April 2011 Blog Posts (10)

Celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Sierra Leone's independence resonated with strong calls to protect, conserve and manage the country's precious natural resources.

 

This week's celebrations included events organised as part of an ongoing awareness-raising campaign by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Sierra Leone Environmental Protection Agency and the Environmental Foundation for Africa.…

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The problems facing developing countries, in Africa and elsewhere, are overwhelming in their magnitude and complexity. From HIV/AIDS to widespread corruption and poverty, obstacles to economic development are occupying some of the world’s brightest minds.

Let me once again try to tackle Africa’s most trenchant problems in a vastly different way but with the goal to create a new development paradigm for the continent.

Few development experts would deny that, at some point,…

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The coastal waters of West, Central and Southern Africa - from Mauritania down to the tip of the continent in South Africa - are of vital importance to the region's economy. The marine ecosystems and coastal areas support rich fisheries and tourism and are also home to numerous busy ports.

 

But over the last three decades, rapid development, pollution and improper use of resources have had a damaging effect on coastal ecosystems. Erosion and flooding are also likely to be…

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Experts from AU Member States are meeting in Windhoek, Namibia to, among others, identify the major effects of climate change on health in Africa and to support strong actions to mitigate its impact. The experts meeting is being held in the run up to the 5th Conference of African Ministers of Health (CAMH5) to be held from 17- 21 April, also in Windhoek.

 

In addition, the experts, who are meeting under the umbrella of the African Union,…

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Nearly 200 participants of a Green Economy symposium organized by the SEED Initiative, which is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), met today with the 30 global winners of the SEED Awards to look at ways to accelerate the transition to a Green Economy in the developing world.

The Symposium focused on policies needed to accelerate the transition to a Green Economy and on the environmental and social contribution of community-level entrepreneurs…

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During the late sixties, two major events occurred: the Declaration of Health for All (HFA) by the WHO Health Assembly in 1977 and the adoption in Alma-Ata in 1978 of the primary health care approach as the strategy by which the ultimate objective of HFA would be attained.

Health For All became a popular slogan for many years to follow and it was recognized that stronger health systems must be based on Primary Health Care principles, which today is still regarded as the best approach…

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As urbanization continues to take place, the management of solid waste is becoming a major public health and environmental concern in urban areas of many African countries. The concern is serious, particularly in the capital cities, which are often gateways to the countries for foreign diplomats, businessmen, and tourists. Poor visual appearance of these cities will have negative impacts on official and tourist visits and foreign investment.

Recognizing its importance, a number of…

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Exploring the future of the world is a tempting challenge. Will the 21st century really be the African century? Who will be the world powers in 2050? How will global environmental change evolve?

Will there be a clash of civilizations? The many books and reports written to discuss the possible answers to these and similar questions generally ignore Africa. Where they do include Africa, the discussion is often based on broad assumptions or stereotypes.

However, Africa does…

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The impacts of climate change on health in Africa will form part of the Continental Climate Change Strategy being developed under the leadership of the African Union Commission (AUC) according to the AU Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture, Ms. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace.

Stressing the relevance and timeliness of the subject, Ms Tumusiime told participants to Second Pan-African Climate and Health in Africa workshop which opened at the UN Conference Centre in Addis Ababa today that…

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Water is precious. Although water covers three quarters of the earth, only a small fraction is accessible to human beings as fresh water. Water is critical to nourishing and fostering life. Water is vital to our existence and to our social and economic development.

Water plays an essential role in helping to eradicate poverty, especially in the Least Developed Countries. To build a world without hunger, we must and we can harness water to feed the world by developing policies and…

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