THAI FLOODS, EMERGING MARKETS’ ECOHAZARDS

THAI FLOODS, EMERGING MARKETS’ ECOHAZARDS

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Storms have repetitively struck emerging markets in Asia over the last two (2) months. Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, China, Pakistan, Japan, Taiwan, India, Indonesia and other most dynamic economies of the region seem to be liberally wallowing in swamps of floods.

The signs are very ominous as they bring to the surface the ecohazards facing the said countries. The case of Thailand, where 300 people have died in the latest floods while over 2 million people were badly affected, represents such ecohazards for the economic dynamos during the period.

Below is an update report from the UNDP about the Thai floods.

[Philippines, 02 November 2011]

Source: http://www.beta.undp.org/undp/en/home/presscenter/articles/2011/10/14/thailand-undp-beefs-up-capacity-to-respond-to-severe-flooding-.html

Thailand: UNDP beefs up capacity to respond to severe flooding

14 October 2011

Bangkok – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has expressed deep concern and offered support to the Government of Thailand as the country battles severe flooding that has killed more than 280 people and affected more than two million others since July this year.

More than 80 percent of the country’s 76 provinces have been affected by the floods. In excess of 900 industrial plants and farmland areas have suffered damage and millions of heads of livestock have been affected.

Nearly 30 provinces have been declared disaster areas and 12 are on high alert for threats of heavy rain and river overflow.

The UN has been in regular contact with authorities including the Thailand Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, and has been monitoring the flood situation and its humanitarian and development impacts.

According to the country’s irrigation authorities, 11 out of the 26 major dams in Thailand currently hold more water than their official capacity, while others are between 82 and 99 percent full, and need to release excess water, forcing more evacuations in downstream areas.

UNDP is increasing its own capacity to support the Thai people at this time, setting aside both financial and technical emergency resources, and will continue to work with the Government to support Thailand’s longer-term recovery and rehabilitation.

The 21st century has been marked by an escalating impact of disasters from natural hazards and a huge loss of life and destruction of livelihoods and communities. In 2010, nearly 400,000 people were killed by disasters worldwide and more than 200 million were affected. Economic damage was estimated at US$110 billion.

“Vulnerability to disasters is growing faster than resilience,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday in his message to mark the International Day for Disaster Reduction. “Disaster risk reduction should be an everyday concern for everybody. Let us all invest today for a safer tomorrow.”

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ENERGY REVOLUTION & CLIMATE CHANGE

ENERGY REVOLUTION & CLIMATE CHANGE

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

Energy revolution refers to the grand goal of providing energy for all. Among the latest core programs of the United Nations, the Energy for All buzzwords are now making ripples across borders. Hopefully, it will find sufficient support from country stakeholders beyond the glamorous “take off your lights for 1 hour” hype using showbiz celebrities.

Energy for All shouldn’t be scaled up at the expense of ecological balance however. Rather, it should be guided by the emerging framework of clean energy, which then renders the thematic goal as compatible with intervention measures that address climate change.

The position of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization or UNIDO is in synch with such a cognitive frame, and this makes me supportive of the program. Below is the report from the UNIDO about the interface of energy revolution and climate change intervention.

[Philippines, 07 October 2011]

Source: http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=7881&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=937&cHash=bd95ca64c51cb553f64de08489bd59cc

Climate change efforts and an energy revolution should walk hand in hand, says UNIDO Director-General

Friday, 16 September 2011

JOHANNESBURG, 16 September 2011 - The Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Kandeh K. Yumkella, said today that meeting climate change goals requires nothing short of an energy revolution that would provide sustainable energy for all.

Speaking at a meeting of African Energy Ministers in Johannesburg, which is working towards improved integrated energy planning and ensuring the design and development of sound energy projects that can alter Africa's energy pathway, he said: “We cannot solve climate change without an energy revolution - they are interconnected. Although both are often portrayed in terms of challenges, there are also huge opportunities for Africa's economy and its people.”

According to South African Energy Minister Dipuo Peters, only 42 per cent of the continent's population has access to electricity, with the rate for sub-Saharan Africa being as low as 31 per cent - the lowest rate of any region in the world. At a minimum, the Ministers aim to double the existing generating capacity in sub-Saharan Africa in the next 7 or 8 years.

Yumkella also emphasized that Africa will not be able to develop socially or economically without ensuring that all people have access to modern, clean energy services. This requires a clear focus on providing sustainable energy. He urged leaders to focus on practical energy projects, and set clear goals and targets at global climate negotiating forums and beyond.

The two-day conference, which ends today, adopted the Johannesburg Declaration, which includes an initial list of priority energy infrastructure projects.

The Declaration has identified a range of priorities, among them to dramatically expand access to modern, clean, high-quality energy services; develop energy security by scaling-up regional power supply and transmission; reduce climate change vulnerability; prioritizing clean energy; secure financial resources; and build the technology and innovation capacity.

Participants at the event also agreed to support the expansion of generation capacity with emphasis on regional projects; enhance funding for policy and institutional development activities; and cooperate closer on energy planning and international cooperation, as well as on regional trade and energy resource development.

To download the Johannesburg Declaration (PDF), please click here

To read Michael Liebreich's speech, click here

For more information on UNIDO, please contact:

Mikhail Evstafyev
UNIDO Advocacy and Communications Coordinator
Telephone: (+43-1) 26026-5021
Mobile: (+43-699) 1459-7329
E-mail

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CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY

CLIMATE CHANGE & ENERGY

Erle Frayne D. Argonza

‘Smoke stack’ industries have to a great extent factored into the climate change patterns, with dire consequences of more erratic weather patterns that we experience today. ‘Smoke stack’ industries—those utilizing ‘hot process’ technologies—have for so long employed fossil fuels as energy sources, thus compounding the pollution arising from the manufacturing sector.

The tall order is for manufacturing to eventually shift to ‘cold process’ technologies and the utilization of renewable energy or RE sources. Scale wise, the days of very large-scale, energy-intensive production, e.g. plant churning out over a million tons per annum of steel, should be scaled down to more manageable levels, which hopefully will utilize RE.

A long-term total shift to RE must be envisioned and put into action, with the additional consequence of reversing the climate change patterns of the day. It isn’t too late yet for such a reversal job to undertake, so let’s see what is in store in the UNIDO that resonates with the overall vision.

[Philippines, 14 July 2011]

Source: http://www.unido.org/index.php?id=1001541

Energy and Climate change

Issue

Energy is closely linked with key contemporary global challenges the world faces – social development and poverty alleviation, environmental degradation and climate change and food security – and is therefore a defining issue of our time. Industry needs reliable and affordable energy. At the same time, there has to be an appropriate balance between growing demand for energy and the urgent need to protect environment and climate.

Objective

UNIDO seeks to tackle these challenges. Indeed, climate change and energy policies are inextricably linked – two thirds of our emissions come from the energy we use. Decisions in one field cannot be made without considering the impacts in the other. Thus, UNIDO's Energy Strategy aims at helping developing countries and countries in transition to achieve the following objectives:

• Increase the competitiveness of their industries by reducing industrial energy intensity

• Reduce their impact on climate change by decreasing the carbon emissions of their industries and by promoting renewable energy technologies

• Increase the viability of their enterprises, particularly in rural areas, by augmenting the use of renewable energy sources

Activities

The responsibility of UNIDO is to promote access to energy for productive uses while at the same time supporting patterns of energy use by industry that mitigate climate change and are otherwise environmentally sustainable. More broadly, UNIDO's services can be categorized as follows:

• Renewable and Rural Energy
• Industrial Energy Efficiency and Climate Change
• Energy Policy and Partnership

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