Handelsminister Ewa Björling och Naturskyddsföreningens ordförande Mikael Karlsson diskuterar EU:s handelspolitik, Global Europe, på ett seminarium den 3 mars.
Klimateffekterna slår hårt mot världens fattiga. Utvecklingsländernas jordbruk och matproduktion är redan sårbart och klimatförändringen förvärrar läget. Torka i vissa områden, enorma regn och andra väderfenomen i andra. Att bygga upp motståndskraft mot klimatförändringarna handlar bland annat om att få ett mycket starkare jordbruk.
Dessa frågor är centrala nu när EU förhandlar en rad handelsavtal med flera mindre inflytelserika utvecklingsländer i Latinamerika, Afrika och Sydostasien. Hur påverkar handelsavtalen möjligheten för dessa länder att anpassa sig till den globala uppvärmningen och deras möjlighet att driva en hållbar miljö- och utvecklingspolitik?
Under det svenska ordförandeskapet är klimatkrisen ett prioriterat område men frågan är om handelspolitiken drar åt samma håll eller motverkar klimat- och utvecklingsmålen. Riskerar den nuvarande inriktningen på EU:s handelspolitik att underminera effekterna av bistånd och klimatstöd till utvecklingsländer? Eller finns det stora möjligheter för utvecklingsländerna?
Under seminariet lanseras och diskuteras Naturskyddsföreningens nya rapport: "Global Europe and Sustainable Development - Implications for Climate Change and Agriculture"
Tid och plats
Tisdag den 3 mars kl 13.15 - 15.00
Plats: Klara Konferens, Vattugatan 6, Stockholm
Anmälan sker senast 26 februari till Anneli Nordling.
E-post: anneli.nordling@naturskyddsforeningen.se
Medverkande
Ewa Björling, handelsminister
Mikael Karlsson, Naturskyddsföreningens ordförande
Gunnel Axelsson-Nycander, Svenska Kyrkan
Jens Andersson, författare till rapporten
Peter Kleen, Trade Policy Consultant
Moderator: Karin Lexén, Chef för Swedish Water House
måndag 23 februari 2009
Ghana, Wa
I have just arrived in Ghana, Wa after some relaxing two weeks at Ghana several fantastic beaches. Frankly, I feel quite confident to start work at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the enthusiasm to participate in different environmental projects.
Wa is located in the northern part of Ghana, roughly 160 km from the Burkina Faso border. The northern part of Ghana consists of three different regions, Upper East Region, Northern Region and Upper West Region. Wa is the region capital of Upper West Region.
Generally, it is possible to argue that the northern districts are less developed. This has contributed to a more pronounced poverty compared to the southern parts of the country where the majority of the industry is found. As a result, several different non-governmental organisations (NGO¥s) such as, Plan, Action Aid, World Vision, Peace Corps and CID-Ghana have been established.
However, the first week at the EPA office has been very straightforward with a lot of necessary reading of past and future projects. There is only three staff at the office including the regional director due to difficulties in recruiting more employees to the EPA (the staff should be a total of 5). I would say their work assignments are somehow diverse since they are supposed to deal with land degradation, water control, air pollution, noise levels and work as environmental inspectors e.g. controlling petrol stations etc.
In March a rather large project dealing with desertification is going to be launched. The project is funded by the CIDA (the Canadian International Donor Agency) and aims to fight desertification that is the most important environmental problem in the three northern districts.
Desertification is expressed in northern Ghana as land degradation (e.g. soil erosion), reduced available water as well as loss of biodiversity. Since agricultural employs 70% of the population and 35% the land area of Ghana is prone to desertification a majority of the rural population are affected due to their dependency of farming. Consequently, reduced agricultural productivity is demonstrated resulting to less household income, therefore, contributing to a further push into the poverty trap.
The causes of desertification are complex in understanding. Locally, desertification is caused on the on hand of unsustainable land use such as, overgrazing, deforestation, uncontrolled bush fires as well as cultivation of ecological marginalised areas, in other words- lack of proper land management programs. Holistically, it is possible to argue on the other hand that land degradation are created how society, national policies and the world economy are linked and how these linkages affect the local land users decision-making.
Additionally, it is important to underline climate change (caused by industrialised countries) for additionally cause of desserts spreading. For instance, the increasing temperature and changing air streams, just to mention a few variables, contributes to longer dry seasons leading to droughts that in turn create desertification.
However, I know will remain in the EPA office until March just waiting, … accept, for some study visit at the several NGO¥s in Wa.
Keep in touch,
Samy
Wa is located in the northern part of Ghana, roughly 160 km from the Burkina Faso border. The northern part of Ghana consists of three different regions, Upper East Region, Northern Region and Upper West Region. Wa is the region capital of Upper West Region.
Generally, it is possible to argue that the northern districts are less developed. This has contributed to a more pronounced poverty compared to the southern parts of the country where the majority of the industry is found. As a result, several different non-governmental organisations (NGO¥s) such as, Plan, Action Aid, World Vision, Peace Corps and CID-Ghana have been established.
However, the first week at the EPA office has been very straightforward with a lot of necessary reading of past and future projects. There is only three staff at the office including the regional director due to difficulties in recruiting more employees to the EPA (the staff should be a total of 5). I would say their work assignments are somehow diverse since they are supposed to deal with land degradation, water control, air pollution, noise levels and work as environmental inspectors e.g. controlling petrol stations etc.
In March a rather large project dealing with desertification is going to be launched. The project is funded by the CIDA (the Canadian International Donor Agency) and aims to fight desertification that is the most important environmental problem in the three northern districts.
Desertification is expressed in northern Ghana as land degradation (e.g. soil erosion), reduced available water as well as loss of biodiversity. Since agricultural employs 70% of the population and 35% the land area of Ghana is prone to desertification a majority of the rural population are affected due to their dependency of farming. Consequently, reduced agricultural productivity is demonstrated resulting to less household income, therefore, contributing to a further push into the poverty trap.
The causes of desertification are complex in understanding. Locally, desertification is caused on the on hand of unsustainable land use such as, overgrazing, deforestation, uncontrolled bush fires as well as cultivation of ecological marginalised areas, in other words- lack of proper land management programs. Holistically, it is possible to argue on the other hand that land degradation are created how society, national policies and the world economy are linked and how these linkages affect the local land users decision-making.
Additionally, it is important to underline climate change (caused by industrialised countries) for additionally cause of desserts spreading. For instance, the increasing temperature and changing air streams, just to mention a few variables, contributes to longer dry seasons leading to droughts that in turn create desertification.
However, I know will remain in the EPA office until March just waiting, … accept, for some study visit at the several NGO¥s in Wa.
Keep in touch,
Samy
söndag 22 februari 2009
Efter Gaza - efter valet
Seminarium om Palestina
Hur ska Sverige agera och vad ska vi göra för att Sverige ska agera?
Offensiven mot Gaza är bara ett i mängden av Israels brott mot folkrätten och de mänskliga rättigheterna sedan staten Israel bildades.
Mycket talar för att situationen för palestinierna i Israel kommer försämras i och med framgångarna för högern och ultranationalisterna i det israeliska valet. Trots dessa uppenbara och upprepade brott mot internationell rätt låter Sverige och omvärlden Israel hållas.
Vänsterns internationella forum (V) och Green forum (MP) tillsammans med Palestinagrupperna i Sverige bjuder därför in till ett seminarium för att diskutera följande frågeställningar:
Hur kan vi skapa en bred opinionsrörelse för att Sveriges regering skall agera mot Israels brott mot Internationell rätt? Vilka krav och framförallt vilka sanktioner skall Sveriges regering vidta mot Israel?
Deltagare:
Salah Shafi, (PLO:s Ambassadör i Stockholm)
Jonatan Stanzcak, (Medgrundare The Freedom Theatre)
Mehmet Kaplan, (Riksdagsledamot Miljöpartiet)
Torbjörn Björlund, (Riksdagsledamot Vänsterpartiet)
Vi kommer även att informera om det gemensamma Palestinaprojekt som
Vänsterns internationella forum och Green forum inlett under 2009-2010.
Arr: Vänsterns internationella forum (V), Green forum (MP) och Palestinagrupperna i Sverige
.
Tid och plats
Lördag 7 mars
Internationella biblioteket
Kl. 14-17
Adress: Odengatan 59 (Bredvid huvudbiblioteket)
Prenumerera på:
Inlägg (Atom)