South Asia in Search of Coordinated Climate Policy


KATHMANDU, May 16 2013 (IPS)
 – With a combined population of over 1.7 billion, which includes some of the world’s poorest but also a sizeable middle class with a growing spending capacity, South Asia is a policymaker’s nightmare. The region’s urban population is set to double by 2030, with India alone adding 90 million city dwellers to its metropolises since 2000. Over 75 percent of South Asia’s residents live in rural areas, with agriculture accounting for 60 percent of the labour force, according to recent statistics released by the World Bank.

South Asia has always been a climatic hot spot. According to Pramod Aggarwal, South Asia principal researcher and regional programme leader for agriculture and food security for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), over 70 percent of the region is prone to drought, 12 percent to floods and eight percent to cyclones.

“Climate stress has always been normal (here); climate change will make things worse,” he said. Experts like Aggarwal say that the region needs to collaborate on research, agriculture and importantly, water management to be better prepared for rapidly varying climate patterns – http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/05/south-asia-in-search-of-coordinated-climate-policy/

Tech Transfer can help mitigate heat-trapping emissions: UNEP study

NAIROBI/ISLAMABAD: Less than one per cent of all patent applications relating to Clean Energy Technology (CET) have been filed in Africa, highlighting an opportunity for the continent to leapfrog existing fossil-fuel energy sources and; thus, cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions and bring major health benefits, according to a recent study.

A new study by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Patent Office (EPO)—Patents and Clean Energy Technologies in Africa—found that Africa has a huge untapped potential for generating clean energy, including enough hydroelectric power from its seven major river systems to serve the whole of the continent’s needs, as well as enormous potential for solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy etc.

For example, hydropower, the most commonly used renewable energy source, is estimated to be utilized at just 4.3 per cent of the continent’s total capacity—although recent years have seen efforts to ramp up clean energy, with North African nations leading in solar and wind, Kenya in Geothermal, Ethiopia in hydro and Mauritius in bioenergy.

However, intellectual property and patenting in particular have been highlighted as a significant factor limiting the transfer of new clean technologies to developing countries, and identified as a barrier to these countries meeting new emission limits for CO2 and other Greenhouse Gases.

While the lack of patents filed means CETs can be freely exploited in Africa, the lack of these patents to protect their products means source companies may be reluctant to offer up their know-how to promote technology transfer.

“The development and transfer of technologies are key pillars in both mitigating the causes of climate change and adapting to its effects; patents are a crucial part of this process,” said Nick Nuttall, UNEP Spokesperson.

“In addition to an accelerated response to climate change, boosting clean energy technologies have multiple green economy benefits including on public health—for example, in sub-Saharan Africa more than half of all deaths from pneumonia in children under the age of five, and chronic lung disease and lung cancer in adults over 30, can be attributed to solid fuel use,” he added.

“The joint EPO-UNEP study is the first-ever representative stock taking of clean energy technology patents in African countries,” said EPO chief economist Nikolaus Thumm. “Its main purpose is to facilitate an evidence-based informed debate on the role of patents in the dissemination of clean energy technologies in Africa, and to promote identification of existing technology solutions in the field for technology transfer to the continent.”

The report found that of the one per cent of identified CET-related patents filed in Africa, the majority came in South Africa, meaning there has been very little activity in the remaining African states.

Also, only 10 per cent of African inventors apply for patent protection in Africa; the majority tend to seek protection in four other regions: the United States (27 per cent), the EPO (24 per cent), Germany (13 per cent) and Canada (10 per cent).

However, there are signs that the situation is changing. Despite low patent application numbers, the overall inventive activity in African countries grew by 5 per cent between 1980 and 2009, compared to 4 per cent at the global level. With a 59 per cent increase, mitigation technologies grew most significantly in that period.

Most African nations are fairly well integrated into the international patent system and an increasing number are putting in place specific patenting policies and strategies, which place significant importance on technology transfer, as part of their development framework.

As a consequence, African inventors – individuals and domestic companies active in the field of CETs – are also putting greater emphasis on patents as part of their business strategies, using the international, regional and national filing systems for patent applications in Africa and elsewhere.

The story published first in Lahore Times on May 14, 2013.
Weblink: http://www.lhrtimes.com/2013/05/14/tech-transfer-can-help-mitigate-heat-trapping-emissions-unep-study/

Kathmandu A dirty Capital

Story from Annapurna Post

Kathmandu, A dirty Capital – Story published in Annapurna Post National Daily, Kathmandu
Pitambar Sigdel

With in a decade air pollution has grown at an alarming rate in the kathamndu valley. The latest government monitoring report shows pollution has increased 40 percent in last 5 years. Now capital has turned as one of the dirtiest cities in the world. The average PM10 in katmandu is now reached at 400 (more than 7 times of WHO standards)
Air is contaminated with particulate matter, carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide, hydrogen sulphide, and nitrous oxide. Rapid growth of old vehicles, poor fuel combustion (adulterated vehicles fuel), broken dusty roads, are the main contributing factors to air pollution. The bowl shaped physiography, and the resulting inversion effect in the atmosphere intensify the air pollution by trapping the foul air within the valleys’ immediate atmosphere.

Kathmandu is facing serious environmental problems. Spontaneous urbanization, rising human growth, increased polluting vehicles and industries, centralized development activities, etc., have been gradually degrading the living environment in the capital city.According to the experts Vehicles, expanding roads are the main source of pollution.Visibility was also severely reduced. In addition, studies indicate that poor air quality is taking a toll on human health and health costs. Around 6000 premature deaths yearly.

Shrouded in smog

Air pollution due to rapid urbanisation compounded by population growth and unplanned development works in the South Asian cities is affecting lives of millions of populations. The Kathmandu Valley, which is undergoing infrastructure changes including expansion of roads is witnessing severe air pollution threats, particularly during the dry season. With poor air quality monitoring and regulation, the particulate matter s, suspended and harmful gases has threatened public and at the same time degraded the local environment.

You can read the story at this link.