Job Opportunity

Head of Communications (maternity cover)

    Full Time (37.5 hours), based in London (with the possibility of overseas travel)
    £42,488 plus 9% employer pension contribution
    Fixed term contract, ten months with possibility of extension
    25 days annual leave + 3 Christmas office closure days + 8 UK bank holidays
    Closing date: 17.00 (UK time) Wednesday 25 March 2015
    Interviews: week commencing 30 March 2015

Low funding, a high cost for disaster management in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe is prone to disasters such as droughts and floods

Busani Bafana

Bulawayo, - Limited funding is crippling Zimbabwe's efforts to plan for and reduce disasters in a country frequently experiencing floods and droughts.

"The National Civil Protection Fund is perennially underfunded; however this is complemented by other humanitarian agencies as is the case with developing countries in general," Sibusisiwe Ndlovu

Deputy Director of the Department of Civil Protection in Zimbabwe said in an interview. "The National Civil Protection Fund requires a minimum of about $3.5 million per year to fulfill its mandate."

Africa threatens to dump any unfavourable Paris climate change Deal

  By Arison TAMFU in Cairo, Egypt

Participants at the AMCEN conference in Cairo, Egypt

 

As negotiations intensify for a universally accepted climate change agreement that is expected to be signed in French capital, Paris this year, the African Group of Negotiators has made it clear that it is not going in for any deal that disfavours the continent. 

`Paris is similar to Copenhagen in terms of the expectations. This is the time that we close the ambition gap in terms of emission reduction and provision of means of limitation that supports the need of developing countries for adaptation.Unless we have sufficient support, means of implementation, Africa will face a lot of challenges in terms of its development because development iswhat makes the basis for the African group of Negotiators. That is why Africa will not sign any Paris agreement that will not include its demands` said Nagmeldin Goutbi Elhassan, Chairman of the African Group of Negotiators under the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Maasai women of kajiado fighting climate change through horticulture farming.

By Mary Mwendwa

In the dusty , dry and hot landscapes of Lenkobei village in Kajiado County in Kenya, a group of women have decided to beat all odds and empower themselves economically and socially through smart farming.

 Emaiyanata Self Help Group is a symbol of hope and resilience in the semi-arid Kajiado County, where drought brings devastating catastrophes to the pastoralist community of the Maasai people. They started farming last year 2014, tomatoes, onions , bananas,cassava and  kales which have seen them transform their lives drastically.

Visionary New African Network for Women Leaders on Environment Launched at African Ministerial Conference

By UNEP News Desk

 Cairo, 5 March 2015 - Women ministers and leaders from Africa meeting at the Africa Ministerial Conference of the Environment (AMCEN) launched a new network, Thursday, that aims at enhancing representation and involvement of women in decision-making in areas related to the environment and sustainable development continent wide. 

Climate change linked to increased snake bites in Kitui, Kenya

Mwanthi Maliwa was bitten by a cobra

BY KITAVI MUTUA

Mr Mwanthi Maliwa, a peasant farmer in Mwingi area of Kitui County may
have lost his right leg after a vicious attack by a cobra, but his
battle with the venomous snakes is far from over.

The partly disabled villager, who faces a difficult task of guarding
his family against more attacks, has devised simple but effective ways
of fending off the poisonous snakes, which have invaded their
villages.

Before going to bed, Mr Maliwa's family has to leave basins full of
water outside their house every evening to pacify the snakes, by
quenching their thirst arising from vagaries of dry weather.

Like many other residents in the arid region, he faces a sad
phenomenon related to climate change as the snakes conflict with
locals in pursuit of diminishing water resources in manner and
consequence never witnessed before.

Locals believe that the snakes are invading their houses in search of
water and cooler atmosphere because their usual habitat has been
destroyed by human activities.

"We keep water outside the houses so that incase the snakes come,
they can get their share and slither back to the bushes in the hope
that we minimize the conflict" he said.

Report forecasts substantial rise in climate change adaptation cost

Participants at the 14th session of ACMEN

By Ariosn TAMFU in Cairo, Egypt

As a major step to fight against the devastating consequences of climate change, Africa is prioritizing adaptation, that is, those activities that will make people, ecosystems and infrastructure less vulnerable to the impacts climate change, but a new report warns that the costs of climate change adaptation is expected to rise far beyond Africa’s coping capacity.

Civil Society Urges AMCEN to ensure developed countries mobilize USD 1 trillion for climate action

By Arison TAMFU 

 

Augustine Njamnshi addressing AMCEN in Egypt

The African Civil Society under the auspices of Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, bringing together diverse groups from the youth, Indigenous Peoples, farmers, faiths, NGOs and networks has told the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) that climate change negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have so far delivered no concrete results as growing impacts  of climate change continue to stand in the way of African development aspirations.

VIDEO - Inteview with Mounkaila Goumandakoye in Cairo, Egypt

 Arison TAMFU

As African Ministerial Conference on Environment AMCEN begins in Cairo, Mounkaila Goumandakoye, UNEP Director and Regional Representative, Regional Office for Africa tells  PAMACC what he thinks about the conference and the road to Paris climate change negotiations.

Click here for the video

Stakeholders outline expectations ahead of AMCEN

By Arison TAMFU in Cairo, Egypt

Stakes are high for the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) that begins tomorrow March 2 in Egyptian capital, Cairo. AMCEN and African Civil society Group expect that the conference will define a concrete blueprint that will guide the continent to discussions on the Sustainable development Goals to be concluded in New York and Paris climate change conference that is likely to agree on a new climate change agreement, which will come into effect by 2020.