Scientists to Harness Nitrogen for Productivity in Lake Victoria Basin

Posted in Environment & Natural Resources

Lake Victoria Basin Commission Secretariat, Kisumu, Kenya: Scientists from International Nitrogen Management Systems (INMS), Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) University of Nairobi, Kenyatta University, and Makerere University in partnership with Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) collectively reflected on strategies of harnessing Nitrogen for productivity in Lake Victoria Basin region.

Continue Reading

Uganda hands over Chairmanship of the Joint Policy Steering Committee Meetings for Lake Victoria Basin to Rwanda

Posted in Environment & Natural Resources

Lake Victoria Basin Commission Secretariat, Kisumu, Kenya,1 March, 2019: The Republic of Uganda, which has been chairing the Joint Regional Policy Steering Committee Meetings (JRPSC) for Lake Victoria Basin, has handed over the chairmanship to the Republic of Rwanda on February, 28^th 2019 in Kisumu, Kenya.

Handing the instruments of chairmanship, Alfred Okot Okidi the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water and   Environment, Republic of Uganda outlined to participating delegates to JRPSC, the key achievements registered during his chairmanship. These included, but not limited to, successful completion of two mega flagship projects—Lake Victoria Water Sanitation Project phase two (LVWATSAN II) and Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project (LVEMP II).

The two regional projects have been coordinated by Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) and implemented by five East African Community Partner States. Reports from LVBC indicate that the two projects registered tangible outcomes at community levels through improved livelihoods and environmental conservation in East African Community Partner States. 

Acknowledging challenges still hampering the Lake Victoria Basin, the outgoing chairperson of the JRPSC observed that consensus and moving forward with a purpose would contribute in advancing East Africa Community integration agenda through programmes and projects.

The incoming chairperson, Fatina Mukarubibi, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment Republic of Rwanda commended the good leadership of the outgoing chairperson and committed to keep the pace set by members of JRPSC and LVBC—the latter is the implementer of the decisions and directives of the former.

Mukarubibi called for adoption of innovation, effective regional coordination and working extra harder by EAC Partner States as a way of unlocking existent development challenges—climate change, water hyacinth, among others.  “On climate change, we need to embrace climate adaptation measures in our long term development plans and work together,” Fatina Mukarubibi, the chairperson of RJPSC said.

 LVBC Executive Secretary, Dr. Ally-Said Matano also applauded the able leadership of the outgoing chairperson and congratulated the in-coming chairperson for assuming new responsibilities of steering the policy-making forum (JRPSC) for programmes and projects in the Lake Victoria.  

Dr. Matano expressed gratitude for the policy and strategic support from Principal and Permanent Secretaries and Ministers of the East Africa Community Partner States to the Lake Victoria Basin Commission. He lauded the ongoing support from development partners, specifically, World Bank, African Development Bank, KfW, EU, and USAID among others.

LVBC Executive Secretary cited Lake Victoria Bill as one of the legal and policy instruments which if enacted into law by the EALA Members of Parliament will reinforce LVBC’s resource mobilization efforts.  

The host of JRPSC, Ali Noor, the Principal Secretary for Environment and Forestry, Republic of Kenya welcomed delegates to one of Kenya’s Lake Cities, Kisumu.

He commended LVBC’s use of common approaches in sustainable management of shared resources in the five EAC Partner States. He urged delegates to generate recommendations aimed at realizing the shared vision of Lake Victoria Basin.

The Kenya’s representative called for delegates to observe one minute of silence in remembrance of marine victims from two sister EAC countries—Republic of Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania.

The 8^th JRPSC considered, among other things, the status of implementation of the recommendations and decisions of the previous JRPSC for Lake Victoria Basin held in April 2018 in Entebbe Uganda and other subsequent policy related meetings.

The JRPSC meeting also considered the progress reports for projects and programmes. Other pertinent issues on agenda included, but are not limited to, LVBC Resource Mobilization Initiatives—Pipeline projects and programmes.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Willy Mugenzi, PhD.
(+254) 735 39 34 34 (Kenya)
(+250) 788 35 12 89 (Rwanda)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

About the Lake Victoria Basin Commission:

Lake Victoria Basin Commission (LVBC) is a specialized institution of the East African Community (EAC) located in the City of Kisumu, Republic of Kenya and within the Lake Victoria Basin (LVB). The Commission is mandated to coordinate sustainable development and management of the Lake Victoria Basin in the 5 EAC Partner States.

Eastern African countries discuss carbon markets and carbon pricing in preparation for the upcoming 24th Conference of the Parties (COP 24) in Katowice

Posted in Environment & Natural Resources

November 2018- As many as 34 African countries refer to carbon mechanisms in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Therefore, many countries in Africa, including Eastern African countries, are interested in exploring the potential of carbon market mechanisms to reduce emissions and to implement their countries’ NDCs. Article 6 of the Paris Agreement covers several approaches for which rules, procedures and guidelines are in the final phase of being negotiated.

In this regard, the GIZ Carbon Markets Project in Uganda implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) together with the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre (RCC) Kampala and the Secretariat of the East African Community (EAC) organized a Pre-COP24 Negotiators Forum for Eastern African countries (30^th Oct – 1^st Nov 2018, Nairobi, Kenya). The discussions focused on carbon pricing and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement. The workshop brought together more than 40 public and private sector participants from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Ethiopia and Burundi, many of whom were experienced negotiators. Presenters at the workshop included Margaret Barihaihi from the NDC Partnership (NDCP) who gave insights on the support opportunities for NDC implementation; Olufunso Somorin from the African Development Bank (AfDB) who presented on the NDC Hub, an initiative by the bank to support African countries in the achievement of their NDC targets; and Amy Steen from UNFCCC, who delivered a profound analysis of Art. 6.2, the progress of Paris rulebook towards COP24 and the interlinkages of negotiation streams. Finally yet importantly, Rachel Boti-Douayoua representing the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) as a Co-Chair of the African Workgroup of Carbon Pricing, presented examples of carbon pricing approaches in African countries.

During the forum, participants had the opportunity to enhance their technical capacities on general rules, procedures and processes within UNFCCC negotiations framework as well as analyze and discuss the various textual options that are being negotiated under Art. 6.2, 6.4 and 6.8. To complement the exercise, the interlinkages of Art. 6 and Article 4 on accounting,  as well as Article 13 on transparency were discussed. In addition, with the workshop introduced the position and key concerns of the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) on matters relating to Article 6. Furthermore, participants had the chance to get a global and regional overview on carbon pricing developments.

As a result of the forum, discussions between the countries that sparked around Article 6 will be used to inform the East African regional consultations on climate change, which are currently taking place under the auspices of the East African Community Secretariat, supported by the GIZ Carbon Markets Project. The outcome of EAC’s regional consultations will then feed into the AGN’s position paper on Article 6 and other climate change related matters during COP24 in Katowice. In relation to carbon pricing, participants showed strong interest but highlighted that there is a need to strengthen their understanding on the topic and how it can be utilized in the context of their countries.

-ENDS-

For more information, please contact:

Mr Owora Richard Othieno
Head, Corporate Communications and Public Affairs Department
EAC Secretariat
Arusha, Tanzania
Tel: +255 784 835021
Email: OOthieno [at] eachq.org

About the East African Community Secretariat:

The East African Community (EAC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation of five Partner States, comprising Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, with its headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania. 

The EAC Secretariat is ISO 9001:2008 Certified

Posted in Environment & Natural Resources

Call for Expressions of Interest

to host the BIOPAMA Regional Resource Hub for Biodiversity and Protected Areas in Eastern and Southern Africa

BIOPAMA is seeking a suitable host organisation for the BIOPAMA Regional Resource Hub for Biodiversity and Protected Areas in Eastern and Southern Africa. This is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic, regionally active organisation that shares the mission of BIOPAMA and is interested in becoming part of, and helping to shape, the development of the Regional Resource Hub and supporting the delivery of its core functions.

BIOPAMA is a collaborative programme that aims to improve the long-term conservation of biodiversity in Eastern and Southern Africa by promoting the use of the best available science and knowledge and building capacity to strengthen policy and decision-making on biodiversity conservation and protected areas management and governance (terrestrial and marine). Towards this aim, the Regional Resource Hub is being established to enable the provision of relevant information and decision-support tools, to promote and facilitate exchange of information with a variety of end users (esp. decision-makers and protected area managers and practitioners).  It is also intended to facilitate capacity development, as well as the exchange and improvement of knowledge about biodiversity conservation and protected area issues and responses.

The objective of this call for Expressions of Interest (EoI) is to identify organisations in the region that have an interest in hosting the Regional Resource Hub and that share the vision of BIOPAMA for Eastern and Southern Africa.  IUCN and EC-JRC (European Commission Joint Research Centre) will use the submissions as a basis for selecting a host organisation and for negotiating a hosting agreement for the establishment and implementation of the Regional Resource Hub.

The hosting arrangement will be formalised through the conclusion of an Agreement between IUCN and the hosting organisation, initially for two years with potential to extend this into a second phase based on an evaluation of progress in the first two years. 

Expressions of Interest should be submitted by midnight (Pretoria, South Africa time) on Sunday, 25th November 2018. 

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION