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Environment CLIMATE
The Age of Heat Waves is Here 1min. 18secs. 4 Night and day time temperatures are rising faster than ever
leading to fatal seasonal heat-waves.
A World Without Forests Spells Danger for the Climate 1min. 58secs. 9 The next Climate Change Conference coming up in November may find it

difficult to ignore the call by a leading international environmental NGO to drop the deal to trade pollution for plantations in the developing world.

Sea Surface Temperature Rises. 24secs. 18 Significant increases of sea surface temperatures
have been observed over the last 50 years.
Evidence of Climate Change. 45secs. 18 1997 was the hottest year on record.

CONSERVATION
The Living Planet Campaign Calls for Gifts to the Earth 1min. 27secs. 6 The WWF Living Planet Campaign targets an increase in corporate pledges,

protection for nature, and the natural processes of life.
Model NGO: WWF-South Africa Strong at 30 2mins. 11secs. 11 After 30 years of supporting environmental conservation initiatives

in the southern African sub-region, WWF-SA has an enviable record of achievements.

CONSUMPTION
The World is Getting Poorer Rapidly 3mins. 56secs. 10 The verdict of a new report on the state of global natural resources

is that the world is using up its credits too quickly.
The World Eats Twice More Fish. 50secs. 19 The world is in danger of running out of fish stocks as

global population increases.
The Rich Truly Get More. 48secs. 19 The rich make three times more demands on

the earth's diminishing resources.
FORESTS
Global Forest Decline. 29secs. 19 Annually the world is losing an area equivalent of the size of Senegal

in forest destruction.
Madagascar Creates Three New National Parks 40secs. 4 Madagascar upgrades its forest reserves, protecting

wildlife on an island known for its endemic species.

Deforestation Turns Rainfall Into a Disaster. 54secs. 5 The Brahmaputra river in India floods seasonally. But 1
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deforestation has made flooding this year the worst in over a decade.
Sustainable Forestry Can Meet Demand for Wood. 36secs. 19 Demand for wood and paper products is rising, but there is no reason

to be alarmed if forests are managed properly.
FRESHWATER
Malawi Fights Against Water Hyacinths. 1min. 13secs. 6 Malawians who use the water hyacinth to decorate their homes are

learning that it could become an environmental disaster.
The Floral Mermaid. 37secs. 18 The water weed that is beautiful to look at but deadly to keep.

A Freshwater Crisis Is Coming. 10secs. 19 More than half of the world's accessible freshwater supply is already
being used. How are we going to meet our future water needs?
MARINE
Coral Reefs Have Had a Bad Year 2mins. 1sec. 4 1997/ 98 is probably the worst year so far for coral reef

bleaching, says the International Society for Reef Studies.
Diffident Japan Begins 12th Annual Whaling Mission 59secs. 6 Japan, apparently addicted to whale meat, will not stop hunting whales,

even in the face of global disapproval.
WILDLIFE
Elephants Die From Floppy Tusks 3mins. 30secs. 12 There is a more dangerous enemy to the survival of the African

elephant than the illegal trade in ivory tusks. And it has been around for 10 years.

Another Elusive Sao La Caught¼ And Released. 2mins. 43secs. 14 The sao la, a cattle-like animal unique to the Far East, has made a
dramatic come back in a forest that survived extensive defoliation by a chemical called "Agent Orange."

Development COMMUNITY RADIO
Radio Planete Terre¼ On Air 52secs. 5 The World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters demonstrates
through a week-long global broadcast that we really live in a global village.
CHILDREN
Child Abuse in the Gambia: No Solution in Sight 1min. 59secs. 9 Combining criticisms with subsidised education,

President Yahyah Jammeh is attempting to stamp out the culture of begging from the streets of the Gambia.

Global Tune-in-to-Kids Day Approaches 3mins. 14secs. 14 On Sunday December 13 children of the world will have an
opportunity to speak out on their hopes and dreams. HEALTH/ LIVING

Fetching Water Made Easy with Hippo Roller. 1min. 43secs. 15 A new device made by a leading oil company operating in South
Africa promises to take neck-pain out of rural life.
The Disease of Poverty 3mins. 22secs. 8 2
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Those strange-looking leafy, orange and yellow vegetables and fruits that never reach your dinner table could
make the difference between life and death.
Madagascar Faces Food Insecurity After Locust Attack 2mins. 15secs. 10 Six-years of neglecting the early warnings of locust attacks has landed

Madagascar into a food security nightmare.
Growing Number of Vaccines Against Childhood Diseases 54secs. 18 Over 24 vaccines have been discovered that can be adiministered

by injections. Over 200 others are under research and development. Where will our children find the limbs for receiving these injections?

Nearly Half the World Could Contact Malaria 15secs. 18 More than 2 billion people world-wide are potential
victims of the malaria parasite.
FINANCE
No Agreement Yet on an International Investment Code 1min. 23secs. 5 The Multilateral Agreement on Investment which failed to promote

environmental standards has collapsed, and conservationists are glad it did.
Ford Makes Nearly 600 Grants World-Wide. 52secs. 7 A leading supporter of sustainable social, economic and political

development in the world makes over 600 financial grants this year. WOMEN

Nigerian Girls Empower for Healthier Womanhood 1min. 11secs. 7 Girls' Power Initiative provides information on healthy womanhood to
Nigerian girls informing them about their bodies and their rights in society.
CHILDREN'S SECTION
How the Greedy Hunter Lost His Family. 2mins. 29secs. 15 A hunter who fed himself and neglected his family in a time

of drought loses his wife and children for a meal of duiker meat.
The Ostrich and her Chicks. 2mins. 56secs. 16 The forgetful Ostrich almost made his children

a free meal for hungry Lion.
Did You Know National Parks are: ¼A Natural Science Graduate School. 25secs. 17

Where students of nature and wildlife finish their education
¼A Natural Science Laboratory. 42secs. 17 The sort of laboratory that man's genius cannot recreate

artificially.
Glossary 20

Acronyms 22 News
Madagascar Creates Three New National Parks 40secs. Madagascar's forest reserves of Andringitra, Marojejy and Zombitse-Vohibasia have become
national parks. [ We earlier reported that they were being considered for upgrading: see Forest News in Volume I number 13 of May 1998 ]. The creation of these new parks by government has given
forest conservation in Madagascar a boost. The new parks raise hopes of successfully protecting the island's unique wildlife, noted for its rich variety of indigenous species including more than 70
unique species of birds. 3
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arbovitae
The Age of Heat Waves is Here 1min. 18secs. Every month from January to August in 1998 broke the previous world heat record for that month.

Last year was the warmest on record. And the 1990s have been the hottest decade in over 600 years.
Night-time temperatures have also been rising. Nights used to be noted for their cool temperatures. This is no longer so. A report by about 2,500 scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change [IPCC] states that this trend contributes to heat waves in many parts of the world.
Nigerians recently experienced a prolonged heat wave and severe power failures especially in Lagos. Many families were forced to sleep outdoors at night. Several deaths occurred in 1995 and 1998 due
to heat waves across the world from India to the United States. And scientists blamed the deaths on increased humidity and the lack of cooler temperatures at night.
During this century, evaporation from oceans has increased the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere. This has, in turn, increased humidity and the greenhouse effect.
Obasi Ogbonnaya/ WWF
Coral Reefs Have Had a Bad Year 2mins. 1sec. Increased ocean temperatures and damaging sun rays caused more coral reefs than ever before to

lose their colours in 1997 and 1998. This is the result of an annual study of sea life by the International Society for Reef Studies [ISRS]. The loss of colour often signals the imminent death of
the coral reef.
Scientists believe that high surface temperatures of the seas [SST] are responsible for the bleaching and eventual death of coral reefs. Extremely low tides and reduced salt content of the sea are
additional reasons for bleaching. Some coral reefs eventually recover from the problem.
Coral reefs are very colourful and are found close to the ocean banks. They are the result of deposits of limestone by jelly-like sea animals. These animals deposit the corals around themselves for
protection. Algae later grow on the deposits, thereby adding more colour and attracting food for the corals.

Major bleaching and coral reef deaths occurred in 1993 and 1996 in different parts of the world. The coral reefs most affected are those of the tropical seas in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.
Their loss is important to the welfare of human beings on earth.
Coral reefs are a rich source of drugs. More than 6 000 chemical compounds are found in them. And many are used in life saving medicines. Some of the rocky deposits have also been used
successfully to replace damaged bones in the human body. In Africa, coral reefs are found only in the eastern and southern sea coasts where they serve to boost tourism.
ISRS / WWF
No Agreement on an International Investment Code 1min. 23secs. The search for a guide to international investments by the Multilateral Agreement on Investment

[MAI] has failed. The negotiations led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and 4
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Development [OECD], a group of mostly European countries, ran into difficulties in October after France withdrew from MAI.
The lack of trust in the discussions among member nations was blamed for the failure. Critics have called for the expansion of MAI to include the environment and social affairs ministries of
negotiating countries. Only their economic ministries are now negotiating.
"If an alternative to MAI is sought, it must be in a forum and with a process that enables all the ministries and stakeholders affected by foreign investment rules to be consulted, and have their
interests fully represented," said Charles Arden-Clarke, Head of WWF International's Trade and Investment Unit.

A previous policy proposed by MAI disagreed with national environmental policies and laws, and failed to address investors' social and environmental responsibilities in host countries.
An acceptable MAI would also promote environmental standards, sustainable development, and support international environmental agreements.
WWF
Deforestation Turns Rainfall Into a Disaster. 54secs. Prolonged rainfall and deforestation has devastated the 430 square kilometre Kaziranga National

Park [KNP] in India. The flood submerged more than 130 villages around the park, and communities were harrassed by wandering wildlife. The park which is home to nearly all of Asia's 1,500 one-horned
rhinoceros and about 80 tigers, lost 20 endangered wild buffalo, 31 one-horned rhinos, 419 hog deer, six elephants and eight swamp deer.

Local people and forest staff rescued some of the animals, including 41 hog deer, two swamp deer, a rhino and an elephant calf.
The KNP's lush vegetation actually depends on the yearly floods. But this year's flooding was unprecedented. Experts blame it on severe deforestation in the catchment area of the Brahmaputra.
WWF News
Radio Planete Terre¼ On Air 50secs. A unique human rights radio station that linked up community radio broadcasters world-wide went

on air during the August 25th -29th World Conference of Community Radio Broadcasters held in Milan. The broadcast was the first ever to link up community broadcasters in Africa, Europe, Middle
East, Asia Pacific and North America simultaneously.
The broadcasts were organised by AMARC, the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters in partnership with World Radio Network and GreenNet to mark the fiftieth
anniversary of the universal declaration of human rights. Listeners who had computers that were linked to the internet received the broadcast on the AMARC 7 website.
[For more information contact: europe@ amarc. org] AMARC Press Release

Diffident Japan Begins 12th Annual Whaling Mission 59secs. 5
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Japan, still defiant of international opinion against large scale slaughter of whales in the Southern Oceans where they are protected, flagged off its 12th annual whaling mission. The armada consisted
of one large factory ship and three whale catcher boats that probably targeted the minke whales of the Southern Ocean.

So far Japan has caught nearly 4,000 minke whales from there, and the International Whaling Commission has been powerless to stop this large scale slaughter. Japan exploits a loophole in the 50
year old Whaling Convention which allows limited exploitation of whales for genuine small scale scientific research. But evidence has shown that meat from whales killed by Japan ends up on dinner
tables and in school lunches of Japanese children. WWF

Malawi Fights Against Water Hyacinth 1min. 13secs. Almost a decade after Nigeria first encountered the spread of water hyacinths, Malawi, in East
Africa, is fighting to control the rapid spread of the sea weed in their rivers, lakes, dams and swamps. Malawians have learned from the Nigerian experience which methods not to use.

Nigeria spent about US$ 2 million in the 1980s harvesting and destroying the weed, but had little success. Malawi plans to use herbicides and biological enemies of the weed to fight it.
While herbicides are effective but harmful to the environment, beetles which feed voraciously on water hyacinth appear favorable. Beetles have been used effectively in Zimbabwe, Egypt,
Mozambique and some West African countries. But scientists have warned that the beetles could also eat food and cash crops.

Water hyacinths were first noticed in Malawi in 1986 and valued as potted plants because of their beautiful flowers. Today the government of Malawi is re-educating its people about the nuisance
value of the weed. Newslink

The Living Planet Campaign Calls for Gifts to the Earth 1min. 27secs. The campaign to save the natural resources of the earth from disappearing cannot succeed without
the support of the private business sector. In order to address this issue, a leading private international conservation organization -WWF [World Wide Fund for Nature] -is looking for ways
of encouraging large corporations to support growing commitments by governments world wide to use the resources at their disposal in sustainable ways.

For example, forty-two gifts to the earth have been pledged by governments to WWF's Living Planet Campaign [LPC]. The pledges set aside virgin forests in various countries for protection and
conservation. Only eight of those pledges came from corporate bodies. The LPC is calling on more corporations to support the campaign's goal of conserving nature and the processes that support
natural life on earth before the end of this century.
It has, therefore, sent out requests asking corporations to donate "Gifts to the Earth." The perfect gifts would be such that would enable conservation of biological diversity, ensure perpetual 6
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sustainable use of natural resources, and reduce waste and pollution to a minimum. WWF
Nigerian Girls Empowered for Healthier Womanhood. 1min. 11secs. Two booklets: Adolescent Sexuality Concerns and Myths and Facts About Contraceptives, Drugs
and Sexually Transmitted Diseases have been published by Girls' Power Initiative [GPI]. GPI is an NGO that educates Nigerian girls on how to make responsible decisions about their lives, prepare for
a healthy womanhood, and participate in development.
Both publications by GPI address some of the myths and wrong beliefs that are prevalent in society and lead young girls into premarital sex and teenage pregnancies. For example, one myth is that
virgins find it difficult to give birth when they get married.
'It is our hope that the information will help to reduce the risks girls face regarding their sexual and reproductive rights and health," said Mrs. Bene Madunagu, Editor and Chairperson of GPI.
[For a copy of the booklet or more information, write to: [The Co-ordinator, Girls' Power Initiative, 167 Goldie Street, P. O. Box 3663, Unical Post Office, Calabar, Nigeria, Tel/ Fax 234-08-220929.]
Obasi Ogbonnaya.
Ford Makes Nearly 600 Grants World Wide. 52secs. More that 600 institutions globally received grants this year from the Ford Foundation for work in

three programme areas, namely: asset building and community development; peace and social justice; and education, media, arts, and culture. The foundation is a leading supporter of development
programmes. One of the recipients is the Obafemi Awolowo University [OAU], Ile Ife, which got =N= 25 million for research and training over the next three years.

The report contained in the Spring/ Summer edition of the Ford Foundation Report listed grants in 16 separate categories including: employment generation, research and policy, land and water
management and agricultural productivity; international economics and development, community revitalisation, children's health and international human rights law.
Ford Foundation Report [spring/ summer 1998].

Features
The Disease of Poverty 3mins. 22secs. Most diseases that result from vitamin deficiency are due to ignorance or poverty. This is because
people who suffer from such diseases are either unaware of the cause or cannot afford the treatment. Vitamin A deficiency [VAD] has been called "a disease of poverty in the midst of plenty," because it
occurs mostly in the poorest countries where several edible plants that contain this vitamin are plentiful.

Vitamins are chemical substances that are found in small quantities in the human body. They combine with proteins in the body to produce enzymes that trigger hundreds of chemical reactions
that are essntial for the normal development and functioning of our bodies. 7
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Vitamin A was discovered in 1913. It is important for the functioning of our sight, reproductive and immunity systems, our skin, bones, mucous membranes, eye surface, and the cell's lining the mouth,
gut and respiratory tract.
Vitamin A is not produced within the body. It has to be taken in a ready made tablet form or eaten in food which the body converts to vitamin A and stores in the body fat [usually in the liver]. And so,
unlike most vitamins, it does not have to be consumed daily. Foods that contain vitamin A include carrots, squash, spinach, kale, sweet potatoes, mangoes, and pawpaw. It can also be found in milk,
butter, cheese, eggs, liver, and fish-liver oil.
The lack of these foods in our diet can lead to Vitamin A Difficiency [VAD]. The disease can also be caused by pregnancy, lactation, stress or illness when levels of stored vitamin A are quickly depleted.
In a tropical country like Nigeria, VAD is prevalent during the rainy season. This is also the period of diarrhoeal and respiratory diseases, and the seasonal shortages of vegetables and fruits.
One of the first victims of VAD is the eyesight -resulting in an inability to see well in bad light. If it is not treated the cornea will become dry and thicken, and "Bitot's spots", a stringy or foamy
accumulation of dry, flaky cells, are often visible on the eye surface. At this stage treatment with vitamin A can stop further deterioration, but sight remains impaired. In advanced VAD, the surface
of the eye becomes rough and pebbly and looks like skin and the cornea may end up as a liquefied mass. This will inevitably lead to blindness in the affected eye. And without treatment, the patient is
almost certain to die. So, you can see now why those colourful fruits and vegetables which you pass by to purchase cheaper starchy foods can save your life.
Vaccine & Immunization News [june 1998]
Child Abuse in the Gambia: No Solution in Sight 1min. 59secs. The Gambia's notoriety for child abuse appears to have confounded President Yahyah Jammeh. He

was reported to have said "i t is uncommon to see Christians or children of Christian homes begging on the streets," adding that "begging is a tradition of children of Moslem homes. Islamic religious
leaders should help to discourage it in the interest of the child and the nation."
Unable to take on the religious and social institutions which entrench child abuse in that country, President Jammeh has resorted to making remarks aimed at shaming the culture of begging.

Moslem boys are placed under the tutelage of Islamic scholars, called Karamo, at a tender age. And their routine discipline includes working and begging to earn money to pay for their tuition and
upkeep. These boys, called Almondos [Almajiris in Nigeria], work as much as 18 hours daily, six days a week to meet their expenses. Their earnings which they pay to the Karamos make their
teachers earn more than 150 times the average monthly wage in Gambia.
Poverty and culture have had adverse impacts on adolescent girls as well. Most of them end up as house maids or prostitutes, or are married off early.

Jammeh has followed his stinging remarks with building of schools and encouraging parents to enrol their children at subsidised rates. Parents are also allowed to pay school fees in instalments. This
policy has had visible impact on the almondos whose numbers have dropped, but not on the house 8
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maids and prostitutes. Newslink
A World Without Forests Spells Danger for the Climate 1min. 58secs. The rich, industrialised countries have been discussing with poorer, developing nations about how
best to reduce carbon pollution in the earth's atmosphere. The rich don't want to pay for the development of cleaner industrial technology, and the poor will not halt their drive for development
to protect the natural environment. The discussion is holding within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change [FCCC] in order to stop and reverse the causes of climate change.

A compromise solution requiring industrialised countries to pay to expand forestry projects in developing countries seems set to run into difficulties as well. Forests absorb carbon pollution from
the atmosphere. The developed nations believe that if they put more money into forest protection and regeneration projects, the pollution problem can be solved without going through the very expensive
alternative of installing pollution free technology.
But the Africa Forest Forum [AFF], which advises the international conservation organisation, WWF -World Wide Fund for Nature on forestry matters in Africa and Madagascar, declared recently in
Abidjan that the exchange of pollution for forests does not address the forest conservation needs of Africa. It also said that it amounts to 'pollution dumping' because it does not compel western
countries to reduce pollution.
WWF has urged the FCCC to help reduce pollution in the west and also encourage forest conservation. The solution would reduce industrial pollution at its source; place emphasis on more
efficient use of energy; develop alternative and renewable energy sources; replace oil and coal with natural gas; and develop low-polluting engines for vehicles.
Obasi Ogbonnaya/ WWF
Madagascar Faces Food Insecurity After Locust Attack 2mins. 15secs. The southern African island nation of Madagascar seems imperiled by a series of natural disasters. It

recently suffered a severe windstorm coupled with the biting effects of -the infamous El Nino. But now a massive locust attack is threatening the country's food security and left it at the mercy of
creditors.
The locust attack started last year ravaging the South, the Central Highlands, and parts of the Eastern and Western Regions.

The country was warned in 1993 of the impending disaster. But the government apparently failed to take the threat seriously. A locust disaster team of 10 specialists and 1000 technical staff put together
in 1958 during a major locust attack has become aged and lacks necessary encouragement and equipment to do their work. Furthermore the anti-locust campaign, by the military, lacked equipment
and pesticides.
Although emergency credit has come from the World Bank, the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation and the European Union, more money is needed to help overcome these problems. For
example, food prices have shot up rapidly as food shortages become severe. Rice and maize crops 9
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have been badly affected, and the locusts are now heading for the coffee crops. A proposal for US$ 12 million food aid has been revised to an estimated US$ 20 million.
Studies done last April showed that more that 100, 000 people face starvation. The situation has become almost hopeless, and the people are left to battle the locusts by making loud noise and
lighting bush fires to chase the insects away. Newslink

The World is Getting Poorer Rapidly 3mins. 56secs. The world has lost about a third of its natural wealth since 1970. It is poorer in natural resources such
as grains, wood, medicinal plants, fish, and freshwater found in forests, seas, streams, rivers and lakes of the world. This information is contained in a report released recently by the WWF -World
Wide Fund for Nature's Living Planet Campaign.
The Living Planet Campaign report shows that the world has lost more of its natural resources in rivers, streams and seas, than its forest cover. For instance global freshwater resources -where we
get our drinking water from -have shrunk by almost half in the past 25 years, and ocean resources have been reduced by about 30 per cent, while forest cover fell by only 10 percent. It is significant
that most of the loss occurred between 1990 and 1995.
The report released on October 1st is the first attempt ever to create an index for measuring the state of the world's natural resources so as to determine whether they are diminishing, stable or
improving. It is called the Living Planet Index [LPI], and was produced jointly by WWF, the New Economics Foundation and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

"The LPI tries to measure how much of nature is left in the world," said Jorgen Randers, Deputy Director-General of WWF International. "If it goes down, it means that globally we are over-consuming
natural resources and producing too much pollution; if it stays stable or goes up, then we are living within our means."

The LPI contains other data which allows each of the 152 countries surveyed to see how they are performing in six key areas of consumption namely: grain and meat, marine fish, wood and paper,
fresh potable water, cement consumption and carbon dioxide emissions. It also examines how much wildlife is still on the list of threatened species; how much original forest cover is left and the
number of surviving freshwater and marine species.
Nigeria and most of Africa rank low in virtually all consumption categories. However, most nations in the rain-forest belt of West, Central, and East Africa are among the highest consumers of wood in
the world, using up between 1.00 and 2.00 cubic meters of wood per person per country. Nigeria is among the second highest wood consumers in the world, with a consumption rate of more than 1.00
cubic metres per person.
However, even though Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, it uses less than half the average fresh potable water for the whole of Africa. It also consumes far less fish, grains and cement
than most other African countries and the rest of the world. And the country emits far less carbon dioxide than most other nations of the world. 10
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The LPI urges governments to implement policies that would reduce consumption to minimize pressure on natural resources and encourage sustainable use.
WWF Living Planet Report

Model NGO: WWF-South Africa Strong at 30 2mins. 11secs. You may need to go to South Africa to see the ideal success story in environmental conservation in
Africa. In just 30 years of operations, WWF -South Africa [WWF -SA] has raised about =N= 6.5 billion [US$ 80 million] in support of more than 880 nature conservation projects in southern Africa,
and worked with over 100 different partners in the process.
This pace-setting organisation was established in 1968 as the Southern Africa Nature Foundation to raise funds for environmental conservation in the subregion. In 1995, it changed its name to WWF -
South Africa in recognition of its long affiliation to the World Wide Fund for Nature International, the world's leading private international conservation organisation.

The track record of WWF -SA in the sub-region is quite remarkable. It has supported the establishment and management of over 20 National Parks projects. The first of them was the
expansion of the Mlilwane Games Reserve in Swaziland almost three decades ago. The most recent is the successful fundraising drive for the creation of a vast nature reserve which includes the
preservation of the historical Table Mountain in the southern Cape Province of South Africa.
WWF -SA has also assisted the protection of more that 70 endangered species including the rare black rhino; and the establishment of about 20 environmental education centres spread throughout
South Africa. The Southern Africa Wildlife College which it established started operations this year. WWF -SA has been very supportive of community-based conservation initiatives, and international
conservation campaigns such as the Climate Change, Endangered Seas and the Living Planet campaigns.

The organisation now looks forward to greater challeges.
"As human pressures increase, we must develop more sustainable methods of using the land, simultaneously get all communities to take ownership of their local environments, consolidate the
network of protected areas, and support good national policies on conservation," The Executive Director of WWF -SA, Dr. Ian MacDonald said.
Africa Environment & Wildlife
Elephants Die From Floppy Tusks 3mins. 30secs. The international trade in elephant tusks has long been a major threat to the survival of the African

elephant in the wild. But for 10 years wildlife conservation experts have watched almost helplessly as another threat has emerged among the savannah elephants of southern Africa This new threat has
defied scientific research into its cause and cure. It is called the Floppy Tusk Syndrome [FTS] and is potentially more dangerous to the animal than poachers and the illegal international trade in ivory
tusks. 11
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Although this new problem has been studied for the past 10 years virtually nothing is known about its origin, its cause or cure. However, the good news is that not all cases have resulted in the death of
the infected animal. Some have been known to recover fully from the disease.
What is FTS? The disease is a gradual paralysis of the trunk of the animal -beginning at the very flexible tip and moving progressively upwards until the entire organ is paralysed. Eventually the
animal loses the ability to eat and drink and then dies.
The disease has occurred in Zimbabwe and South Africa and its cause remains a mystery to research scientists. In Zimbabwe, it is found only on the shores of Lake Kariba and in the Matusadona
National Park. It was first noticed in Lake Kariba in July 1989. Five months later eight other cases were identified there. To date, about 40 cases altogether have been identified at the same location.

In South Africa the problem was first noticed in a bull elephant in 1993. This was in the Kruger National Park where to date eight other such cases have been identified.
The disease appears to be water borne. But research has shown that the FTS in Zimbabwe may be milder than in South Africa where the limbs as well as the trunk are affected.
Research continues to try and isolate the cause of the disease. The accumulation of deadly doses of poisonous pollutants dumped into the main river that runs through Kruger National Park might be a
case. Some animals have recovered when the toxins are removed.
The trunk of the elephant is a combination of its nose and upper lip, and the most important appendage of the animal. It is boneless, very mobile and extremely sensitive and has about 100 000
muscles in it.
The elephant breathes with its trunk, sucks up water and plucks food from trees. The elephant also uses its trunk for expressing affection to other animals, for fighting and trumpeting and chastising its
young. In fact it can pick up a match stick from the ground or kill a man with its trunk. And without it, this largest land mammal is lost!
Africa Environment & Wildlife 12
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Special Section
Global-Tune-in-to-Kids Day Approaches 3mins. 14secs. D-Day is fast approaching for 1998 when children all over the world will rule the airwaves from
dusk to dawn. It is the International Children's Day of Broadcasting [ICDB] which comes up on the second Sunday every December.

On Sunday the 13th of December, over 2,000 television and radio stations from more than 170 countries will air quality programming by and for children. It is expected to be an exciting and
rewarding experience for children who participate.
This year's is the seventh annual event since it was started by UNICEF and the International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences [NATAS] in 1992. The ICDB has since
proved to be a useful opportunity for children to talk about their hopes and dreams and to exchange ideas with their peers from other parts of the world.

In Mali, children aired about 70 hours of programming from about 35 local radio stations at last year's ICDB day. Children in Cuba talked about peace, life and the family and sang folk songs with a
notable artiste. Jordan Radio and Television devoted 14 hours of airtime to the Day including a phone-in programme that was anchored by six children. Former President Fidel Ramos used the
opportunity to sign legislation making the second Sunday of every December the official National Children's Day of Broadcasting in the Philippines. And an international broadcasting network based
in the USA gave 12 hours of airtime to the events of the Day.
UNICEF has lined up four tapes of exciting programming for broadcasters who may want to participate in observing the ICDB. They include spots, logos and graphics; cartoons for children's
rights; animated shows and a docudrama. But each participating country or organisation can design their own programme.

"All you have to do to participate is air programming for or about children or children's issues," said William Hetzer, Head of Broadcast & Electronic Communication Section of UNICEF. There is an
added incentive for participating. According to Hetzer "All television stations that participate will be 13
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eligible to enter a competition for a special award to be conferred by NATAS at the 1999 International Emmy Award Gala." The three previous winners of this award were from the Namibia,
the Dominican Republic and Canada. For more information about entering for the award based on your participation in the 1998 ICDB
please contact: William Hetzer, Division of Communication, UNICEF, 3 United Nations Plaza, 9th Floor, New York, NY 10017, USA. Tel: (212) 326-7290. Fax: (212) 326-7731. For films on children
contact our film centre at 5a, Adeyemo Alakija Street, V/ I, Lagos. Obasi Ogbonnaya/ UNICEF.

Another Elusive Sao La Sighted¼ And Released 2mins. 43secs. On a steamy summer day in late May, three young Vietnamese teenagers set off hunting with their
dog in the once remote A Luoi valley. Food is scarce here. Much of the forest fell victim to "Agent Orange" which was sprayed over 100,000 hectares during the US -Vietnam war. But nature is
resilient and some animals are gradually returning to patches of forests that survived the lethal spray.
The boys were hunting for turtles. Instead, they spotted a long horned animal, that resembled a drawing on a poster that the Forestry Protection Department [FPD] had displayed in various
settlements in the area. The poster described this animal as the rare sao la and requested anyone who found one not to kill it, but to capture it and contact the FPD. The boys cut some liana with which
they tied the animal and then built a simple shelter for it before calling FPD officials.
The officials were pleasantly surprised to see that this was the first time an adult pregnant female had been caught. It was also the first time that they managed to film it in its natural habitat. Resisting the
temptation to keep it for scientific studies, the officials eventually released it back into the wild two days later.

"I wish everybody in this area and throughout the country would think like us and set the sao la free and protect the area where they live," said Hoang Ngoc Khan, chief of the Forestry Protection
Department. A few sao la had been caught since 1994. But they were all young, including one male, and eventually died in captivity.

"It is a huge sacrifice for these villagers to let an animal go they would otherwise have killed and eaten," said Elizabeth Kemf, WWF Species Policy Information Officer. "They depend on animals
and plants for their survival. Hope for the sao la is in the hands of children like these," she added.
Many of the local hunters have sao la trophies and had seen many of their tracks in the forest by streams last year. They only became known to the outside world in 1992.
WWF Press Release
Fetching Water Made Easy with Hippo Roller 1min. 43secs. Did it ever occur to you that you could fetch very large quantities of water from the village stream

and take it home without placing it on your head? Consider how many times you have trekked long distances to fetch water from distant streams for your domestic use, wishing the chore could be made
easier?
A new invention from South Africa has resulted in what is called the Hippo Roller. The device is a 14
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fairly sizeable hardened plastic drum that can hold up to 90 litres of water -more than four-and-a-half times the average bucket that women and children balance on their heads. The drums are filled
with water and rolled home with the aid of a metal handle that is fitted to make it operate like a push cart. British Petroleum [BP] which developed the hippo roller claims that it is so easy to push, it can
be "rolled home under the hand of a child."
"Apart from the obvious convenience there is also the added benefit that water purification sachets can be added to the drum, greatly reducing the risk of contamination from polluted rivers," BP said.
Obasi Ogbonnaya/ Africa Environment and Wildlife.
How the Greedy Hunter Lost His Family 2mins. 29secs. A long time ago as a result of drought, crops and game became very scarce. A greedy hunter was

fortunate one day to kill a duiker. He skinned and roasted it and ate some of the meat. The remainder he hung up in a tree and some he tied around his waist.

When he arrived home he called his family and told them, 'I have killed nothing today, but I have learnt that starving people sometimes cut meat from their waist and eat it. This is what I want you all
to do to overcome your hunger. '
Everyone took a knife -even the small children -and cut themselves on the waist.
'Oh, father, it hurts! ' they cried.
The father turned impatiently to one of the small children, 'Hand me that knife, ' he ordered, 'I will show you what to do. ' He took the knife and cut a piece of duiker meet which he tied around his
waist. 'See, I am eating myself, ' he said, 'this is what we must do to still our hunger when there is no game. '

The following morning when the man went out hunting, his wife followed him and saw him roasting and eating the duiker meat which he had hidden in a tree and tying a piece around his waist. She
stepped out of the bushes and confronted him. 'So, Father of my children, ' she said, 'this is how you eat yourself! '

The man saw that he had been caught and was ashamed. 'Oh, wife, it is famine and I was trying to save myself, ' he explained.
'Save yourself and live by yourself, ' retorted his wife. 'You don't mind if the children and I die. Very well, I am taking my children away. They would be better off with no father at all than with
you. '
So this was how the hunter gained some meat, but lost his wife and children. A Shangani folktale.

The Ostrich and her Chicks 2mins. 56secs. Long ago a pair of ostriches, having laid a large clutch of eggs, hatched them, and started to rear their
young. 15
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Soon after, a passing lion noticed the chicks while they were left unattended by their parents, and so took them. Lion hid them in his den, intending to eat them one by one. Finding her chicks gone
Ostrich followed their tracks to Lion's den and demanded her chicks back, but Lion refused and chased her away.

Ostrich went to the council of elders and pleaded for their help, but they were afraid of Lion and decided that the chicks were the Lion's children. Very disappointed, Ostrich called a meeting of the
other animals to be held at a large ant heap in front of Lion's den. At this ant heap, Mongoose lived in a hole he had dug for himself, which had two exits. When all the animals gathered at the ant heap
they too became afraid of Lion and agreed that the chicks were the Lion's children. At this point Mongoose spoke out, saying, "Well, I for one have never seen an animal with hairs have young with
feathers. Think what you may, the chicks belong to Ostrich!"
Lion was furious to have a mere mongoose challenge his authority and leapt at Mongoose, intending to kill him as an example to the other animals. Mongoose was too quick for Lion, however, and
jumped down his hole in the ant heap. Safe from Lion, he ran through his tunnels and escaped out of the other hole, which Lion did not know about.

The enraged lion stood guard over the hole and, although he grew hungry Lion did not dare go away for fear that Mongoose would escape. Not only did he still believe that Mongoose was trapped
underground, but he still wanted to teach the other animals a lesson they would never forget.
Lion was so determined he did not leave his post for several days until he fainted from hunger and fatigue. At last Ostrich was able to run into Lion's den and rescue her chicks. She was eternally
grateful to the cunning little mongoose. Mind you, to this day Ostrich is still very forgetful and her chicks have to be able to look after
themselves soon after hatching. A Masai story

Did You Know National Parks Are: ¼A Natural Science Graduate School 25secs.
" National parks¼ should be looked upon as open books of nature, repositories of knowledge, on which every plant, herb, tree, animal, bird, insect and reptile forms a page¼ Life histories, habits and
behaviour of animals and birds should be completed in these parks, and not solely within the four walls of schools and colleges."
M. A. Badshah/ WWF Conservation Quotations
¼A Natural Science Laboratory 42secs. "National Parks are¼ irreplaceable natural laboratories in which scientific studies can be carried out

which would not be possible in even the most elaborate man-made laboratory. In national parks it is possible to study the structure, interrelations and behaviour of biological communities, discover how
they are adapted to their environment and compare them with the artificial communities elsewhere created by clearings, drainage, and contamination, and by the introduction of exotic animals and
plants by man. They offer the opportunity to pursue long-term ecological studies difficult, if not impossible, to conduct elsewhere." 16
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Report to US National Park Service( 1963).
Useful Quickfacts
Growing Number of Vaccines Against Childhood Diseases 54secs. Although the history of vaccine development began about 200 years ago, with the invention of the
small pox vaccine, they have become so effective against childhood killer diseases [such as polio diphtera, tetanus, and pertusis] that every new born child must now receive a battery of about 14
injections before they are 18 months old. Of the 27 childhood diseases known today, 24 of them require vaccines administered by injections. There are over 200 vaccines now under research and
development. Scientists are worried that children would run out of limbs for the injections unless something is done about it. So, don't be surprised if future vaccines are administered orally, and in
combinations that would enable each dose to protect recipient against several diseases. CVI Forum

Nearly Half the World Could Contact Malaria. 15secs. Approximately 20 million people suffer from malaria and 1 to 2 million people die from it yearly.
Meanwhile over 2 billion people are considered to be at risk of contracting the disease. WWF

Sea Surface Temperatures Rise. 24secs. The Sea Surface Temperature [SST] of tropical oceans has been increasing significantly for the past
50 years. This is the verdict of the International Society for Reef Studies [ISRS], a group of about 750 scientists from over 50 countries who come together to collect and spread scientific information
about coral reefs. ISRS/ WWF

Evidence of Climate Change 45secs. Scientists have told us that 1997 was the hottest year on record, and that the first half of this year
may have been the hottest in more than 400 years. You too may have noticed that temperatures are getting hotter these days. This is not just a chance occurrence, but an indicator of the changing
climate of the world. Scientists believe that climate change is a threat to life on earth and to the natural processes that support life. The bad news is that the causes of climate change are man made.
They include deforestation and pollution. Obasi Ogbonnaya

A Floral Mermaid. 37secs. Water Hyacinths may look beautiful, but their bio-data is deadly. This weed, which originated from
South America was taken to Europe for studies by scientists, lured by its attractive flowers. It is 90 per cent water and floats. It harbours snakes, crocodiles and mosquitoes, and can be deadly if it 17
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infests a dam. Its spoon-like leaf increases water loss by evaporation as much as 13 times the rate of loss from a dam not infested by the weed.
Newslink.

A Freshwater Crisis Is Coming. 10secs. The adage that says "water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink," is becoming very relevant to
our present world. The world has been using water from more than half of the freshwater sources believed to be available to man. About 4,000 billion cubic metres of potable water is withdrawn
annually from available sources since 1995.
Most of the world outside Africa use between 250 -7,000 cubic metres of water per person yearly. Most of Africa, including Nigeria use less than 100 cubic metres per person per year.
Although most of the earth's surface is covered by water, nearly all of that is salt water and cannot be consumed. Of the tiny percentage left for domestic use, very little of it is available for drinking. And
what is used up is hardly ever replenished except by rainfall. LPR/ WWF News.

Sustainable Forestry Can Meet Demand for Wood 36secs. The world is using nearly twice as much paper and wood today as it did in 1960. Today about 3,500
million cubic metres of wood and paper are produced by major paper producing countries each year. The figure was just over 2, 000million cubic metres in 1960, and there has been a steady rise in
production since then. Interestingly the world's forests are quite capable of meeting this level of consumption... if they are managed in sustainable ways.
WWF
The World Eats Twice More Fish 50secs. In just one generation the world's population has doubled, and so also has the amount of fish caught
and eaten from the seas of the world. About 110 tonnes of fish are now caught yearly. But only about 82million tonnes of fish catch yearly can be sustained by the oceans of the world. This development
is unprecedented in the world. So also is the danger that it poses to about 60 percent of all fish types which are in the danger of being wiped out. While most of the world consumes 25 -250 kilograms of
fish per person; Africans consume less than 10 kilograms per capita. WWF
The Rich Truly Get More 48secs. You are most likely aware that industrialised countries consume more food and resources than

developing countries. But how much less do we consume? The answer is that the average person in any of the member nations of the OECD [the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development] uses about three times more natural resources of all types [forest, marine or freshwater] than an individual in the rest of the world.
Obasi Ogbonnaya/ WWF
Global Forest Decline. 29secs. Did you know that the world has been losing forest cover roughly the size of Senegal in West Africa

every year for the past four decades? More than 160,000square kilometres of forest is lost each year mostly in the tropics. This has resulted in a total loss of over 40 million square kilometres of primary 18
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forest cover world wide since 1960. WWF News.
Glossary
ABATED: To make less.
ADAGE: An old saying that is concise and pithy, a proverb.
AGENT ORANGE: A very toxic chemical used by the USA military to denude forests and expose guerrilla fighters during the Vietnamese war.

ALGA: A sea weed.
APPENDAGE: Something attached to another.
BORNE: To carry.
CATCHMENT AREA: The area from which a river or reservoir is fed.
CORAL REEFS: A bank formed by the growth and deposit of corals.
CORNEA: The transparent horny membrane that forms the front covering of the eye.

ENZYME: Any one of a large class of protein substances produced by living cells which act as a catalysts of biochemical reactions.
FLAGGED OFF: To send marine vessels off on a mission.
FRESHWATER: Pertaining to non-salty water such as that found in rivers and streams but not in seas.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT: The progressive warming-up of the earth's surface due to the blanketing effect of man-made carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
HAVOC: General destruction. Devastation.
IMPERIL: To endanger.
INDEX: A scale, table or anything that indicates relative changes.
INDIGENOUS: Native born. Originating or produced naturally in a country.
LACTATION: The process of secreting or yielding of milk from the breast or 19
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mammary gland of a person or an animal.
LOCUST: Migratory winged insect akin to grasshoppers, and highly destructive.
MARINE: Something belonging to the sea.
MILLENNIUM: A thousand years.
PER CAPITA: Per person.
PLAGUE: A deadly epidemic or pestilence. Any troublesome thing, or person.

POLLUTION: Causing any feature of the environment to become offensive or harmful to human, animal or plant life.
PROTOCOL: An official formula; a body of diplomatic etiquette.
PROTEIN: Any member of a group of nitrogen-containing substances that play an important part in the bodies of plants and animals.

SUBMERGE: To become overwhelmed or totally covered by liquid, e. g. water.
SENSITIVE: Able to feel readily.
VITAMIN: One of the numerous organic substances also known as 'accessory food factors' present in minute quantities in nutritive foods and
essential for the health of people and animals. 20
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Acronym
CVI: Children's Vaccination Initiative.
FPD: Forestry Protection Department. FTS: Floppy Tusk Syndrome.

ICDB: International Children's Day of Broadcasting.
IPCC: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
ISRS: International Society for Reef Studies.
LPC: Living Planet Campaign.
LPI: Living Planet Index.
MAI: Multilateral Agreement on Investment.
NATAS: International Council of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
UNFCCC: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
UNICEF: United Nations Children's Fund.
VAD: Vitamin A Difficiency disease.
WWF -SA: World Wide Fund for Nature -South Africa.
WWF: World Wide Fund for Nature. 21
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