By Victor Essang
Akwa Ibom State will be placed on the global map, following the inauguration of Global Landscapes Forum (GLFx), Uyo chapter, Nigeria, where Governor Udom Emmanuel is billed to be the chairman on the occasion.
This is contained in an invitation letter signed by the GLFx, Uyo chapter coordinator and CEO Women in Nature Conservation Organization (WINCO), Mrs Emem Umoh, and made available to newsmen.
According to the statement, the international event which has the theme: Implementing Ibom Greener Project, will take place on January 20, 2022 at National Park Service Headquarters, Umaru Musa Yaradua Expressway, Abuja and to be hosted by National Park Service, Abuja, Federal Ministry of Environment.
Expected to be at the event include the minister of state, Ministry of Environment, Sharon Ikeazor; conservator general of parks, Ibrahim Goni, among other stakeholders.
The inaugural event, according to the release, “Will bring together high-ranking policymakers, political leaders, law enforcement officers, among other landscape restoration enthusiasts”
It reads: “GLFx Uyo is a GLF chapter tasked with mobilizing communities and local actors to catalyze and scale restoration action in their landscapes by fostering regular gatherings and coordinating local actions.
“More broadly, GLF chapters operationalize landscapes approach through a community action plan aimed at improving the sustainability of their landscapes.
“The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) founded by the World Bank, the United Nations Environment Programme and the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), is the world’s largest knowledge-led forum on integrated land use, dedicated to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and the Paris Climate Agreement.
“It is proud to have about 32 of the world’s leading development and environmental organizations as charter members.
“Through global events, learning and training activities, GLF has connected more than 8,000 organizations, 60,000 young people, 90 governments and 250,000 participants from over 185 countries, while reaching over one billion people through social and traditional media.
“The Global Landscapes Forum (GLF) aims to grow a global movement that puts communities first in informing and addressing landscape-level issues”
The GLFx mission is to accelerate action globally by enabling individuals and groups with the necessary knowledge, technology, and networks to connect, share, learn, and act through a holistic approach in their local landscapes.
GLF is composed of community-led GLFx chapters and Communities of Practice, including Uyo chapter which is being coordinated by Mrs Emem Umoh.
Uyo chapter of GLF was among the eight new chapters in Africa selected sequel to a competition which involved a rigorous review of the activities of numerous non-governmental organizations on the environment in Africa.
The Ibom Greener Project is the initiative of the GLFx Uyo. It was inaugurated in 2019 and was presented by the GLFx Uyo Coordinator, Mrs. Emem Umoh, at the just-concluded Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow, Scotland. The project drew worldwide commendation and recently attracted a seed grant of 5,000 euros from the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), soon to be released for regeneration activities.
The goal of the project is to restore and sustainably manage the Stubb’s Creek Forest Reserve and other degraded landscapes in Akwa Ibom State.
The GLFx objectives include to: decentralize and democratize access to knowledge leveraging GLF partners; facilitate local-local and local-global knowledge exchange; provide local actors with targeted learning opportunities and resources; and ultimately, to seed and scale positive actions at the local level for global impact.
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