Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Ojo Madueke, has said that a new date to end gas flaring in the country will be announced in the next few days.

Madueke, who spoke on Tuesday at the “Nigerian Climate Change Investment Forum” in Copenhagen , Denmark , promised that his government would no more change its position.

He promised, “we will make a fair commitment on ending gas flaring in the next few days before the international community, and we will deliver this time around.”

During a presentation to open the day-long event, he said that Nigeria would utilise the challenges posed by climate change to diversify the economy from an oil dependant one.

The minister, who is representing President Umar Yar’ Adua at the climate summit, noted that while making the most of the proceeds from fossil fuel (oil), Nigeria would vigorously pursue green technology that will ensure revenue from sources other than petroleum.

He described climate change and its accompanying effects as an apocalypse, and called for urgent actions to address the outcome of the phenomenon.

And speaking at the same occasion, Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Rilwan Lukman, said the world has responsibility to ensure a sustainable environment  for the survival of mankind including future generations.

“The environment is the common heritage of mankind,” he said, and urged both developed and developing countries to reach a compromise and come up with a viable agreement to save the earth from environmental destruction.

“We would like to see more positive commitment and cooperation from the United States of America . COP15 must succeed. G77, China and Africa Group must cooperate to reach a consensus,” he pleaded.

Another Nigerian official, Timpre Sylva, the Bayelsa State Governor, disclosed that the Nigerian state had begun to feel the impact of climate change such as frequent flooding.
“ Bayelsa State happens to be one of the states below sea level. We know that most of the problems of climate are due to the activities of the west, and so we have come to tell the polluters, who have caused these problems, to come to Nigeria and Bayelsa State to invest in cleaner energy,” he added.

Representatives of the smaller countries of the region, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan, were speaking during a side event at the UN Climate Change Convention conference in Copenhagen. The event was organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD),  a regional knowledge development centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.

“The most vulnerable countries in the world are in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, which is home to 1.3 billion people. We are facing increasing threats of floods, droughts and forest fires, and our agriculture-based economy is at huge risk”, said Nepal’s prime minister, Madhav Kumar.

Nepal stressed that the poorer countries of the region are suffering even though they have made no contribution to global warming.

“Nepal is responsible for only 0.5 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, yet it is at the receiving end of global warming”,  the prime minister said. The director general of ICIMOD,  Andreas Schild, pointed out that the HKH region contains 100 square kilometres of ice and 33,000 cubic metres of ice mass, which act as a source of water for one-third of the world’s population.

Bhutan’s agriculture minister, Pema Gyamtsho, said each country of the region faced a potentional threat from climate change. Its impact had already started taking a toll, the minister said. “Some glaciers in our country have retreated  by 200 metres. We have over 2,000 glacial lakes, of which 25 are potentially dangerous,” he said.

He stressed the need to take integrated adaptation measures in South Asia, where every country faced threats which could cause damage near at hand. “All of us need to have a common strategy. And I think we need to seal a deal at the regional level”, he said.

Mostapha Zaher, director general of Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), said that while his country had suffered from conflict for the last 30 years, “now it faces the challenge of climate change”. He said it was a huge challenge for a poor country like Afghanistan.

“It needs high technology and huge funds to cope with such a challenge. I think the developed countries should have no problem in providing this to the least developed countries,” Zaher said.

“Afghanistan’s economy is largely based on agriculture and 80 per cent of our population depend on farming for their livelihoods. But continuous droughts are posing a serious threat to the agro-economy and food security.”

The representative from Pakistan, Dr Arshad Muhammad Khan, is also the director of the Global Change Impact Studies Centre,  a think tank set up to help national planners and decision makers in areas such as climate, water, energy, food, agriculture, health, ecology and new technologies.

He said the “most vulnerable country to the impacts of climate change is Pakistan.”  Khan said Pakistan’s entire river system depended on the Himalayan glaciers. “Pakistan’s lifeline is the Indus river system which gets 75 to 80 per cent of its water from the glaciers. But with these glaciers facing threats, our irrigation network, the world’s largest, is also exposed to danger,” he said.

Briefing journalists at Copenhagen’s Bella Center, WMO Secretary-General Michael Jarraud said that past weather models, which are used to project future weather impacts, may no longer be accurate indicators for urban planning. He ascribed this to the significant changes in weather patterns already being wreaked by global warming. “Planners should also integrate what might happen in the next 50-100 years and not just past indicators,” he said.

While he cautioned against discarding past weather models altogether as they are still useful tools for discerning variable changes in weather events, he however believes that looking at past weather events will not be able to give accurate projections to city planners anymore as to how much should infrastructures bear up in the long run.

More accurate future projections are currently being worked out by the IPCC as they prepare the Fifth Assessment Report on climate change. Jarraud said IPCC may furnish better indicators by 2013 or 2014.

In an interview with this correspondent, Jarraud said that for a country like the Philippines, which is susceptible to almost all types of disasters – tropical storms, floods, droughts, and sea-level rise – it is imperative to plan for far longer periods.

“[The Philippines] must build a scenario for the future on a more long-term perspective. Investments must be about 50 to 100 years ahead,” he said.

The IPCC projections of an 18-59 cm rise in sea-level by year 2100 will alone heavily impact not only the coastal provinces in the Philippines but the inland ones as well, he said

“With a 50 cm increase in ocean levels, storm surges would bring more water inland. This will increase the vulnerability of the people,” said Jarraud.

Key world leaders, including former US President Bill Clinton, the 2009 Nobel laureate in economics, Professor Elinor Ostrom,  and Dr Rajendra Pachauri, who chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), all recognized the huge role forests play in solving the climate dilemma.

The world’s forests and forest soils currently store more than one trillion tons of carbon – twice the amount found floating free in the atmosphere – according to  studies by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation. But the destruction of forests adds almost six billion tonnes of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year, approaching 20 per cent of all global emissions.

“It’s now clear that without action on forest-related emissions, the international community has no chance of keeping global warming below the two degree threshold”, said Seymour Francis, Director General of the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) which organized the conference. “Exceeding that threshold [for global average temperature rise above pre-industrial levels] would have catastrophic implications for hundreds of millions of people.”

But while he and others recognized the role of forests in reducing greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere, they also acknowledged that the role of indigenous peoples must be respected if policies are to succeed.

Professor Ostrom urged policymakers to ensure their policies were not “top-down”. Rather, she said, they should be “adaptive and include the concerns of  indigenous people.”

Ex-President Clinton said: “The global community must give more attention to helping poor communities adapt to climate change already under way. None of this will be easy, or it would have been done before. But it can be done.”

The international community has been considering the inclusion of forests in a future climate change deal in an approach known as Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD). The conference spent much of its time examining REDD, its advantages and potential weaknesses. Forestry experts concluded that REDD cannot be successful without the collaboration of the agriculture, mining and finance sectors.

The Congo Basin forest, the second largest forest reserve in the world after the Amazon, is tipped to play a huge role in storing carbon. Cyriaque Sendashonga who heads CIFOR’s Central African regional office said the Basin has massive potential. But she acknowledged that there is a risk with the use that might be made with any money earned in this way, unless governance and institutional issues are addressed.

The growth of the palm oil crop, one of the most profitable in the world, is  driven mainly by demand for biofuels.  Colombia is expected to become the third largest palm oil producer in the world.

Several organizations, including the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), are promoting a plan called the Forest Conversion Programme, which aims to prevent the expansion of palm plantations in forests of high conservation value.

Rod Taylor of WWF told the environmental magazine Catorce 6 during the XIII World Forestry Congress in Buenos Aires recently of the importance of promoting the sustainable cultivation of palm oil.

“We promote the use of standards for sustainable production”, he said. “The question is whether firms in Colombia will be part of this system or not. So far some have shown interest and others not.”

Taylor explained that companies certified under the Forest Conversion Programme must demonstrate compliance with a standard that takes into account, primarily, respect for nature, appropriate relationships with local communities, and the promotion of responsible consumption.

“Becoming certified is a good opportunity to prove that they are not affecting forests, because international agencies will go to verify the situation. If it is true they are doing it right they will benefit from this certification, because they could use it as an advertising strategy”, he said.

The problem of palm oil plantations is that when they affect natural forests the carbon the ecosystems contain is  released, and also the people who depend on the forest for their living are affected, said Taylor.

He said another big issue was the way palm oil was consuming areas that could be used for the production of other foods. “Europe has a very clear policy about not buying bioenergy that is displacing food sources or that is causing the elimination of natural forest”, he said.

Derek Byerlee of the World Bank spoke during the Congress about the huge increase in land needed for the production of first generation biofuels (palm included).

Palm, he said, is one of the fastest-growing crops in Latin America, mainly because of its efficiency and because several countries, including Colombia, are moving toward using biodiesel.

“It is not profitable to protect the forest in comparison with palm cultivation,” he said.

To prevent the expansion of these plantations, he said, there was a need for new incentives for conservation and for promoting strategies such as the UN’s proposed Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries  (REDD) scheme.  And degraded lands should be used to grow the crop.

Byerlee also stressed the need for certification to ensure the monitoring of  codes of behaviour among producers.

He said palm crops had tripled worldwide in the last 15 years. In 2008 alone 36 million hectares were used worldwide to produce biofuels. At this rate of growth the number would rise to 100 million hectares in 2030, he said.

Data from the British Global Canopy group shows that 42 million tonnes of palm oil were produced in 2007, 80% from Indonesia and Malaysia. Among other big producers are  Colombia, Thailand, Nigeria, Brazil, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Liberia. All are planning to expand production.

China is the largest palm oil consumer, importing 18% of global supply. About 16% goes to the European Union.

Palm oil is in an estimated 10% of the products found in European supermarkets, from soap and toothpaste to chocolate, bread, butter and cereal.

If it is grown sustainably, however, palm oil is said to have many advantages. It is highly productive compared with other major oilseed crops and its cultivation and processing require less fertilizer, pesticide, and fuel energy.

Palm oil also represents an economic opportunity for hundreds of thousands of small farmers and gives governments more tools to fight poverty, proponents say.

“For these reasons, penalizing palm oil expansion per se is not feasible or economically responsible. Urgent efforts must instead be focused on ensuring it comes from sustainable sources and minimizing deforestation risks”, concludes the Foundation.

Narrator: It is the opening of the second World Agroforestry Congress in Nairobi,  a meeting which aims to review opportunities to influence scientific agroforestry in promoting sustainable land use worldwide.

This documentary will remind you of the opening of the congress and of the strong messages delivered by researchers and scientists.

The Kenyan Vice-President, Kalonzo Musyoka,  says agroforestry offers an important opportunity. He strongly advocates changing agriculture policies to accommodate tree planting:

Cue in (Musyoka ): We also …….
Cue out …….campaign (10 seconds )

Narrator: Achim Steiner is the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme – UNEP. At the opening of the Agroforestry Congress Steiner said trees have  become a major part of the story now and yet we do not understand the very important role they can play:

Cue in: (Achim Steiner)
The minute we began to ………
…….. from us today (18 seconds )

Narrator: The conference was full of international researchers who described the findings of studies across the world on the effect of planting trees. The key organizer of the congress is the World Agroforestry Centre  whose director is Dr. Dennis Garrity:

Cue in (Garrity): In a few weeks’ time …
Cue out: …the world is now close to Copenhagen.

Narrator: Professor Wangari Maathai, a Nobel laureate, attended the opening of the Congress. She says some foreign tree species are harsh to the environment:

Cue in (Maathai): And that is why…
Cue out: ….. you have any changes in the climate

Narrator: The Nairobi Agroforestry Congress serves as a forum for agroforestry researchers, educators, practitioners and policymakers from around the world to share new research findings, lessons, experiences and ideas that will help influence decisions for better living. The 1st World Congress of Agroforestry was held in 2004 in Florida, in the United States.

Narrator: To wind up this news package, here are Bahati Girls’ Secondary from
Nakuru, Kenya, again:

Norway, which has led donor nations in slowing tropical deforestation with a budget of 3 billion Norwegian crowns ($530 million) a year, said it wanted to help Guyana maintain forests that cover 75 percent of its land.

“Saving the world’s remaining tropical forests is a crucial element in the battle against climate change,” Norwegian Environment Minister Erik Solheim said of a memorandum he signed in Guyana with President Bharrat Jagdeo.

“Provided that the expected results are achieved and that other elements of the partnership fall into place, our support for the years up to 2015 could add up to as much as $250 million,” he said in a statement.

Plants soak up carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they are burnt or rot. The United Nations says deforestation accounts for about a fifth of all greenhouse gas emissions from human activities.

Until now, nations with high levels of forest cover have attracted less cash than worse performers promising to slow high rates of deforestation.

“Success in the global fight against deforestation means that both the countries that have high deforestation rates and those with low rates should obtain incentives to preserve their forests,” the Norwegian ministry said.

The agreement was signed in the Amerindian community of Fairview.

“It will be impossible to defeat climate change if we don’t significantly reduce tropical deforestation,” President Jagdeo is quoted as saying. “We said several years ago that the people of Guyana stood ready to play our part in determining how this can be done. We are delighted to work alongside Norway in searching for solutions that align the development aspirations of our people with the urgent need to protect the world’s tropical forests.”

“Through this partnership, we are building a bridge between developed and developing countries,” stated Mr Solheim. “We are giving the world a workable model for climate change collaboration between North and South. It’s not perfect, but it’s good, and it will be improved upon as we learn and develop together.”

Under the partnership, Guyana will accelerate its efforts to limit forest-based greenhouse gas emissions, and protect its rich rainforest as an asset for the world. Norway will provide financial support to Guyana at a level based on Guyana’s success in limiting emissions. This will enable Guyana to start implementing its low carbon development strategy (LCDS) at scale.

The LCDS sets out how Guyana can limit forest-based emissions, convert almost its entire energy sector to clean energy, accelerate the development of low-carbon economic sectors and address the huge challenges the country is facing in adapting to climate change. As an illustration, 90% of Guyana’s productive land is threatened by changing weather patterns, and in 2005, floods wiped out the equivalent of 60% of GDP.

Financial support from Norway will be channeled through a new fund, the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF). Guyana’s Ministry of Finance will be responsible for the GRIF’s operations, and a reputable international financial institution to be selected by Norway and Guyana will act as manager of the fund. The mechanism will ensure full national and international oversight of financial flows.”

Three years ago President Jagdeo said that Guyana might be willing to place its entire rainforest under long-term protection “to help in the world’s fight against climate change, providing our peoples’ sovereignty is respected.”

A deal to help protect tropical forests is due to be agreed at a U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen from Dec. 7-18. Norway has other forest protection projects in the Congo and Amazon basins and Tanzania.

The call came as countries which face the greatest loss of forest – Brazil and Indonesia – once more highlighted their plight. Top representatives of the two countries said forests are not only important to prevent further climate change. Millions of people also rely on them for their livelihoods.

At the Congress, Norway pledged to continue making large financial contributions to help countries prepare to benefit from a mechanism to reduce emissions from deforestation and degradation, or what is called REDD.

Trond Gabrielsem, a representative of the Norwegian government said that Norway has committed US$500 million per year over the coming years.

A REDD mechanism looks likely to be decided upon at the upcoming Copenhagen climate change summit in December.

Under REDD, rich countries, whose industries are blamed for emitting harmful greenhouse gases which destroy the environment, agree to pay poor countries if they manage to reduce damage to their forests and therefore increase storage of harmful greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide. The money could be paid through bilateral schemes between governments or through a carbon trading system.

In a statement, the Congress said it supports a REDD mechanism, including enhanced incentives for conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of carbon stocks in developing countries.

Forests are more than carbon, the Congress noted. Rather, they harbour two thirds of all land based plants and animals and generate beneficial services such as water, food and over 5,000 commercial forest products.

Tiina Vahenen, a senior officer at the UN REDD Secretariat, pointed out that the earth’s four billion hectares of forest store 633 billion giga-tons of carbon. This means that forests store more carbon than the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.

Forests play an important role because they absorb carbon dioxide, one of the harmful greenhouse gases that cause global climate change. However, if they are cut down, that carbon goes into the atmosphere, adding to already harmful levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases.

Vahenen said 13 million hectares of forests are lost every year, sending an estimated 17.4 percent of annual greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. Putting that into perspective, she said that exceeds the total amount of carbon released by either the United States or China, and is higher than total emissions from the global transport sector.

She said a REDD mechanism would recognise the role of forests in preventing further climate change, and called on countries to make their voices heard at Copenhagen. “REDD is a big economic development and environment opportunity and we cannot afford to lose the opportunity” she said.

Vahenen quoted research which shows that carbon trading increased from US$11 billion in 2005 to a whopping $125 billion in 2008.

Thais Linhares Jevanal, the director the Brazilian Forest Agency indicated that if a REDD mechanism comes into place, the money will have to be assured.

She said the costs of compensating those who profit from destroying the forest are high, and therefore any REDD scheme will have to adequately make up for this lost income (known as the opportunity cost).

Brazil is in a desperate race against time to save the Amazon rainforest, which has been prone to illegal logging and heavy deforestation. “The only thing that can make the forest sustainable is giving forests the value forests have” she said.

Indonesia faces a similar crisis. Forty percent of the forests existing in 1950 were cleared in the following 50 years. Forest cover fell from 162 million hectares to 98 million hectares, according to Global Forest Watch.

Retno Maryano of Indonesia´s Centre for Social and Economic Research on Forest Management said the potential for financial input under REDD is huge, and whatever funds come under REDD will have to compensate for the money that will be forgone in forest exploitation to protect the forest.

The participants -  from Peru and Ethiopia – asserted that agricultural conservation areas managed by the expertise of indigenous people are vital for offering native crops and their wild relatives a chance to adapt to new climatic conditions.

They agreed a declaration which highlighted the contributions of indigenous people to the conservation and sustainable use of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.

It stressed that the resilience which is intrinsic to indigenous people’s farming systems was important to climate-change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

The participants urged that conservation areas should be promoted to protect the diversity of crops and livestock, because they can help people reduce poverty and maintain community sovereignty of food systems.

In the declaration, the participants said the most effective approach to the sustainable use of such biological diversity is to adopt models based on the local context and culture, and to make use of traditional knowledge, practices and innovations.

“The declaration encourages action research and South-South learning,” says Dr. Michel Pimbert, head of the sustainable agriculture, biodiversity and livelihoods programme at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

IIED’s Peruvian partner Asociación Andes organised the workshop with the Association of the Communities of the Potato Park.

A crucial UN climate change summit is due to take place in Copenhagen, Denmark, in December.

There are hopes it will come up with a deal in which people in developing countries will be helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through engaging in forestry  and farming that reduces land degradation.