“Young African Scientists are engaging to make Africa Disaster Resilient Ready!” MARYANNE MURIUKI
“Young African Scientists are engaging to make Africa Disaster Resilient Ready! “ MARYANNE MURIUKI Last may, 15 young scientists from Tunisia, Morocco, South Africa, Central African Republic, Madagascar, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroun, Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and South Sudan have been selected by the African Union to be part of the African Youth Advisory board in Nairobi with the aim to facilitate the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 which is a 15-year, voluntary, non-binding agreement which recognizes that the State has the primary role to reduce disaster risk. Maryanne Muriuki, a 28 years old young woman from Nyandarua County in the Central Province in Kenya was among these 15 young scientists. She was recently interviewed by Era Environnement. ERA ENVIRONNEMENT: How were these 15 young scientists of the African Youth Advisory board selected? MARYANNE MURIUKI: The board comprises of 15 young people between 18 and 35 years. We all come from various disciplines, but all our efforts are towards Disaster Risk Reduction. We also represent various disciplines, including academia, the private sector, civil society, and government. We also represent all the regions of Africa, East, West, Southern, Northern and Central. We are a total of 7 women on the Board! All of us are passionate and are involved in the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR 2015-2030), and closer home, are in alignment with the AU Programme of Action (PoA). ERA ENVIRONNEMENT: How this board will enhance the capacity building of African youth on their activities related to the prevention of natural disasters? MARYANNE MURIUKI: This is a good question. African Youth Advisory Board-Disaster Risk Reduction will organise capacity building workshops in collaboration with the African Union Commission (AUC), Regional Economic Communities (RECs) and other relevant institutions centred on the four priorities of action Sendai Framework for African Union Youth and Young Politicians. We will also leverage on electronic and non-electronic platforms to share capacity building information on Disaster Risk Reduction. Already, we have engaged quite a number of African youth in Disaster Risk Reduction through our social media platforms. African Youth Advisory Board-Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) will also facilitate intergenerational capacity building in Disaster Risk Reduction between youth practitioners and experienced Disaster Risk Reduction practitioners at different levels of engagement. Finally, the Board will create avenues for the interaction of youth and youth organisations in DRR with related disciplines such as Climate Change, Urbanisation and Sustainable Development for cross discipline building of capacities. ERA ENVIRONNEMENT: What was the outcome of the meeting in Nairobi ? MARYANNE MURIUKI: We have set targets for the coming six months, basing on the four priorities for Action: Understanding disaster risk, Strengthening disaster risk governance to manage disaster risk,...
UNFCCC: In Preparation for COP 25
UNFCCC: In Preparation for COP 25 By ERA ENVIRONNEMENT with UNFCCC The 50th session of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 50) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 50) will be held in Bonn, Germany, from 17-27 June 2019, in preparation for COP 25. The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice is one of two permanent subsidiary bodies to the Convention established by the Conference of the Parties /Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris. It supports the work of these bodies through the provision of timely information and advice on scientific and technological matters as they relate to the UNFCC, its Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreeement. Vulnerability and Adaptation among the discussion This year, the technical discussion will be about vulnerability, and adaptation to climate change, science and review with research and observation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) special Report on Global Warming of 1.5 °C. Also up for discussion are methodological issues under the Convention, including a training programme for review experts for the technical review of greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories of Annex I Parties* to the Convention (developed countries). Under methodological issues under the Kyoto Protocol, SBSTA 50 will address: land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF); and implications of including reforestation of lands with forest in exhaustion as afforestation and reforestation clean development mechanism (CDM) project activities. Keys to achieve NDCs Regarding methodological issues under the Paris Agreement, SBSTA 50 has on its agenda issues related to, inter alia, reporting of information: on anthropogenic emissions by sources and removals by sinks of GHGs; to track progress made in implementing and achieving Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs); and on financial, technology development and transfer and capacity-building support. On matters relating to Article 6 (cooperative approaches) of the Paris Agreement, the SBSTA will address: guidance on cooperative approaches; rules, modalities and procedures for the mechanism established by Article 6; and the work programme under the framework for non-market approaches. The SBSTA will also discuss market and non-market mechanisms under the Convention, including a framework for various approaches, non-market-based approaches, and a new market-based mechanism. SBI 50 will include: a multilateral assessment working group session under the international assessment and review (IAR) process; and a facilitative sharing of views under the international consultation and analysis (ICA) process. How the SBI will work? The SBI will address issues related to reporting from and review of Annex I Parties, including, inter alia: status of submission and review of seventh national communications and third BRs; compilations and syntheses of second and third BRs; the report on national GHG inventory...
Audrey de Souza- Blue Economy : “It’s all about the people for the people”
The Second Ocean UN Conference will be held in Lisbon on June 2-6 2020 focusing on solutions to save the Ocean. It will be co-hosted by Kenya and Portugal. Era Environnement introduces you to a young woman from Mombasa, who was part of the international blue conference held in Nairobi ( Kenya) on November 27th 2018.Her name is Audrey de Souza. Era Environnement took her point of view during the conference in Nairobi. Miss de Souza, is an experienced entrepreneur and a consultant in Mombasa. She works for a company name as Intoku Africa. Audrey de Souza might attend the conference in Portugal next year, as she works on solutions to protect her country in the coastline of Kenya, in Mombasa. Listen to the interview in three parts on water sanitation, finance and woman participation . Watersanitation (1) Womenparticipation Empoweringwomen Interview by Houmi...
Comorians Coastal areas, after Cyclone Kenneth
Comorian Coastal areas, after Cyclone Kenneth In Comoros, 7 people died and 19,300 people were displaced because of the tropical Cyclone Kenneth happened from Wednesday 24th to Thusday 25 th of April. Most of the agriculture and coastal areas were affected by the strongest tropical cyclone of the archipelago’s history. The risk of water-borne diseases has increased in Comoros countries due to damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, acccording to United Nations Office for the Coordination for Human Affairs (OCHA). Six health facilities were reportedly impacted, including the El-Maarouf National Hospital Centre, two regional hospitals in Foumbouni and Mitsamiouli ( Grande Comore, ), two health posts in Mkazi and Tsinimoichongo ( Grande Comore)as well as a health centre in Nioumachoua ( Moheli) , according to a rapid assessment conducted on 26 April and confirmed by World Health Organization. Known as one of the best places to visit in Comoros, Mitsamiouli has seen part of its infrastructures, trees, and homes destroyed by the cyclone. Report by Houmi Ahamed -Mikidache Mitsmiamiouli, northern Comoros Saturday April 27, Roukia, 28 years old, is sitting in the public bus, the “taxi brousse” in Gare du Nord in Moroni ( the capital of Comoros). Gare du Nord is the place where she used to take the bus after working many hours as a laboratory technician in hospital El Maarouf, the national hospital of Comoros. For the first time since the Cyclone came to Comoros, she can go to her mom’s place in Mitsamiouli. ” Everyone is safe, except the house, the roof disappeared,” she said. The bus leaves Moroni. Roukia is looking around. It’s been three days since the Cyclone came to Comoros. She could not come to her mom’s place before. “The roads were blocked by fallen trees, “she explained. She looks to the windows of the bus. ” This is first time I saw all these trees fallen in the street on my way to my mom’s place, ” she added. The bus passed through many localities which have been damaged by the storm. Finally, one hour later, Roukia arrived in Mitsamiouli. Fishermen are sitting behind the sea. Mitsamiouli is one the towns in the north of Grande Comore which has been hardly demolished by the cyclone. Listen to the interview of Shabaan Mohamed Mfwaraya in Comorian and French. Comores The Fishermen in Mitsamiouli Fisherman Shabaane Mohamed Mfwaraya is standing behind the sea with others fishermen, in the center of Mitsamiouli, in the north of Grande Comore. This experienced fisherman said people in his town did not believe the cyclone will come. ” We were informed earlier by the Civil Security...
Information for all
Information for all Human health and biodiversity are in danger in the world right now. Around 1 million animal and plant species are now threatened with extinction, many within decades, more than ever before in human history, finds the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services ( IPBES) in a new report. Recently Comoros , Tanzania, Mozambique and India were devastated by a tropical cyclone . Zimbabwe, Malawi and Mozambique were hit by Cyclone Idai in March. Two unprecedented back-to-back tropical cyclones came in Mozambique in March and April causing the death of more than 1000 people. On April 24, Comoros Islands were hardly affected in coastal, rural and urban areas living 4 people dead and 15 000 people displaced (according to the first report published after the disaster). India was also devastated by a major cyclonic storm. According to the World Meteorology Organization, these cyclones underline the need for coordinated disaster risk reduction strategies, by including strong early warning systems which reach the people who need them most. What one can do with cyclones, climate change, extreme weather, floods, population increase? These issues will be debated during the second international conference on multi hazard early warning to be held in Geneva from 13-17 May. This global platform is a biennial multi-stakeholder forum established by the UN General Assembly to review progress, share knowledge, and discuss the latest developments and and trends in reducing disaster risk. Era Environnement takes this opportunity to publish this week a series of related stories called “Rivoukou-we are safe” about the people who were affected by Cyclone Kenneth in Comoros, one of the world “hospots” of biodiversity. We, as media based in Comoros Islands, in Samba M’bodoni, one of the villages which has seen homes and agricultural areas smashed by the cyclone Kenneth, would like to put Comoros on the world map. Our aim is to also publish articles on others countries in Africa on disaster risk and solutions. We have already published articles during the cyclone in Comoros, Tanzania and Mozambique. We will also publish a column of an activist in Mozambique, and you will have the possibility to send your comment to her. Our facebook page Eraenvironnement, @sustainableDG, is also open for comments in French, Spanish, Portugese, English, Swahili and Comorian. Thank you Editorial by Houmi...