ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND THE QUESTION OF DEVELOPMENT IN WEST AFRICA

1. ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY AND THE QUESTION OF DEVELOPMENT IN WEST AFRICA C. Nna-Emeka OkerekePh.D emekaokereke@gmail.com & emekaokereke@ndc.gov.ng African Centre for Strategic Research and Studies National Defence College NIGERIA Mobile: +234-803-400-2833

2. BACKGROUND • The year 2010 has recorded several environmental disasters. Checklist of such disasters include: • Earthquake in Haiti, Japan and China • Flooding in Portugal, Pakistan and China, • The eruption of volcanic ash from Eyjafjallajokull on 16 March 2010 which compelled the European Union states to cancel flights operations in Europe for about a week. This had tremendous impact of global trade and travels.

3. Background cont’d • Other severe environmental disasters experienced on the wider global scale within the first decade of the 21st Century include: • Tsunami tidal surge of December 2004 which wrecked havoc to parts of Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka • Hurricane Katrina of August 2005 which caused serious destruction in parts of Alabama, Florida and Georgia in United States • Earthquake in India (January 2001) Japan in 2004

4. Background cont’d • The continent of Africa is also not immune from the scourge of environmental disasters. Countries like Uganda, Cameroon, Ethiopia and Sudan have experienced varying dimensions of environmental disasters such as earth quakes, volcanic eruption, desertification and drought. • The impacts of these disasters have been enormous in terms of loss of several lives and property. Consequently, issues of environmental security have emerged a critical security concern at both national and global theatres.

5. Background cont’d • This sensitivity is as a result of the implications of environmental issues such as climate change and global warming on human security and pursuit of development. • This is more so relevant in view of the recurrent incidences of environmental disasters such as flooding, earth quake/tremor, drought, desertification, ocean surge and volcanic eruptions among others.

6. Background cont’d • As a response measure, some global initiatives at tackling the challenges posed by the environment have been taken at various fora including the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro (1997), Durban Earth Summit (2000) and the Copenhagen Conference on Climate Change held in 2009. • Issues of environmental security are also of relevance to West Africa. This is as a result of the myriads of ecological hazards experienced in the sub-region. • The fact that these hazards exert direct bearing on the pursuit of security and development in West Africa and yet lack adequate policy response constitute the basic concern of this paper.

7. CONTEXT OF THE PAPER • SECURITY In its simplest meaning, security implies freedom or absence of threat, fear or danger. It is an essential condition necessary for human fulfillment. • DEVELOPMENT Development implies general improvement in human condition. It is an attack on the chief evils that confront the humanity.

8. Context cont’d • The notion of security has however evolved from over emphasis on the physical security of the state to the focus on human security which buttress freedom from both violent and non violent threats or danger such as diseases and environmental degradation and disasters. • A couple of reasons have been adduced for the redefinition of the focus of security. First, the end of the Cold War stimulated a re-focus of attention from physical to human security concerns.

9. Context cont’d • Secondly, it has become obvious that insecurities arising from diseases, ecological degradation and natural disasters wreck severe devastation on human development. • This realization has stimulated commitments to addressing the scourge of HIV/AIDS, Cerebro-Spinal Meningitis (CSM), tuberculosis, Avian Flu, Cholera and several other pandemic diseases which have adversely affected human security and development. • It is within this purview that the implications of environmental security to the question of development become significant.

10. FUNDAMENTAL ASSUMPTIONS • The basic assumption here is that environmental security refers to the safety of our environment from natural disasters and human activities that jeopardize the quality of life, it then follows that environmental security constitute an important dimension to the pursuit of peace and development. • By implication, securing the integrity of our environment is fundamental to the pursuit of security and development at individual, national and sub-regional level in West Africa.

11. OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IN WEST AFRICA • In West Africa, the scourge of environmental hazards constitute a major threat to human security and development. • This is demonstrated by the continued havocs arising from environmental degradation and accompanying ecological disasters across the sub-region. • Prominent of these are the series of flooding as experienced in the Republic of Niger, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and most recently in Ghana (September 2010).

12. Nature of Environmental Hazards cont’d i. Dumping of hazardous wastes as experienced in Nigeria and Cote d’Ivoire- Probo Koala (Transfigura); Koko Nigeria ii. The scourge of desertification which exert pressure on the local population along the frontline and buffer regions in Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana etc iii. Intermittent ocean surge along the Atlantic coast especially Lagos iv. Oil Spillage and Gas flaring in the Niger Delta

13. THREATS The vulnerability of the sub-region has also facilitated transnational organised crimes and financing of terrorism. Consequently, the region has become increasingly attractive for drug traffickers from South America and Asia, and illicit trade in diamond and SALWs. 1. Drug Trafficking - FARC 2. Protection Racket -AQLIM 3. Money Laundering -Lebanese 4. Diamond Smuggling -AQN & Hezbollah

14. Threats cont’d Al Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) 1. Pushed down from Algeria towards West Africa’s poorly patrolled border frontiers. 2. Underground economy including smuggling, protection rackets 3. Engage in kidnapping of tourists in Mali and Niger 4. Direct combat with armed forces of Mali, Niger & Chad

15. CAUSES • Poor orientation and commitment to Environmental Governance at individual and institutional levels • Negative Socio-cultural practices such as bush burning • Environmental Degradation arising from unethical activities of Multinational Oil Corporations; NIGER DELTA

16. Causes cont’d iv. Epidemic of armed conflicts; Liberia, Sierra Leone, Cote d’Ivoire, Niger Delta v. Natural Disasters arising partly from Climate Change and Global warming; vi. Vulnerable and under-governed borders; Land and Sea vii. Others emanate from the activities of man; construction, industry, mining

17. IMPACTS i. Loss of Lives and Property ii. Destruction of Critical Infrastructures -Dams, Bridges, Hospitals in Burkina Faso iii. Spread of Diseases like cholera, CSM and Respiratory track infections iv. Results in violent conflicts at national levels v. Loss of livestock, crops and arable land

18. Impacts cont’d vi. Destruction of natural habitat, gully erosion (Angulu Nanka- Nigeria) vii. Internal Displacement of people; - Niger flood, July 2007 - 50,000 displaced - Burkina Flood, September 2009 - 150,000 displaced viii. Refugee Movements leading to international hostilities ix. Legitimacy crisis for the government x. Loss of revenue at micro and macro levels xi. Threats of terrorism and TOCs

19. What Should be Done • Public Enlightenment on Environmental Protection • Enactment of relevant legislative instruments at various national levels • Institution Building; establishment and strengthening relevant public institutions responsible for environmental protection • Capacity Building for judicial and law enforcement officials engaged in environmental protection including sanctions

20. What should be done cont’d • Strengthening Civil Society Organizations engaged in Environmental Protection • International Cooperation to combat desertification, drought, Climate Change and Global Warming • ECOWAS should evolve requisite Protocols on Environmental Protection with corresponding sanction regimes especially for erring governments and corporations • ECOWAS Early Warning Mechanism should enhance investments on environmental sensitivity

21. Else

22. THANK YOUand