COMESA receives €7.1mGrant for Climate Change

 The Common  Market for Eastern  and Southern Africa (COMESA) has signed a Grant Agreement with the European Union Delegation worth 7.1 million Euros to implement one of the regional components of the Intra-African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA)+ programme funded by the 11th European Development Fund. This is part of the larger Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme worth €70 million, to be dispersed among ACP countries and regions.

This programme is a successor of Intra-ACP GCCA Programme funded with a grant of €4million from the 10th European Development Fund and was implemented from July 2010 to December 2014.

COMESA) is the largest regional economic organization in Africa, with 19 member states and a population of about 390 million.

The overall objective of the proposed action is to increase the resilience of the COMESA region (and its Member States) to climate change and achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals in particular Goal 13 which is “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” in order to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.

Specifically, the programme will improve regional and national adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change challenges faced by COMESA countries at operational, institutional and financial levels.

The programme interventions will also contribute to the conservation of biodiversity by applying ecosystem-based solutions to climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction.

Some of the result areas in the regional component of the Programme to be administered by COMESA include utilizing the Secretariat’s dedicated operational and institutional capacity to support the needs of Member States in relevant Intra-ACP GCCA+ priority areas, climate change negotiations and implementation of the Paris Agreement.

COMESA will also ensure that regional and national climate change strategies and priorities that contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement have been strengthened and supported in their implementation.

This programme will also ensure that strategic dialogue between COMESA countries is strengthened, and negotiation capacity built, to share information and knowledge about climate action with the aim of promoting cooperation between COMESA countries.

The programme will contribute positively to the mitigation and adaptation efforts of COMESA Member States and ensure their full participation in regional and global efforts to combat climate change. Furthermore, the programme will strengthen the capacity of Member States to access climate finance for their mitigation and adaptation projects.

In implementing the programme, COMESA will work in close collaboration with its Member States, government agencies, Non-state actors, Community Based Organizations, academia and other key stakeholders.

More African to access clean Energy by 2020 African development Bank has pledged to Finance power projects

BYSAMUEL NABWIISO

In line with its High 5 development priorities and, in particular, its agenda to Light up and power Africa, the African Development Bank plans to reach 29.3 million people in African with electricity by 2020.

The President of the Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, made this disclosure at the High Level Event on “New Way of Working: From Vision to Action-National, Regional and Global Dimensions” at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,

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“The African Development Bank is today at the forefront of investing in renewable energy in Africa. The share of renewable energy in the Bank’s energy portfolio increased from 14% when I became President in 2015 to 100% last year,” President Adesina said. “Our support last year alone provided 3.8 million Africans with access to electricity. And, with adequate financing, we expect to reach 29.3 million people with access to electricity between 2018 and 2020.”He explained

Some of the participants during the conference 

The Bank President called on the UN Secretary General to join him in supporting the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility to also work differently, and step up support to co-pay for climate risk insurance for vulnerable African countries, noting that African countries, hit by climate change, are hard pressed to find funds to pay the insurance premiums.

The Bank has stepped up and will support African countries to pay for insuring themselves against catastrophic weather events that displace their public expenditures. It plans to provide US $76 million in 2018 for the payment of insurance premiums, with participating countries providing US $31.5 million and the African Risk Capacity Agency (ARC) providing US $16 million. Latest figures indicate that over 20 countries have indicated interest in participating in the Bank-supported initiative.

“An understanding of the link between environmental degradation, extreme poverty and youth unemployment is critical to a New Way of Working. Wherever these three elements are present, there is a ‘Triangle of Disaster’, in which unemployment, poverty and environmental degradation chase each other in a downward spiral to dereliction, terrorism, violence and conflict,” Adesina said.

“The African Development Bank brings this understanding to bear in its policies and programs. Africa’s Triangles of Disaster must become ‘Triangles of Prosperity,’” replete with “jobs, wealth and environmental resilience. That is why we strongly welcome the New Way of Working initiative.”

The Bank has also committed to triple its climate financing to 40% of new approvals by 2020, and is deploying programs and actions to combat fragility and strengthen resilience.

This, the President explained, includes the Sahel region with a US $261-million program; the Horn of Africa with a $281.6-million program; and, for Lake Chad, now seriously affected by the degradation of its productive ecosystems, a US $101-million program to restore the productivity of the basin ecosystem.

The Desert to Power initiative spearheaded by the Bank aims to turn Africa’s deserts into new sources of energy, by working with partners to develop 10,000 MW of solar power systems across the Sahel. The initiative is expected to provide electricity to 250 million people, with 90 million of these provided through off-grid systems.

“We have already started with development of a 50 MW solar power system in Burkina Faso,” Adesina said. “The initiative will protect the Great Green Wall of trees established to protect against desertification in the Sahelian zone, from being cut down by energy-poor households for use as fuel wood. When completed, we expect this to be the largest solar power system zone in the world.”

Last year, the Bank approved a special framework program called “Say No to Famine” worth US $1.14 billion. The Bank is taking a regional approach to addressing fragility, consistent with its new structure, and is using its Transition Support Facility to deliver development solutions to communities in conditions of fragility. 

African Development Bank achieves 100% investment in green energy Projects in 2017

BY SAMUELNABWIISO

The African Development Bank achieved a 100% investment in renewable energy in 2017, a major landmark in its commitment to clean energy and efficiency.

According to press statement  the Bank injected  money in Power generation projects with a cumulative 1,400 megawatts exclusively from renewables were approved during the year, with plans to increase support for renewable energy projects in 2018 under the New Deal on Energy for Africa.

According to Bank President, Akinwumi Adesina, ‘’We are clearly leading on renewable energy. We will help Africa unlock its full energy potential, while developing a balanced energy mix to support industrialization. Our commitment is to ensure 100% climate screening for all Bank financed projects.’’

The African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina

 The share of renewable energy projects as a portion of the Bank’s portfolio of power generation investments increased from 14% in 2007-2011, to 64% in 2012-2016.

The Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) whose goal is to deliver 300 Gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy in 2030 and 10 GW by 2020, is now based within the Bank, as requested by African Heads of State and Government. The G7 has promised to commit US$10 billion to support the initiative, which came out of COP21 and subsequently approved by the African Union.

On November 8, 2017, the African Bank Group approved its Second Climate Change Action Plan, 2016-2020 (CCAP2) as a clear message of its commitment to helping African countries mobilize resources to support the implementation of the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions of Regional Member Countries, in ways that will not hinder development.

The approval of the action plan echoes discussions at COP23 in Bonn, Germany to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change and achieve the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global temperature rises to 1.5C.

The CCAP2 is designed to incorporate the Bank’s High 5 priorities in the Paris Agreement, the 2030 development agenda, the Bank’s Green Growth Framework and the lessons learned in the implementation of the first climate change action plan (CCAP1), 2011-2015

As part of its wider mandate under the New Deal on Energy for Africa, the Board of Directors of the African Development Bank on December 15, 2017, approved an investment of US $20 million in the Evolution II Fund −a Pan-African clean and sustainable energy private equity fund.

The Bank’s investment in Evolution II Fund reflects the High 5 development priorities of the Bank, the agenda to light up and Power Africa, and the Bank’s commitment to promote renewable energy and efficiency in Africa.

 The Evolution II Fund is expected to contribute to green and sustainable growth by creating 2,750 jobs and building on the track record of the Evolution One Fund (which created 1,495 jobs, of which 20% were for women, and generated 838 MW of wind energy and 87MW Solar PV energy). It is estimated that the Evolution One Fund achieved 1,190,469 of Carbon dioxide (CO2) emission savings annually

In line with its commitment to renewable energy and ongoing institutional reforms, in the first quarter of 2017, the Bank appointed Ousseynou Nakoulima as the Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. He brings global experience in developing and managing programs and partnerships for driving renewable energy, from his work at the Green Climate Fund.

Harmonise Wildlife protection regulation EAC told

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO 

Advocators for protection of wildlife animals in East Africa have asked the six member states of East African Community to harmonise wildlife regulations to protect animals from spot hunters.

Raphael Omondi, the Education and Outreach liaison office at World Animal Protection (WAP) organization said many endangered animal species have been killed by tourists who enter the parks for spot hunting, especially in Tanzania.

Edith Kasiime the WAP Uganda country representative addressing tour operator at Hotel Africana 

“The world life protection laws in the region have loopholes which need to be harmonized in Kenya and Uganda. Spot hunting is criminalized especially on endangered species, but in Tanzania many tourists pay dollars and the Authorities allow the visitors to kill Animals in the name of spot hunting,” Omond said during an engagement meeting between WAP and tour operators in Uganda at Hotel Africana

Some of the endangered species that have been killed through spot hunting include Lions, elephants, among other endangered species.

Killing of such animals contradicts with international legal instruments such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention, which is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals.

Most United Nation members states are signatory to the treaty, however, some member states violate it by legalizing the killing of animals in protected areas as way of raising money to fund government programs.

For instance, to spot hunt a lion, according to Omondi, the hunter pays about US$500, 0000 per spot.

Executive Director Association of Uganda Tour Operators, Gloria Tumwesigye,ption(M)

At the same event, WAP Uganda country representative Edith Kasiime challenged Tour Operators to ensure that their clients respect the rights of wild animals.

She noted that on many occasions tourists are violating the rights of animals through taking selfies with the animals.

“Taking a selfie with an animal should follow the international regulations; some of the actions the tourist do towards the animals lead to animals becoming wild thus attacking tourists in the due course,” she told tour operators.

Responding to the WAP official, the Executive Director Association of Uganda Tour Operators, Gloria Tumwesigye, said they are going to carry out advocacy programs with in their members to ensure that tourists abide with international standards, especially when it comes to taking pictures with wild animals in National parks.

Uganda’s Power Generation Agency Asset Base Expands

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO 

Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) has released its audited financial report for the last 18 months ended June 2017.

According to the information unveiled, UEGCL registered big achievement in the Audited period.

The report which was released by the UEGCL Board of Directors chairperson   Eng Proscovia Margaret Njiki at the Ministry of Finance shows that the Company’s assets have improved as compared to the previous years.

“Let me inform the UEGCL stakeholder that the total assets as at 30th June 2017 had grown to UGX3.3 trillion from UGX1trillion in 2015 as result of ongoing projects. As the supervisors of the agency we shall continue ensuring that the agency is on good track as performance is about,” she promised.

UEGCL   Board of Directors chairperson   Eng Proscovia Margaret Njiki (R) and the state minister for fiance David Bahati at the release of the Audited report for UEGCL

On the Financial over view, the Njuki said the agency did not performed as it was expected due to economic challenges affecting the country’s economy.

The Company revenue dropped to Shs17.5 billion from Shs54 Billion in 2015.

This was due to the writing off of long outstanding debt of Shs30.9 billion from Uganda Electricity Transition Company Limited, and also the write back of Government liability of about Shs42 billion.

Commenting on the future outlook for the agency, Njuki said they are committed to support the growth of UEGCL despite the economic challenges which are stressing the performance of the agency.

“We are  very optimistic that  the company  will  continue  to grow  despite  the challenges  in the operating  environment, and economic conditions  which are  likely to persist,” she promised.

In the same Audited report, the office of the Auditor General raised issues which should be worked on if UEGCL is to perform better as it’s expected from the general public.

Some of the issues raised include the concession  management  for Nalubaale and Kiira Hydropower  stations  which the  Auditor General John  Muwanga , said it risks  the plants  being in worse shape  by the end of  the concession  due to a wanting operation and maintenance  regime by Eskom.

The Auditor general also  cast  doubt  on the competence of the supervising  engineer  for Karuma hydropower project, Energy  Infratech PYT Limited, due to several  quality  assurance  issues  identified  onsite during  the audit period .

UEGCL is the government implementing agency for the flagship hydropower projects of Karuma (600MW) and Isimba (183).

These two projects both now over 70 % complete are scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2018.

David Bahati, the Minister of state for Finance commended UEGCL for the good work the agency is doing to ensure that the country have enough energy to support the Country’s development plans.

However, the minister questioned the agency to strictly supervise all power projects that are ongoing in the country to ensure that there’s value for Money.

“We can some good work being done by the Agency, UEGCL is one of the best government parastatals  m but more effort is needed especially in the supervising of the contractor that were contracted to execute government power projects” The Minister Advised.

Dr.Eng Harrison Mutikanga, UEGCL chief executive officer told the stakeholders during the 7^thAnnual general Meeting for UEGCL that they are ready to deliver the 920MW in the next five years but challenged government to increase on the resources it allocates o the agency.

Belgian Business Delegation to Visit Uganda

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

A Belgian business delegation composed of 43 companies will visit Uganda from 26th – 29th November with an objective to tap into the Ugandan market and exploring potential business synergies.

According to the statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the team also will be in the country with intention of promoting trade and investment for the mutual benefit of both Belgium and Uganda.

“The mission will comprise key players, mainly in the sectors of agriculture, construction and energy, but also in the sectors of logistics, transport and dredging, as well as ICT & consultancy. The event aims at attracting large and medium enterprises from Uganda to interact with high-ranking business persons from Belgium,” reads part of the statement.

The delegation will also meet the business community at an event to be held at Sheraton Hotel in Kampal.

Minister Kyambadde she is expected to open the Business meeting.

Uganda’s Minister of Trade Amelia Kyambadde will grace the function. Kyambadde will open the business to business networking session.

The goal of this session is to pave way for collaborations, exchanges and engagement on projects at a purely personal level.

The Business Working session will also give the Belgian delegation an opportunity to learn more about the business community of Uganda, gain insight into its business environment in the country

Apart from meeting the Business Community, the delegation will meet with the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Works and Transport among others to discuss business opportunities in those sectors.

Belgian Business delegation to Visit Uganda will comprises those from construction sector, Ago processing and Value addition fields, Health sector among others.

Government to Develop Law for Physical Planners.

BY SAMUEL NABWIISO

The state Minister for Urban planning in the Ministry of Lands Housing and Urban Development Isaac Musumba has said  that Government is in a plan of coming up with a law to regulate physical planners in the Country 

Speaking during the World Town planning Day at Makerere University on Thursday, Musumba observed that currently there is no law which regulates the profession hence leading to the putting up of unplanned structures, which end up collapsing

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The Minister noted that the absence of regulations has led to the creation of slums in most towns across the country.

 “The current Law does not recognise physical planners as professionals. As government we shall make sure that we have a Law which spells out who is physical planer. With the Law in place, Government will be in position to register physical planners as professionals and Monitor their conduct as it does to other professionals such as Law, Medicine and others,” the Minister said.

Minister Musumba he said the  Government will come up with new law for physical planners 

Each year planners around the world engage in activities on World Town Planning Day in an effort to raise awareness of the importance of planning in their communities.

Planning associations and academic institutions organize special educational sessions on topics relevant to planning in a local and global context.

He explained that his Ministry is committed to ensure that all buildings and other structures constructed in the towns and cities are in line with the master plan of those towns.

Failure to adhere with Government plan, he said, it will lead to the cancelation of the designed plan for the structure

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The Minister explained that unplanned towns leads to the development of slums which on many occasions — shanty towns are known for being havens to wrongdoer’s — a situation which intensifies crimes in most towns.

A physical planner working in one of the local governments, who spoke to ChimpReports on condition of anonymity  said  the development of slum areas on many occasions has not been attributed to planners but the bad politics’  in the country.

“Some towns have masterplans, but when the planners try to enforce the law, politicians at high levels try to interfere by settling people in places that have been gazzeted for specific activities. Because of politics, almost all streets in most towns are market places. When the enforcers try to send off the vendors, politicians come in in very high gear,” the planner explained.

The Minister comments about well-planned towns and cities comes at a time when the World Bank reports reveal that in the near 2040s, 75% of the world’s population will be living in towns because of the existence  of social and economic amenities.

For such cities and towns to accommodate such populations, Governments should ensure that towns meet the World standard for the cities and Towns.

During the celebration to mark the World Standard day, the Executive Director Uganda National Bureau of standard Dr. Benon Manyindo called upon urban authorities to adopt international standards on smart cities such that they can provide quality life to their citizens.

“Without complying with the standards, cities will struggle to run safe and smooth services. Standards provide the foundation for electricity access and all the many devices and systems that use electricity and contain electronics,” Manyindo explained.