Africa_Water_Sanitation_Hygiene_July_August Africa_Water_Sanitation_Hygiene_July_August | Page 11

NEWS in brief
Global Highlights
announced that they too will attend the COP23 in Bonn,
Germany to represent subnational jurisdictions committed
to climate action.
“California is proud to partner with Fiji, an island nation
that is experiencing firsthand the impacts of climate
change and this year is the leader of the UN Conference
of Parties,” said Governor Jerry Brown. “I look forward
to taking the next step later this year with Governor Kate
Brown and Governor Jay Inslee when we join Prime
Minister Bainimarama in Bonn to show that states and
regions will fulfill the Paris commitment.”
The Under2 Coalition is an international pact among cities,
states and countries committed to limiting the increase
in global average temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius
– the level of potentially catastrophic consequences – by
either reducing their greenhouse gas emissions from
80 percent to 95 percent below 1990 levels or holding
emissions to less than 2 annual metric tons per capita by
2050. With the addition of Fiji, the coalition now includes
176 jurisdictions on six continents collectively representing
more than 36 countries, 1.2 billion people and $28.8
trillion GDP– equivalent to over 16 percent of the global
population and over 39 percent of the global economy.
Japan pledges USD 3.7 million for UN-Habitat
projects in Sri Lanka
Mr. Nobuhito Hobo, Ambassador of Japan
to Sri Lanka and Mr.Tim McNair, Chief
Technical Advisor of UN-Habitat Sri
Lanka
The Government of
Japan has announced
that it is providing
funding amounting to
US$ 3,678,178 (Japanese
Yen377,000,000) through
the United Nations
Human Settlements
Programme (UN-Habitat)
for the rehabilitation of
community infrastructure,
livelihood improvement
and women’s
empowerment in Sri
Lanka’s Northern and
Eastern Provinces over
the next two years.
This initiative is an extension of the Japanese funded Phase
I Project “Rehabilitation of Community Infrastructure
and Facilities in the Conflict Affected Areas in Northern
Province “currently implemented by UN-Habitat in the
districts of Mullaitivu and Killinochchi in the North of Sri
Lanka.
The Phase II project entitled “Rehabilitation of
Community Infrastructure, Improvement of Livelihoods
and Empowerment of Women in the Northern and
Eastern Provinces (RCI)” will expand geographically to
the Districts of Mannarand Batticaloa, while continuing
to address the outstanding needs in Killinochchi and
Mullaitivu, with greater emphasis on the empowerment of
women. This initiative will benefit over 120,000 returnees
in 90 conflict affected villages.
The signing of the Exchange of Notes between Mr.
Nobuhito Hobo, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka and
Mr.Tim McNair, Chief Technical Advisor of UN-Habitat
Sri Lanka took place at the ambassador’s residence on 11
March 2014 in the presence of Mr. Janaka Sugathadasa,
Secretary for the Ministry of Resettlement.
Michigan Officials Charged With Manslaughter for
Role in Flint Crisis
By Sara Jerome
Michigan
Attorney General
Bill Schuette
announced
recently that he
has charged five
public officials
Image credit: “2011 Michigan Gubernatorial
with involuntary
Inauguration 154 N,” Joe Ross © 2011
manslaughter
related to their
alleged failure to act in the Flint water crisis. The charge is
punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
“All defendants charged with involuntary manslaughter are
charged in relation to the death of Robert Skidmore, 85,
of Mt. Morris, MI. Skidmore died of Legionnaires’ disease
after many others had been diagnosed with the illness, yet
no public outbreak notice had been issued. The charges
allege failure to notify and lack of action to stop the
outbreak allowed the disease to continue its spread through
Flint’s water system,” according to Schuette’s office.
The five people include the former Flint emergency
manager and former director of public works, according to
reports.
Eden Wells, the state’s chief medical executive, “was
charged with obstruction of justice and lying to a peace
officer, and could face up to seven years if convicted.
[The officials] are among 15 current and former state
and local officials facing criminal charges as a 17-month
investigation into Flint’s tainted water supply continues,” it
was reported.
Nick Lyon, charged recently, was director of the Michigan
Health and Human Services Department. He is the top
member of Governor Rick Snyder’s administration to land
in a criminal investigation over the Flint crisis, according to
reports.
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