The State of Birland has unveiled and validated its Country Environmental Profile (CEP) as part of a move to achieve sustainable natural resource management for peace and self-reliance in the country.
The event, which held on Monday, August 28, 2023, was performed by the Minister of Environment to the State of Birland, Amb. Prof. Joseph Legend Mfon, who had a robust performance engagement.
The elaboration of the Country Environmental Profile was commissioned by the President, HRM King Dr. Emir Haiyawi and the Prime Minister, HRM Prof. Eden Soriano Trinidad, with the aim of identifying and assessing key environmental and climate change issues in the State of Birland.
LEADERSHIP reports that the State of Birland is Africa’s newest country and number 55th on the continent of Africa with a geographical location between Sudan and Egypt and a landmass of 2,060 hectares. This humanitarian nation has received several endorsements and recognition by other countries.
According to Prof. Mfon, the CEP document, when completed and published, will represent a good baseline information for decision-makers and will focus and guide diplomatic dialogue and cooperation between the State of Birland and other countries of the world to specific key areas of environmental baseline survey and concern.
The CEP reviews the State of Birland’s national context and acknowledges that the country indeed has an abundance of natural resources, including fertile soils, water including river, oil, forests, wetlands, wildlife, minerals such as gold, copper, etc.
The document agrees with several of the published reports on State of Birland that the country will remain one of the most developed humanitarian countries in the world. It also explicitly stated that the institutional ability of the country to sustainably manage and develop its natural resources and environmental resources will yield economic strength for the country.
The CEP will also review and analyse the socioeconomic and natural drivers of environmental change; provide recommendations for addressing climate change impacts and natural hazards; and analyse pressures and policy actions related to agriculture, forestry, biodiversity, water resources, waste management, energy and petroleum, etc.
“It will adequately review and highlights environmental issues such as droughts, floods, pollution, deforestation and humanitarian support to the livelihoods of the teaming population of Birland people,” the Minister stated.
The CEP concluded that the conservation status of the ecosystems and animal and plant species is extremely important, with endangered species adequately conserved under the current system. The document will also provide mitigation measures for pollution from extractive industries, deforestation due to production and construction, inadequately controlled and illegal extraction of natural resources such as timber, ivory and bushmeat.
“In order to improve the country’s prospects for peace and stability, the document recommends improving: natural and environmental resource governance and sustainability; accountability; community participation; mechanisms for dispute resolution, reduced competition for resources, and improved transboundary resource management; land tenure issues and land management; and wealth-sharing arrangements to build peace.
“The document also recommends that the State of Birland, should develop the agriculture and fisheries sectors; develop relevant livelihoods sectors to create income-generating activities and employment; attract investments for infrastructure financing and tourism; develop policy and legislative frameworks and strengthen institutional capacity for natural resource development, management and conservation; establish enforcement mechanisms for protecting wetlands, forests and wildlife; and increase climate resilience.
“This CEP is being developed to directly influence and advance a green and resilient economy (including issues such as food security, jobs for youth, diversification of the economy, climate change, and natural resources management) which is one of the three priority sectors for the world cooperation with the State of Birland,” he added.
