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NEMC YAJA NA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema.

NEMC YAZINDUA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam

UKAGUZI BINAFSI VIWANDANI NA TAASISI MBALIMBALI NDANI YA MWONGOZO MPYA NEMC

Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam (PICHA ZOTE NA EMMANUEL MBATILO)

NEMC YAZINDUA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam

UKAGUZI BINAFSI VIWANDANI NA TAASISI MBALIMBALI NDANI YA MWONGOZO MPYA NEMC

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, MICHUZI TV Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam

NEMC YAZINDUA MWONGOZO WA UKAGUZI BINAFSI WA MAZINGIRA

NA EMMANUEL MBATILO, DAR ES SALAAM Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wamezindua mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji na Taasisi binafsi ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao. Akizungumza Oct 16,2023 wakati wa uzinduzi huo uliombatana na mkutano wa kubadirishana Ujuzi na CSE ya India Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka amesema wamekuwa na ushirikiano mzuri na India katika kujenga uwezo wa wafanyakazi wa NEMC katika kutunza mazingira. "Wametusaidia Sana katika kutunza mazingira, kuna watumishi wetu walienda India na kupata mafunzo mbalimbali ya kutunza mazingira yetu,wametusaidia kufanya tafiti huko ziwa Victoria kuhakikisha ikolojia ya Ziwa Victoria inabaki kudumu na maji yataendelea kuwa bora, na kuonesha namna tunavyoweza kukusanya taka ngumu na kuzihifadhi"amesema Aidha Dkt.Gwamaka amesema kifungu Cha 18,1A na kifungu Cha 101 Cha Sheria ya Mazingira cha mazingira kinasema kila kiwanda kinaweza kufanya ukaguzi binafsi na NEMC imepewa mamlaka ya kukagua mazingira endapo wataona Sheria za ufadhi zimekiukwa. "Muongozo mpya. uliozinduliwa unatoa picha ya pamoja kwa wataalamu wa mazingira wanapofanya ukaguzi wa mwaka ni mambo gani ya msingi yanapaswa kuzingatiwa hivyo sasa mazingira yetu yanakwenda kuwa safi na bora zaidi "amesema Kwa upande wake mmoja wa wawakilishi kutoka India amesema wao wameshiriki Katika kuandaa ripoti ya utafiti wa mazingira na kuandaa mwongozo wa utunzaji mazingira katika Ziwa Victoria. "Miaka miwili iliyopita Kituo cha Mazingira na Sayansi kiliamua kufanya utafiti ziwa Victoria Tanzania ni nini kinapelekea uchafuzi unaoharibu ziwa Victoria na njia gani za kusafisha ziwa Victoria na kuto ripoti ya utafiti huo"amesema. Uzinduzi huo umeambatana na Mafunzo kwa watumishi wa NEMC na wadau mbalimbali wa mazingira. Watumishi wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC) wakiongozwa na Mkurugenzi wa NEMC,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka wakiwa pamoja na wawakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakionesha mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo huo leo Oktoba 16,2023 kwenye Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam. Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka (kushoto) akipongezana na Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India wakipongezana mara baada ya uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Baraza la Taifa la Hifadhi na Usimamizi Mazingira (NEMC), ,Dkt.Samuel Gwamaka akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Mwakilishi wa Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (CSE) kutoka India (kulia) akizungumza wakati wa uzinduzi wa mwongozo wa ukaguzi binafsi wa mazingira yenye lengo la kukagua maeneo ya Uwekezaji ambayo itawasaidia kujua mambo ya kuzingatia katika uhifadhi mazingira yao uliofanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam Watumishi wa NEMC wakiwa katika picha ya pamoja na wataalamu kutoka Kituo cha Sayansi na Mazingira (Centre for Science and Environment) kutoka India mara baada ya kupata uelewa kuhusu masuala ya ukaguzi wa Mazingira . Hafla hiyo imefanyika leo Oktoba 16,2023 katika Ofisi za NEMC Jijini Dar es Salaam (PICHA ZOTE NA EMMANUEL MBATILO)

Ramp met megadam zet Indiase energietransitie onder druk

De doorbraak van de Teesta III-dam in het noordoosten van India begin deze maand eiste tientallen levens en nog steeds worden er mensen vermist. Dit soort rampen wekt bij steeds meer inwoners twijfels over waterkrachtcentrales, die een grote rol spelen in de klimaatambities van India. Experts denken dat het zaak is om in te zetten op andere vormen van 'schone energie'. "Ik denk dat de ontwikkeling van nieuwe projecten door deze ramp op een achterstand is gezet met ten minste tien jaar", zegt Anand Sankar. Hij werkt als een onafhankelijk onderzoeker van waterkrachtprojecten in het noorden van India. Ambitieuze doelen India is in principe goed op weg om de eigen klimaatdoelen te halen. In 2030 moet 50 procent van de energiemix bestaan uit groene energie en volgens cijfers van het ministerie van Energie is dat nu, met nog ruim zes jaar te gaan, 41 procent. Een van premier Modi's belangrijkste beloftes in 2015 was dat elk Indiaas dorp binnen een paar jaar elektriciteit moest hebben. Voor een groot deel is het gelukt om de infrastructuur daarvoor aan te leggen, maar betrouwbare elektriciteitsvoorziening blijft een uitdaging. Meer dan de helft van de stroom in India komt uit kolencentrales, wat India een van de landen maakt met de hoogste uitstoot van broeikasgassen. De overheid wil die uitstoot naar nul terugbrengen in 2070 en daarvoor zijn meer groene energiebronnen nodig. Voor dat doel zijn waterkrachtcentrales geliefd, zegt Anand Sankar, omdat ze snel leveren. "Het kan op zeer korte termijn een dip in de energielevering opvangen." Hoofdstad New Delhi is bijvoorbeeld voor een belangrijk deel afhankelijk van energie uit waterkrachtcentrales. Bij extreem warme zomerdagen kan de verwachte piek in energiegebruik, onder meer door airco's, snel worden opgevangen. Wat betreft wind- en zonne-energie lukt het India nog niet om overproductie op te slaan voor later gebruik. Bij waterkrachtcentrales zijn de dure batterijen niet nodig, doordat de dam functioneert als een opslag. Tsunami in de bergen Maar er zijn ook minpunten aan de waterkrachtcentrales. Dat kwam aan het licht door onder meer klimaatverandering en een falende regulering van bouwvoorschriften. In de vroege ochtend van woensdag 4 oktober ging het mis. Een gletsjermeer in het noorden van Sikkim brak door. Het water dat daarbij vrijkwam vormde een soort tsunami die zich met krachtige vaart door de bergrivieren naar beneden werkte. Het kwam terecht in het reservoir van de Teesta III-dam, het grootste en meest prestigieuze project in de deelstaat. De dam bleek niet te zijn gebouwd op deze hoeveelheid water. Er waren al langer waarschuwingssignalen dat de dam niet sterk genoeg was, zegt Anand Sankar. Hij wijt het feit dat de dam de kracht van de watermassa niet aankon aan de snelle en goedkope bouw. Bovendien werden er voorafgaand aan de bouw al fouten gemaakt, blijkt nu. Zo werd nooit grondig onderzoek gedaan naar het rivierensysteem rond de Brahmapoetra, een van India's hoofdrivieren waarvan de uitlopers in Sikkim uitkomen op de Teesta III-dam. "Het gaat om een project van 1,6 miljard dollar en er is geen enkele informatie beschikbaar over uitgevoerde controles", zegt Anand Sankar. Windenergie Volgens Sankar zijn verzekeringsmaatschappijen door deze en andere rampen in het verleden voorzichtiger geworden. Ze vragen nu torenhoge bedragen voor het dekken van dit soort grote projecten. Ook Binit Das van het Centre for Science en Environment in New Delhi ziet dat de bouw van megadammen afneemt. "Het ecosysteem van de Himalaya is kwetsbaar en de bouw van dit soort projecten brengt eigenlijk altijd schade toe." Om de klimaatdoelen te halen denkt Das dat de Indiase regering nu moet inzetten op de verdere ontwikkeling van windenergie en elektriciteit opgewekt uit biomassa. "Elektriciteit opgewekt uit water blijft belangrijk voor het stroomnetwerk van India, maar niet tegen elke prijs", zegt Das.

India's stunting future: The growing crisis of child malnutrition

India finds itself relegated to the 111th place among 125 nations in the latest World Hunger Index rankings. Failing to infuse vitality and nourishment into the future generations of our nation would indeed jeopardize the very essence of our country's future. The World Hunger Index (WHI), a stark reflection of our nation's dire circumstances, chronicles this disheartening narrative. In 2020, India held the 94th position on this index, but in the ensuing years, our standing plummeted to 101, then further to 107. Presently, India finds itself relegated to the 111th place among 125 nations in the latest rankings. The disconcerting evaluation on this index amalgamates four vital indicators that together capture the multidimensional nature of hunger— undernourishment, child stunting, child wasting, and child mortality. In sharp contrast to this unnerving reality, the central government has contested the findings of the World Hunger Index, labelling it as a "flawed measure of hunger" that fails to accurately depict India's true standing. Yet, the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey of 2016-18 had sounded an ominous warning: the spectre of food scarcity has extended its reach beyond the confines of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan. The report unequivocally declares that malnutrition among children under the age of five is on the rise, painting a grim portrait of our nation's health. Recent research conducted by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) found that a staggering 71 percent of Indians grapple with malnutrition, an affliction that claims the lives of 1.7 million individuals annually. Dismissing the Hunger Index becomes an exercise in futility when studies conclusively establish that malnutrition is the cause of death for 68 percent of children suffering from stunted growth below the age of five. Regrettably, numerous mothers in the country are mired in anaemia, and infant malnutrition continues to claim innocent lives. Alarming revelations surfaced in a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee, chaired by Dr. Vinay Sahasra Buddhe, as it shed light on the ineffective utilisation of funds allocated for crucial schemes such as Poshan Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY).

India’s Methane Emissions Challenge: Addressing The Data Gap In The Oil & Gas Sector

Mumbai: Countries across the globe are underestimating methane emissions, studies show. The gap in methane emissions estimates in the oil and gas sector is being recognised globally; the industry’s emissions are underestimated by 25-40%. India, which is currently the world's fourth largest methane emitter, uses the Tier 1 methodology for estimating methane emissions in the oil and gas sector, which is the least reliable approach, suggesting significant inaccuracies in the emissions estimates from energy and industrial sectors. Chasing Methane: Emission Spikes is IndiaSpend’s latest effort to bridge this data gap. The dashboard, developed in collaboration with Respirer Living Sciences, aims to track and identify high emission events around oil and gas facilities in India using satellite data. Methane concentration from the Copernicus Sentinel 5-p satellite is collected and analysed to detect higher-than-normal methane levels in the vicinity of oil and gas reservoirs. Such high emission events, often undetected and responsible for a disproportionate share of greenhouse gas emissions, pose a significant threat to our environment and climate goals. Over 20 years, methane would trap about 80 times as much heat as the same amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). Research estimates that 25% of today’s warming is driven by methane from human activities. Reducing methane emissions represents an important opportunity to slow down the rate of warming in the short term and help bridge the emissions gap between current trajectories and those consistent with the 2°C or 1.5°C temperature goals. Leveraging high-resolution data from satellites, our project employs advanced algorithms to identify these elusive emission spikes. This not only sheds light on a critical environmental challenge but also equips stakeholders with invaluable insights to drive proactive measures towards a more sustainable and methane-conscious future. Ground-level leak detection and fence-line monitoring of methane concentrations would show a more complete picture of emissions. Methane emissions in the oil & gas sector In India, the agriculture sector is responsible for more than 60% of methane emissions. But the cost burden of methane reduction cannot be placed on India's largely small and marginal farmers. The threat to farmer's livelihoods was among the reasons cited by India for not signing up to the global methane emissions reduction pledge to target 30% reduction in global methane emissions from 2020 levels by 2030, at the 26th Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow. Additionally, no Indian oil and gas companies have partnered with the Oil & Gas Methane Partnership 2.0 (OGMP 2.0), an initiative under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), to monitor methane emissions. According to the Greenhouse Gas Platform (GHG-Platform India)--a collaborative initiative by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a New-Delhi-based public policy think-tank, and the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), a Bengaluru-based sustainability think-tank, among other organisations--about 13% of methane emissions are from the energy sector, which includes coal, and oil and gas. Nearly two-thirds of this is from fugitive emissions, while the rest is from combustion of fuel (see chart below). Methane that is released because of a combination of design choices in equipment, operational practices and equipment failures or leaks is categorised as fugitive emission. It is the intentional or unintentional release of gas during the extraction, processing and delivery of fossil fuels to the point of final use. This includes equipment leaks, evaporation and flashing losses, venting, flaring, incineration and accidental releases (e.g. pipeline dig-ins, well blow-outs and spills). The OGMP 2.0, the oil and gas reporting and mitigation programme of the UNEP, describes the framework for measuring, reporting and tracking methane emissions. Data reported by over 100 companies across 60 countries is compiled and studied by International Methane Emissions Observatory (IMEO) to understand the nature of methane emissions. The 2022 report used data collected from different sources or segments in the process of extraction, processing and delivery of oil and gas across oil and gas companies in the world. It collates and analyses methane emitted from upstream, midstream and downstream sources. ‘Upstream’ refers to the industry segment that explores and produces oil and fossil gas, including assets such as reserves, drilling rigs and production facilities. ‘Midstream’ refers to assets such as pipelines, storage tanks and transportation vessels that transport and store crude oil and fossil gas before they are refined and processed. Refineries and retail outlets are ‘downstream’ assets that transform crude oil and fossil gas into finished products. The data reported at the source level show that a small number of large emissions have a disproportionate contribution to total emissions. That is, emissions are not uniform across different sources. Recent scientific literature has referred to this subset of high emission sites as the ‘fat tail’ of the emissions distribution. If these small numbers of high emitting sources can be identified and mitigated, it can quickly and dramatically reduce methane emissions. IndiaSpend reported in August 2022 that, for methane emissions, the oil and gas sector is low-hanging fruit in efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change. How India calculates methane emissions Globally, methane emissions are usually not measured, but are estimated based on assumed or measured leak rates and production rates. India uses the Tier 1 methodology, defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). This estimation uses the net amount of gas and oil extracted along with the global emission factor for methane to calculate the amount of methane released. Tier 1 uses an IPCC default value of emission factor, and hence does not account for regional factors such as the source of fuel. Tier 2 uses country-specific emission factors that are based on either measurements by country-level monitoring systems or IPCC Tier 2 emission factors. Tier 3, which is the most demanding in terms of complexity and data requirements, includes models and inventory management systems tailored to address national circumstances, as is deemed most reliable. IndiaSpend reached out to the MoEFCC regarding the plans to update the methodology for estimating methane emissions. We will update this story when we receive a response. Underestimation and data gaps in India The quantity and composition of fugitive emissions are generally subject to significant uncertainty. An initiative by India’s major oil exploration and production company, the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), has tried to estimate such leaks at four locations. The results from this study showed that there are significant variations amongst the contributions of various stages of fugitive emissions (fugitives, venting, flaring) in different projects, which necessitates field-level measurements. “Implementing measures for more accurate emissions data on ground will be challenging since there are no standards prescribed for measuring methane emissions,” says Dhanasekaran Ramachandran, who retired as the Deputy Director at the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board in September 2022. He explains that the instruments used on site are flammable detectors or explosive detectors, and these cannot be used for monitoring and tracking methane emissions. “Leaks will happen, it is a part of the process and is inevitable. We must have gadgets or regulators must imbibe these methods at the time of installation itself. The Lower Explosive Limit (LEL) detectors are to prevent explosions and protect the plant, not the vicinity or environment.” India’s ambient air quality standards are restricted to 12 parameters, and do not include methane. “The law is the weakest point,” says Dhanasekharan, “Measuring 12 parameters is environmental compliance legally and monitoring methane is not included. When there is no law, it becomes an authorisation to pollute.” Moreover, the latest reports submitted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) do not include data after 2016. The Biennial Update Report which details emissions across sectors was submitted in 2015, 2018 and the latest one in 2021. Even though the latest report was submitted three years ago, the data are seven years old. “Emissions don’t vary hugely between 1-3 years, but having a seven-year gap is certainly a problem,” says Avantika Goswami, a climate policy researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment, a Delhi-based nonprofit.. “In that period there has been an increase in population, transport, vehicles and energy demand.” Using data from satellites for identifying high-emission sources Accurately estimating overall emissions requires understanding the frequency and magnitude of emissions across a wide range of sites, rather than monitoring emissions from a few sites, according to UNEP. Effective approaches need to recognise the random and unpredictable nature of the distribution of “super emitters” events from fugitive emissions and should characterise the entire emission distribution, the UNEP says. In this context, satellites are capable of emission detection and monitoring at different scales, from local to global, and over long periods of time. A growing array of satellites are gathering methane data globally. Some provide a global overview, while others map emissions from particular facilities, referred to as point sources. The point-source mappers can identify methane plumes from specific individual sources, but can only detect relatively high concentrations, and have a narrower field of vision. Use of atmospheric observations, either at the surface, airborne or from satellites, have proven effective in correcting emission factors and in revising sectoral methane emissions in multiple geographies. This has provided opportunities for identifying specific sources and mitigation opportunities. A recent study found that methane emissions from the oil and gas supply chain in the United States are underestimated by roughly 60%, when compared to empirically-based, top-down estimates. Similarly, satellite-based estimates of total methane emissions in Mexico are 45% higher than emissions presented in the inventory, with emissions from the oil and gas sector being 100% higher. Methane emission spikes in Indian oil and gas reservoirs The Chasing Methane: Emission Spikes dashboard shows over 700 days of high emission events across 21 oil and gas refineries in the country in the last two years, until October 11, 2023. The methane tracking initiative by Kayrros, a France-based private company, identified 155 “super-emitting” methane leak events in India in 2022, including waste sites and industrial sources, as reported by The Guardian in March 2023. These emission spikes around oil and gas reservoirs could be low-hanging fruit for reducing overall methane emissions in the country. Over one-third of these high spike events have been observed in three locations--the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) refinery in Vizag, the Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRLP) refinery in Mangaloreand Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd (CPCL) refinery in Manali. In October 2022, the National Green Tribunal found that methane emissions were not being monitored in the HPCL refinery in Visakhapatnam. For several years, the refinery has been responsible for emitting smoke, causing unpleasant odours, and polluting the water. IndiaSpend has reached out to these refineries regarding the strategies employed for monitoring methane emissions within their facilities, as well as their efforts aimed at mitigating methane emissions. We will update this story when we receive a response. “At some point we have to develop a better, more systematic method of domestically monitoring our emissions. We are seeing a global satellite monitoring effort to identify emission spikes in the world; our leaks will come under the international radar,” warns Goswami.

Despite improved air quality, Delhi remains the most polluted Indian city

On October 7, air quality in the national capital plunged to the ‘poor’ category. Some parts of Delhi also recorded an AQI of above 300, which is categorised as ‘severe’. This comes after a recent report by Climate Trends and Respirer Living Sciences put Delhi on top of the list of 10 most polluted cities in the country from October 2022 to September 2023. The report, based on the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) data, states that though Delhi’s air quality has improved marginally, it remained the most polluted city with a PM2.5 concentration of 100.1 micrograms/cubic metre (μg/m3). This is more than thrice the government’s ‘good’ level and 20 times the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) safe limit. From October 1, 2023, a revised version of Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP), a government air pollution control programme, has come into force in Delhi and 24 nearby districts, collectively known as the National Capital Region (NCR). The region has several places which frequently top in Indian and global air pollution rankings. Delhi saw a four per cent improvement in air quality over the previous year with average PM 2.5 levels between Oct 2021 – Sept 2022 at 103.9 μg/m3 compared to 100 μg/m3 in Oct 2022 – Sept 2023 period. “The PM 2.5 numbers over the past few years have shown improvement. It has come down from the usual 135 μg/m3 five years ago. But compared to last year it has shown only marginal improvement,” says Ronak Sutaria, founder and CEO, Respirer Living Sciences. However, Delhi still remains at the top of the most polluted cities’ list, he adds. “Indeed, the PM 2.5 level has reduced but justifying it with numbers doesn’t really work. The new reports clearly point out that Delhi is still India’s most polluted city. There have been good interventions but the major issue with most of them is they work for GRAP and not round the year,” says Bhavreen Kandhari, an environmentalist and founding member of Warrior Moms — a collective of mothers from all over India fighting for children’s right to breathe clean air. Earlier, on September 29, while announcing the Winter Action Plan, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed a 30% reduction in air pollution in Delhi. “In 2014, PM2.5 (one of the chief pollutants) used to be 149, today it is 103. In 2014, PM10 used to be 324, today it is 223; there is about a 30% reduction in air pollution,” he said while addressing the press conference. Has the pollution level gone down? 10 oldest stations of Delhi are Anand Vihar, CRRI Mathura Road, IGI Airport T3, IHBAS, Mandir Marg, DU North Campus, NSIT Dwarka, Punjabi Bagh, RK Puram and Shadipur. 37 station average includes all the Delhi stations except Lodhi Road IITM, Chandni Chowk IITM and East Arjun Nagar. Seasonal average is based on the mean of monthly averages. Winter season is defined as October to February. SOURCE: CSE ANALYSIS OF CPCB REALTIME DATA According to Air Quality Tracker Initiative 2023 report by Centre for Science & Environment (CSE), Delhi’s seasonal air quality for winter (Oct 1 to Feb 28) used to hover around 180-190 µg/m3 before pandemic and for last three winters it has come down to 150-160 µg/m3. Still dangerous Despite this improvement, the seasonal average is still over 150% above the 24-hour standard and almost 4-times the annual standard. This trend is consistent with the long-term trend in Delhi’s peak pollution level during winter. What has worked for Delhi? “The interventions especially like the introduction of EV (Electric Vehicles) take care of a percentage of the problem. Typically, transportation emissions and vehicular emissions are considered to contribute 25-30% to Delhi’s pollution,” explains Sutaria. In the last few years, Delhi has shifted major polluting industries in the NCR region. One part of the problem is that the cities on the periphery of Delhi still lack regulation and the enforcement is not adequate at all. So, pollution from all these regions is why the air quality is still not good in Delhi, he explains. “The government is constructing flyovers, wider roads but still not adequately focusing on the sustainable ways of commuting like walking or cycling. These need to be taken into consideration if we want our children to breathe clean air,” adds Kandhari. Also, we need better enforcement of waste management rules as open burning is still a major contributor, she adds. When asked about what should be the focus, Sutaria said, “Transportation emissions and vehicular emissions. The big challenge, however, is the industrial emission and construction dust which has not been adequately addressed.” The Indo-Gangetic plain air pollution is a big worry. The report highlights seven cities in the top 10 from Delhi-NCR and Bihar, both part of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. Patna, though in second place at 99.7 μg/m3, saw a 24% deterioration in air quality over the previous year. “The analysis reflects improvement in the Indo-Gangetic Plain cities over the last few years. However, considering the enormous pollution load, these cities continue to experience the highest PM levels in the country,” says Aarti Khosla, Director, Climate Trends.

Explained: Why Delhi’s 2023 Winter Action Plan Doesn’t Work

Recently, the AAP government came out with a 15-point winter action plan to curb air pollution in Delhi. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remarked that there had been considerable improvements over the past 8 years, but the situation is far from ideal. Similar to the plan released for 2022, the current year’s winter action plan aims at reducing dust pollution from construction, vehicular pollution and smoke from stubble burning. These are some of the highlights of the 15 Point Winter Action Plan: It comprises spraying of PUSA bio decomposer, monitoring of construction dust, deployment of anti-dust machines, water sprinkling and anti-smog machines. PUC certificates of cars will be checked to discourage petrol cars over 15 years old from running on the roads. Open waste burning will be banned, and monitoring teams have been formed. Industries will use non-polluting fuel, and a central green war room has been set up to coordinate progress. There will be a complete ban on firecrackers, and GRAP will be implemented in case the situation gets worse. Citizens can lodge their complaints on the Green Delhi App, and the government will run public awareness campaigns in addition to planting 1 crore trees. A study by Swiss firm IQAir termed Delhi as the fourth most polluted city on the planet in 2022. PM2.5 levels in Delhi were 92.6 micrograms per cubic metre, a whopping 18 times the safe limit prescribed by the WHO. The Energy Policy Institute concluded that the people of Delhi are on track to lose 11.9 years of their lives if the current levels of pollution continue. Delhi has seen its air quality worsen over the years due to exponential vehicular growth, unregulated industrial and construction activities and overpopulation. In winter, the situation worsens due to dense and dry cold air trapping pollutants. A Focus on Vehicular Emissions A 2021 analysis by the Centre for Science and Environment showed that vehicles are the biggest contributor to particulate pollution among the local sources in Delhi. Real-time share of vehicular emissions increased to more than 50 per cent during the early phase of winter 2021. Hence, the government, as part of its 15-point plan, has announced that “90 Delhi roads with excessive traffic will be identified and alternative routes provided, with promotional and awareness campaigns conducted.” At first glance, the measure seems reasonable. Vehicles cause 40% more pollution when in traffic than in smooth movement. However, at a closer look, this measure merely affirms the car dependency of Delhi. Instead of attacking the root cause of air pollution, the government accepts vehicular usage as natural and aims to ensure unrestricted travel. A car, whether in traffic or at high speed, will cause pollution no matter what. In a city with 1.32 crore registered vehicles, there is no pathway to reduce air pollution unless we reduce the number of cars. Building flyovers and widening roads are all short-term solutions to increase vehicular speed; these are not measures to reduce air pollution. A better way to reduce vehicular emissions would be to invest in an integrated quality public transport system. The government lauded its efforts to introduce 800 electric buses in its fleet and has promised to induct 8000 buses by 2025. As I wrote in my previous story on DTC, electric buses are projected to save 4.67 lakh tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. However, delays in the tendering process can torpedo this goal. Investments in Delhi Metro and DTC, including higher service frequency, quality infrastructure and better connectivity, can and will reduce air pollution in Delhi. The Menace of Stubble Burning Apart from local sources such as vehicles and industries, air pollution in Delhi in winter is also caused by the smoke from stubble burning. In a perfect storm of bad luck for Delhi NCR, stubble burning occurs when the monsoon winds retreat. Farmers of Haryana and Punjab set fire to the paddy stubble (stem left over after harvesting) during the months of October- November. This is cheap and provides them with an easy way to clear the fields before the next crop is sown. However, all the smoke is carried towards Delhi NCR and entrapped by the cold air above, resulting in many days of severe smog blanketing the environment. As the Supreme Court has remarked, this gas chamber-like situation harms plants, animals and humans alike. The Delhi government, in its winter action plan, has pledged to distribute free PUSA bio-decomposer in 5,000 acres of both basmati and non-basmati agricultural land. This is a commendable step as this new innovation not only prevents smoke but provides free manure to farmers. However, we must remember that Punjab is the main source of stubble burning. The State has so far witnessed 656 farm fire incidents, up by around 63% against the corresponding period of the previous year. The AAP government in Delhi could have earlier put off blame by arguing that the Punjab Government was non-cooperative, but since March 2022, both Punjab and Delhi have been led by the Aam Aadmi Party. What, then, explains the lack of coordination between these two governments? In the winter action plan, Kejriwal urged fellow states to reduce pollution in Delhi by allowing CNG-based vehicles, transitioning industries to PNG, transforming brick kilns, and banning firecrackers. However, he missed the main source of dangerous spikes of air pollution in Delhi: stubble burning in Punjab. Stubble burning has been banned in Punjab since the 1980s but remains unenforced due to the powerful farmer voting bloc. Farmers say they want to stop burning stubble but have no cheaper alternative. One and a half years should have been enough to devise a multi-dimensional strategy to understand farmers’ perspectives, invest in financial incentives, technical assistance, and a long-term approach towards diversification. As a report titled “Beyond Stubble Burning” pointed out, “Effective crop residue management schemes were introduced, but farmers face challenges with implementation. Insufficient horsepower of tractors, limited usage periods, machine malfunctions, and low productivity contribute to traditional methods and crop burning. Standardised rental rates and comprehensive support are needed for successful implementation.” As we have seen, the winter action plan delivers an incomplete response to the big sources of pollution, such as vehicles and stubble burning. This is not an isolated problem but one we see throughout the action plan. There is something structurally wrong within the plan that prevents it from realising its potential, as we’ll see in the next part. This story has been written as part of the My City Writers’ Training Program.

Internal climate migration to shoot up, study reveals

Last year, hundreds of residents living around Lakes Bogoria and Baringo were compelled to relocate to nearby urban centres to evade losses associated with rising lake water levels. For many, this marked an unfamiliar and distressing experience. Regrettably, some families never returned home out of fear. Though some communities believe this was a one-off, a new report shows such migrations, often referred to as climate-induced migration, are going to increase in the next few decades not only in Kenya but across the African content. “Africa will be worst impacted by extreme weather events, making some areas not hospitable. Because of the weather events, many people are being forced to migrate within own countries or regions in search of more hospitable and sustainable living conditions,” Sunita Narain from Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) said. The State of Africa’s Environment Report 2023 by CSE, India-based think tank in Africa’s internal migrations because of climate change-related issues will go up to 40 per cent in sub-Saharan African countries by 2070. “While the Global South will bear the maximum burden of internal migration, the reasons might vary from region to region, depending on various climate change-related issues like water scarcity or rising sea levels. However, water scarcity will be the main driving force of the total migration,” the report. In June 2022, the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDM) reported that in Africa, hundreds of thousands of people had been internally displaced due to climate change-related issues. Though it will be difficult to predict future migration patterns, according to the report, a warming world holds the key to unleashing the next wave of human migration, heading into the future. The reason is for over 6,000 years, humans have restricted their habitat settlements to an annual average temperature of -11 to 15ºC or climate niche. But in a warming world, if emissions go unabated, this range could rise to 19 per cent of the Earth’s surface, affecting three billion of the projected nine billion people, by 2070. Currently, as of 2020 only 0.8 per cent of the world’s land surface experience annual temperature of more than 29°C or over. But with global warming, 19 per cent of the earth’s surface is going to experience at least 29°C or more annual mean temperature by 2070, affecting three billion people and driving climate migration. “In a warming world “climate suitability” would stretch to even the sparsely populated Arctic regions of the world. This expansion of the climate niche threshold could trigger the next wave of migration for people looking to locate to more temperate regions,” the report adds. Speaking during the release of the report, Sunita Narain from CSE revealed that in Africa, the region stretching from Senegal in the West to Somalia in the East will be the hardest hit if emissions are not reduced. Niger will also be affected and will be experiencing 238 days of temperature hovering over 35°C, followed by Mali which will be experiencing 231 days, and Sudan with 223 days. Tanzania and Uganda are also expected to see the highest number of internal climate migrants reaching 16.6 million and 12 million respectively according to another report by the World Bank. “We are beginning to see increased migration because people are learning that they cannot cope with the impact of climate change-related issues as well as cannot sustain their livelihoods in their current locations. Natural disasters are also displacing communities temporarily or permanently,” she says. According to her, many climate-induced migrants in Africa are moving to urban areas, leading to rapid urbanisation. This, in turn, is placing pressure on cities and their infrastructure, as they may not be adequately prepared for an influx of people. Besides fueling migration, the report reveals that mid to long-term effects of climate change are also expected to drag down the Gross Domestic Product of most African nations by two to five per cent annually by 2030. According to Mamo Boru Mamo, the National Environment Management Authority Director General, internal migration is being fuelled by the receding water points. According to him, water points are receding because of prolonged droughts, decreasing water tables, and shrinking of water bodies like rivers and lakes. Boru adds that when water sources recede, communities that rely on them for drinking, agriculture, and other essential needs are compelled to migrate in search of areas with more reliable access to water resources where they can continue to meet their basic needs and secure a better future.

Why your car will be tested for emission to avert air pollution

Across Africa, Kenya is number 14 of a high number of vehicles and first in East Africa with 30 out of 1,000 Kenyans owning a vehicle. According to United Nations Environment Programme, 85 per cent of vehicles in Kenya are second‐hand imported which is among the highest in the continent. With the world reeling from the effect of extreme weather conditions caused by climate change, Kenya will join a league of other countries to regulate vehicle emissions to be able to control air pollution. The Director General of the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) Mamo Boru Mamo said from January or February of next year, all vehicles in Kenya will undergo emission testing. The country has in place the air pollution regulation which was put in place in 2014 but the inspection could not be implemented because there were no guidelines on vehicular emission. “Kenyans who comply will be given stickers from Nema and we will put in place measures to ensure all vehicles are compliant,” he said. Mamo said there will be 19 emission testing centers already mapped out, but agreed that like other policies the implementation may be hard. “There are still challenges of implementing policies but at both county and national level our staffs have performance contracts which have made our work easier,” he said. He spoke at a Nairobi hotel on Wednesday during the launch of State of Africa's Environment Report 2023, commissioned by Center for Science and Environment, an India-based organization. “Air pollution – in general and vehicular in particular – is emerging as a major public health challenge in Africa,” the report said. It said air quality monitoring is extremely limited in the continent but Kenya is placed number 25, but first in the East Africa region. In 2021, the World Health Organization (Who) estimated that 19,000 people die each year in Kenya due to air pollution. Some 70 per cent of pollution levels are recorded in the capital city with 9 out of 10 people in Kenya’s major cities and key towns exposed to air pollution beyond the global health standards set by Who, the report added. Anumita Roychowdhury, a researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment said in Kenya transport emissions account for the highest share at 67 per cent with 97 per cent of that coming from road use. “Air pollution not only affects adults but also unborn children in the womb which shows we are sitting on a time bomb as a continent and more needs to be done,” she said. Scientists say apart from controlling emissions in the entire transport sector, an age limit on imported vehicles and tax incentives effective in addition to the electrification of motor engines is key. Across Africa, Kenya is number 14 with a high number of vehicles and first in East Africa with 30 out of 1,000 Kenyans owning a vehicle. According to United Nations Environment Programme, 85 per cent of vehicles in Kenya are second‐hand imported which is among the highest in the continent. “But Kenya's control of eight years restriction of imported vehicle and these emission regulations will help reverse the trend,” she said. If the law on emission is passed, Kenya will join about 40 governments in the work to have implemented some form of carbon tax. “ In Africa, only South Africa has a similar programme. The country charges R46 (Sh362) for every tonne of carbon emitted. Ethiopia, like Kenya, is planning a similar programme to fight against air pollution,” the report said. Across the continent, the top ten air-polluted countries are—Niger, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritania, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal, Chad, Gambia and Cote d’Ivoire. The Who standard for clean air stands at PM2.5 annual average measured on microgrammes per cubic metre, a size smaller than the width of human air against the human population size. Gases being tested in the air include sulfates, nitrates, ammonia, sodium chloride, black carbon, mineral dust and water mostly emitted from smoke.

Green War Room To Combat Air Pollution In Delhi

The Delhi government has launched a ‘green war room’ to combat air pollution for 24×7 monitoring and implementation of the Winter Action Plan. National Capital’s battle with air pollution is long standing and takes a particular hit in the winters. Though Delhi’s fight for clean air started in the 1990s. The capital’s captive air pollution from vehicles, industry, construction activities, etc is already very high, according to New Delhi-based think tank Centre for Science and Environment (CSE). Recently a report released by Respirer Living revealed that- A list of the 10 most polluted cities in the last year shows that Delhi and other cities in the National Capital Region (NCR) still dominate air pollution rankings Delhi’s air quality improved marginally, yet it was the most polluted city between 1 October 2022 and 30 September 2023, with a PM2.5 concentration of 100.1 micrograms/cubic metre (μg/m3).This is more than thrice the government’s ‘good’ level and 20 times the WHO’s safe limit. Numerous reforms have been initiated over the years including shifting to cleaner fuels and enhanced fuel efficiency norms. Due to these reforms overall-the number of days with good air quality in Delhi has increased while the number of days with poor to extremely severe air quality has decreased. According to CSE Currently, Delhi enjoys nearly 151 days of good air quality up from about 81 six years ago. But Delhi’s air quality needs to improve substantially to meet the health standards. But as winters approach, Delhi’s air quality takes a dip. Among the Seven cities in the top 10 are in Delhi-NCR. When Punjab and Haryana farmers start burning rice stubble in the beginning of the winter season, the smoke from their fields add to the captive pollution of Delhi. This increases air pollution in Delhi taking it beyond the severe level. The war room is able to see how much pollution is there in which area of Delhi. Earlier, there were just nine teams allocated, now it has been increased to 17 teams. Nandita Moitra has been made in charge of the same.

Maiden ‘State of Africa’s Environment’ report launched

A new report examining the state of Africa’s environment has been launched in Nairobi, Kenya, amid calls for proactive action to protect the continent from further environmental devastation. The State of the Environment (SOE)) of Africa, launched on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, reveals how the continent’s progress is being held back by a confluence of factors that include poor leadership, bad governance and unethical practices by big business interests. The Indian research and advocacy organization, Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), produced the report which gives a snapshot of the state of the environment and how it is affecting livelihoods of the continent’s population. It details the environmental situation in the context of climate change, energy access, air pollution, biodiversity, land and agriculture, mobility, water and waste management, among other development issues on the continent. According to the report, Africa continues to bear the brunt of the repercussions of climate change even though African countries contribute less to the triggers of the phenomenon. The report also examines Africa’s potential to feed itself and the role poor governance policies play in frustrating efforts towards food security. Despite having 65 percent of arable land, for instance, Africa still imports foods, the authors of the report note. SOE Africa is a collaborative work between CSE and Africa-based journalists, under the auspices of the Kenya-based Media for Environment, Science, Health and Agriculture (MESHA). The document was launched at a press briefing at Nairobi’s Ngong Hills Hotel, attended by about 30 science journalists from across the continent. The authors and other environmental experts hail the report as a blueprint to solve many, if not all, of Africa’s development issues. CSE’s Director General, veteran environmental activist Sunita Narain, presided over the event that was graced by the head of Kenya’s National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA). Ms Narain said the report has the potential to stir discussions toward an inclusive and prosperous future for Africa and the rest of the world, through advancing climate action and green growth, among others. “It is a report which puts together the state of the environment. It is a report that helps to build that larger picture of what is happening,” she said. Narain lamented the role of powerful economies in creating a global crisis like climate change while failing to take responsibility for their actions. “There is no doubt that climate change is an existential threat today. The African continent is the least responsible for emissions that have forced temperatures to rise… But it is also true that the African continent, along with countries like India, are going to be worst affected,” she said. Mamo Bor Mamo, Director General of the National Environmental Management Authority of Kenya, said the document is important for Africa’s development aspirations, noting that it would add value to the discussions. Mr Mamo also said the report being launched on the backdrop of CoP28, the annual United Nations conference on climate change, has the potential to strengthen Africa’s position at the global event slated for next month in Dubai, UAE. “The issues raised here are very pertinent. Those are key environmental issues in our country and on the continent,” he said. The SOE was published through CSE’s fortnightly magazine, Down To Earth. The organization says it intends to publish the report annually.