been adopted throughout the Caribbean and how they might effectively be implemented in Africa. Another participant was Heng Chai Liang, from Singapore's Civil Defence Force, who outlined effective policies and legislative frameworks for fire and ambulance services.
Speaking at the conference, Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General Ransford Smith welcomed the timely discussions, stressing that the Commonwealth has a deep interest in addressing climate change and its consequences in member states.
"We believe that exchanging information, building knowledge and exchanging best practices among our member countries is fundamental to confronting climate change and its consequences," he said.
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A very interesting and thoughtful article. The best way for Africa to help itself with GHG is to stop exporting oil and gas to the outside world. Gas that is valuable enough to ship abroad and sell should be sold at a price that is competitive enough to keep it home. Catch all of that gas, and use it for yourselves. You will then have electricity and cooking fuel both. It is maddening to see forests felled for charcoal cooking fuel while cleaner-to-use gas is being wasted. Each of your nations should try to be the last to run out of fuel. Move to solar, wind, geothermal and biofuels from wastes for your energy sources.
Other activities to fight climate change troubles include the restoration of your waterways to full functionality by clearing the weeds that clog them and the silt that they have left behind.
Just a factual correction. Nigerian LNG is not sold to Benin, Togo and Ghana. There is a gas pipeline from Nigeria to these three countries. But it does not carry LNG. It carries natural gas under pressure. Unfortunately, becuse there is insufficient gas being gathered and shipped from Nigeria, the pipeline has been empty for over a year.
In today's climate talk that's going and will be converse more in December must not be damaging to Africa. Together, Africa MUST STAND FIRMLY and get what she deserves - BETTER and LASTING AGREEMENT. That's, what is beneficial for Africa. Any negativities effects concerning our people standard of living MUST NOT be accepted by any Africa Government. The days of a/an African Live seeing as less than an insect or any other most be OVER and SHOULD NOT be negotiated in any Climate talks. Our "Africans" lives and living standard is/are as important as any other lives. Therefore, as Africans head to the climate talk in December, please open your ears, listen carefully, don't be trick, and don't accept anything lesser to solve your prombles for the betterness of your people in the whole of Africa - period !!!!! The days of damaging Africans' lives, enviroment, living conditions; the physical and metal abuses should and most all come to an end. Therefore, we "Africans" should not be conveince with their sweet tooth to accept something lesser where'in our people keep continue to suffer and die for their pleasures and the lack of consideration for Africans lives and living standards. God Bless Africa
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