Disaster looms with rising sea levels: islands

From AFP Global Edition 

Rising sea levels that could wipe whole nations off the map and displace scores of millions of people are being overlooked in global climate change talks, island countries said Tuesday.

Major emitters are pushing for greenhouse gas emissions cuts that are too low to prevent devastating sea rises, representatives said at the World Ocean Conference in Indonesia's Manado city.

"Dealing with environmental refugees will have a much more serious impact on the global economy and global security in fact than what wars have ever done to this planet," said Rolph Payet, a presidential adviser from the African island nation of the Seychelles.

Other nations under threat from even small rises in sea levels include the Pacific island states of Kiribati and Tuvalu, while heavily populated low-lying areas such as Bangladesh's coastline would also go under.

The five-day conference has attracted hundreds of officials and experts from 70 countries and is being billed as a prelude to December talks on a successor to the expiring Kyoto Protocol.

Payet said there had been "zero" serious discussions in top international forums on how to deal with massive flows of "climate refugees" from low-lying and drought-prone areas.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predicted in 2007 that up to 150 million people could be displaced by the effects of climate change by 2050, which include sea level rises of as much as 59 centimetres (23 inches).

The Alliance of Small Island States is pushing for 85 percent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

But Payet said the December talks in the Danish capital Copenhagen look set to produce an emissions cut target that would be too low to avert disaster.

The European Union has promised to reduce its emissions by 80 percent by mid-century and US President Barack Obama has proposed his country make an 83 percent cut.

But the details of any global agreement that would include major developing nation emitters such as China remain unknown.

Copyright 2009  AFP Global Edition

Trainee teachers briefed on UniSey courses

Seychelles Nation - 03.12.2009
Students from the National Institute of Education (NIE) yesterday learned more about the teacher training courses on offer at the University of Seychelles (UniSey).

Dr Payet, flanked by Mr Souffe (left) and Dr Ah-Thew,(photo above) addressing NIE students at yesterday’s talk

They were also briefed by UniSey vice-chancellor Dr Rolph Payet on how they will continue the training they have started at the NIE.

The talk took place at the NIE in the presence of principal secretary for education Jeanne Simeon, dean of the School of Sciences Dr George Ah-Thew, dean of the School of Humanities Dr Gerard Adonis and institute director Alex Souffe.

The students learned that the university’s School of Education will offer a four-year degree course in early childhood and primary education.

And those who want to teach at secondary level will be able to choose a three-year subject specialist degree that will be followed by a one-year Post Graduate Certificate in Education (PGCE).

Dr Payet said this specialist degree will be offered in a variety of subjects such as English, French, history and geography, and the university also plans to offer a master’s degree in education at a later stage.

He said these courses will be run in partnership with the Edith Cowan University in Australia, the University of London and the University of Reunion.

Dr Payet said students who are not admitted to the degree programme after the two-year foundation studies will be able to do another year and gain the assistant teacher certificate.

But he said this will be determined by the Ministry of Education, and UniSey will be working closely with the ministry to develop teacher training and help to raise the standards in our schools.

“The quality of teachers determines the quality of education that our children get in schools, and the training will help to upgrade our teachers,” he said.

Dr Payet told the students that the School of Education will give them a chance to get a recognised graduate teacher qualification, and even teachers with families will be able to graduate.

He said soon the students will apply to the university, and the faculty will meet them on an individual basis to discuss the courses.

All the training courses will start in January and February next year and will be based at UniSey’s Mont Fleuri campus, the current NIE complex.

Dr Payet said yesterday’s meeting was held because there was much misunderstanding regarding the transition that trainee teachers will make. During the talk the students were able to ask questions and seek clarification on the changes.

Today Dr Payet will meet students from the School of Advanced Level Studies to brief them on the new courses on offer next year.

President Michel at world food security summit

Seychelles Nation - 16.11.2009
President James Michel has been invited to address the World Food Security Summit at the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation headquarters in Rome, Italy which will be held from today to November 18.

The President will speak before the summit about Seychelles’ food security concerns, the effect of climate change on agriculture and availability of arable land as well as the impact of piracy on the fishing industry.

“In the run up to Copehangen, the lack of progress towards a legally-binding agreement for the Copenhagen summit has underlined the needs of Small Island Developing States to continue to press the developed world to address climate change as a matter of urgency,” a communiqué from State House quoted President Michel as saying.

Speaking soon after he ended a visit to Les Mamelles on Saturday morning, hours before leaving for Rome, Mr Michel told journalists that representing Seychelles at the World Food Summit is another opportunity to call the world’s attention to the concerns of Seychelles and other small island states.

“As President I feel it is my duty to represent Seychelles at the highest level at this important summit and champion the cause of small island states,” said Mr Michel.

He said it is the only way to get the attention and support of industrialised countries.

Noting that climate change impacts heavily and alarmingly on many countries’ food production, more particularly that of small island states like ours, Mr Michel said the world has to know that we need help to innovate and keep on producing to maintain our food security.

More than 60 world leaders are expected at the Rome summit, including Pope Benedict XVI.
The President’s delegation includes Minister for Environment, Natural Resources and Transport Joel Morgan, and Special Adviser for Environment Dr Rolph Payet.

Following his visit to Rome, the President has also been invited as a guest of honour to the Lebanon 2020 National Summit in Beirut. President Michel has been asked to share the experiences of Seychelles in sustainable development and environmental protection policies, and will be a keynote speaker at the summit.

Island legislators from Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific to address climate change

From: e-Parliament

Meeting in Vanuatu will spell out responsibilities of legislators to help reduce emissions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 3rd 2009

Legislators from island nations in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific are gathering in Vanuatu between November 6 and 8 to hear how they could supply electricity to their nations without harming the planet.

The 15-20 politicians will be addressed by experts in renewable energy - wind, solar, and biomass – and will hear about possible policy options. The idea is that they will then return to their home parliaments to introduce this legislation.

The hearing will be held at the Melanesian Hotel in Port Vila and the legislators will be addressed by the following experts:

• Dr. Rolph Payet, Special Advisor to the President of the Seychelles, summarising the findings of the latest IPCC report on the impacts of climate change on island states as well as adaptation and mitigation strategies.
• Thomas Lynge Jensen, Environment and Energy Policy Specialist, UNDP Pacific Centre, will talk about access to electricity in rural areas, using Fiji’s Rural Electrification Program as an example.
• Rupeni Mario, Senior Advisor, SOPAC, on the benefits of linking different renewable energy sources into mini-grids.
• Molipi Tausi, Energy Planner, Tuvalu Ministry of Works, Water and Energy, on how Tuvalu plans to reach its target of 100% renewable energy by 2020, how the plan was developed and how other islands could do the same.
• Stefan Schurig, Climate and Energy Director, World Future Council, on Feed-in Tariffs and other finance mechanisms which can help to encourage renewable energy uptake.
• Cristelle Pratt, Executive Director, SOPAC, on the importance of building local knowledge and expertise in renewable energy technology and policy, and how legislators can encourage this in island states.

Legislators will be coming to the hearing from the following countries: Bahamas, Barbados, Comoros, Cook Islands, Dominica, Jamaica, Kiribati, Mauritius, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, St Lucia, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tanzania (Zanzibar) and Vanuatu.

While most of the hearing will take place at the Melanesian Hotel, the legislators will also be taken to a windfarm and biofuel plant near Port Vila.

The hearing has been convened by the e-Parliament, an international forum for the world’s democratic legislators, and the World Future Council, an organisation which endeavours to ensure that the interests of future generations are taken into account by the politicians of today.

It is the 18th hearing in the e-Parliament’s history. Previous hearings have resulted in action being taken by legislators to combat climate change in African and Asian countries.

This particular hearing is one of a series of nine funded by the European Commission and the Swiss Development Agency (SIDA) for African, Caribbean and Pacific Island legislators on the subject of ‘Energy Access for the Poor’. Previous hearings in the series have taken place in Kenya, Ghana, Tobago, Guyana and Mozambique.

Next year e-Parliament energy hearings will take place in Cameroon, Papua New Guinea and Tanzania.

NOTES

Available for telephone briefing prior to the hearing:

Jasper Bouverie, Communications Director, the e-Parliament

Susana Guerreiro, Programme Officer, the e-Parliament