Nairobi, 1 April 2011
- The United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) and the United Nations World Food
Programme (WFP) signed an agreement today
that combines forces in addressing the impact
of environmental stress and climate-related
shocks on the food security of the world's
most vulnerable people.
The agreement draws
on the expertise of both agencies to address
global food-related emergencies, reduce
the risk and impact of climate change and
global warming on the environment, improve
food security and promote solutions in the
world's most vulnerable regions.
The African continent
is not only among the most vulnerable regions
but also the least equipped in terms of
disaster management and reduction to the
impact of climate change. As a consequence
of repetitive disasters, Africa has witnessed
decreased agricultural production, ecosystem
degradation leading to loss of biodiversity,
environmental migration and displacement
within but also outside of the continent.
Working together UNEP and WFP can strengthen
disaster preparedness and resilience to
climate change in Africa. The joint actions
for this partnership include also strengthening
capacity and increasing people's livelihoods
by reducing climate-induced poverty.
As the voice of the
environment, UNEP's mission is to provide
leadership and encourage partnership in
caring for the environment by inspiring,
informing, and enabling nations and peoples
to improve their quality of life without
compromising that of future generations.
UNEP is an advocate, educator, catalyst
and facilitator promoting the wise use of
the planet's natural assets for sustainable
development. Its work involves providing
support for environmental assessments; legal
and institutional strengthening and environmental
policy development; sustainable use and
management of natural resources; integration
of economic development and environmental
protection; and promoting public participation
in environmental management.
WFP is the largest United
Nations humanitarian organization and a
frontline actor in protecting lives and
livelihoods of millions of food and nutritionally
insecure people. As the emergency arm of
the UN, the WFP works in countries impacted
by natural and manmade disasters. The agency
has also developed important analytical
tools and systems aimed at assessing the
potential impact of weather and climate-related
food insecurity.
+ More
New Environmental Co-operation
between UNEP and the Government of Japan
Nairobi, 1 April 2011
- World-class environmental research has
received an important boost, thanks to the
strengthening of a partnership between the
UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the
Government of Japan.
Signing a Memorandum
of Understanding at UNEP headquarters in
Nairobi, the two parties have renewed co-operation
on the International Environmental Technology
Centre (IETC), based in Osaka.
The Centre is dedicated
to the transfer of environmentally sound
technologies to developing countries and
countries with economies in transition by
means of providing training and consulting
services, carrying out research, and accumulating
and disseminating related information with
special focus on environmentally sustainable
management of big cities.
Achim Steiner, UN Under
Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director,
said: " I would like to thank the Government
of Japan for its continued support in the
field of clean and innovative technology.
It is one of the keys to unlocking a transition
to a low carbon, resource efficient Green
Economy and achieving a transformative outcome
which evolves sustainable development at
next year's Rio+20 meeting in Brazil to
meet the new realities and opportunites
of the 21st century".
Since 2004, the Centre
has focused on three key areas: waste management,
water and sanitation and disaster management.
Recent IETC publications include a report
on how improved waste management can help
tackle climate change and the role of Environmentally
Sound Technologies in improving the efficiency
of Urban and Domestic Water Use.
"Through the International
Environmental Technology Centre, Japan continues
to contribute to key UNEP activities - particularly
in building technological capacity in developing
countries," said His Excellency Mr.
Toshihisa Takata, Ambassador of Japan to
the Republic of Kenya. "We believe
that by renewing this Memorandum of Understanding,
we can strengthen even further the relationship
between UNEP and Japan," added Mr.
Takata.
One of the key projects
implemented by the IETC on behalf of UNEP
has been support for the environmental management
of the Iraqi Marshlands.
The marshlands - considered
by some as the original biblical "Garden
of Eden" - constitute the largest wetland
ecosystem in the Middle East, with major
environmental and cultural importance. Since
the 1970s, the Marshlands have been damaged
significantly due to upstream dam construction
and drainage operations. By 2003, they had
been almost entirely destroyed.
It was against this
background that IETC launched its 'Support
for Environmental Management of Iraqi Marshlands'
project in 2004 to help restore this valuable
ecosystem and provide clean drinking water
for up to 100,000 people living in or near
the marshlands.
The project focused
on facilitating strategy formulation, monitoring
marsh conditions, raising capacity of Iraqi
decision makers, and providing water, sanitation,
and wetland management options on a pilot
basis.
It enjoyed striking
success - with some areas of the marshlands
recovering to pre-1970s levels around two
years after the launch of the project. Satellite
images of the ecosystem revealed a rapid
increase in water and vegetation cover.
The IETC is part of
UNEP's Division of Technology, Industry,
and Economics.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Tours Geothermal
Plant in East Africa's Great Rift Valley
