Africa faces Aging Population Challenges

According to a new report from the African Development Bank, Africa’s population is ageing, just like in the rest of the world, but the continent’s governments are not equipped to handle the growing number of older people. The percentage of people aged over 65 in Africa has grown to 3.6 percent in 2010 from 3.3 percent in 2000. And it is a long-term phenomenon. There has been a steady increase over the last 40 years, and it will accelerate in coming years. The elderly could account for 4.5 percent of the continent’s population by 2030, and almost 10 percent by 2050. In some countries, the proportion of older people will almost match that of industrialised countries by 2030 and 2050.

Climate change and its impacts: growing stress factors for human societies

Humankind has been dependent for a long time on the quality of the environment and the resources it provides in terms of water, food, and favourable health conditions. This life-support system is as vital as ever, despite current levels of technology and apparent resilience in the face of often degraded environments in many parts of the world. Today, the conditions for human sustainability are potentially under threat as a result of numerous human induced factors; among these, climate change. This article focuses on the possible evolution of climate and on a number of key climate impacts that may determine the future course of human societies, as well as issues that may confront them such as rivalries over natural resources and possible environmentally driven conflicts and migrations.It is available at:http://www.icrc.org/eng/assets/files/review/2010/irrc-879-beniston.pdf

WASHCost Working Paper : Assessing Sanitation Service Levels

The first section of this paper outlines the scope and purpose of this Working Paper. Section two reviews sanitation levels in current use and proposes indicators of a sustainable sanitation service as a basis for the WASHCost sanitation levels. Section three presents sanitation service level norms and criteria in WASHCost countries. Section four sets out the proposed WASHCost sanitation service levels. Section five summarises the steps towards the general sanitation levels and outlines the the next steps for testing and refining country based sanitation ladders. Section six discusses the importance of hygiene services and makes suggestions for the development of a hygiene service assessment ladder. Full report available on http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/ASAZ-89WGD6/$file/IRCWatSan_Sep2010.pdf?openelement

WSSCC Request for Proposals: Global Sanitation Fund “Country Progamme Monitor” in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Kenya

The Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) seeks proposals from qualified firms, consultants, or organizations to be the “Country Programme Monitor (CPM)” for the Global Sanitation Fund (GSF) in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia and Kenya. The CPM verifies GSF programme implementation in country and reports to WSSCC. With its Global Sanitation Fund, WSSCC provides grant support to scale up successful sanitation and hygiene approaches targeting poor people in countries with the greatest sanitation and hygiene needs. WSSCC has already committed USD 10 million in total to Madagascar and Senegal in 2010 for GSF programming. The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) hosts WSSCC’s Secretariat. Therefore, the procurement process and contractual conditions will be in accordance with UNOPS rules and procedures. For more vist the UNOPS website:
Kenya (deadline 27 August 2010): Ethiopia (deadline 10 September 2010):
Burkina Faso (deadline 13 September 2010)

Nutrition and The Environment :Tackling malnutrition with traditional knowledge

This report highlights the links between environmental change and malnutrition, and argues that traditional knowledge can guide sustainable solutions. Environmental changes which include overpopulation, loss of biodiversity, climate change, urbanisation and higher pesticide use often increase malnutrition. Reduced access to bioresources can cause a lack of protein and micronutrient deficiencies. Furthermore, a growing reliance on processed foods or a narrow species base similarly reduces nutrient intake and increases the risk of infectious disease. And environmental contamination through industrial and agricultural chemicals can compromise people's nutritional status either directly or through changes in diet. For more visit http://www.unscn.org/

Feeding and Fuelling the World Sustainably, Fairly and Humanely

The ever increasing demands of a growing and increasingly affluent world population are confronting the natural world with mounting pressures. Increased land use is already degrading the ability of many ecosystems to deliver vital services to humanity. While modern agricultural technologies have resulted in rapid increases in yields and efficiencies, they have also caused significant and widespread negative environmental effects resulting in the degradation of soil and ecosystems. Biodiversity is lost at a pace that exceeds natural rates of species loss by several orders of magnitude. Agriculture is both affected by, and can exacerbate, climate change. Providing sufficient food and fuel for the world sustainably, fairly and humanely in the coming decades is therefore one of the grand challenges humanity currently faces.This study analyzes several important objectives for global food and fuel production and use, as well as interrelations and possible trade-offs between these. Full report available on Friends of the Earth website

Protecting health from climate change

The new report from WHO presents an overview of the the links between climate change and human health. It provides an update of the evidence on health risks caused by climate change, describes which populations are most vulnerable, and outlines the actions that will be necessary to protect health from climate change. Although climate change presents a very serious threat to global public health, the key messages of the report are positive. The health sector already has at its disposal a number of effective interventions that would save lives now and reduce vulnerability to climate change in the future. In addition, there are many policy options in sectors such as transport and energy production that could simultaneously improve health and reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that cause climate change. The report notes the rapid increase in engagement by the health community on climate change and health, and outlines priority actions to further support healthy and sustainable development. For more visit the WHO site.

Climate change and population health in Africa: where are the scientists?

Although there has been a growing awareness of Africans’ vulnerability to climate change, there is relatively little empirical evidence published about the effects of climate on population health in Africa. This review brings together some generalised predictions about the potential continent, i.e. the effects of climate change with examples of the relatively few locally documented population studies in which climate change and health interact. Although ecologically determined diseases such as malaria are obvious candidates for susceptibility to climate change, wider health effects also need to be considered, particularly among populations where adequacy of food and water supplies may already be marginal. Full review on :http://www.globalhealthaction.net/index.php/gha/article/view/2065/2504

World Forestry Congress 2009

At the XIII World Forestry Congress in Buenos Aires (18-23 October 2009), delegates called for the broadest possible coalition to address the many challenges the forestry sector is facing. A final declaration, adopted by the Congress, called for immediate “multi-sector responses” to rapid global changes. “Today, the major pressures on forests are arising from outside the forest sector, such as changes in global climates, economic conditions, and population. These changes are creating impacts across multiple sectors. For example, population growth and migration to cities is creating environmental pressures on forests and farm lands. These changes are occurring more rapidly than they did in the past, creating more uncertainty and larger fluctuations - global economic changes and fuel demands and supplies are examples.The path forward lies in shifting to an integrated landscape approach for confronting these changes, working with partners outside the forest sector to develop sustainable multi-sector responses. The accelerating rate and the dimension of changes in economic, social, and environmental conditions require immediate action. For more visit the FAO site.

Role of the environment in averting future food crises

In an attempt to understand the factors underpinning the food crisis and to assess trends, UNEP commissioned a Rapid Response team of internal and international experts. In their report, the experts argue that, unless more sustainable and intelligent management of production and consumption are undertaken , food prices could indeed become more volatile and expensive in a world of six billion, rising to over nine billion by 2050 as a result of escalating environmental degradation. Up to 25% of the world food production may become ‘lost’ during this century as a result of climate change, water scarcity, invasive pests and land degradation.The report makes seven significant recommendations. These include real opportunities for boosting aquaculture and fish farming without intensifying damage to the marine environment alongside ones highlighting the opportunities for minimizing and utilizing food. Full document available on:
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/lib.nsf/db900sid/SODA-7PCN25/$file/UNEP-EnvironmentalFoodCrisis.pdf?openelement

Sanitation and the MDGs: Making the Politics Work

According to the Millennium Development Goals, the world is not on track to reach the sanitation target to halve the population of people without proper sanitation by the year 2015. Sanitation and Hygiene (S&H) policies, backed by sound epidemiological evidence, and supported by solid socio-economic arguments for increased investment, are still being overlooked by many governments. Technical solutions exist, as well as broad agreement that they should be used to support demand. Recent research suggests that the problem lies in failures in sanitation policy-making. An example from Ethiopia shows what can be achieved when a sound sanitation strategy is backed by strong political positioning and good communication. For more on this you can visit: http://www.odi.org.uk/resources/download/2030.pdf

Government notices of interest to the Okavango Community

From the Botswana Government Gazette, Vol. XLVII, no. 30, 5 June
2009

Republic of Botswana: Tender: Works contract for the procurement of proposed alterations and renovations to the Botswana Wildlife Training Institute at Maun-Tender No. PR 9/3/3/09.
Republic of Botswana Tender: Services for: implementation of the Integrated Geographic System Tender No. PR/18/1/10 (1).

Republic of Botswana Tender: Supply installation and maintenance of high frequency radio telecommunications system with high frequency desktop base station, navigator software, vehicle tracking system and inbuilt GPS receiver to twenty-five cartographic census project field mapping vehicles for the 2011 population and housing census for a period of 22 months. Tender No FDP/TC/3/3/09-10.

Republic of Botswana Tender: Consultancy services for tribal land integrated management system (TLIMS) data collection and conversion: Gumare sub-land board and Nokaneng Sub-land Board
Tender No MTC/MLH/DOL/TLIMS/GUM-NOK/407/29052008.

Republic of Botswana Tender Consultancy services for tribal land integrated management system (TLIMS) data collection and conversion: Mmadinare sub-land board and Bobonong sub-land Board.
Tender No MTC/MLH/DOL/TLIMS/MMAD-BOB/409/29052008.

North West District Council Tender: Gravelling 10km on Maun internal roads
Tender No.NW/RDS/01/2009.

North West District Council: Tender: Gravelling 10km on Gwexwa-Nxaraga Road
Tender No.NW/RDS/02/2009.

North West District Council: Tender: Gravelling 10km on Xharaxhe-Kareng Road
Tender No.NW/RDS/06/2008.
Tender announcements and documents may also be found on the Government of Botswana web site. The entire issue of the Government Gazette may be read in HOORC’s Library.