The World Environment Day was observed in Mymensingh in a befitting manner on June 5.
To observe the day a procession was brought in the town from the office of Deputy Commissioner and dispersed at the town hall after parading the main streets of the town.
District administration with the help of World Vision,, ADP and other government offices and NGOs arranged the procession.
An a forestation programme was held on the occasion on the Muktijodha Smriti Saudha.
In the afternoon a discussion meeting was held at DC's conference room in which Deputy Commissioner of Mymensingh A.N.Shamsuddin Azad Chowdhury presided over.
The speakers expressing concern over the degradation of environment of the country said if the ecological system is destroyed, the environment system will be destroyed. So, the water bodies of the countries, including the rivers, should be protected and they stressed for launching a social movement to this effect.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Environment ministry to eject double agents
A number of people serving on regulatory boards of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) will soon be sacked. The ministry has discovered they are also directors of companies whose projects the boards they are serving on have appraised.
“These are clear cases of conflict of interest,” Jairam Ramesh, environment minister, told Hindustan Times. “It was the duty of these people to keep the government informed.”
The most striking case is that of former power secretary P. Abraham, who has been heading the MoEF’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) on river valley and hydropower projects for the past two years. Every hydel project needs this EAC’s clearance before it can start.
According to a complaint sent to the ministry by six NGOs last week, Abraham is also on the board of at least six power companies, including Lanco Infratech, Maharashtra Power Generation Company, GVK Industries Ltd and JSW Energy Ltd.
“There have been at least six occasions when a project of companies where Abraham is a director came for clearance before the committee he chairs,” said Neeraj Vagholikar of Pune-based Kalpvriksh Environmental Action Group on telephone.
Abraham reportedly stayed away from meetings at which projects of companies he was connected with were discussed. “But that is not enough,” said Ramesh. “I agree totally with the anti-dam activists and have initiated action.”
Despite repeated efforts by Hindustan Times, Abraham could not be contacted. “I’ve also been trying to contact him for the last two days,” said Ramesh.
MoEF sources claimed other EACs, notably the one on mining and another on coal-based power plants, also have members associated with private interests.
The National Biodiversity Authority has members who formerly worked for private companies like Syngenta, which has applied for patents from this very authority. They, however, refused to reveal names.
“These are clear cases of conflict of interest,” Jairam Ramesh, environment minister, told Hindustan Times. “It was the duty of these people to keep the government informed.”
The most striking case is that of former power secretary P. Abraham, who has been heading the MoEF’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) on river valley and hydropower projects for the past two years. Every hydel project needs this EAC’s clearance before it can start.
According to a complaint sent to the ministry by six NGOs last week, Abraham is also on the board of at least six power companies, including Lanco Infratech, Maharashtra Power Generation Company, GVK Industries Ltd and JSW Energy Ltd.
“There have been at least six occasions when a project of companies where Abraham is a director came for clearance before the committee he chairs,” said Neeraj Vagholikar of Pune-based Kalpvriksh Environmental Action Group on telephone.
Abraham reportedly stayed away from meetings at which projects of companies he was connected with were discussed. “But that is not enough,” said Ramesh. “I agree totally with the anti-dam activists and have initiated action.”
Despite repeated efforts by Hindustan Times, Abraham could not be contacted. “I’ve also been trying to contact him for the last two days,” said Ramesh.
MoEF sources claimed other EACs, notably the one on mining and another on coal-based power plants, also have members associated with private interests.
The National Biodiversity Authority has members who formerly worked for private companies like Syngenta, which has applied for patents from this very authority. They, however, refused to reveal names.
ADB's Regional Climate Change Initiatives
Mitigation-related Initiatives
Carbon Market Initiative - strengthening the carbon market by providing additional financial resources for project development, as well as technical and marketing support, for projects potentially eligible for the Clean Development Mechanism.
Cities Development Initiative for Asia* - providing advisory and capacity-building support on climate-friendly city development.
Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities* - promoting a reduction in vehicle emissions through improved fuel quality, vehicle maintenance, emission control technology, alternative fuels, and better traffic management. This is a regional network jointly launched by ADB and the World Bank in 2001 and is now an independent organization based in Manila.
Energy for All Initiative - promoting expanded access by the poor to modern and clean forms of energy.
Energy Efficiency Initiative - providing innovative financing mechanisms for clean energy investments with the aim to invest $1billion per year on clean energy development programs from 2008 to 2010.
Sustainable Transport Initiative - providing advice and financing for innovative public transport schemes that will cut greenhouse gas emissions and local pollutants.
Top
Adaptation-related Initiatives
Addressing Climate Change in the Asia and Pacific Region - This project is gathering knowledge and producing a series of publications covering key climate change challenges facing Asia and the Pacific such as energy and climate change, adaptation in the agriculture sector, and migration and climate migrants.
Central Asia Countries Initiative for Land Management - restoring, maintaining, and enhancing the productive functions of land in Central Asia.
Climate Change Adaptation Program for the Pacific - examined the special risks faced and adaptation approaches and measures needed in low-lying island states, and ADB is following up on implementing strategies identified.
Promoting Climate Change Adaptation in Asia and the Pacific - promoting an improved understanding by participating governments of the necessary actions they must take to adapt to climate change through the adoption of investment programs, plans, and policies.
Regional Partnerships for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Preparedness - will seek to increase the financial resilience of participating Pacific Island countries to the effects of natural disasters.
Regional Review of the Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia - analysis will examine climate change adaptation (as well as Clean Energy) costs and options facing the largest economics of Southeast Asia.
Water for All - this vision and policy is supported by ADB's Water Financing Program, which is working to increase investments and support reforms, capacity development, and regional cooperation in the water sector.
Carbon Market Initiative - strengthening the carbon market by providing additional financial resources for project development, as well as technical and marketing support, for projects potentially eligible for the Clean Development Mechanism.
Cities Development Initiative for Asia* - providing advisory and capacity-building support on climate-friendly city development.
Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities* - promoting a reduction in vehicle emissions through improved fuel quality, vehicle maintenance, emission control technology, alternative fuels, and better traffic management. This is a regional network jointly launched by ADB and the World Bank in 2001 and is now an independent organization based in Manila.
Energy for All Initiative - promoting expanded access by the poor to modern and clean forms of energy.
Energy Efficiency Initiative - providing innovative financing mechanisms for clean energy investments with the aim to invest $1billion per year on clean energy development programs from 2008 to 2010.
Sustainable Transport Initiative - providing advice and financing for innovative public transport schemes that will cut greenhouse gas emissions and local pollutants.
Top
Adaptation-related Initiatives
Addressing Climate Change in the Asia and Pacific Region - This project is gathering knowledge and producing a series of publications covering key climate change challenges facing Asia and the Pacific such as energy and climate change, adaptation in the agriculture sector, and migration and climate migrants.
Central Asia Countries Initiative for Land Management - restoring, maintaining, and enhancing the productive functions of land in Central Asia.
Climate Change Adaptation Program for the Pacific - examined the special risks faced and adaptation approaches and measures needed in low-lying island states, and ADB is following up on implementing strategies identified.
Promoting Climate Change Adaptation in Asia and the Pacific - promoting an improved understanding by participating governments of the necessary actions they must take to adapt to climate change through the adoption of investment programs, plans, and policies.
Regional Partnerships for Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Preparedness - will seek to increase the financial resilience of participating Pacific Island countries to the effects of natural disasters.
Regional Review of the Economics of Climate Change in Southeast Asia - analysis will examine climate change adaptation (as well as Clean Energy) costs and options facing the largest economics of Southeast Asia.
Water for All - this vision and policy is supported by ADB's Water Financing Program, which is working to increase investments and support reforms, capacity development, and regional cooperation in the water sector.
ADB Hosts Regional Forum to Develop Strategies to Cope with Climate Change
Government leaders, policymakers, and climate change experts from around the world will gather in the Philippines this week for a high-level dialogue and a series of technical meetings aimed at helping Asia-Pacific countries move toward low-carbon and climate-resilient development paths.
Hosted by ADB, the Climate and Clean Energy Week will consist of two events. The High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific, to be held 16-17 June, will bring together policy makers to discuss the path forward for the Asia-Pacific region in the face of climate change. The dialogue will be followed by the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2009, from 17-19 June, which will serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and forging new partnerships to advance clean energy solutions in the region.
"Asia's share of greenhouse gas emissions has been growing rapidly over the past two decades and infrastructure investments in the next two decades will have profound impacts on the region’s economy and the global climate,” said ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda. "The Climate and Clean Energy Week is an opportunity to establish the basis for regional economic growth that is more environmentally sustainable, and to discuss priorities for Asia and the Pacific in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December."
Mr. Kuroda will co-host the high-level dialogue with Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Philippines' President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Goh Kun, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, will also speak at the dialogue. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will address the participants via video, and Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will update participants on progress toward a new global agreement in Copenhagen.
"Open dialogue is critical to achieving the policy, finance and technology solutions needed to address climate change in Asia and the Pacific," said Dr. Pachauri. "Decoupling economic growth from future greenhouse gas emissions is key to the region's future development, and only collective action will help us achieve this."
ADB will use the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2009 to launch its Energy for All Partnership, which aims to provide clean, reliable energy to 100 million people in the Asia and Pacific region by 2015. ADB will also unveil a plan which outlines ongoing and planned responses to climate change in each of its five regions.
Hosted by ADB, the Climate and Clean Energy Week will consist of two events. The High-Level Dialogue on Climate Change in Asia and the Pacific, to be held 16-17 June, will bring together policy makers to discuss the path forward for the Asia-Pacific region in the face of climate change. The dialogue will be followed by the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2009, from 17-19 June, which will serve as a platform for exchanging experiences and forging new partnerships to advance clean energy solutions in the region.
"Asia's share of greenhouse gas emissions has been growing rapidly over the past two decades and infrastructure investments in the next two decades will have profound impacts on the region’s economy and the global climate,” said ADB President Haruhiko Kuroda. "The Climate and Clean Energy Week is an opportunity to establish the basis for regional economic growth that is more environmentally sustainable, and to discuss priorities for Asia and the Pacific in the lead up to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in December."
Mr. Kuroda will co-host the high-level dialogue with Dr. Rajendra K. Pachauri, Director General of The Energy and Resources Institute and Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. Philippines' President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Goh Kun, former Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, will also speak at the dialogue. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will address the participants via video, and Mr. Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, will update participants on progress toward a new global agreement in Copenhagen.
"Open dialogue is critical to achieving the policy, finance and technology solutions needed to address climate change in Asia and the Pacific," said Dr. Pachauri. "Decoupling economic growth from future greenhouse gas emissions is key to the region's future development, and only collective action will help us achieve this."
ADB will use the 4th Asia Clean Energy Forum 2009 to launch its Energy for All Partnership, which aims to provide clean, reliable energy to 100 million people in the Asia and Pacific region by 2015. ADB will also unveil a plan which outlines ongoing and planned responses to climate change in each of its five regions.
UNEP Signs Agreement To Help Green The Sochi 2014 Olympics
In an effort to green the Sochi Olympics in 2014, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Olympic organizers to help and advise them on making the Games environmentally friendly.
At the signing ceremony on 5 June, Theodore Oben, Chief of the UNEP's Outreach Section, said: "I am sure the memorandum signed today will not only be a written commitment, but will guarantee that during the preparation and staging of Sochi 2014 great strides are made in environmental protection in Sochi and the Krasnodar Region," said
Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, added: "Signing this important Memorandum will help ensure Sochi 2014 is able to introduce Green Standards to every level of the Games' preparation and will ensure that the Organizing Committee continues to work with international environment experts to support this."
Sochi, which sits between the balmy shores of the Black Sea and the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains in Russia's Krasnodar Region, is renowned for its pristine setting.
In an effort to preserve this natural beauty, the city in 2008 followed UNEP's recommendation to move the bobsleigh and luge tracks away from the Caucasus nature reserve, which is one of the only mountain areas in Europe that remains virtually untouched by human activity. In changing the venue, organizers stressed that they are committed to creating an "environmental legacy for the future of the region".
"We developed the Sochi 2014 environmental strategy and this will ensure that the ecological situation in the Krasnodar Region is enhanced for generations to come," stressed Chernyshenko at the signing of the agreement.
At the signing ceremony on 5 June, Theodore Oben, Chief of the UNEP's Outreach Section, said: "I am sure the memorandum signed today will not only be a written commitment, but will guarantee that during the preparation and staging of Sochi 2014 great strides are made in environmental protection in Sochi and the Krasnodar Region," said
Dmitry Chernyshenko, President and CEO of Sochi 2014, added: "Signing this important Memorandum will help ensure Sochi 2014 is able to introduce Green Standards to every level of the Games' preparation and will ensure that the Organizing Committee continues to work with international environment experts to support this."
Sochi, which sits between the balmy shores of the Black Sea and the snow-capped Caucasus Mountains in Russia's Krasnodar Region, is renowned for its pristine setting.
In an effort to preserve this natural beauty, the city in 2008 followed UNEP's recommendation to move the bobsleigh and luge tracks away from the Caucasus nature reserve, which is one of the only mountain areas in Europe that remains virtually untouched by human activity. In changing the venue, organizers stressed that they are committed to creating an "environmental legacy for the future of the region".
"We developed the Sochi 2014 environmental strategy and this will ensure that the ecological situation in the Krasnodar Region is enhanced for generations to come," stressed Chernyshenko at the signing of the agreement.
Best Environmental Techniques and Practices of Sound Chemicals Management Under the Spotlight at Stockholm Convention Meeting
Regional capacity-building training on Best Available Techniques and Best Environmental Practices (BAT and BEP) and the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) is being held this week in a move to strengthen awareness raising initiatives under the chemicals agenda.
Support will be provided to national delegates from various English-speaking countries in Africa that are parties to the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The five-day training session will target BAT and BEP to minimize the release of POPs from unintentional production. Consequently, this will increase national capacity to manage POPs waste, polychlorinated biphenyl or PCB oils and contaminated equipment in an environmentally sound manner.
The workshop is designed to increase knowledge of national obligations regarding the unintentional emissions of POPs and the ESM of PCBs and POPs waste under the Stockholm Convention. The workshop will showcase an electronic training tool on the Basel Convention POPs waste guidelines to foster understanding of the concepts, principles and standards of BAT and BEP.
"It is critical to raise awareness about the best means of reducing the risks to human health and the environment posed by these chemicals," said Dr. Donald Cooper, Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention Secretariat on POPs. Dr. Cooper continued, "Sharing best practices and techniques is one effective means of achieving this objective. POPs are chemicals that do not degrade easily; they can cause cancers and other long-term illnesses; they accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans and travel across the environment to locations far from their release."
POPs are released in combustion during industrial activities and the burning of garbage and other organic wastes and PCBs are oily chemicals used in the electrical industry in transformers and capacitors to reduce heat transfer. These toxic chemicals have a serious and long-term impact on human health and the environment.
A total of 47 representatives from 24 English-speaking African countries will participate in the regional workshop, which takes place from 15 to 19 June 2009 at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Support will be provided to national delegates from various English-speaking countries in Africa that are parties to the Stockholm Convention on POPs. The five-day training session will target BAT and BEP to minimize the release of POPs from unintentional production. Consequently, this will increase national capacity to manage POPs waste, polychlorinated biphenyl or PCB oils and contaminated equipment in an environmentally sound manner.
The workshop is designed to increase knowledge of national obligations regarding the unintentional emissions of POPs and the ESM of PCBs and POPs waste under the Stockholm Convention. The workshop will showcase an electronic training tool on the Basel Convention POPs waste guidelines to foster understanding of the concepts, principles and standards of BAT and BEP.
"It is critical to raise awareness about the best means of reducing the risks to human health and the environment posed by these chemicals," said Dr. Donald Cooper, Executive Secretary of the Stockholm Convention Secretariat on POPs. Dr. Cooper continued, "Sharing best practices and techniques is one effective means of achieving this objective. POPs are chemicals that do not degrade easily; they can cause cancers and other long-term illnesses; they accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and humans and travel across the environment to locations far from their release."
POPs are released in combustion during industrial activities and the burning of garbage and other organic wastes and PCBs are oily chemicals used in the electrical industry in transformers and capacitors to reduce heat transfer. These toxic chemicals have a serious and long-term impact on human health and the environment.
A total of 47 representatives from 24 English-speaking African countries will participate in the regional workshop, which takes place from 15 to 19 June 2009 at the United Nations Environment Programme Headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya.
Gentle Giants in Need: International Experts Issue Frankfurt Declaration to Call for Better Protection of Gorillas
Under the title 'Gentle Giants in need' 160 government officials, experts, corporate representatives and conservationists from 20 countries attended a conference in Frankfurt, 9-10 June to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla, a global campaign to help implement the gorilla agreement. In the "Frankfurt Declaration" they highlighted major threats to gorillas and their habitats, as well as the strategies available for the conservation of the second closest relative to humankind.
In the Declaration delegates appeal to governments, the international community and industrial companies to enhance activities to reduce threats to the remaining gorilla populations in the wild, which can contribute to peace-making and prosperity in Central Africa.
Although gorillas are protected by law in every one of the ten African range states, they are hunted for their meat, which is sold at local markets and abroad. Enforcement of wildlife laws is necessary to control the bushmeat trade. 1 million tons of bushmeat is harvested every year in the Congo Basin alone. The Frankfurt Declaration calls upon the international community and national authorities to enforce laws regulating the taking and trading of gorillas, including the wider bushmeat trade.
Diseases are also a major threat to gorillas, in particular the ebola virus. They can be transmitted through close contact with humans. Tourism however needs to be controlled by national park authorities, which control permits issued for gorilla ecotourism.
Natural resource exploitation can be accelerated by armed conflict, especially when affected local people depend on these resources for food, shelter and income. As a result, addressing mining and other exploitation of natural resources such as coltan, uranium and gold as a major cause for armed conflicts, is central to peace keeping missions and development in the region.
Second only to elephants, gorillas by dispersing seeds, play a key role in maintaining the African rainforests and hence the world's climate. Conserving forests does not only contribute to preserving ecosystems but also underpins efforts to mitigate climate change, reduces poverty and ensures a sustainable supply of energy.
Expanding human settlements and commercial exploitation of forests increases the demand for energy resources. Experts are calling for a comprehensive approach to reducing deforestation along the entire value chain of wood for energy, in which the forestry industry should play a pivotal role. The protection of biodiversity and climate change, poverty alleviation as well as sustainable use of natural resources are closely interlinked. Forests inhabited by gorillas provide ecosystem services and livelihoods to local communities.
Given the huge complexity of the interactions, scientists advocate a comprehensive approach to be undertaken by governments, the scientific community and the industrial companies operating in the Congo Basin to protect forests within their management plans.
Ian Redmond, Ambassador of the UN Year of the Gorilla, said: "The Frankfurt Declaration is an important statement of common purpose and good intent. Its success will depend on the signatories to commit to their pledges."
Gorillas and their habitats have the potential to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts and advance long-term regional economic development through ecotourism. A gorilla can generate indirectly US$ 4 million during its life time. In Rwanda and Uganda tourism has developed into the leading contributor to the national economy exceeding the tea and coffee exports.
Serapio Rekundo, Ugandan Minister for Tourism said: "The total revenue of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks increased by almost 80% between 2005 and 2008. In addition to providing a boost to the national economy, gorilla tracking can even support wildlife conservation in other Protected Areas."
Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention (UNEP/CMS) said: "We must use all the means at our disposal to halt threats to gorillas and preserve forests as carbon sinks. Local communities need our support as guardians of these animals using revenues from gorilla tours. Following the focus on the conservation of mountain gorillas preventing them from extinction, we need to expand this approach to the lowland gorillas and to other migratory animals. "
The conference has been held to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla and the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Co-organisers include the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Frankfurt Zoo.
Notes to Editors
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP / CMS or Bonn Convention) develops inter-governmental agreements and action plans for the protection of endangered migratory animals and ensures its implementation. In June 2008, the international CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats entered into force. It provides a legal framework that will reinforce and integrate conservation efforts and has been signed by six of the ten gorilla range states so far.
Supporting the implementation of the Gorilla Agreement is the overarching goal of the Year of the Gorilla 2009.Together with its partners, the UNEP / UNESCO Partnership for the survival of great apes (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Bonn Convention 2009 at year of the gorilla says.
The Year of the Gorilla (YoG) is a joint initiative of the UNEP-CMS, the UNEP/UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). CMS has 110 governments supporting as Parties
In the Declaration delegates appeal to governments, the international community and industrial companies to enhance activities to reduce threats to the remaining gorilla populations in the wild, which can contribute to peace-making and prosperity in Central Africa.
Although gorillas are protected by law in every one of the ten African range states, they are hunted for their meat, which is sold at local markets and abroad. Enforcement of wildlife laws is necessary to control the bushmeat trade. 1 million tons of bushmeat is harvested every year in the Congo Basin alone. The Frankfurt Declaration calls upon the international community and national authorities to enforce laws regulating the taking and trading of gorillas, including the wider bushmeat trade.
Diseases are also a major threat to gorillas, in particular the ebola virus. They can be transmitted through close contact with humans. Tourism however needs to be controlled by national park authorities, which control permits issued for gorilla ecotourism.
Natural resource exploitation can be accelerated by armed conflict, especially when affected local people depend on these resources for food, shelter and income. As a result, addressing mining and other exploitation of natural resources such as coltan, uranium and gold as a major cause for armed conflicts, is central to peace keeping missions and development in the region.
Second only to elephants, gorillas by dispersing seeds, play a key role in maintaining the African rainforests and hence the world's climate. Conserving forests does not only contribute to preserving ecosystems but also underpins efforts to mitigate climate change, reduces poverty and ensures a sustainable supply of energy.
Expanding human settlements and commercial exploitation of forests increases the demand for energy resources. Experts are calling for a comprehensive approach to reducing deforestation along the entire value chain of wood for energy, in which the forestry industry should play a pivotal role. The protection of biodiversity and climate change, poverty alleviation as well as sustainable use of natural resources are closely interlinked. Forests inhabited by gorillas provide ecosystem services and livelihoods to local communities.
Given the huge complexity of the interactions, scientists advocate a comprehensive approach to be undertaken by governments, the scientific community and the industrial companies operating in the Congo Basin to protect forests within their management plans.
Ian Redmond, Ambassador of the UN Year of the Gorilla, said: "The Frankfurt Declaration is an important statement of common purpose and good intent. Its success will depend on the signatories to commit to their pledges."
Gorillas and their habitats have the potential to support post-conflict reconstruction efforts and advance long-term regional economic development through ecotourism. A gorilla can generate indirectly US$ 4 million during its life time. In Rwanda and Uganda tourism has developed into the leading contributor to the national economy exceeding the tea and coffee exports.
Serapio Rekundo, Ugandan Minister for Tourism said: "The total revenue of Bwindi and Mgahinga National Parks increased by almost 80% between 2005 and 2008. In addition to providing a boost to the national economy, gorilla tracking can even support wildlife conservation in other Protected Areas."
Robert Hepworth, Executive Secretary of the Secretariat of the Bonn Convention (UNEP/CMS) said: "We must use all the means at our disposal to halt threats to gorillas and preserve forests as carbon sinks. Local communities need our support as guardians of these animals using revenues from gorilla tours. Following the focus on the conservation of mountain gorillas preventing them from extinction, we need to expand this approach to the lowland gorillas and to other migratory animals. "
The conference has been held to mark the UN Year of the Gorilla and the 30th Anniversary of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals. Co-organisers include the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, the Frankfurt Zoological Society and Frankfurt Zoo.
Notes to Editors
The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (UNEP / CMS or Bonn Convention) develops inter-governmental agreements and action plans for the protection of endangered migratory animals and ensures its implementation. In June 2008, the international CMS Agreement on the Conservation of Gorillas and their Habitats entered into force. It provides a legal framework that will reinforce and integrate conservation efforts and has been signed by six of the ten gorilla range states so far.
Supporting the implementation of the Gorilla Agreement is the overarching goal of the Year of the Gorilla 2009.Together with its partners, the UNEP / UNESCO Partnership for the survival of great apes (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the Bonn Convention 2009 at year of the gorilla says.
The Year of the Gorilla (YoG) is a joint initiative of the UNEP-CMS, the UNEP/UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization's Great Ape Survival Partnership (GRASP) and the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA). CMS has 110 governments supporting as Parties
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