Birds need to be protected because they are vital to life on earth. Protecting birds is not only by preventing hunting and trafficking but also by guarding against the destruction of their habitats. These and many more are some of the points made by members of the Conservation Club of Omo on Wednesday.

The club which comprises of students, teachers, forest rangers and researchers commemorated the event with a multi-session event which hammers on responsible use and disposal of plastics. The worldwide event is themed “Protect Birds: Be the Solution to Plastic Pollution!”

The event was setup in conjunction with Forest Elephant Initiative and Birdlife International.

Students were awarded with prizes for a drawing contest that was carried out as a build up to the event. A Conservation TV event which featured pupils from the Conservation Club discussing solutions to the plastic crises was one of the high points of the event. Participants in the event advised the general public to follow the 3Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle of plastic to prevent plastic pollution. Other events were bird watching, poems, songs and community sensitization.

In preparation for the 2019 World Migratory Birds Day on Friday, conservation groups world wide have identified plastic pollution as a source of serious health risks to wildlife globally, affecting a wide range of species including whales, turtles, fish and birds.

On World Migratory Bird Day, celebrated on 11 May, two UN wildlife treaties and conservationists around the world are calling for urgent action to stop plastic pollution by highlighting its negative effects on seabirds and other migratory birds, a press release from UN Environment revealed.

“One third of global plastic production is non-recyclable and at least eight million tonnes of plastic flows unabated into our oceans and water bodies each year,” Joyce Msuya, Acting Executive Director of UN Environment said. “It is ending up in the stomachs of birds, fish, whales, and in our soil and water. The world is choking on plastic and so too are our birds on which so much life on earth depends.”

Plastic pollution presents a three-fold threat to birds: entanglement in fishing gear and other plastic litter is the most visible but affects fewer individuals.

Ingestion of plastic waste is more pervasive and can affect large proportions of some species. Birds mistake plastic as food causing them to starve to death as their stomachs fill up with undigestable plastic.

Plastic is also being used as nest material. Many birds pick up plastic to line their nests mistaking it for leaves, twigs and other natural items, which can injure and trap fragile chicks.

Discarded fishing gear is responsible for most entanglements among birds at sea, in rivers, lakes and even on land. Seabirds are particularly threatened by fishing gear. Many entangled seabirds are not detected because they die far from land out of sight of humans.

“Becoming entangled in fishing gear or plastic litter condemns birds to a slow, agonizing death” says Peter Ryan, Director of the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology at the University of Cape Town.

To capture additional data on remote entanglements, scientists such as Peter Ryan have turned to Google Images and other web-based sources to provide a more comprehensive picture of the threat, and the numbers of affected bird species have been adjusted upwards.

Of 265 bird species recorded entangled in plastic litter, at least 147 species were seabirds (36 per cent of all seabird species), 69 species freshwater birds (10 per cent) and 49 landbird species (0.5 per cent).

These figures show that almost all marine and freshwater birds are at risk of entanglement in plastic waste and other synthetic materials. A wide diversity of landbirds from eagles to small finches are also affected, and these numbers are bound to increase.

Research further shows that about 40 per cent of seabirds contain ingested plastic. Marine ducks, divers, penguins, albatrosses, petrels, grebes, pelicans, gannets and boobies, gulls, terns, auks as well as tropicbirds are particularly at risk. Ingesting plastic can kill them or more likely cause severe injuries, and plastic accumulations can block or damage the digestive tract or give the animal a false sense of satiation, leading to malnutrition and starvation.

Chemical additives from plastic were found in birds’ eggs in remote environments such as the Canadian Arctic.

To address the issue of plastic pollution – and ensure that in the future fewer birds will die by ingestion of or getting entangled in plastic – UN Environment launched the Clean Seas campaign in February 2017. The campaign, which targets marine plastic pollution in particular, has an upstream focus and asks individuals, governments and business to take concrete steps to reduce their own plastic footprints.

The Convention on Migratory Species and the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement work with countries to prevent plastic items from entering the marine environment. A recent resolution on seabird conservation adopted by AEWA countries in December 2018, includes a series of actions countries can take to reduce the risk caused by plastic waste on migratory birds.

At the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species in 2017, countries also agreed to address the issue of lost fishing gear, by following the strategies set out under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries.

Efforts to phase out single use plastics and to redesign plastic products to make them easier to recycle are underway in many countries.

“There are no easy solutions to the plastic problem. It will require the joint efforts of governments, industry, municipalities, manufacturers and consumers to tackle the problem. However, as this year’s World Migratory Bird Day underlines – everybody on this planet can be part of the solution and take steps to reduce their use of single-use plastic.  Tackling this problem globally will not only be beneficial for us, but also benefit our planet’s wildlife, including millions of migratory birds,” said Jacques Trouvilliez, Executive Secretary of the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement.

Plastic pollution is a serious and growing threat to migratory birds,  which will only further limit their ability to deal with the much larger threat faced by climate change.

Nigeria’s minister of environment, Suleiman Hassan Zarma and other senior government officials are on a working visit to the United Kingdom for the successful clean-up of Ogoni oil spill.

It was gathered that the trip was facilitated by the United Nation Environment Programme (UNEP) to enable the delegates to understand global best practices in the remediation of other sites contaminated by oil pollution across the country.

Members of the governing council of Hydrocarbon Pollution and Remediation Project (HYPREP) who are part of the tour are expected to visit five sites in the United Kingdom — Biogénie’s Trecatti and Redhill soil treatment facilities in South Wales and South East England respectively, the Coed Darcy regeneration project in South Wales, the former Avenue Coking Works in the East Midlands, and ALS Laboratories in North West England.

The sites would provide an opportunity for HYPREP’s governing council to witness the redeveloped land.  Around three-quarters of the site were restored for open space, community and ecological uses, while the remaining areas were used for residential and commercial purposes.

According to a statement signed by the ministry’s director of press, Mr Saghir Mohammed, the visit would also enable the delegates to observe an extensive range of in-situ and ex-situ remediation techniques, such as soil washing, bioremediation, thermal desorption, separating techniques, and among others.

It was envisaged that these demonstrations and visits would build HYPREP’s capacity to reuse and recycle many sites and worn-out materials, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the clean-up exercise.

” The delegates, expected to visit the Chester laboratory in north-west England would focus on quality, accreditation, sample preparation, analysis of petroleum hydrocarbons, reporting, and interpretation of analysis,” Mohammed’s statement revealed.

During the tour, they are expected to identify the aspects that could be replicated in Nigeria in order to increase the overall quality of indigenous laboratories.

UNEP’s 2011 assessment of Ogoniland revealed that bringing back important ecosystems to full productive health could take up to 30 years. The report had recommended that a $1 billion should be set aside for the first five years of remediation activities. Upon completion, the clean-up of Ogoniland could serve as a model for replication in both Nigeria and the region.

Experts had stated that the restoration of Ogoniland initiated by the federal government could prove to be the world’s most complex and longest oil clean-up exercise ever undertaken. This is why UNEP in its 2011 assessment report highlighted the severe and widespread contamination due to oil production spanning several decades.

The raising of international awareness on the Lake Chad Basin and efforts of Nigeria to promote sustainable development, peace and security is a major issue to be discussed during the visit of Ms María Espinosa, President of the United Nations General Assembly.

She is due to be in Nigeria on Monday on the invitation of the Nigerian Government to strengthen bilateral relations between Nigeria and the United Nations.

Mr Oluseyi Soremekun, the spokesperson, United Nations Information Centre said on Sunday in Lagos.

Soremekun said that during her mission, she will further discuss the priorities of the UN General Assembly as related to women and youth empowerment, raise awareness and encourage understanding of the importance of multilateralism and the UN.

“While in Nigeria, the President of the UN General Assembly will have bilateral meetings with President Muhammadu Buhari, and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama.

“She will also engage with students and youths on the theme: Responding to Global Challenges in a fast-Changing World: The Case for Strengthening Multilateralism”.

“Espinosa will also discuss with a women audience on the theme: `The Role of Women in the Promotion of Multilateralism”.

“She is scheduled to also meet with the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Aisha Abubakar,’’ Soremekun said.

Soremekun said that Espinosa will be received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Abuja, by a representative of the Nigerian Government and Mr Edward Kallon, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Nigeria.

According to him, this was the second official visit of Espinosa, President of the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly to the African region since taking over the presidency.

He said that on June 5, 2018, the United Nations General Assembly elected Espinosa who was then Ecuadorean Foreign Minister as President, the fourth woman to hold that position and the first since 2006.

Somerekun disclosed that she has more than 20 years of multilateral experience in international negotiations, peace, security, defence, disarmament, human rights, indigenous peoples, gender equality, sustainable development environment, biodiversity, climate change and multilateral cooperation.

The government of Japan has built and handed over to Uganda a Strategic Anti-Poaching Outpost for Elephants. The anti-poaching facility was completed and handed over to Uganda in April at the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. The project was in line with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

The Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Uganda, Mr. Mizumoto Horii launched the Lions Bay ranger post.

The new outpost is part of Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA)’s larger Recovery of Queen Elizabeth National Park programme and provide a base for field rangers conducting operations in important wildlife and tourism sector, and will significantly strengthen UWA’s capacity to address current and emerging threats impacting this important site of the CITES Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme. The project was led on-the-ground on behalf of CITES by the Uganda Conservation Foundation in close collaboration with UWA.

Queen Elizabeth National Park provides protection for 95 species of mammal, including buffaloes, hippopotami, crocodiles, elephants, leopards, lions and chimpanzees, and over 620 species of birds. The park forms part of an extensive transboundary ecosystem that covers forest reserves and the adjacent Virunga National Park World Heritage Site, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The elephant population in the Queen Elizabeth National Park was recently reported by UWA as young and healthy, numbering over 3000 individuals, which is by far the largest elephant population in Uganda but still below levels, the park can sustain. The elephant population has been increasing steadily over the last twenty years, since being reduced by poaching to below 400 elephants in 1988.

“The illegal wildlife trade is an urgent global issue. Japan is deeply committed to the cause of protecting elephants and their natural habitat. Japan places great importance on supporting elephant range states in the fight against elephant poaching,” said Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Japan in Uganda, Mr. Mizumoto Horii.

He added that, “Japan continues to make great efforts in implementing the trade control of ivory under CITES and working together with our partners to tackle the problem of elephant poaching and the illegal elephant trade.”

The Honourable Minister Godfrey Kiwanda highlighted that “Having a well-built, dry and clean facility, with clean water, solar power lighting and an ablution block, makes rangers feel respected and motivated.”

“The recovery of wildlife and tourism in Queen Elizabeth National Park depends on the motivation of our frontline staff and tangible support such as this. This support also provides a solid foundation for growing tourism in Uganda which is already recognised as the countries strongest contributor to the regional and national regional economy,” said Uganda Wildlife Authority, Executive Director, Sam Mwandha.

“The funding provided by the Government of Japan for the development of essential infrastructure needed to support management operations is invaluable. The investment and attention given to the area has had a significant impact on the overall morale of the staff based in the Lions Bay and Katore Sectors and enhanced their capacity to effectively protect the area,” added Thea Carroll, CITES-MIKE Programme Coordinator.

The Government of Japan contributed 55,000 US$ to CITES’s Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) Programme.

The mention of travel to any part of Northern Nigeria gives a lot of people the jitters. Many things come to their minds — terror. But there are great secure destinations there. Gombe is a good example. Gombe whose capital city is also named Gombe is bordered by Borno, Yobe, Taraba, Adamawa and Bauchi. The state was created out of Bauchi State on 1st October 1996 by the late General Sanni Abacha’s Administration. Nicknamed Jewel of the Savannah, the state is home to the headquarters of many international intervention organisations catering to the needs of Internally displaced people who are victims of the Boko Haram crisis.

Travel

For lovers of road trips, there are many ways to go about the trip. The first way (if you are coming from Lagos) is to get a straight bus from Jibowu, Yaba or Ijora all in Lagos. The trip takes 18 to 20 hours by road, not adding the toilet and food stops along the road and the bus fare ranges from N6,000 to N13,000. The second is to break the trip into two. Take a bus to Abuja, from Iwo road (Ibadan), Kuto (Abeokuta) or Yaba (Lagos). From Abuja, take another bus to Gombe from Nyanya or Jabi Park, it takes only six hours to Gombe from Abuja. The cost is roughly the same, but the sites to see are so much more.

By air, it can get cumbersome a bit. There are only two airlines flying that route regularly – Arik Air and Azman. Arik Airline travels to Gombe via Abuja on Mondays, Wednesdays and Friday. Sometimes the layover can be up to eight hours. Azman airline travels to Gombe via Abuja only on Mondays and it is not regular.

Dressing

Gombe has two distinct climates, the dry season between November and March; and the rainy season between April and October with an average rainfall of 850mm. The heat can be very much during the dry season so make sure to consult your weatherman before you take the trip.

Accommodation

There are many hotels in Gombe, but many international visitors to the state lodge at 1. The Custodian Hotel and 2. The Gombe International Hotel.

The Custodian Hotel is a four-star hotel with a cozy appeal. It is located in the heart of the town, in an easily accessible and serene neighbourhood. It is only about 20 minutes drive from Gombe Airport. The hotel has a small restaurant that serves both local and continental dishes that are not bad at all. It also has a 100-seater conference hall that is almost always booked. The hotel offers laundry, car hire and shuttle service to the airport. The rooms prices range from N70,000 to N16, 000 per night. The service is not bad and the staff are very polite and helpful. The only downside is its terribly unreliable free wifi service.

Gombe International Hotel has a vast collection of sports facilities, including a swimming pool tennis court and a well-equipped gym. It is about 15 minutes from the airport. The hotel has nice lounges and the rooms are well furnished. The large conference halls in the hotels make it a destination for many events so for someone looking for a serene environment to meditate or write, it may not be the best. Apart from its being prone to rowdiness, the service many times can get very poor. Price per night ranges from N120,000 to N20,000.

Other hotels are Flourish, Bulma, Dan Arewa, Zuma Royal among others, rooms can cost as low as N3000 in these hotels.

What to do

For lovers of nature, this is indeed the jewel of the savannah, co-housing the popular Yankari Game Reserve with Bauchi State. It is not to be confused with the Gombe Stream National Park in, Tanzania. The popular Yankari Game reserve. Places to visit in Gombe include the Emir’s Palace, Bima Hills, Gombe State University, the Federal University Kashere, State Polytechnique Bajoga, College of Education Billiri and the Ashaka Cement Company, Ashaka, Funakaye Local Government. You can also visit the Tangale Hill, the Kilang Hill, Popandi Village, Kaltungo Deba Local Government.

There is also the historical Tula Battlefield, where the British first attacked and fought the Tula people. You should also visit the Tomb of Bubayero Gombe Abba. Bubayero is the patriarch of the Sukku emirate and his tomb is registered as a national monument.

Food
Gombe like every other state in the north all have foods like miyan kuka, and the several tuwo varieties in common. There is also fura de nono and kunun tsamia. The state also has a fine  collection of kilishi and dambu nama maker. So, do well to have a taste of the skillfully prepared meat delicacies when you go to Gombe.

The global Ecotourism market is anticipated to grow significantly during the forecast period 2019 to 2025, Market Research has shown.  The forecast was made in a report titled “Global Ecotourism Market Size, Status and Forecast 2019-2025. The report also presents market size, share, trend, demand, industry outlook and competitors analysis with growth in the global Ecotourism market. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.

The 105-paged reports used tables and figures to expound the topic while also providing information on the competitors and the specific growth opportunities with key market drivers.

The report studies the Global Ecotourism market, analyzes and researches the Ecotourism development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia.

Ecotourism Industry analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions’ development status. The report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure.

A new global consortium, the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative, will bring together expertise from international organizations, research institutions and business groups with significant market influence to tackle the enormous environmental footprint of rice production, members of the partnership announced today.

The new consortium will introduce sustainable approaches to farming practices, incentivise production and demand for sustainable rice with market-based instruments, deliver policy support to governments, and improve knowledge sharing and collaboration on sustainable rice solutions.

Rice is a leading cause, as well as a victim, of climate change, and its production impacts many natural systems. Rice is responsible for about the same greenhouse gas emissions as Germany, particularly from methane, which is emitted from rotting vegetation in inundated paddy fields.

At the same time, rice yields and nutritional values are significantly reduced by rising temperatures, and production must increase by 25% by 2050 to meet global demand.

Practices such as removing rice straw can reduce methane emissions by up to 70%, but farmers currently lack awareness, training, policy and market support.

The founding members of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative represent the range of partners needed to make these practices commonplace, namely UN Environment, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the Sustainable Rice Platform, the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, the International Rice Research Institute and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

“UN Environment is proud to be a member of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Consortium. Sustainable rice production is one remedy that can fix a host of issues,” said Dechen Tsering, Regional Director of UN Environment’s Asia and the Pacific Office. “It can help us fight climate change, protect biodiversity and restore landscapes and simultaneously safeguard rice farming communities and the billions of people that rely on them.”

The Initiative is particularly targeting a number of Asian countries, where rice is one of the most important crops and the economic backbone for millions of farmers, and will seek changes in national policy, farming practices, and improvements in the supply chain. To achieve scale, the Initiative is calling upon governments and international funding bodies to support their efforts.

Ogoni land women leaders in Rivers State have said the activities of the Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project (HYPREP) has resulted in high level of diseases in their land instead of alleviating the problem.

The women made the revelation at a one-day media interactive session on the implementation of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on the emergency measures at Kebetkache Women Development and Resource Centre in Port Harcourt.

According to the Ogoni women leaders, HYPREP has not provided potable water and health initiatives even after it was reported as an emergency measure by UNEP.

The representative of Kegbara Dere community, Gokana Local Government Area, lamented the bad state of the community, saying women suffered the most.

“My community has 56 oil wells and so the pollution level is high. However, HYPREP’s effort to clean up the land is not going well because it did not provide the emergency measures needed, especially for the safety of women,” she said.

She added that women are exposed to a higher risk of diseases like
heart attacks, breast cancer, skin diseases, tuberculosis, leading to premature death because they are the ones who use water the most.

“When the provision of health care, food, and good water was mentioned we were happy, but now the promises have gone with the wind. We don’t understand why they would jump the most important issue that has to do with health and good water supply,” the representative added.

“We have not seen anything that shows that the clean up is on. Whenever they visit, it is to meet with the chiefs and elders and they cover their eyes with money.

“We bury our children and relatives daily, and if anyone becomes pregnant, you automatically become a prayer warrior until the person puts to bed. HYPREP is not doing anything to save Ogoni Land; they are not concerned about the people’s health, but only interested in what they will gain.”

The representative of Kwawa community, Khana Local Government Area, Eucharia Brownson, doubted the existence of HYPREP because they have not seen anything to justify their presence in the community.

“We have not even seen anyone from HYPREP before, it’s as if we do not exist, the suffering is too much,” she said.

Responding to the women’s claims, HYPREP said that it was working towards providing potable water for the people while carrying out the clean-up of the Ogoniland.

HYPREP Project Coordinator, Dr. Marvin Dekil, said during a radio program,
View Point, on Rhythm 93.7 FM, that studies had been carried out towards ensuring the filtering and treating of water for the affected communities to drink.

He explained that HYPREP was aware of the needs of the communities and that nothing would be left unaddressed.

“As government, it means we must carry out necessary studies and also have the sort of capacity that will filter and treat the water as such that water going out to the public is of acceptable standard,” Dekil said.

“That means that even the facilities as we currently have in place, we need to study them and look at the quality they generate and we need to apply the necessary treatment where applicable. This is what we have been doing over this period.”

He noted that the companies on HYREP’s website are categorised into.

“The ones that will do consultancy in relation to existing facilities, the ones that will provide consultancy in relation to putting in new water facilities and the ones that will install new facilities,” he said.

“Now, we will also have to look at some projections beyond today so that we may be able to provide services that will give us water for today and for years to come.

“Every contract has a serious component that deals with the young people as security within the community. A whole bulk of work we are doing has to do with training the scientists we have today. Over 90 per cent of Hydrocarbon Pollution Remediation Project’s scientists are indigenous Ogoni scientists.”

The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) recently hosted senior executives from Standard Chartered Bank to discuss how financial institutions and regulators can work together to help curb illegal wildlife trade and disrupt the flow of illegal funds arising from this predicate crime.

David Fein, Group General Counsel at Standard Chartered and Vice-Chair of the Financial Taskforce of the UK Royal Foundation of ‘United for Wildlife’ campaign which is under The Duke of Cambridge’s presidency along with Sunil Kaushal, Regional Chief Executive Officer for Africa and Middle East visited the DFSA with their teams to highlight the measures being taken by global entities, including Standard Chartered, to combat illegal wildlife trade as part of an overall financial crime prevention framework.

The illegal trade in elephant ivory, rhino horns, pangolin scales, tiger bones, bear bile and rosewood are reported as leading to the extinction of some of the world’s magnificent and sometimes lesser-known species. Illegal wildlife trade also impacts the financial services sector as the unwitting conduit for the movement of proceeds of illegal wildlife trade.

In addition to being a major risk to endangered wildlife species, illegal wildlife trade impacts economies by destroying natural and human resources and eroding society’s social capital. Illegal wildlife trade also creates a false economy of dependence based on illegal activities making it more difficult to combat in poverty stricken jurisdictions.

As of 2017, the global value of illegal wildlife trade was quoted at $26 billion according to data published by the United Nations (UN). The UN considers wildlife crime as one of the largest transnational organised criminal activities alongside drug, arms and human trafficking. Illegal wildlife trafficking is now one of the world’s top criminal activities, ranked alongside drugs, arms, and human trafficking.

The DFSA’s support of the worldwide campaign against illegal wildlife trade builds on Dubai’s concerted efforts to combat the illegal wildlife trade. Over the years, several Dubai Government entities have initiated programmes to raise awareness and counter the illegal practice.

Bryan Stirewalt, Chief Executive of the DFSA, commented: “The discussion led by Mr. Fein was insightful and provided a well-rounded view on the global efforts to curb illegal wildlife trade. As a government entity committed to promoting sustainable practices and preserving our natural environment, we are keen to partner in campaigns against illegal wildlife trade. Since our inception, we have identified financial crime as a top risk and have continuously assigned resources and efforts to fight it. Through our support to programmes such as this, we want to raise awareness about the practice in financial circles and highlight that we have a zero-tolerance policy to any act that supports the illicit trade. We all have a role to play and no one’s contribution to this fight is too small.”

Rola Abu Manneh, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Chartered Bank, UAE, commented: “For too long, illegal wildlife trafficking has been viewed solely as a conservation issue. In reality, it’s a transnational organised crime with links to the trades in narcotics and arms. The UAE is well positioned to play a leading role in fighting the illegal wildlife trade and we, as an international bank that is deeply rooted in this country, are committed to supporting this fight By following the money, financial institutions can help map the criminal networks and provide law enforcement with vital intelligence to support their investigations and prosecutions. We are pleased to be in dialogue with the DFSA about what more can be done, as an industry, to tackle this crime.” she added.

The DFSA’s dialogue with Standard Chartered also highlights the social responsibility of individuals and organisations to contribute to the well-being of humanity and the natural environment.