Nearly 200,000 people in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region, are facing acute shortage of food and require immediate relief supplies.
Same District Commissioner Ibrahim Marwa said that a government survey in the area last November showed that the number of people who needed immediate food relief was 200,000.
He said up to November 2009, the district had received a total of 4,588.8 tonnes of food relief from the Prime Minister’s Office (Disaster Management Department).
He added that about 4,262.2 tonnes of food were sold to people in the area at the price of 50/- per kg and 326.6 tonnes were distributed freely to vulnerable groups and needy people.
The DC said the amount of food supplied included assistance from other stakeholders such as the World Food Programme and religious organizations.
However, Marwa said that food shortages were caused by inadequate rains in almost the entire district, which led to very poor harvests for almost three consecutive years.
According to him, livestock were also affected for lack of grazing areas, forcing pastoralists to move their cattle to the neighbouring districts of Handeni, Korogwe and Lushoto in Tanga Region.
He said the district's strategies to curb food shortages included encouraging farmers to embark on planting drought-resistant crops, employ modern farming methods as well as engaging in mixed farming.
Others are irrigation farming, especially in wards such as Ruvu, Kisiwani, Maore, Hedaru, Kihurio and Ndungu.
The district chief said for the 2009/2010 farming season, the district was set to plant different food crops on about 112,319 hectares of land, adding that the district expected to harvest about 107,813.5 tonnes of food crops.
13 January 2010
floods leave thousands homeless
RAINS continue pounding most parts of the country leaving thousands homeless. In Kilimanjaro Region, Hedaru ward in Same Distric, about 40 houses were filled with mud, debris and water leaving more than 215 people without homes.
The rains also left the Dar es Salaam -Moshi-Arusha highway blocked for several hours by debris and mud after flood water flowed above culverts on River Wanchi.
Speaking to 'Daily News', Same District Commissioner Ibrahimu Marwa said Tanroads have removed all debris and mud to enable vehicles to pass.
The rains had also made it impossible for more than 2, 500 pupils from 19 primary schools to attend studies due to the floods caused by Wanchi River which burst its banks.
In Dodoma, the rains have continued to cause havoc in most parts of the region. In Kongwa District several houses have been destroyed in Sagara Ward according to the District Commissioner, Mr Lembris Kipuyo.
DC Kipuyo said that assessment of what had been destroyed by the rains was still continuing. In Mpwapwa District 14 wards have been affected by the rains and rain water coming in from neighbouring districts.
Mpwapwa District Commissioner Darry Rwegasira said that most of the flood waters flow to Mpwapwa from other districts in Dodoma and Singida regions.
''It is raining but most of the floods are coming in from neighbouring districts as well as Singida,'' DC Rwegasira said.
The District Commissioner said that the rains, which started since late December last year, left thousands homeless. So far the government has distributed 1, 000 tonnes of relief food to Mpwapwa District and other basic needs from the Red Cross.
The Chamwino District Commissioner, Mr Lephy Gembe, noted that the rains in the area had destroyed houses, especially those made of mud.
''So far we don't have major disasters in the area but mudhouses continue to crumble due to the rains,'' DC Gembe said.
Yesterday, three people lost their lives due to the rains in Chamwino, Kondoa and Dodoma municipality in Dodoma Region.
In Arusha, a standard four pupil died after a wet wall fell on him.
The rains also left the Dar es Salaam -Moshi-Arusha highway blocked for several hours by debris and mud after flood water flowed above culverts on River Wanchi.
Speaking to 'Daily News', Same District Commissioner Ibrahimu Marwa said Tanroads have removed all debris and mud to enable vehicles to pass.
The rains had also made it impossible for more than 2, 500 pupils from 19 primary schools to attend studies due to the floods caused by Wanchi River which burst its banks.
In Dodoma, the rains have continued to cause havoc in most parts of the region. In Kongwa District several houses have been destroyed in Sagara Ward according to the District Commissioner, Mr Lembris Kipuyo.
DC Kipuyo said that assessment of what had been destroyed by the rains was still continuing. In Mpwapwa District 14 wards have been affected by the rains and rain water coming in from neighbouring districts.
Mpwapwa District Commissioner Darry Rwegasira said that most of the flood waters flow to Mpwapwa from other districts in Dodoma and Singida regions.
''It is raining but most of the floods are coming in from neighbouring districts as well as Singida,'' DC Rwegasira said.
The District Commissioner said that the rains, which started since late December last year, left thousands homeless. So far the government has distributed 1, 000 tonnes of relief food to Mpwapwa District and other basic needs from the Red Cross.
The Chamwino District Commissioner, Mr Lephy Gembe, noted that the rains in the area had destroyed houses, especially those made of mud.
''So far we don't have major disasters in the area but mudhouses continue to crumble due to the rains,'' DC Gembe said.
Yesterday, three people lost their lives due to the rains in Chamwino, Kondoa and Dodoma municipality in Dodoma Region.
In Arusha, a standard four pupil died after a wet wall fell on him.
09 January 2010
Dar set to host world meet on climate change
The fourth international conference on Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) to Climate Change will be held in Dar es Salaam next month.
A statement issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam said the conference, to be held between February 21 and 27, would attract a total of 100 participants from across the world.
The statement said the conference was aimed at sharing latest developments in adaptation, planning and practices and disseminating knowledge among stakeholders and actors.
Among core objectives included bringing different stakeholders and practitioners to share and discuss knowledge of CBA planning and practices from different parts of the developing world, particularly Africa.
“It is also geared to capturing the latest learning from CBA planning and practices around the developing world as well as enhancing capacity of the practitioners to help the most vulnerable groups and people in improving livelihoods in developing countries,” the statement read in part.
It added that the conference also intended to create a platform for stakeholders to share lessons learnt to facilitate integration of climate change into national and international development programmes as well as disseminate lessons learnt at the conference through proceedings and immediate conference summary.
Key activities during the international meeting included field visits to community-based adaptation projects in different ecosystems and interactive discussions on different thematic areas.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
A statement issued yesterday in Dar es Salaam said the conference, to be held between February 21 and 27, would attract a total of 100 participants from across the world.
The statement said the conference was aimed at sharing latest developments in adaptation, planning and practices and disseminating knowledge among stakeholders and actors.
Among core objectives included bringing different stakeholders and practitioners to share and discuss knowledge of CBA planning and practices from different parts of the developing world, particularly Africa.
“It is also geared to capturing the latest learning from CBA planning and practices around the developing world as well as enhancing capacity of the practitioners to help the most vulnerable groups and people in improving livelihoods in developing countries,” the statement read in part.
It added that the conference also intended to create a platform for stakeholders to share lessons learnt to facilitate integration of climate change into national and international development programmes as well as disseminate lessons learnt at the conference through proceedings and immediate conference summary.
Key activities during the international meeting included field visits to community-based adaptation projects in different ecosystems and interactive discussions on different thematic areas.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
07 January 2010
Exploit our local tourism potential
source;the guardian 7th jan 2010
The start of the New Year brought with it interesting developments for our country.
We read a very interesting report about hundreds of Kenyan tourists choosing the country's northern tourism circuit as their destination to celebrate the season’s holidays.
This is indeed a very interesting development considering that Kenya boasts a very well developed infrastructure of beach and wildlife tourism, attracting millions of tourists, both local and foreign.
The tourists were apparently attracted by the incentives announced by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) recently directing all Chief Park Wardens to treat equally all the East African Community residents intending to discover nature into the wild teeming with all sorts of animal and captivating scenery.
The offer allows Burundians, Kenyans, Rwandese, Ugandans and Tanzanians to enter any of the the country’s national parks after paying 1,500/- each for adults and 500/- each for a child per day at the gates.
Not only did the Kenyans take advantage of the offer, but were delighted by what they discovered and showered praise on Tanzania's wildlife attractions.
One of the Kenyan groups which visited Ngorongoro crater, admitted that the group had fallen in love with the crater and promised to market it to Kenyans.
And therein lies the secret key to success in boosting this sector, which has been hard hit by the global economic crunch because of its almost total reliance on tourists from outside Africa.
The park authorities must promote the attractions more vigorously, creating packages that will make it worth the time of local and regional tourists to visit and view animals and nature.
But most importantly, the park authorities must listen carefully to the feedback they get from our neighbours who have visited the parks.
For to be fair, not all have praises for Tanzania's tourist attractions. Indeed, there have been some observations, about deficiencies in the sector, which we believe mean well and should be acted upon by the authorities.
The authorities must be swift in taking corrective action where it is due as the way forward in improving their marketability.
One such call relates to too much bureaucracy at entry points, which may push away the ordinary tourist, who feels suffocated by the requirement to fill several forms.
Surely the authorities can find a way of simplifying the procedures given that we are now in the digital age.
This is one of the several challenges that the national park authorities must overcome this year if the industry is to recover from the effects of the crunch soon, but more importantly embark on nurturing its nascent local clients base.
For the industry is sitting in the middle of a robust and flamboyant East African market with nearly 130 million consumers and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of nearly US$60bn.
All said however, the start has been positive and if well exploited, is set to change the way we view the potential, not only of East Africa, but the whole continent in making the travel and tourism industry one of its main engines of economic growth.
The start of the New Year brought with it interesting developments for our country.
We read a very interesting report about hundreds of Kenyan tourists choosing the country's northern tourism circuit as their destination to celebrate the season’s holidays.
This is indeed a very interesting development considering that Kenya boasts a very well developed infrastructure of beach and wildlife tourism, attracting millions of tourists, both local and foreign.
The tourists were apparently attracted by the incentives announced by the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) recently directing all Chief Park Wardens to treat equally all the East African Community residents intending to discover nature into the wild teeming with all sorts of animal and captivating scenery.
The offer allows Burundians, Kenyans, Rwandese, Ugandans and Tanzanians to enter any of the the country’s national parks after paying 1,500/- each for adults and 500/- each for a child per day at the gates.
Not only did the Kenyans take advantage of the offer, but were delighted by what they discovered and showered praise on Tanzania's wildlife attractions.
One of the Kenyan groups which visited Ngorongoro crater, admitted that the group had fallen in love with the crater and promised to market it to Kenyans.
And therein lies the secret key to success in boosting this sector, which has been hard hit by the global economic crunch because of its almost total reliance on tourists from outside Africa.
The park authorities must promote the attractions more vigorously, creating packages that will make it worth the time of local and regional tourists to visit and view animals and nature.
But most importantly, the park authorities must listen carefully to the feedback they get from our neighbours who have visited the parks.
For to be fair, not all have praises for Tanzania's tourist attractions. Indeed, there have been some observations, about deficiencies in the sector, which we believe mean well and should be acted upon by the authorities.
The authorities must be swift in taking corrective action where it is due as the way forward in improving their marketability.
One such call relates to too much bureaucracy at entry points, which may push away the ordinary tourist, who feels suffocated by the requirement to fill several forms.
Surely the authorities can find a way of simplifying the procedures given that we are now in the digital age.
This is one of the several challenges that the national park authorities must overcome this year if the industry is to recover from the effects of the crunch soon, but more importantly embark on nurturing its nascent local clients base.
For the industry is sitting in the middle of a robust and flamboyant East African market with nearly 130 million consumers and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of nearly US$60bn.
All said however, the start has been positive and if well exploited, is set to change the way we view the potential, not only of East Africa, but the whole continent in making the travel and tourism industry one of its main engines of economic growth.
04 January 2010
tourists from kenya chosen tanzania
4th January 2010
Comments
Wildebeest at Ngorongoro National park
Hundreds of tourists from Kenya have chosen Tanzania’s famous northern tourism circuit their most favourable destination for end of the year holidays, The Guardian can report.
For the last five days towards end of 2009, Ngorongoro Crater and Mount Kilimanjaro which is the world’s highest free standing mountain were destinations of choice for the Kenyans, thanks to the Tanzania tourism agencies for reviewing and harmonizing tariffs for park entry for East Africans.
“We are proud of ‘Africa's Eden’ and the ‘Eighth Natural Wonder of the World,’ which is none other than the Ngorongoro Crater” Silas Kinoti remarked and pledged extensive publicity of the place to encourage more people to visit one of the wonders of the world.
For his part, Charles Kirima, one of the visitors in a group of Kenyans said the purpose of the visit was to expose their children to the natural beauty which would remain the inheritance of the people of East Africa and humanity as a whole.
The common park entry tariffs for EA residents into Tanzania’s National Parks, he says, was the secret behind their decision to travel all the way from Kenya to Tanzania’s northern tourism circuit.
Residents of East Africa are currently enjoying the universal National Park entry tariffs with their Tanzanian counterparts. Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA) recently directed all Chief Park Wardens to treat equally all the EA residents intending to discover nature into public game sanctuary.
As it stands now, Burundians, Kenyans, Rwandese, Ugandans and Tanzanians are paying 1,500/- for adults and 500/- for the children to visit any National Park in Tanzania per day.
Analysts believe the decision will boost the industry in the robust and flamboyant EA-Common-Market, with nearly 130 million consumers and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of nearly $60bn.
Way back in 2006, each of the pioneer three EAC partner states of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda were charging separately. In Uganda the entrance fee to any of the country's National Parks, for one-day was $20 for foreigners, East African residents had used to pay $10 and residents are charged Ush. 5,000.
In Tanzania the entry fees to its two hot-spot National Parks of Mount Kilimanjaro and Serengeti for foreign tourists was $60 and $50 respectively. In Kenya the average fee to National parks was set at $30 per adult and $10 per student or one child, per day.
One of the twelve groups divided into five people bringing to 60 the number of Kenyan visitors for the day led by Kinoti had an opportunity to come face-to-face with the natural sanctuary for thousands of birds, insects and wild animals such as lions, zebra, black rhino and wildebeest.
The excited group burst into celebration, ululation, singing and chanting slogans of praise and clapping, saying that the natural beauty of the caldera reminded them of the Biblical Garden of Eden.
“This is the best place one should not miss and it is more well conserved than any national park in Kenya” Kinoti said.
The group was particularly impressed by the success story of multiple land use where pastoralism, conservation and tourism co-exist in a carefully managed harmony.
Ngorongoro crater, the "eighth wonder of the world" stretching across some 8,300 sq km, boasts a blend of landscapes, wildlife, people and archaeological sites unsurpassed in Africa. The volcanoes, grasslands, waterfalls and mountain forests are home to the wildlife and the livestock keepers, the Maasai community.
It borders the Serengeti National Park to the north and west.
The NCAA was established in 1959 to protect an area covering 8,300 square kilometers. Olduvai Gorge ("The Cradle of Mankind"), Lake Ndutu and Masek are also within its borders. Lush highlands surround the Crater, falling away to tawny plains and alkaline lakes of the Great Rift Valley.
Attractions of the EAC region comprise wildlife sanctuaries, such as Ngongoro, the Serengeti and Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, in Tanzania; the Maasai Mara reserve, and 48 wildlife Parks and reserves, including the Tsavo and Amboseli, in Kenya; and the Bwindi Impenetrable National Park (famous for mountain gorillas), the Murchison Falls and Elizabeth Park in Uganda.
Famous beaches in the region include Dar es Salaam, Mombasa, Malindi and the islands of Zanzibar, Pemba and Lamu.
In addition, the world's second largest fresh water body, Lake Victoria, is shared by the three EAC countries. This is recognized as a world heritage Site, due to its rich Biodiversity.
The EAC trading bloc comprising Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania has a combined population of 120 plus million people, with a land area of 1.8 million sq. kilometers.
25 white lions killed
FINNIGAN WA SIMBEYE, 2nd January 2010
CLIMATE change is to blame for the recent killings of 25 white lions by pastoralists in the northern part of the country, as livestock keepers moved in to protect their cattle from wild animals.
Droughts have taken their toll on pastures and have dried water which is essential for the survival of both people and animals.
A conservation expert from University of Dar es Salaam, Dr. George Jambia recently warned that because of global warming, rainfall patterns have changed while droughts are regular, hence forcing pastoralists to move closer to conservation areas where the lions attack cattle.
"Why did the communities kill 25 rare lions last year alone? They do not do this for fun. The lions have been attacking their livestock much more frequently compared to the previous years," Dr Jambia pointed out.
He further noted that lion attacks were frequent because there is a large presence of domestic animals within the boundaries of the national park.
"Because of good land and park management and a lower carrying capacity, the parks have the last vestiges of grass and water. Communities from far and wide have converged towards the park, hoping to save the few remaining livestock by accessing grass and water,"” Dr Jambia argued.
Recent press reports said that 25 rare white lions have been killed by pastoralists adjacent to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Arusha National Park during the 12 months of last year.
Warning that failure by selfish global leaders to hammer a climate change deal in Copenhagen last month risks extreme weather changes within the next few years that will have serious repercussions on man and the environment.
There have been droughts in the past and people have devised ways and means of coping. This time around it has been extreme and traditional coping mechanisms have failed, and this is not a one off event. It will happen again and maybe in the opposite extreme, he warned.
"These are the subtle and not so subtle effects of climate change, and such extreme events quite often trigger domino effects. Has anyone thought of the effects of rotting livestock carcasses strewn near the national parks", he wondered.
Dismissing a call for communities living close to conservation areas to be moved away from such parameter, Dr Jambia argued that such simplistic solutions were not workable.
"How does one sensitise a community that is losing its main source of livelihood and convince them to move away from the parks? Where to? How does one convince such communities that they should do the most they can 'to help the animals, insects, reptiles and plants have an enjoyable time', whilst there is no fodder or water for their livestock?" he wondered.
A conflict pitting people against animlas is simmering as humans encroach and take over areas that have been traditional habitats for wildlife. It is little known that about 200 people are killed by wild animals every year and a third of this is attributed to lions alone.
CLIMATE change is to blame for the recent killings of 25 white lions by pastoralists in the northern part of the country, as livestock keepers moved in to protect their cattle from wild animals.
Droughts have taken their toll on pastures and have dried water which is essential for the survival of both people and animals.
A conservation expert from University of Dar es Salaam, Dr. George Jambia recently warned that because of global warming, rainfall patterns have changed while droughts are regular, hence forcing pastoralists to move closer to conservation areas where the lions attack cattle.
"Why did the communities kill 25 rare lions last year alone? They do not do this for fun. The lions have been attacking their livestock much more frequently compared to the previous years," Dr Jambia pointed out.
He further noted that lion attacks were frequent because there is a large presence of domestic animals within the boundaries of the national park.
"Because of good land and park management and a lower carrying capacity, the parks have the last vestiges of grass and water. Communities from far and wide have converged towards the park, hoping to save the few remaining livestock by accessing grass and water,"” Dr Jambia argued.
Recent press reports said that 25 rare white lions have been killed by pastoralists adjacent to Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Arusha National Park during the 12 months of last year.
Warning that failure by selfish global leaders to hammer a climate change deal in Copenhagen last month risks extreme weather changes within the next few years that will have serious repercussions on man and the environment.
There have been droughts in the past and people have devised ways and means of coping. This time around it has been extreme and traditional coping mechanisms have failed, and this is not a one off event. It will happen again and maybe in the opposite extreme, he warned.
"These are the subtle and not so subtle effects of climate change, and such extreme events quite often trigger domino effects. Has anyone thought of the effects of rotting livestock carcasses strewn near the national parks", he wondered.
Dismissing a call for communities living close to conservation areas to be moved away from such parameter, Dr Jambia argued that such simplistic solutions were not workable.
"How does one sensitise a community that is losing its main source of livelihood and convince them to move away from the parks? Where to? How does one convince such communities that they should do the most they can 'to help the animals, insects, reptiles and plants have an enjoyable time', whilst there is no fodder or water for their livestock?" he wondered.
A conflict pitting people against animlas is simmering as humans encroach and take over areas that have been traditional habitats for wildlife. It is little known that about 200 people are killed by wild animals every year and a third of this is attributed to lions alone.
kilosa victims of floods rised to 9,300
DAILY NEWS Reporters, 3rd January 2010
AT least 9,338 people have been rendered homeless since floods started hitting Kilosa District, Morogoro Region, about a week ago.
Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Issa Machibya, said today the number had increased from 8,008 recorded four days ago and that all homeless people have been accommodated in 15 camps in the district.
He also noted that until yesterday, 4,819 households with 23,073 had been affected with floods, while 813 houses were damaged and 4,536 submerged in water.
Kilosa District Executive Director (DED), Ephraim Kalimwendo, said the district was in need of 600 tents to accommodated displaced people ahead of opening of schools this week.
"We have 76 out of 700 tents required to shift the victims from schools and we've planned to open to set up new nine camps," he said.
He named the areas anticipated for setting up the camps with their numbers in bracket as Kimamba A and B (1), Chanzulu (1), Kondoa (1), Magelegele Ward in Tindiga (1), Magelegele (1) and in Town area (4).
The DED observed that over 225,305 tonnes of food were needed to feed the flood victims.
Mr Kalimwendo appealed to different authorities to donate tents, drugs, food and other humanitarian supplies.
"The district also faces other challenges such as sharp increase in living costs, the floods has pushed costs of living significantly. Even costs of loading and offloading of humanitarian supplies are increasing everyday," explained the DED.
Mr Kalimwendo noted that the district was planning to develop temporary infrastructure, including toilets and construction of underground water systems.
The reason behind using the underground water was a way of cutting down cost, as water drawn from well does not need treatment, he said.
The DED also said that Kilosa District Council intended to survey 1,000 plots for Kondoa villagers and other flood hit wards.
The victims are currently camping at Usagala, Kimamba A and B, Magomeni, Kasiki primary schools. Others are at SIDO offices, Mkatani, Mazulia godown, Masanze primary court, Tindiga and Kilosa Club.
AT least 9,338 people have been rendered homeless since floods started hitting Kilosa District, Morogoro Region, about a week ago.
Morogoro Regional Commissioner, Issa Machibya, said today the number had increased from 8,008 recorded four days ago and that all homeless people have been accommodated in 15 camps in the district.
He also noted that until yesterday, 4,819 households with 23,073 had been affected with floods, while 813 houses were damaged and 4,536 submerged in water.
Kilosa District Executive Director (DED), Ephraim Kalimwendo, said the district was in need of 600 tents to accommodated displaced people ahead of opening of schools this week.
"We have 76 out of 700 tents required to shift the victims from schools and we've planned to open to set up new nine camps," he said.
He named the areas anticipated for setting up the camps with their numbers in bracket as Kimamba A and B (1), Chanzulu (1), Kondoa (1), Magelegele Ward in Tindiga (1), Magelegele (1) and in Town area (4).
The DED observed that over 225,305 tonnes of food were needed to feed the flood victims.
Mr Kalimwendo appealed to different authorities to donate tents, drugs, food and other humanitarian supplies.
"The district also faces other challenges such as sharp increase in living costs, the floods has pushed costs of living significantly. Even costs of loading and offloading of humanitarian supplies are increasing everyday," explained the DED.
Mr Kalimwendo noted that the district was planning to develop temporary infrastructure, including toilets and construction of underground water systems.
The reason behind using the underground water was a way of cutting down cost, as water drawn from well does not need treatment, he said.
The DED also said that Kilosa District Council intended to survey 1,000 plots for Kondoa villagers and other flood hit wards.
The victims are currently camping at Usagala, Kimamba A and B, Magomeni, Kasiki primary schools. Others are at SIDO offices, Mkatani, Mazulia godown, Masanze primary court, Tindiga and Kilosa Club.
17 December 2009
Africa betrayed at Copenhagen meet
17th December 2009EmailPrintComments Ethiopian PM justifies fund scaleback for reliable flows
Copenhagen Bella Center where the United Nations Climate Change Conference is held.
African negotiators at the Climate Change meeting here yesterday woke up to a surprise when some of their colleagues unilaterally decided to compose a text for presentation to the COP 15 Presidency contrary to earlier agreement.
Cited as the Joint Appeal of France and Ethiopia, representing Africa, for an Ambitious Copenhagen Accord, the text read that the two launch an appeal to all parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to adopt an ambitious agreement on December 18 limiting the increase of temperatures to 2C above compared to pre-industrial times as recommended by the IPCC, and ensuring that vulnerable countries will receive adequate financing to face the challenge.
“This is ridiculous,” lashed out a delegate from Tanzania.
“Since when has France represented Africa in the climate change negotiations? And this temperature increase; we had agreed the increase to be 1.5C and not what is written in this text,” he said, obviously angered by the unprecedented twist of events. Ethiopia is the Chair for Africa Climate Change negotiations.
The Guardian has further learnt that initially the African countries had pushed for the adoption of a “fast-start” fund of 600 billion US dollars per year covering the next three years—2010, 2011 and 2012 but well placed sources said France and Ethiopia have cut the figure to 10 billion US dollars for the next three years, way below the required amount.
Visibly furious about the U-turn engineered by Ethiopia and France, some of the African negotiators who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity said the draft document indicated that 40 per cent of the fund should be dedicated to adaptation in Africa while the agreement was 50 per cent of the fund.
“We don’t understand what’s happening. Everybody is totally confused at this turn of events,” fumed one of the African delegates.
Speaking at the U.N. climate talks, the Ethiopian PM Zenawi referring to the changes admitted: "I know my proposal today will disappoint some Africans. My proposal scales back our expectation with respect to the level of funding in return for more reliable funding," he said.
Zenawi supported $100 billion annual funds by 2020 from rich nations to help the developing world fight climate change.
When asked for a response, Chinese negotiators said they could not comment directly on the figure but expressed backing for the stance of African nations.
"China has always been supportive of the developing countries strong position and just demands on the financing issue," said Climate Change Ambassador Yu Qingtai.
China has already said it does not expect to be the first in line for any funds from the rich world. Yu's comments suggested that Beijing would not stand in the way of a deal backed by most of the developing world.
The European Union has previously proposed rich nation funds by 2020 of about $150 billion. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has spoken of $100 billion.
U.S. chief climate envoy Todd Stern declined immediate comment on the African proposal -- "I have heard there is one (proposal on finance) but I haven't seen the details yet so we will be interested in looking at it."
Zenawi said funding to help the developing world prepare for climate change and curb carbon emissions should start by 2013, reaching "up to $50 billion per annum by 2015 and $100 billion per annum by 2020."
"No less than 50 per cent should be allocated to adaptation to vulnerable and poor countries and regions such as African and small islands states."
The Catholic development group CAFOD said Zenawi had gone too far with his compromise.
"At this late stage of the negotiations, this figure being tabled by Africa is disappointing to say the least," said Liz Gallagher, CAFOD's climate finance specialist, adding the Africa group earlier this week had demanded $400 billion per year.
Rich countries could raise the funds using a wide range of mechanisms, including taxes on shipping and jet fuel or sales of emissions rights, said Zenawi -- hinting Africa would not insist on public money.
Developing countries have so far insisted that funds should come from public sources, something that recession-hit, industrialised countries have rejected saying only the private sector can raise the sums required.
The draft document, seen by ‘The Guardian’, states that a high-level group composed of developed and developing countries’ experts will bring forward recommendations with a preliminary report to be presented no later than the next G20 summit in Canada, and its final report no later that the November 2010 G20 summit in Korea.
“The G20 summits have nothing to do with the Copenhagen climate change negotiations. It is ridiculous,” said the shocked African delegates. The situation has seriously angered some delegates because some of them spent the whole Tuesday night working on “the official document” only to be frustrated by the new version.
Meanwhile, the Danish President of the U.N. Climate Conference, Connie Hedegaard, has resigned and will be replaced by the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, as head of the historic talks.
The change was announced yesterday as the 193-nation conference enters a higher phase of negotiations, with 115world leaders arriving by Thursday.
U.N. Climate Chief Yvo de Boer said Hedegaard will continue to lead informal talks but Prime Minister Rasmussen will now be the formal head of the conference.
Hedegaard says it's appropriate for Rasmussen to preside with so many heads of state and government taking part.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
Copenhagen Bella Center where the United Nations Climate Change Conference is held.
African negotiators at the Climate Change meeting here yesterday woke up to a surprise when some of their colleagues unilaterally decided to compose a text for presentation to the COP 15 Presidency contrary to earlier agreement.
Cited as the Joint Appeal of France and Ethiopia, representing Africa, for an Ambitious Copenhagen Accord, the text read that the two launch an appeal to all parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to adopt an ambitious agreement on December 18 limiting the increase of temperatures to 2C above compared to pre-industrial times as recommended by the IPCC, and ensuring that vulnerable countries will receive adequate financing to face the challenge.
“This is ridiculous,” lashed out a delegate from Tanzania.
“Since when has France represented Africa in the climate change negotiations? And this temperature increase; we had agreed the increase to be 1.5C and not what is written in this text,” he said, obviously angered by the unprecedented twist of events. Ethiopia is the Chair for Africa Climate Change negotiations.
The Guardian has further learnt that initially the African countries had pushed for the adoption of a “fast-start” fund of 600 billion US dollars per year covering the next three years—2010, 2011 and 2012 but well placed sources said France and Ethiopia have cut the figure to 10 billion US dollars for the next three years, way below the required amount.
Visibly furious about the U-turn engineered by Ethiopia and France, some of the African negotiators who spoke to this newspaper on condition of anonymity said the draft document indicated that 40 per cent of the fund should be dedicated to adaptation in Africa while the agreement was 50 per cent of the fund.
“We don’t understand what’s happening. Everybody is totally confused at this turn of events,” fumed one of the African delegates.
Speaking at the U.N. climate talks, the Ethiopian PM Zenawi referring to the changes admitted: "I know my proposal today will disappoint some Africans. My proposal scales back our expectation with respect to the level of funding in return for more reliable funding," he said.
Zenawi supported $100 billion annual funds by 2020 from rich nations to help the developing world fight climate change.
When asked for a response, Chinese negotiators said they could not comment directly on the figure but expressed backing for the stance of African nations.
"China has always been supportive of the developing countries strong position and just demands on the financing issue," said Climate Change Ambassador Yu Qingtai.
China has already said it does not expect to be the first in line for any funds from the rich world. Yu's comments suggested that Beijing would not stand in the way of a deal backed by most of the developing world.
The European Union has previously proposed rich nation funds by 2020 of about $150 billion. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown has spoken of $100 billion.
U.S. chief climate envoy Todd Stern declined immediate comment on the African proposal -- "I have heard there is one (proposal on finance) but I haven't seen the details yet so we will be interested in looking at it."
Zenawi said funding to help the developing world prepare for climate change and curb carbon emissions should start by 2013, reaching "up to $50 billion per annum by 2015 and $100 billion per annum by 2020."
"No less than 50 per cent should be allocated to adaptation to vulnerable and poor countries and regions such as African and small islands states."
The Catholic development group CAFOD said Zenawi had gone too far with his compromise.
"At this late stage of the negotiations, this figure being tabled by Africa is disappointing to say the least," said Liz Gallagher, CAFOD's climate finance specialist, adding the Africa group earlier this week had demanded $400 billion per year.
Rich countries could raise the funds using a wide range of mechanisms, including taxes on shipping and jet fuel or sales of emissions rights, said Zenawi -- hinting Africa would not insist on public money.
Developing countries have so far insisted that funds should come from public sources, something that recession-hit, industrialised countries have rejected saying only the private sector can raise the sums required.
The draft document, seen by ‘The Guardian’, states that a high-level group composed of developed and developing countries’ experts will bring forward recommendations with a preliminary report to be presented no later than the next G20 summit in Canada, and its final report no later that the November 2010 G20 summit in Korea.
“The G20 summits have nothing to do with the Copenhagen climate change negotiations. It is ridiculous,” said the shocked African delegates. The situation has seriously angered some delegates because some of them spent the whole Tuesday night working on “the official document” only to be frustrated by the new version.
Meanwhile, the Danish President of the U.N. Climate Conference, Connie Hedegaard, has resigned and will be replaced by the Danish Prime Minister, Lars Lokke Rasmussen, as head of the historic talks.
The change was announced yesterday as the 193-nation conference enters a higher phase of negotiations, with 115world leaders arriving by Thursday.
U.N. Climate Chief Yvo de Boer said Hedegaard will continue to lead informal talks but Prime Minister Rasmussen will now be the formal head of the conference.
Hedegaard says it's appropriate for Rasmussen to preside with so many heads of state and government taking part.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
11 December 2009
10 December 2009
what is the Copenhagen climate change summit?
Abigail Edge and David Adam guardian.co.uk, Friday 1 May 2009 15.47 BST Article history, What is the Copenhagen climate change summit?
From 7 December environment ministers and officials will meet in Copenhagen for the United Nations climate conference to thrash out a successor to the Kyoto protocol. The conference, held at the modern Bella Center, will run for two weeks. The talks are the latest in an annual series of UN meetings that trace their origins to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, which aimed at coordinating international action against climate change.
What does COP15 stand for?
COP15 is the official name of the Copenhagen climate change summit — the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP is the highest body of the UNFCCC and consists of environment ministers who meet once a year to discuss developments in the convention.
Which countries are taking part in the climate change summit, and how many people will be there?
One hundred and ninety-two countries have signed the climate change convention. More than 15,000 officials, advisers, diplomats, campaigners and journalists are expected to attend COP15, joined by heads of state and government.
Who are the main players?
Developing countries, including China and India, believe it is the responsibility of wealthy industrialised nations such as the UK and US to set a clear example on cutting carbon emissions. Significantly, the US rejected the 1997 Kyoto protocol, with George Bush arguing that the 5% reductions required by Kyoto would "wreck [the American] economy" while making no demands on emerging economies. COP15's chances of success have been improved by President Barack Obama's stated intention to achieve an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In April, the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, acknowledged the role the US had played in past climate emissions at a gathering of officials from the world's 17 largest economies. She said the US was "determined to make up for lost time both at home and abroad". "The US is no longer absent without leave," she said. However, Denmark's minister for climate and energy, Connie Hedegaard, has warned that American leadership on climate change will be undermined if the Obama administration does not pass laws swiftly to reduce carbon pollution.
What does the summit hope to achieve?
Officials will try to agree a new climate treaty as a successor to the Kyoto protocol, the first phase of which expires in 2012. According to Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UNFCCC, the four essentials needing an international agreement in Copenhagen are:
1 How much are industrialised countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
2 How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
3 How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
4 How is that money going to be managed?
What are the sticking points?
The main issue is that of "burden-sharing". Climate scientists say that the world must stop the growth in greenhouse gas emissions and start making them fall from around 2015 to 2020. By 2050 they estimate the world must cut its emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels to limit global warming to a 2C average rise.
Money is also a major issue. The developing countries know they must hand over hundreds of billions of pounds to poorer nations, to help them adapt to the likely consequences. Earlier this year, Gordon Brown said this climate funding needed to reach $100bn a year by 2020. If the recent recession has made rich countries less willing to part with their cash, this could raise tensions in Copenhagen
But which countries must make the cuts and by how large should they be? For example, the rapidly growing Chinese economy has recently overtaken America as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Yet America has historically emitted far more emissions than China, and on a per capita basis Chinese emissions are around a quarter of those of the US.
The Chinese government argues that it has a moral right to develop and grow its economy — carbon emissions will inevitably grow with it. There is also the issue of industrialised nations effectively outsourcing carbon emissions to developing nations such as China. This is a consequence of huge quantities of carbon-intensive manufacturing taking place in China on behalf of buyers in the west. It wants consumer countries to take responsibility for the carbon emissions generated in the manufacture of goods, not the producer countries that export them.
Problems such as these have cast doubts on whether COP15 can succeed. There are also concerns about whether any action we take now to prevent climate change may be too little too late. A Guardian poll revealed almost nine out of 10 climate scientists do not believe political efforts to restrict global warming to an additional 2C — the level the EU defines as "dangerous" — will succeed.
From 7 December environment ministers and officials will meet in Copenhagen for the United Nations climate conference to thrash out a successor to the Kyoto protocol. The conference, held at the modern Bella Center, will run for two weeks. The talks are the latest in an annual series of UN meetings that trace their origins to the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio, which aimed at coordinating international action against climate change.
What does COP15 stand for?
COP15 is the official name of the Copenhagen climate change summit — the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The COP is the highest body of the UNFCCC and consists of environment ministers who meet once a year to discuss developments in the convention.
Which countries are taking part in the climate change summit, and how many people will be there?
One hundred and ninety-two countries have signed the climate change convention. More than 15,000 officials, advisers, diplomats, campaigners and journalists are expected to attend COP15, joined by heads of state and government.
Who are the main players?
Developing countries, including China and India, believe it is the responsibility of wealthy industrialised nations such as the UK and US to set a clear example on cutting carbon emissions. Significantly, the US rejected the 1997 Kyoto protocol, with George Bush arguing that the 5% reductions required by Kyoto would "wreck [the American] economy" while making no demands on emerging economies. COP15's chances of success have been improved by President Barack Obama's stated intention to achieve an 80% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
In April, the secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, acknowledged the role the US had played in past climate emissions at a gathering of officials from the world's 17 largest economies. She said the US was "determined to make up for lost time both at home and abroad". "The US is no longer absent without leave," she said. However, Denmark's minister for climate and energy, Connie Hedegaard, has warned that American leadership on climate change will be undermined if the Obama administration does not pass laws swiftly to reduce carbon pollution.
What does the summit hope to achieve?
Officials will try to agree a new climate treaty as a successor to the Kyoto protocol, the first phase of which expires in 2012. According to Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the UNFCCC, the four essentials needing an international agreement in Copenhagen are:
1 How much are industrialised countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
2 How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
3 How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
4 How is that money going to be managed?
What are the sticking points?
The main issue is that of "burden-sharing". Climate scientists say that the world must stop the growth in greenhouse gas emissions and start making them fall from around 2015 to 2020. By 2050 they estimate the world must cut its emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels to limit global warming to a 2C average rise.
Money is also a major issue. The developing countries know they must hand over hundreds of billions of pounds to poorer nations, to help them adapt to the likely consequences. Earlier this year, Gordon Brown said this climate funding needed to reach $100bn a year by 2020. If the recent recession has made rich countries less willing to part with their cash, this could raise tensions in Copenhagen
But which countries must make the cuts and by how large should they be? For example, the rapidly growing Chinese economy has recently overtaken America as the world's largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Yet America has historically emitted far more emissions than China, and on a per capita basis Chinese emissions are around a quarter of those of the US.
The Chinese government argues that it has a moral right to develop and grow its economy — carbon emissions will inevitably grow with it. There is also the issue of industrialised nations effectively outsourcing carbon emissions to developing nations such as China. This is a consequence of huge quantities of carbon-intensive manufacturing taking place in China on behalf of buyers in the west. It wants consumer countries to take responsibility for the carbon emissions generated in the manufacture of goods, not the producer countries that export them.
Problems such as these have cast doubts on whether COP15 can succeed. There are also concerns about whether any action we take now to prevent climate change may be too little too late. A Guardian poll revealed almost nine out of 10 climate scientists do not believe political efforts to restrict global warming to an additional 2C — the level the EU defines as "dangerous" — will succeed.
the essentials in copenhagen
The essentials in CopenhagenRather than getting every small detail of a new global climate treaty done in Copenhagen, UN climate chief Yvo de Boer hopes the conference will reach agreements on four political essentials.
Michael von Bülow
16/03/2009 10:30
The UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December this year may not yield a new global climate treaty with every minor detail in place. But hopefully it will close with agreements on four political essentials, thereby creating a clarity the world – not least the financially struck business world – needs.
The wish for clarity is expressed by Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in an interview with Environment & Energy Publishing (E&E). According to Yvo de Boer, the four essentials calling for an international agreement in Copenhagen are:
1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
4. How is that money going to be managed?
“If Copenhagen can deliver on those four points I’d be happy,” says Yvo de Boer.
He sees a need to get something signed and agreed in Copenhagen, but he thinks it will be very difficult to get every final, small detail of a whole new treaty done. The new climate treaty will be replacing the Kyoto Protocol which was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005.
The Kyoto Protocol which sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been signed and ratified by 184 parties of the UN Climate Convention. One notable exception is the United States, and Yvo de Boer is “really happy” to see the US back in the international climate change process and that the US is also engaging domestically in the process.
“My big lesson from the Kyoto era is that it's really important that the government delegation that represents the United States is in close touch with the Senate, with the elected officials on what's acceptable and what's not,” says de Boer, and he adds:
“I think that a major shortcoming of Kyoto was that the official delegation came back with a treaty they knew was never going to make it through the Senate. And this time I have the feeling that the communication is much stronger, that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, through John Kerry, is really expressing strongly what they feel needs to be done in Copenhagen.”
Yvo de Boer thinks the Kyoto Protocol was rejected by the US for mainly two reasons. Firstly, because it did not involve action on the part of major developing countries. Secondly, because it was felt by the Bush administration that Kyoto would be harmful to the US economy.
Copenhagen will be a whole different scenario, and de Boer feels confident that President Barack Obama can successfully engage China and India and convince them to sign the next treaty.
“I think that Secretary of State Clinton's visit to Beijing was a really important and encouraging step to get us moving on that road,” says Yvo de Boer.
Asked about the global recession, de Boer thinks it will certainly have an impact on the negotiations in Copenhagen.
“You see already that investments in renewable energy projects are going down, partly because of the oil price going down and partly because of the economic activity going down,” he says.
But even though greenhouse gas emissions are expected to slow down as a result of shrinking industrial activities, de Boer does not believe it will lessen the pressure on countries to act and sign a new treaty.
Michael von Bülow
16/03/2009 10:30
The UN climate conference in Copenhagen in December this year may not yield a new global climate treaty with every minor detail in place. But hopefully it will close with agreements on four political essentials, thereby creating a clarity the world – not least the financially struck business world – needs.
The wish for clarity is expressed by Yvo de Boer, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), in an interview with Environment & Energy Publishing (E&E). According to Yvo de Boer, the four essentials calling for an international agreement in Copenhagen are:
1. How much are the industrialized countries willing to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases?
2. How much are major developing countries such as China and India willing to do to limit the growth of their emissions?
3. How is the help needed by developing countries to engage in reducing their emissions and adapting to the impacts of climate change going to be financed?
4. How is that money going to be managed?
“If Copenhagen can deliver on those four points I’d be happy,” says Yvo de Boer.
He sees a need to get something signed and agreed in Copenhagen, but he thinks it will be very difficult to get every final, small detail of a whole new treaty done. The new climate treaty will be replacing the Kyoto Protocol which was adopted in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997 and entered into force on 16 February 2005.
The Kyoto Protocol which sets binding targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been signed and ratified by 184 parties of the UN Climate Convention. One notable exception is the United States, and Yvo de Boer is “really happy” to see the US back in the international climate change process and that the US is also engaging domestically in the process.
“My big lesson from the Kyoto era is that it's really important that the government delegation that represents the United States is in close touch with the Senate, with the elected officials on what's acceptable and what's not,” says de Boer, and he adds:
“I think that a major shortcoming of Kyoto was that the official delegation came back with a treaty they knew was never going to make it through the Senate. And this time I have the feeling that the communication is much stronger, that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, through John Kerry, is really expressing strongly what they feel needs to be done in Copenhagen.”
Yvo de Boer thinks the Kyoto Protocol was rejected by the US for mainly two reasons. Firstly, because it did not involve action on the part of major developing countries. Secondly, because it was felt by the Bush administration that Kyoto would be harmful to the US economy.
Copenhagen will be a whole different scenario, and de Boer feels confident that President Barack Obama can successfully engage China and India and convince them to sign the next treaty.
“I think that Secretary of State Clinton's visit to Beijing was a really important and encouraging step to get us moving on that road,” says Yvo de Boer.
Asked about the global recession, de Boer thinks it will certainly have an impact on the negotiations in Copenhagen.
“You see already that investments in renewable energy projects are going down, partly because of the oil price going down and partly because of the economic activity going down,” he says.
But even though greenhouse gas emissions are expected to slow down as a result of shrinking industrial activities, de Boer does not believe it will lessen the pressure on countries to act and sign a new treaty.
30 November 2009
BIO FUEL PRODUCTIONS IN TANZANIA
LEVINA KATO, 28th November 2009 @ 21:17, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 324
THE envisaged multi-billion ethanol production investments in Bagamoyo and Rufiji districts will now be integrated with sugar production, the 'Sunday News' can confirm.
Ethanol fuel is a gasoline alternative that is manufactured from the conversion of carbon based feed stocks such as sugar cane, sugar beets, switch grass, corn, and barley. It is an alternative from petroleum based fuels and it is said to be better for the environment.
After striving for almost two years, in bid to develop the agro-energy projects in the country amid strong criticism by local and international experts, Sekab BioEnergy Tanzania Limited intends to set up a flex factory to offset local sugar shortage.
The company's Managing Director, Mr Anders Bergfors, said during an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam on Friday that the new component of their project would see an addition of some 56,000 tonnes supplemented to total country's sugar estates capacity.
There are four main sugar companies in Tanzania: Mtibwa, Kagera, Kilombero and the Moshi-based TPC. The four have a total production capacity of 300,000 tonnes annually. The country also has smaller factories like Manyara, which produces 2,000 tonnes annually.
However, the country is facing a sugar deficit of about 50,000 tonnes, according to statistics from the Sugar Board of Tanzania.
"Our planned Greenfield sugar production is in response to the government's request to Sekab to offset sugar deficit," Mr Bergfors said.
Apart from sugar shortage, the company's chief believes that their new project plan would smoothen the change from ethanol and sugar production, based on market price trends.
"Agro energy is still new in Africa and Tanzania in particular. We intend to mitigate some commercial risks which might arise as a result of price fluctuation. Flex factories have worked well in Brazil," he said.
The investment in sugar production, he said, would run parallel with ethanol production which has been delayed for a year due to financial constraints.
"The aim is to start work in June next year. We are looking for partners in developing the company as well as the project," he said.
Negotiations on partnership are at different levels and a Mauritius-based company, has been identified. Mr Bergfors however, declined to mention the name of the company.
Due to pending negotiations on partnership and financing, he said the company expects to deliver its first ethanol and sugar products in 2012.
Mr Bergfors also revealed that efforts to borrow from local banks in order to finance the company's operations in Tanzania had hit a snag due to high interest rates.
He said the company was working out possibilities to borrow from International institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Sekab BioEnergy project plans suffered a big blow following the withdrawal of its majority owners, namely the three municipalities in Northern Sweden with 70 per cent share holding, and the global financial crunch.
"We are glad, that minority shareholders -- Eco Development in Europe have interest and will take forward investment ventures in Africa from SEKAB International," the MD said.
In July this year, Sekab applied to the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), for a Credit Enhancement Guarantee to secure funds from local banks.
However, the application bounced due to what the Swedish Embassy's First Secretary, who is also the Programme officer for Energy, Mr Goran Haag described as failure to meet requirements in the regulations for the SIDA credit instrument.
"The Project development costs are not eligible and procurement of services and goods shall be performed in international competition," Mr Haag had revealed, explaining why his office could not award the Credit Enhancement Guarantee to SEKAB.
He said SIDA was only allowed to issue a credit guarantee to a project that is developed and ready for implementation and where services and equipment will be procured in international competition.
"What SEKAB applied for was a credit guarantee that would be used to facilitate commercial loans for financing of continued project development activities," he said.
The Government of Sweden had cautioned and recommended that renewable fuels like ethanol and bio diesel be produced in a sustainable way by professional and responsible companies like SEKAB international.
Meanwhile, the Government of Tanzania has expressed full commitment to support Sekab Bio Energy Tanzania Limited investments in Bagamoyo and Rufiji districts.
The Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, Mr Bashir Mrindoko, said the Government is interested in investing in Sekab projects because of bio fuels potentials to the country.
Sekab is a consortium of BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation (BAFF) of Sweden, Svensk EthanolKemi AB (SEKAB) of Sweden and Community Finance Company Ltd (CFC) of Tanzania.
THE envisaged multi-billion ethanol production investments in Bagamoyo and Rufiji districts will now be integrated with sugar production, the 'Sunday News' can confirm.
Ethanol fuel is a gasoline alternative that is manufactured from the conversion of carbon based feed stocks such as sugar cane, sugar beets, switch grass, corn, and barley. It is an alternative from petroleum based fuels and it is said to be better for the environment.
After striving for almost two years, in bid to develop the agro-energy projects in the country amid strong criticism by local and international experts, Sekab BioEnergy Tanzania Limited intends to set up a flex factory to offset local sugar shortage.
The company's Managing Director, Mr Anders Bergfors, said during an exclusive interview in Dar es Salaam on Friday that the new component of their project would see an addition of some 56,000 tonnes supplemented to total country's sugar estates capacity.
There are four main sugar companies in Tanzania: Mtibwa, Kagera, Kilombero and the Moshi-based TPC. The four have a total production capacity of 300,000 tonnes annually. The country also has smaller factories like Manyara, which produces 2,000 tonnes annually.
However, the country is facing a sugar deficit of about 50,000 tonnes, according to statistics from the Sugar Board of Tanzania.
"Our planned Greenfield sugar production is in response to the government's request to Sekab to offset sugar deficit," Mr Bergfors said.
Apart from sugar shortage, the company's chief believes that their new project plan would smoothen the change from ethanol and sugar production, based on market price trends.
"Agro energy is still new in Africa and Tanzania in particular. We intend to mitigate some commercial risks which might arise as a result of price fluctuation. Flex factories have worked well in Brazil," he said.
The investment in sugar production, he said, would run parallel with ethanol production which has been delayed for a year due to financial constraints.
"The aim is to start work in June next year. We are looking for partners in developing the company as well as the project," he said.
Negotiations on partnership are at different levels and a Mauritius-based company, has been identified. Mr Bergfors however, declined to mention the name of the company.
Due to pending negotiations on partnership and financing, he said the company expects to deliver its first ethanol and sugar products in 2012.
Mr Bergfors also revealed that efforts to borrow from local banks in order to finance the company's operations in Tanzania had hit a snag due to high interest rates.
He said the company was working out possibilities to borrow from International institutions such as the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Sekab BioEnergy project plans suffered a big blow following the withdrawal of its majority owners, namely the three municipalities in Northern Sweden with 70 per cent share holding, and the global financial crunch.
"We are glad, that minority shareholders -- Eco Development in Europe have interest and will take forward investment ventures in Africa from SEKAB International," the MD said.
In July this year, Sekab applied to the Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA), for a Credit Enhancement Guarantee to secure funds from local banks.
However, the application bounced due to what the Swedish Embassy's First Secretary, who is also the Programme officer for Energy, Mr Goran Haag described as failure to meet requirements in the regulations for the SIDA credit instrument.
"The Project development costs are not eligible and procurement of services and goods shall be performed in international competition," Mr Haag had revealed, explaining why his office could not award the Credit Enhancement Guarantee to SEKAB.
He said SIDA was only allowed to issue a credit guarantee to a project that is developed and ready for implementation and where services and equipment will be procured in international competition.
"What SEKAB applied for was a credit guarantee that would be used to facilitate commercial loans for financing of continued project development activities," he said.
The Government of Sweden had cautioned and recommended that renewable fuels like ethanol and bio diesel be produced in a sustainable way by professional and responsible companies like SEKAB international.
Meanwhile, the Government of Tanzania has expressed full commitment to support Sekab Bio Energy Tanzania Limited investments in Bagamoyo and Rufiji districts.
The Commissioner for Energy and Petroleum Affairs, Mr Bashir Mrindoko, said the Government is interested in investing in Sekab projects because of bio fuels potentials to the country.
Sekab is a consortium of BioAlcohol Fuel Foundation (BAFF) of Sweden, Svensk EthanolKemi AB (SEKAB) of Sweden and Community Finance Company Ltd (CFC) of Tanzania.
LAKE MANYARA NATIONAL PARK TO BE EXPANDED
Tanzania is a country we numerous tourist attraction, more land is devoted to protected areas for tourism and conservation purposes which is a good thing but the respective institutions shuld not forget the reforms to benefit local communities
MARC NKWAME, Babati, 29th November 2009 @ 12:00, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 270
THE emerald and alexandrite mines found at Mayoka village in Babati District, will soon be closed to pave way for the expansion of Lake Manyara National Park.
The Park Warden, Ms Betrita Loibooke, said an official directive from the State House has ordered the mining operations to be halted and miners vacate the precinct, because conservation and mining can never go in sync.
Mr Emmanuel Penko, the spokesperson for other artisan miners at the quarry, said the decision would hurt them because they were in the process of applying for loans to buy better equipment for their operations.
The miners claim that they were never told of the expansion that is why they were still mining; adding that most had valid mining licences which were expired in 2014.
Members of the Parliamentary, Finance and Corporate Affairs Committee who visited the mines, told the miners that the decision to expand the park was taken by the national assembly in November, last year and appeared in the Government gazette number 105 of May, this year.
The committee led by its deputy chairperson, Ms Estherina Kilasi, resolved that the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), should discuss the matter with the miners in order to resolve the issue.
"You must meet and see if there is a possibility of compensation to the affected people, because there is no ultimatum for the quarry owners other
than to vacate the area," Ms Kilasi stated.
The proposed expansion will see Lake Manyara National Park area doubled from the current 330 square kilometres to around 650 square kilometres annexing the emerald and alexendrite mines, the Marang' forest and farms number 1, 2 and 3 in Maji-Moto location and thus, giving the park authority total control of Lake Manyara.
Previously, only half of the lake basin was under conservation. However, according to Ms Loibooke, the corresponding Mayoka village will not be affected by the expansion.
Lake Manyara is the only place in the world where tree climbing lions can be sited. It handles an average of 160,000 tourists every year.
The park lying within the Rift Valley in the endless Maasai Steppes, is home to large buffalo, wildebeest and Zebra herds as well as giraffes, Manyara's legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants.
It is also an eco-system of banded mongoose, diminutive kirk's dik-dik forages.
Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania's birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day.
Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants
and storks.
MARC NKWAME, Babati, 29th November 2009 @ 12:00, Total Comments: 0, Hits: 270
THE emerald and alexandrite mines found at Mayoka village in Babati District, will soon be closed to pave way for the expansion of Lake Manyara National Park.
The Park Warden, Ms Betrita Loibooke, said an official directive from the State House has ordered the mining operations to be halted and miners vacate the precinct, because conservation and mining can never go in sync.
Mr Emmanuel Penko, the spokesperson for other artisan miners at the quarry, said the decision would hurt them because they were in the process of applying for loans to buy better equipment for their operations.
The miners claim that they were never told of the expansion that is why they were still mining; adding that most had valid mining licences which were expired in 2014.
Members of the Parliamentary, Finance and Corporate Affairs Committee who visited the mines, told the miners that the decision to expand the park was taken by the national assembly in November, last year and appeared in the Government gazette number 105 of May, this year.
The committee led by its deputy chairperson, Ms Estherina Kilasi, resolved that the Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), should discuss the matter with the miners in order to resolve the issue.
"You must meet and see if there is a possibility of compensation to the affected people, because there is no ultimatum for the quarry owners other
than to vacate the area," Ms Kilasi stated.
The proposed expansion will see Lake Manyara National Park area doubled from the current 330 square kilometres to around 650 square kilometres annexing the emerald and alexendrite mines, the Marang' forest and farms number 1, 2 and 3 in Maji-Moto location and thus, giving the park authority total control of Lake Manyara.
Previously, only half of the lake basin was under conservation. However, according to Ms Loibooke, the corresponding Mayoka village will not be affected by the expansion.
Lake Manyara is the only place in the world where tree climbing lions can be sited. It handles an average of 160,000 tourists every year.
The park lying within the Rift Valley in the endless Maasai Steppes, is home to large buffalo, wildebeest and Zebra herds as well as giraffes, Manyara's legendary tree-climbing lions and impressively tusked elephants.
It is also an eco-system of banded mongoose, diminutive kirk's dik-dik forages.
Manyara provides the perfect introduction to Tanzania's birdlife. More than 400 species have been recorded and even a first-time visitor to Africa might reasonably expect to observe 100 of these in one day.
Highlights include thousands of pink-hued flamingos on their perpetual migration, as well as other large water birds such as pelicans, cormorants
and storks.
14 November 2009
AVALANCHE CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINFALL KILLED 20 IN SAME
It is predictade heavy rainfall to many parts of the country this year and it has already been reported heavy rainfalls to some parts of the country, tanzanians should be awere and be prepared.
FROM THIS DAY NOVEMBER 13, 2009
AT least 20 people were killed in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region on Wednesday night after rocks and boulders loosened by heavy rains buried several houses in two villages.
Seven other people have been reported missing, raising fears that the death toll could rise from the flash floods and mudslides in Kambeni and Goha Villages, Myamba Ward in the district.
Scores of locals were yesterday digging alongside police through mud, rock and debris in the affected areas, looking for missing persons and trying to recover more bodies.
The flash floods hit the two villages before dawn yesterday, while most locals were still in bed.
The Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Lucas Ng�hoboko, said at least seven children were among the dead.
He named the deceased victims so far identified as Neema Shambi (70), Napenda Bakari (7), Namsemba Bakari (11), Sikuzani Elitaabu (20), Nath John (12), Haika Charles (3), Mariam Juma (4), Wemael Mhina (30), Ruth Mhina (6), Neema Bakari (8), and Christina Kiondo (32).
Others were Elitabu Shambi (30), Shambi Elineema (11), Ndimangwa Elineema (5), Amani Mhina (9), Kiondo Amani (37), Imani Kiondo (9) and Nikundiwe Kiondo (5).
It is understood that those who died were trapped inside houses that were swallowed by mud and boulders swept down from the mountains by the heavy rains.
Some of the still-missing villagers have been identified as Rafiki Elineema, Bakari Shambi, Amina Bakari, and Navuri Bakari.
Ng�hoboko said a police squad from the neighbouring Tanga Region is helping with the ongoing rescue efforts in the devastated area.
Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Ms Monica Mbega was also present with other government officials at the scene of the disaster yesterday.
One villager, Mhina Aman, said he had lost his entire family in the flash floods, comprising his wife and two children.
Mhina said his brother, his brother’s wife, and two of their children were also missing.
Authorities said they would issue a formal statement today on the exact death toll and damage caused by the mudslides.
It could not be immediately confirmed if the flash floods were caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Weather experts have already warned that the country will be hit by heavy El Nino rains towards the end of this year.
Meteorologists say the expected heavy rainfall is likely to cause serious damage to infrastructure and worsen the food situation.
It is predicted that Dar es Salaam, Coast, Tanga, Lindi, Mwanza, Kagera and Mara regions - plus parts of Kigoma Region - will experience particularly heavy rainfall.
FROM THIS DAY NOVEMBER 13, 2009
AT least 20 people were killed in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region on Wednesday night after rocks and boulders loosened by heavy rains buried several houses in two villages.
Seven other people have been reported missing, raising fears that the death toll could rise from the flash floods and mudslides in Kambeni and Goha Villages, Myamba Ward in the district.
Scores of locals were yesterday digging alongside police through mud, rock and debris in the affected areas, looking for missing persons and trying to recover more bodies.
The flash floods hit the two villages before dawn yesterday, while most locals were still in bed.
The Kilimanjaro Regional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Lucas Ng�hoboko, said at least seven children were among the dead.
He named the deceased victims so far identified as Neema Shambi (70), Napenda Bakari (7), Namsemba Bakari (11), Sikuzani Elitaabu (20), Nath John (12), Haika Charles (3), Mariam Juma (4), Wemael Mhina (30), Ruth Mhina (6), Neema Bakari (8), and Christina Kiondo (32).
Others were Elitabu Shambi (30), Shambi Elineema (11), Ndimangwa Elineema (5), Amani Mhina (9), Kiondo Amani (37), Imani Kiondo (9) and Nikundiwe Kiondo (5).
It is understood that those who died were trapped inside houses that were swallowed by mud and boulders swept down from the mountains by the heavy rains.
Some of the still-missing villagers have been identified as Rafiki Elineema, Bakari Shambi, Amina Bakari, and Navuri Bakari.
Ng�hoboko said a police squad from the neighbouring Tanga Region is helping with the ongoing rescue efforts in the devastated area.
Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner Ms Monica Mbega was also present with other government officials at the scene of the disaster yesterday.
One villager, Mhina Aman, said he had lost his entire family in the flash floods, comprising his wife and two children.
Mhina said his brother, his brother’s wife, and two of their children were also missing.
Authorities said they would issue a formal statement today on the exact death toll and damage caused by the mudslides.
It could not be immediately confirmed if the flash floods were caused by the El Nino weather phenomenon.
Weather experts have already warned that the country will be hit by heavy El Nino rains towards the end of this year.
Meteorologists say the expected heavy rainfall is likely to cause serious damage to infrastructure and worsen the food situation.
It is predicted that Dar es Salaam, Coast, Tanga, Lindi, Mwanza, Kagera and Mara regions - plus parts of Kigoma Region - will experience particularly heavy rainfall.
AFRICAN COUNTRIES SHOWS A STAND TOWARDS UN CLIMATE TALKS
Environmental problems have no boundaries, the impacts of enviromental degradation is shared almost all countrie as we are down the road towards global warming African countries have decided to do something of environmental concern...
John Vidal in Barcelona guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 3 November 2009 23.26
In a dramatic day in Barcelona, UN officials were forced to step in after 55 African countries, in an unprecedented show of unity, called for a suspension of all further negotiations on the Kyoto protocol until substantial progress was made by rich countries on emission cuts.
Earlier, the UN chair had been forced to abandon two working groups after the Africa group refused to take part.
The African countries were supported by all other developing country blocks at the talks. In a series of statements, the G77 plus China group of 130 nations, the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, as well as Bolivia and several Latin America countries, all broadly backed the African action.
The move by developing countries reflects their deep and growing frustration over the slow progress that industrialised countries are making towards agreeing cuts. With less than three days full negotiating time left between now and the opening of the final talks at Copenhagen, the split between rich and poor countries threatens to blow the talks fatally off course.
Bruno Sekoli, chair of the LDC group, said: "Africa and Africans are dying now while those who are historically responsible are not taking actions."
Algeria, which chairs the Africa group, backed by representatives from Gambia and Kenya, said rich countries were "more concerned with political and economic feasibility" while the poorest were "struggling to survive" with climate change.
In a press conference, the poorest countries demanded that the rich adopt the science-backed target of a 40% overall cut on emissions on 1990 levels. So far, rich countries have pledged an aggregate of less than 10%. The US, the world's second biggest polluter, has pledged to cut around 4% on 1990 levels, or 17% on 2005 levels.
In some of the most frantic diplomacy seen in the talks so far, delegates to hurriedly agreed to dedicate six of the 10 remaining negotiating sessions to discussions on mid-term emissions reductions. The decision received widespread support from all developing countries who stressed the importance of delivering real progress.
"African countries have shown they are not going to sit back and accept a bad deal in Copenhagen," said a spokeswomen for Oxfam international.
"The poorest countries say they are dying now and the rich are just sitting back doing nothing. Hopefully they will take action now," said Asad Rehman, head of international climate with Friends of the Earth.
John Vidal in Barcelona guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 3 November 2009 23.26
In a dramatic day in Barcelona, UN officials were forced to step in after 55 African countries, in an unprecedented show of unity, called for a suspension of all further negotiations on the Kyoto protocol until substantial progress was made by rich countries on emission cuts.
Earlier, the UN chair had been forced to abandon two working groups after the Africa group refused to take part.
The African countries were supported by all other developing country blocks at the talks. In a series of statements, the G77 plus China group of 130 nations, the Alliance of Small Island States (Aosis), the Least Developed Countries (LDC) group, as well as Bolivia and several Latin America countries, all broadly backed the African action.
The move by developing countries reflects their deep and growing frustration over the slow progress that industrialised countries are making towards agreeing cuts. With less than three days full negotiating time left between now and the opening of the final talks at Copenhagen, the split between rich and poor countries threatens to blow the talks fatally off course.
Bruno Sekoli, chair of the LDC group, said: "Africa and Africans are dying now while those who are historically responsible are not taking actions."
Algeria, which chairs the Africa group, backed by representatives from Gambia and Kenya, said rich countries were "more concerned with political and economic feasibility" while the poorest were "struggling to survive" with climate change.
In a press conference, the poorest countries demanded that the rich adopt the science-backed target of a 40% overall cut on emissions on 1990 levels. So far, rich countries have pledged an aggregate of less than 10%. The US, the world's second biggest polluter, has pledged to cut around 4% on 1990 levels, or 17% on 2005 levels.
In some of the most frantic diplomacy seen in the talks so far, delegates to hurriedly agreed to dedicate six of the 10 remaining negotiating sessions to discussions on mid-term emissions reductions. The decision received widespread support from all developing countries who stressed the importance of delivering real progress.
"African countries have shown they are not going to sit back and accept a bad deal in Copenhagen," said a spokeswomen for Oxfam international.
"The poorest countries say they are dying now and the rich are just sitting back doing nothing. Hopefully they will take action now," said Asad Rehman, head of international climate with Friends of the Earth.
31 October 2009
TZenviroconcern practice ecotourism in Tanzania
TZenviroconcern have a true refflection of ecotourisim in Tanzania.
Tanzania being a tourist country with amazing features TZenviroconcern give a hand to tourism sector by offering ecotourism services to tourist. the great secured tours with affordable prices to most precious country side like ngorongoro cretor, serengeti national park,mount kilimanjaro, mikumi national park, mnazi bay beach and marine park,spice islands of zanzibar and many other places you never heard
for the best tour services email bernadakilimali@gmail.com
Tanzania being a tourist country with amazing features TZenviroconcern give a hand to tourism sector by offering ecotourism services to tourist. the great secured tours with affordable prices to most precious country side like ngorongoro cretor, serengeti national park,mount kilimanjaro, mikumi national park, mnazi bay beach and marine park,spice islands of zanzibar and many other places you never heard
for the best tour services email bernadakilimali@gmail.com
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