Uche Isieke Profile

LDN - LEVERAGING ON LAND BASED SKILLS ,KNOWLEDGE AND CAPACITY;FOR A GREATER CHANGE

The increasing disparity of production ability in the country, on knowledge, skill, creativity and innovation has continued to contribute to climate change impact and its associated crisis. Citizens become knowledge and skills handicapped, which could interpret their vulnerability and propensity to engage in acts that are not consistent with environmental sustainability.

An environmentally educated home, armed with relevant climate change mitigation and adaptation skills, are always conscious with their actions; and are innovation and sustainability driven.

Embedding the right environmental attitude and climate change impact consciousness are innovative ways to spur action to drive the change well all long for.  For instance, some human-induced factors that degrade the land such as overgrazing, mono-cropping, over - ploughing, bush burning and over-cultivation, among others are as a result of ignorance of poor rural smallholder farmers and lack of capacity to effectively manage their nature's( land ) given resources.

A rural community in Mbano area of Imo State, Nigeria, threatened by the gully erosion.

A degraded landscape can say to the one that is barren and dwindled carrying capacity to cater for those whose lives and livelihoods are dependent on land.

The overuse of the natural resource ( land) is one factor many rural dwellers are poor and vulnerable to climate change impact.

Talking about the rural economy, stagnation of net agricultural products has continued to jeopardize the income benefits of rural communities with a lack of alternative sustainable resources and basic economic; and climate-resilient infrastructure.

This again explains the persistence and exacerbation of poverty within the grassroots in Nigeria and Africa at large.

According to Nigeria's national land degradation neutrality baseline study from 2000 to 2010, shows that more than 463, 360 hectares(Ha) of forestland has been lost, including 344,570 hectares area converted to shrubs, grassland and sparsely vegetated areas, and 188,570 ha converted to cropland. Areas under bare land and other areas increased by 80 ha. For the land productivity dynamic, it was observed that 360,340ha of forestland had shown declining productivity while 178,620 ha of forestland showed early signs of declining. It was also noted that the average soil organic carbon stock for the country is 37 ton per hectare. This reveals the urgency in the need to adopt a more robust approach across scales and sectors, to implementing Nigeria's NAP on Drought Desertification and Land Degradation.

A Liberian youth sustainable agriculture technologist; and a RUWAI volunteer, who renders assistance for a school garden and smallholder farmers in his country, while promoting sustainable land management.

The role of awareness, education, skill and capacity building can not be overemphasized in implementing the various national targets; to avoid, minimize and reverse land degradation.  Such strategic skills that strengthen the resilience of rural communities and the vulnerable to improve land productivity; rehabilitate declining productivity; halt the conversion of forests to and wetlands to another land cover; increase forest cover and reduce the rate of soil sealing; would require massive participation of relevant stakeholders and vulnerable communities towards implementing LDN.

Unfortunately, the government has not done enough in this regard, as many citizens are yet to be aware of the LDN and its opportunities. Land Degradation Neutrality  is an interventionist project, and can not be achieved using the traditional government bureaucracy which has seen many brilliant initiatives performed below average.

 The UNCCD and its relevant implementing agencies should as a matter of necessity, strengthen the LDN implementation strategy, in order to empower CBOs, CSOs and NGOs for effective and innovative LDN mainstreaming, as mentioned are the SDGs.

The young Liberian farmer displaying some watermelons harvested from his garden.

Implementing LDN again would bring the desired landscapes transformation through the execution of sustainable land management practices while leveraging on various land business opportunities for the private sector. There are alternative investments in energy, water, agriculture, forestry, mining, infrastructure, trade and finance sectors, among others.  Regrettably in Nigeria, many states and local governments are not leveraging on LDN as a tool to create jobs for the teeming unemployed rural youth, fight poverty and enhance food security for citizens; through the various sustainable funding mechanisms.  An example is the  Ogun state - ILEDOTUN  multi-million dollar restoration project, to be implemented through a public-private partnership ( PPP) framework.


Achieving LDN by 2030 will also contribute to the country's Nationally Determined Contribution ( NDC) to climate change mitigation and adaptation. It is a smart way to accelerate Nigeria's ambitious target towards achieving emission reduction by 20%, by 2025, while restoring the basic ecosystem's essentials.


Uche Isieke is a rural community development consultant; and a member of the UN Nigeria's LDN  project National Technical Group. He is also a member of a Working Group on Access to Funding , for the African Initiative for Combating Desertification to Strengthen Resilience to Climate Change in the Sahel and the Horn of Africa- AI-CD.

Consultant: Communications and Advocacy Coordinator -UN

Location : Jerusalem, with travel to other locations in the State of Palestine), requires full presence at UN Women Jerusalem office, PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Application Deadline : 15-Feb-20 (Midnight New York, USA)

Time left : 18d 11h 13m

Additional Category : Gender Equality

Type of Contract : Individual Contract

Post Level : National Consultant

Languages Required :
Arabic   English  

Starting Date :
(date when the selected candidate is expected to start) 01-Mar-2020

Duration of Initial Contract : 6 months
Expected Duration of Assignment : 6 months

REFER A FRIEND  APPLY NOW


Background

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security. Placing women’s rights at the center of all its efforts, UN Women will lead and coordinate United Nations system efforts to ensure that commitments on gender equality and gender mainstreaming translate into action throughout the world. It will provide strong and coherent leadership in support of Member States’ priorities and efforts, building effective partnerships with civil society and other relevant actors.

UN Women plays an innovative and catalytic role in the State of Palestine since its inception in 1997. UN Women Palestine Office focuses its activities on one overarching goal, namely, to support the implementation at the national level of existing international commitments to advance gender equality in line with the national priorities. In support of this goal, and thoroughly taking into consideration the specificities of the Palestinian context, UN Women concentrates its efforts and interventions toward the realisation of following strategic goals:  Mainstream gender in governance, peace and security; Supporting women's economic security and rights; and Promoting women’s rights and protection against violence.

UN Women as part of its approach and methodology within the unique political and social context and situation of the State of Palestine and in order to advance the recognition and enjoyment of women's rights, developed and currently implements a program aimed at creating and institutionalizing systems, policies, procedures and mechanisms related to the protection and empowerment of women and children victims of violence, as well as to women’s access to equitable justice.

In this framework, UN Women would like to recruit a qualified communication consultant to perform duties and responsibilities and prepare and submit monthly deliverables as following

Time frame:

The assignment is expected to start in 1 March 2020 and to be finalized by 31 August 2020


Duties and Responsibilities

+Under the overall supervision of UN Women Special Representative, the Communication and Advocacy Consultant will undertake the following tasks, duties and responsibilities:

Update and Implement the CO’s communication strategy

Take the lead in strategy, planning, development and implementation of all communication tasks related to the work of the agency;
Support the development of tools, guidelines and templates supporting the communication strategy;
Support capacity building of key partners (Government and CSOs) on communication/visibility and develop quality communication products;
Establish and maintain working relationship with government partner communication focal points and member States to ensure visibility of UN Women and its partners;
Take the lead in organizing media outreach; arrange media contacts; press briefings and interviews; draft media talking points and other materials as needed for senior staff and VIPs; respond to media inquiries quickly and effectively
Support management and update of CO website and social media channels.
Production and promotion of high-quality communication and reporting products:

Support programme teams to identify and develop key external communication materials, including thematic briefs, statements, brochures, posters, videos, photography, infographics, etc.;
Oversee and coordinate the development and production of bi-lingual (Arabic and English) information products and communication materials India support to the work of the agency (stories, press releases, social media content, donor bulletins, brochures, fact sheets, presentations, information leaflets, knowledge products, etc.);
Oversee and develop the quality of publications, by ensuring that editorial content, layout and design are in line with UN Women’s brand and values;
Ensure the delivery of communication products and dissemination to theory different target groups in a timely manner, including briefing packages for high-level delegations;
Undertake media and communication work, including producing and delivering press materials, press releases, media advisories.
Support to advocacy and coordination work:

Ensure high quality, time effective and evidence-based communication and advocacy work;
Support the work of the joint strategic campaign platforms;
Liaise with UN Women HQ, UN Women Regional Office for the Arab States, and Palestine’s UN Communication Group, as well as the media, governmental bodies, national coalitions, and other organizations in relation to communication and advocacy activities;
Build information sharing networks; plans and oversees the maintenance and dissemination of publicly accessible information materiel among CO colleagues and partners; plans and develop outreach activities;
Support communication work around key international advocacy days including International Women’s Day, the 16 days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign and other UN observances.
Carry out other duties as may be assigned by UN Women or unplanned activities that would be required to be taken.
Key deliverables

Monthly update reports on key deliverables, duties and responsibilities as listed above.

Update of the country office’s communication and advocacy strategy, including Beijing +25, Mexico, Paris and CEDAW (March 2020)
Monthly report on deliverables including all communication products developed for the Beijing +25, CEDAW and IWD and related actions (including press releases, social media materials, concept notes, communication tools and messages) (April 2020)
Monthly report on deliverables including all communication products developed for the Mexico Forum and related actions (including press releases, social media materials, concept notes, communication tools and messages) (May 2020)
Monthly report on deliverables including all communication productsAndrew developed for the Paris forum and related actions (including press releases, communication tools and messages) (June 2020)
Monthly report on deliverables including all communication products developed for the HLPF and related actions (including communication and advocacy strategy, press releases, social media materials, concept notes, communication tools and messages) (July 2020)
Summary report of the whole campaign during the 6 months of the contract (August 2020)

Competencies

Core Value/Guiding Principles:

Integrity
Professionalism
Respect for Diversity
Core Competencies:

Awareness and Sensitivity Regarding Gender Issues
Accountability
Creative Problem Solving
Effective Communication
Inclusive Collaboration
Stakeholder Engagement
Leading by Example


FUNCTIONAL COMPETENCIES:

Knowledge of different aspects of public information and communication;
Ability to elaborate communication strategies by identifying audiences and communication means;
Ability to conceptualize, design and implement major information and advocacy campaigns;
Ability to rapidly analyze and integrate diverse information from varied sources;
Ability to produce a variety of written and visual communications products in a clear, concise style, as well as develop messages for use when communicating on the programmes;
Excellent writing and editing skills and a demonstrated ability to clearly communicate development ideas and experiences;
Demonstrated creativity, particularly very good sense of design;
Sound commitment to gender equality, women’s empowerment, human rights and social justice issues.
Good interpersonal and communication skills
Excellent computer skills

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field;
Experience:

The Communication and Advocacy Consultant should have the following qualifications:

A minimum of 5 years of experience in, communication, advocacy, media, campaigns, and other communication-related field; international relations or development;
Experience of a minimum of 5 years in conceptualizing and managing the production of printed materials, including brochure, report, banners, etc.;
Experience of a minimum of 5 years  in working with CSOs and government partners on communication needs;
Experience of a minimum of 5 years  in  communication on development and human rights for media, web, print production, and audio-visual productions;
A minimum of 5 years’ experience in working on women human rights issues in Palestine;
Previous experience with a multilateral or international organization is desirable.

Language Requirements:

Fluency (both oral and written) in English and Arabic

Evaluation of applicants

This SSA modality is governed by UN Women General Terms and Conditions. UN Women will only be able to respond to applicants who meet the minimum requirements.

Candidates should clearly indicate how they meet the above-mentioned criteria in their applications.

The following documents should be submitted as part of the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Please make sure you have provided all requested materials:



Candidates will be evaluated based on the applicants’ qualifications mentioned above. Shortlisted candidates will undergo an interview. A contract will be awarded to the individual consultant who succeeds in the set interview.

Technical Evaluation: (80%) – max. 80 points:

Refer a friend     Apply here https://jobs.undp.org/cj_apply.cfm?cur_job_id=89856   

Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in communication, journalism, international relations, public administration or related field (5 points);
A minimum of 5 years of experience in, communication, advocacy, media, campaigns, and other communication-related field; international relations or development (15 points)
Experience of a minimum of 5 years in conceptualizing and managing the production of printed materials, including brochure, report, banners, etc.; (15 points)
Experience of a minimum of 5 years in working with CSOs and government partners on communication needs; (10 points)
Experience of a minimum of 5 years in communication on development and human rights for media, web, print production, and audio-visual productions; (10 points)
A minimum of 5 years of experience in working on women human rights issues in Palestine; (5 points)
Previous experience with a multilateral or international organization. (5 points)
Samples of communications products developed for previous assignments (15 points)
Total 80 points

Interview: (20%) – max. 20 points

Total 20 points

Only long-listed candidates will be contacted.

APPLY HEREhttps://jobs.undp.org/cj_apply.cfm?cur_job_id=89856

NIGERIA SET TO EXPORT RICE - NANONO

The Honourable Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono has stated that Nigeria would start to export Nigeria's brand of Rice in the next Two Years.

The Minister, made this disclosure during a press conference after a working visit of the Nestle Nigeria Public Limited Company  (PLC) Office in Lagos, today.

Alhaji Sabo Nanono noted that the Country's land border closure had resulted in increased outputs by many rice milling plants which were operating below capacities before the closure.

The Minister pointed out that with the improved production rate, Nigeria rice will soon be exported, " before the closure of our land border, most of these rice milling plants were partially operating, but now ,they not only operate in full capacities but are also expanding".

Nanono informed that " if we maintain the momentum in the next two years, we may export rice to other countries ".

He also said that " I was worried in terms of the production of rice, but what I have found out is that most rice producers have stocked rice for the next six months"

He emphasized that " this means that before the stock is finished, dry season rice will be harvested, and before that finishes, rainy season will come back ".

He stressed that it is only in three months from November to January that rice is not being grown in our country. According to the Minister, " we cultivate rice in a nine- month  cycle; probably as we move on the cycle will widen ,so we do not have a problem with rice processing.

He also said that there had been expansion of local rice Value Chain as well as the creation of more jobs due to increase in rice production.

"As at today, we have 11 rice milling plants with the capacity to produce from 180 tonnes to 350 tonnes of rice per day.

In a few months, another mill with a capacity to produce 400 tonnes of rice per day is going to be opened, with another upcoming 34 smaller mills; then, we have clusters in different areas " , the Minister observed.

He added that the local rice farmers were fully engaged and used between 200 farm lands and 300 farm lands directly.

The Minister lauded Nestle Nigeria PLC for its role  in assisting local farmers and creating jobs for Nigerians.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Nestle Nigeria  PLC, Mr. Mauricio Alarcon, thanked the Minister and his delegation for the visit and called for stronger and robust working relationship with the Ministry. He also said that there were much opportunities for collaboration in Nigeria.

Mr. Alarcon  further said that " we source 80% of our products locally, we source 100% of Maize for Golden Morn, locally; soya,millet, sugar, salt and cocoa are locally-  sourced".

Ezeaja Ikemefuna is the Director of Information,Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Moghalu Petitions National Assembly Leadership On Electoral Reform

To Build a Nation (TBAN), the nationwide non-partisan citizens movement founded by Professor Kingsley Moghalu, a presidential candidate in the 2019 general election and a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has announced the kick-off of its campaign for one million signatures to a petition to the National Assembly for fundamental electoral reform in Nigeria.

In separate letters addressed to Senator Ahmad Lawan, President of the Senate, and Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Moghalu stated: “As a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and with the understanding of my constitutional role and duty as a citizen, I am writing to petition the National Assembly on the need to immediately ensure the fundamental reform of the legal framework governing our electoral process in order to safeguard our democracy and to strengthen our democratic institutions.”

All Nigerians who desire a deep reform of the legal framework for the country’s electoral system are enjoined to download and sign a copy of the petition, which is available on TBAN’s website: www.tobuildanation.org.

The petition calls for electronic accreditation of all voters, electronic collation of all votes, electronic transmission of votes from polling units, and the legal empowerment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to adopt electronic and digital voting in pilot phases by 2023 and fully by 2027. The petition also calls for eligible Nigerians in the diaspora to be allowed to exercise their political franchise by voting digitally in Nigerian elections by 2023.

Prof. Moghalu, who is a former senior official of the United Nations and a Professor of Public Policy at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, USA, was the presidential candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in the 2019 elections. He ran a strong campaign that influenced a shift in Nigeria’s political narrative and increased awareness of alternative possibilities for effective, 21st leadership in Africa’s most populous nation.

Moghalu resigned his membership of the YPP in October 2019 and convened TBAN in order to campaign for electoral and political reform on a non-partisan basis. The movement is dedicated to advocacy and mobilisation for entrenchment of democratic ideals, including making citizens’ votes to count and an a more informed electorate. TBAN also advocates lower cost of governance, and for a constitutional restructuring of Nigeria back to true federalism.

TBAN is governed by a Board of Directors comprising Prof. Moghalu; Maryanne Moghalu, a lawyer and social entrepreneur; Farouk Shehu, a former Director in the CBN; Jide Akintunde, a development professional and publisher; Tope Fasua, an economist and the founder and presidential candidate of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP); Ann Nnena Ahukanna, a lawyer and entrepreneur; Umma Getso, an entrepreneur, advocate for girl-child education and political activist who was the Vice-Presidential candidate on Moghalu’s ticket in the 2019 election; Dr. Emeka Ujam, a former Member of the House of Representatives; and Charles Orbih, a United States-based cybersecurity expert.

Jude Feranmi Adejuwon is the Executive Director of TBAN.

Signed
Jide Akintunde
Spokesperson, To Build a Nation

COCA-COLA: THERE IS STILL A DEMAND FOR SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BOTTLES

Bea Perez told the BBC at Davos 2020 that customers like plastic bottles because they reseal and are lightweight.

Perez said the soft drinks giant could not stop using plastic bottles completely, as this could alienate customers and hit sales; additionally, she said using only aluminium and glass packaging could push up the firm’s carbon footprint – another key argument by plastic packaging firms.

Despite pledging to recycle as many plastic bottles as it uses by 2030, environmental campaigners say many Coke bottles would still go uncollected and end up in landfill. The packaging industry almost universally insists the problem is as much about consumer littering habits as it is about the format of the packaging.

Last year both Coca-Cola and Pepsi told Packaging News the problem of plastic waste was primarily a littering issue.

Tim Brett, president of Coca-Cola Europe, said: “I really believe strongly we don’t have a packaging problem. We have a waste problem and a litter problem. There is nothing wrong with packaging, as long as we get that packaging back, we recycle it and then we reuse it again.

“Packaging per se is not the problem. It’s the packaging that ends up in landfill or in litter. That sounds jarring when you first hear it and I am not denying there is a packaging waste problem – but it is not necessarily the material.”

He added that nothing was wrong with plastic bottles but there is a problem with them ending up in the sea or landfill.

Simon Lowden, president and chief marketing officer – global foods at PepsiCo, doubled down on Brett’s comments. “We absolutely agree with that. Packaging is a necessity, and it is about safety as much as anything else. It’s the education of the use after, and the materials used to build the packaging, but it’s not packaging per se that’s the issue – it’s how we use it pre and post. I couldn’t agree more with what Tim said. We should be very careful that we don’t think of packaging being a demon. What we do with it afterwards is the job we have to focus on.”

The brands are seen as some of the world’s biggest plastic waste polluters.

Perez added the firm recognised it now had to be “part of the solution”.

“Business won’t be in business if we don’t accommodate consumers.

“So as we change our bottling infrastructure, move into recycling and innovate, we also have to show the consumer what the opportunities are. They will change with us.”

https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/top-story/coca-cola-pepsi-defiant-plastic-bottles-littering-21-01-2020

ARE WE REALLY POISONOUS BEINGS?

The beauty and pureness of our #environment
The distinctive pleasure of creation
Blessings underserved
Yet, our greediness knows no bound
Our quest for vanity unimaginable!
How come over exploitation of resources knows no bound?
How come we fear not the impending danger
The gases we breath already?
How come we only care for the incentives we gain
Should every other thing perish?

Now, our every breath are heavily polluted
The lands of the #NigerDelta holds no nutrients
The streams which quench our thirsts are infected
Do we really care?
Care about sicknesses in the wind
The toxins in our meals
Or the ailments flowing in the Niger River!
Our yams barely feed a mouth
Our farmlands are eroded with hollows we can't stitch.
Our basins no longer hold water and our homes are being swallowed. One pint at a time!
Again, is our destiny to exterminate our kind?

The fight is no longer for the brave and greatest of men.
It is now a fight for our homes and survival!
Is earth not ours? Is it not the home for our next generation?
It can become more comfortable, sustainable!
From the bight of Benin to the taste of Sahara.
A home free from poisons and unbelievable hotness.
Indeed, our survival is in our hands!

Daniel Arinze  is an environmentalist;and a volunteer with  the Rural Watch Africa Initiative - RUWAI; a  non profit, working  to strengthen the resilience of  poor  rural communities and the  disadvantaged group in Nigeria and Africa, facing climate change crisis ;and environmental (land ) degradation.

APPLICATION FOR THE UN GENEVA EUROSOIL CONFERENCE 2020

As the conference of the European Confederation of Soil Science Societies (ECSSS), Eurosoil is the soil event of Europe. Eurosoil 2020 aims to tackle e.g. the environmental, social, economical, and public policy goals related to / impacting soil use and services.

The objective of Eurosoil 2020 is to bring together leading research scientists working on soil related topics and stakeholders dealing with issues of public concern, such as soil degradation and consequences of climatic changes. The important bridging role of soil practitioners to translate scientific knowledge into practice will be emphasised during Eurosoil 2020.

In line with the theme “Connecting People and Soil”, the Eurosoil 2020 Programme will be structured around, but not limited to, selected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Therefore, apart from soil scientists, contributions from stakeholders as well as related scientific fields (medicine, economy, social sciences, and others) are welcome.

Sessions and workshops reporting transdisciplinary research, enhancing scientific relevance by integrating across disciplines or engaging diverse stakeholders in research, education, restoration, policy, management, and protection of soil are encouraged. Special sessions or workshops could address if and how research meets or responds to public interests or needs, actions taken to increase research “impact” or relevance, and how actions affect research.

Register here:https://eurosoil2020.com/registrations/

UN INTERNSHIP - SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

Organization: UNCCD
 Capacity Building Marketplace

Category : Work & Volunteer Internship opportunities 

Country: Germany 

Language: English French Spanish 

Publication date: 06 January 2020 

Application date: 20 January 2020 

Start date: 15 February 2020 

End date: 15 August 2020 

Description

This Marketplace is a space and mechanism promoting the most diverse, innovative and best opportunities to build and strengthen capacity, and for encouraging development of new pathways and possibilities in this field.

Under the direct supervision of the Capacity Development and Innovations Officer, the intern will assist in the management of all the Marketplace’s social media channels. Specific tasks will include:

Manage social media external communications;
Contribute to the UNCCD CBM communications and social media strategy development and implementation;
Contribute to the social media general monitoring, content planning and production;
Monitor social media for the content relevant to the UNCCD mandate;
Contribute to the development of communication and promotion tools for online or offline use;
Regularly assess the effectiveness of the UNCCD CBM communications channels and test the effectiveness of communications activities.
Prepare content for social media and upload this content for publication.
Assist in research for preparing online courses related to Capacity Building within the framework of the UNCCD;
Perform other duties as determined by the supervising officer that relate to this internship. APPLY HERE:https://bit.ly/39KMitZ

E- LEARNING CONSULTANCY - UN

E- Learning Consultant


Organization : United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)

Category: News Work & Volunteer Job vacancies 

Country: Germany Language: English ,French or Spanish 

Publication date: 17 January 2020 

Application date: 06 February 2020 

Start date: 01 March 2020 

End date: 31 May 2020 


Description


Capacity building and development play a major role in efforts to realize the objectives of the UNCCD.

Under the direct supervision of the Head of the UNCCD Capacity Development and Innovations Office, and working collaboratively with all staff, the incumbent shall perform the following main duties:

Review and update the UNCCD e-learning course on: The role of the UNCCD National Focal Point;

The Committee on Science and Technology;

The Committee for the Review of the Implementation of the Convention.

Finalize and support the launching of the e-learning course for youths on land and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals;

Develop and support the launching of a general e-learning course on drought and the mitigation of it effects;

All other pertinent duties relating to this consultancy.

All applicants should possess at least a master’s degree in an area related to sustainable development, environment, land management, forestry or drought. Download application form here:https://knowledge.unccd.int/cbm/e-learning-consultant

VACANCY - ECONOMIC AFFAIRS OFFICER AT UNITED NATIONS

WHY CLIMATE CHANGE WILL EVENTUALLY DEFEAT AUSTRALIA

Over the past few months, the world has watched in grief as bushfires have ravaged almost every state in Australia, the worst hit being New South Wales. The damage so far has been devastating to say the least with about 24 persons dead, over 2000 homes destroyed, 7.3 million hectares of land affected and an estimated 1 billion animals killed by the blazing inferno. Support in both human and capital capacities have been pouring in from all over the world, most of which are geared towards fighting the fire. People have sacrificed their time, resources, energy and even their lives to ensure that this epidemic is quenched.

It is no secret that climate change is the underlying cause of the bushfires and the major driver of the climate change in Australia is industrial pollution most of which is from coal mining. Australia is the world's second largest exporter of coal power and has avoided recession since 1991 by exporting coal mainly to her East-Asian neighbors. However, coal is a carbon-rich fuel and its mining will involve pumping large volumes of carbon compounds (carbonmonoxide, carbondioxide and in a lesser amount, methane) into the atmosphere. These compounds are well-known contributors to climate change and Australia can testify to that. The Land Down Under has faced severe drought and consequently wildfires for most part of the 21st century. The issue of climate change in Australia also presents grave ecological concerns as it has already wiped off billions of terrestrial and marine organisms. Australia's Great Barrier Reef (which provide shelter for many marine organisms, provides nitrogen and other essential nutrients for marine food chains and provides $1.5bn annually to the Australian economy from fishing and tourism) has come under serious threat. From 2016 to 2018, half of all coral in the reef died as a result of oceanic heatwaves.

Policy makers both at national and international levels will have to sit down to put an end to coal burning. This is the real war to be fought. A deliberate effort has to be targeted at the cause of the problem not just the effect. Given the huge economic benefits Australia have been reaping from coal, it is naive and unrealistic to think that there can be a rapid abandonment of coal burning. The government has not been able to pass any major climate change policy despite the impending disaster.

Drought and wildfires cannot be solved by wishful thinking or a few hour of rainfall. If the Australian government and other international bodies do not figure out an immediate way to stop coal burning and conserve the environment, this might just be the beginning of a series of climate wars that Australia cannot win.


Edited by Chris Ohuaka

UN: Zimbabwe will run out of food by the end of February 2020

Complied by Chris Ohuaka


The United Nations (UN) have raised alarm at the depreciating food reserves in Zimbabwe. The country's food reserve which feeds millions of its citizens will vanish next month.

For a country ridden with political unrest, economic instability, violence, corruption and hunger, 2020 does not seem to bring any comfort as the near future spells doom.
The South African nation has been ripped apart by devastating drought for over a year now. This environmental hazard coupled with bad governance has seen the prices of food skyrocket significantly.

Maize farmers in 2019 harvested just half of what was harvested in 2018 which has seen the price of maize tripled, bread now costs 20 times more than it did in 2018, livestock have also not been spared as output have been diminished due to the drought. Half the population of Zimbabwe (about 8 million people) now face food insecurity.

The spiral effect of the drought has been utterly devastating. Victoria Falls, once the world's largest water fall, have almost dried up hence major hydro-electric plants have shutdown resulting to power blackouts. The power blackouts in turn will have made businesses that depend of electricity to thrive to either fold or lay off workers.
The deepening crisis have forced families to eat less, students now dropout of schools at an alarming rate and girls turn to prostitution all in a desperate attempt to survive.

Deputy country director of the World Food Programme (WFP) - Niels Balzer, has beckoned on other world bodies and the international community to come to Zimbabwe's rescue. The country is in dire need of donations estimated to be about $211m to help combat the threat of drought and hunger.

“As things stand, we will run out of food by end of February, coinciding with the peak of the hunger season – when needs are at their highest. Firm pledges are urgently needed as it can take up to three months for funding commitments to become food on people’s tables,”

“While WFP now has the staff, partners, trucking and logistics capacity in place for a major surge in Zimbabwe, it is essential that we receive the funding to be able to fully deliver. The lives of so many depend on this.”

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GRANTS Professional Development Grants

OVERVIEW

Professional Development Grants (PDGs) provide support for mid-career conservationists to pursue short-term, non-degree training to upgrade their knowledge and skills. These trainings can include short courses, certificate trainings, or conferences among other training opportunities.

PDGs support training-related costs, including registration fees and tuition, meals and accommodations, books and materials, international travel, visa fees, and local transportation. Training may take place anywhere in the world and applicants can request up to $6,500.

See below for grant guidelines or click here for a printable version.

Russell E. Train Education for Nature© WWF
ELIGIBLE COUNTRIES
Individuals from the following countries are eligible to apply. Please note that within the eligible countries EFN gives preference to applicants working in WWF priority regions.

Belize
Bhutan
Bolivia
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Colombia
Dem. Republic of Congo
Ecuador
Fiji
French Guiana
Gabon
Guatemala
Guyana
Honduras
Indonesia
Kenya
Laos
Madagascar
Malaysia
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nepal
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Republic of Congo
Solomon Islands
Suriname
Uganda
Vietnam
Zambia

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility criteria to be considered for a grant.

You must be a citizen of an eligible country.
You must currently be living and working in your home country.
You must have at least three years of paid work experience in a conservation-related field in your home country.
You must have applied to or already be accepted to participate in the proposed training at the time you submit your application.
Your current work and proposed training must help advance conservation in your home country.
You must not be enrolled in an academic degree program.
You must have approval from your employer to participate in the proposed training and the promise of continued employment.
You must have a bank account in your own name that can receive US dollars and international wire transfers.
You must not have received funding from EFN in the past. Previous PDG recipients may be eligible for Alumni Grants.
The proposed training must take place at least 90 days after the application deadline.
You must submit all required documents by the application deadline.

APPLICATION PROCESS
All applicants must complete an application by one of the deadlines noted below. The proposed training must take place at least 90 days after the application deadline to allow EFN time for review, selection and processing of the grant.

November 1, 2019
February 1, 2020
May 1, 2020
August 1, 2020
Individuals may submit an online application at any time. Completed applications will be reviewed on the dates noted above, and applicants will be notified of the results within one month after the application deadline. Please note: PDGs are highly competitive. Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee you will receive a grant.


EFN requires employer approval for all Professional Development Grant applicants. Applicants will put the email address of their supervisor in their application. After the applicant submits their completed application, their supervisor will receive an automatic email requesting an employer approval document to be uploaded. This document’s responses will be used during the review process.

Employers can use this template for ease of filling out the required information. They will then need to save the completed document and click the upload link in the email they received. Please note: Applications will not be considered complete until after the employer approval form is uploaded.

Click HERE https://wwf.submittable.com/submit/145555/alumni-and-professional-development-grant-application  to access the application.


FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information on Professional Development Grants please review the frequently asked questions document. For other questions, please e-mail us at efn@wwfus.org.

A CALL FOR CLIMATE ACTION- A REALITY WE CAN'T DENY

Living the  hard truths of #climate #change! People now watch helplessly, parts of their home vanish in flames.

It is #ClimateEmergency!  We must behave in a way that allow us to defeat climate change. Achieving  the ambitious  #Climate neutral world by 2050 is herculean but realizable if we pledge and put our tools to work for one planet, one life; one feature. Countries should do more by  investing  in climate education which is key;such awareness to drive climate action; right the wrong and create opportunities. A robust and inclusive climate framework would  carter for the poor and vulnerable groups; build a climate resilient infrastructures for rural dwellers, to enhance mitigation and adaptation processes.

 Investment in green businesses by countries would further accelerate  NDCs and reduce emissions to the global permissible benchmark of  2.5°C  by 2030. 

 In the energy sector, the use of renewable energy,particularly in a decentralized form would contribute to emissions reduction. Other options such as setting up multi- cycle power stations; scalable power stations of at least 20- 50MW; use of natural gas rather than liquid fuels etc.
Agriculture: adoption of climate smart agriculture would help restore degraded landscapes and boost agricultural yields.

Transport: there has to an efficient transport system both for urban and rural dwellers with improved road network; provide light and high speed rail across cities and encourage moving of freights ( cargo) to rail. An investment towards the use of CNG is advisable as well.

Benchmarking against international best practices for industrial energy usage and adoption of green technology in industry. Increase taxes on industries and countries whose  products or activities impact negatively on human health and environment. Here the adoption of standard for imported equipment will be considered, particularly in the field of refrigeration and air conditioning where there is a risk of dumping equipment that are being phased out in OECD countries.

The best way to go is making sure that we plant as much trees as possible for a greener and cleaner ecosystems.

 The year 2020 can bring a CHANGE with our collective resolve to accelerate action for climate change. It is no longer a story that's being told in scientific books,now we all can feel the climate reality. It is here with us. Our failure in tackling the global menace would bring about catastrophes which  we can't afford!  It is action beyond rhetorics! Let's #Act #Now. #ActOnClimate #ClimateAction #ClimateReality #ClimateCrisis

HOW COMMUNITY GARDENS ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR CLIMATE RESILIENT AGRICULTURE IN GAMBIA

Climate change is affecting global food systems in such a way that those who already suffer from hunger and undernutrition are also the most vulnerable to the added threats from climate change. 

The Gambia, one of Africa's poorest nations, is a poignant example of such realities. With over 30 per cent of its population suffering from severe poverty, and with most of the country dependent on agriculture for a living, the predicted increase in annual temperatures could have devastating effects.

The fast rate of warming, a reduction in precipitations, and an increase in water evaporation will cause springs and streams to dry up – a trend that has already been observed over the past 40 years. The sea level is also expected to rise between four to seven centimeters during this century, replacing large areas of freshwater swamps with saltpans and salt-water marshes. The combined threat to local agriculture and to the people that depend on it is very high.

To help protect rural households, IFAD has been funding the National Agricultural Land and Water Management Development project through its Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP). It aims to increase the climate resilience of smallholder farmers and improve local climate change management.

Amongst its successes, the project has established 33 community gardens across The Gambia, helping rural people cope with droughts, erratic rainfall and limited access to water through suitable water management systems. With another 17 gardens under construction, the project will benefit more than 10,000 people - most of them women.


The IFAD media team spoke  to Fatima Seckan, one of the beneficiaries of the project, about the impact her village’s local community garden is having on her daily life. Fatima is a 24-year-old smallholder farmer who lives with her parents and five siblings in Darsilameh village, in the interior region of the country. Since last year, she has worked in the local community garden where she is responsible for trading the vegetables produced by all 267 members of the garden’s association.



When the garden was established with IFAD’s support in 2018, the farmers needed someone to promote their production and gain access to intermediaries and consumers. Fatima was chosen by the other farmers for this role – “because of my hard work”, she says while laughing.

Since then, Fatima has a very busy routine. She wakes up at 4am every day, gets help loading over 700 kilograms of vegetables onto public transportation and travels for about 30 minutes to Brikama street market. There she gets help unloading the cases and sells the products to two women vendors. At 9am, Fatima makes her way back home and rests for two hours. Then she goes to the garden and spends the rest of the day tending her own crops – sweet pepper, okra, onions and tomatoes. Fatima is also attending a nine-month IT course at a local institute, hence twice a week she has classes from 12pm to 2pm. Although she does not have a computer, this visionary young professional would like to acquire one for improving her association’s business: “I would use it for managing the ladies’ accounting”.

Thanks to IFAD-sponsored training on farming techniques like soil fertilization and transplanting, Fatima grows more than five times what she produced at her family’s garden before IFAD’s intervention, with yields reaching over 100 kilograms of different vegetables per week and making record revenues. With her increased income, she is able to pay for her IT course and for her younger sister’s secondary studies. “I save half of my income for my tomorrow”.

Community gardens have become a model of sustainable small-scale agriculture in The Gambia, representing an effective method to manage droughts and limited water availability. The gardens’ irrigation systems are often powered by low-emission renewable energy technologies, such as solar panels, as it is in the case of Darsilameh’s garden.