NEWS in brief
Global Highlights
Fortum, the joint project consists of Wello, Green Marine, Uppsala University, Plymouth University, the University of Exeter and the European Marine Energy Centre.
Forest and Landscape Restoration Main Issue
Healthy landscapes support a huge variety of land uses— from agriculture and agroforestry to wildlife reserves and ecological corridors to forests and plantations. They provide clean water, food and materials to build shelter for wildlife and humans alike. And they provide livelihoods for hundreds of millions of people.
Results
More than 80 countries have used funding available for forestry projects in GEF-5. In many cases, these projects are helping to transform the countries’ forestry sectors. Through the current portfolio of sustainable forest management( SFM) projects and programs( GEF-6, 2014- 2018), we expect to restore 770,000 ha of degraded forests through plantations and agroforestry systems. In addition, natural regeneration will improve 5.3 million ha of existing forest. With that, we are creating multiple environmental benefits at global level, which also contribute to improved livelihoods of forest-dependent people. The GEF is also working with its partners to bring forest restoration to the attention of global policymakers. Indeed, the UNFCCC COP21 in Paris acknowledged the value of the GEF’ s SFM program. In keeping with the Paris Agreement, the GEF and its partners are working toward including landscape restoration as a tactic to help keep the rise of the Earth’ s temperature within 2 ° C.
Five electrocuted at Water Park in Turkey
Three children and two adults who tried to rescue them die after incident in Akyazı, Sakarya province, according to reports
Forest and landscape restoration( FLR) brings barren and degraded areas back to life. Not only does this restore biodiversity and revitalize local communities, it also contributes to climate change mitigation. Landscape restoration projects that regenerate forests, for example, create another“ carbon sink” that contribute to climate change mitigation
What We Do
The GEF aligns its work with international efforts like the Bonn Challenge and the Global Partnership. Our first three initiatives, begun during GEF-5( 2010-2014), share a common approach. They are creating multiple benefits from restoration, engaging local communities who make a living from the land.
The Sahel and West Africa Program( SAWAP) supports the Great Green Wall Initiative. It aims to establish a green belt of productive lands and forests along the edge of the Sahara Desert to battle desertification and soil degradation, while tackling poverty. It focuses on a strip of land of 15 km wide and 7,100 km long from Dakar to Djibouti. The Great Green Wall has the potential of restoring landscapes in 11 participating countries
Turkish paramilitary police officers investigate the deaths of five people at a water park in Akyazı. Photograph: AP
Five people, including two teenagers and a 12-year-old, have been electrocuted in a water park in north-western Turkey.
The three children were struck by an electrical current in a swimming pool at the park, in the town of Akyazı, Sakarya province, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.
The park manager and his son were injured when they dived in to try to rescue the children, according to Doğan news agency. All five were taken to hospital but could not be saved.
Anadolu said a sixth person was taken to hospital but did not provide further details. The children were 12, 15 and 17, according to reports. Gendarmerie officers were investigating the incident.
12 Africa Water, Sanitation & Hygiene • July- August 2017