Every minute counts: Air traffic management efficiency

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) called for improvements in air traffic management to further improve aviation's good environmental performance in a speech delivered to a Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) conference in Maastricht , The Netherlands.

"Every minute of flying-time that we can save, reduces fuel consumption by an average of 62 litres and CO2 emissions by 160 kilogrammes. Governments are quick to make vacations more expensive with new taxes in the name of the environment. But they are slow to improve the infrastructure. It's about time they realised what a difference a minute can make," said IATA Director General and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani.

"The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that there is 12% inefficiency in air traffic management globally. That means up to 73 million tonnes of wasted CO2 emissions and nearly US$13.5 billion in wasted costs," said Bisignani.

"IATA's work to optimise 350 routes in 2006 yielded 6 million tonnes of CO2 savings. But that is only the tip of the iceberg. We see issues in all continents. The approach to Hong Kong is up to 25 minutes longer than it needs to be. Flying from Sao Paolo to Lima is 9 minutes too long. Johannesburg to London is 10 minutes too long. And flying to Manila from Japan has 5 unneeded minutes. Optimising routes should not be a battle. It's a win-win situation for the passenger and for the environment," said Bisignani. (Press Release, February 13, 2007)

Japan supports basic education in Gulele

An inauguration ceremony took place on Thursday 15 February 2007 in Kebele 35, Gulale, Addis Ababa .

In November 2006, the Embassy of Japan signed a grant contract with the Fassil Kindergarten and Primary School for the amount of 38,257 US dollars. This project is aimed at providing good educational facilities for students, including orphans around this area by the construction of 3 school blocks and the purchase of necessary furniture for the school.

The Deputy Head of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, Mr. Shinichi Nakatsugawa, in his speech at the ceremony said that "Education is one of the most important and fundamental factors for a country's betterment. Education promotes the empowerment of people and results in the socio-economic development of a country. Moreover, basic education broadens children's minds and gives them more opportunities in their future."

The Government of Japan has supported this Fassil Kindergarten and Primary School project by the Grant Assistance for Grassroots and Human Security Projects (GGP) which is a very unique assistance scheme that can support civil society directly and help improve the lives of the people at the grassroots level.

The government of Japan has been supporting basic education in Ethiopia for many years. Almost 40 percent of the GGP projects have been undertaken in the education sector. (Press Release, February 15, 2007)

Sodo millennium-village, Becho Woreda on the move

The Ethiopian NGO "Community Development Service Ethiopia" (CDSE) carried out a 6-day mobilization workshop in Tullu-Bollo for the "Future-Village-Project Sodo", financed by German Agro Action GAA (Welthungerhilfe). From 4-9 February some 80 representative households were analysed in detail and 25 villagers and other actors underwent intensive trainings on progress-monitoring, which shall accompany the different interventions in agriculture, poverty-reduction, health, and water-supply over the coming 5 years.

Selected MDGs will be systematically targeted and achieved in Sodo by the year 2011. CDSE is executing the project in close cooperation with the district-administration. The perfect motivation of the villagers and woreda line-officers made the workshop a great success. GAA is operating 15 Millennium-Village-Projects in 13 countries worldwide. In Ethiopia GAA is working in 5 regions with 10 Ethiopian NGOs. (Press Release February 14, 2007)

China to send youth volunteers to Africa

China will send at least 100 young volunteers to Africa this year as part of its commitment to foster ties with countries on the continent, China Daily reported.

It quoted director of the volunteer department of Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China (CYLC) Wang Xuefeng as saying "We are now in discussion with many African countries.”

Xuefeng added that the volunteers are going to serve in many sectors and that the volunteering spirit has spread among the Chinese people in recent years, especially among young people.

Last month, the CYLC sent 10 volunteers to the archipelago nation of the Seychelles , in what was the first Chinese volunteer team to visit the country.

That team included five doctors, two nurses, a Chinese language and two music teachers, it was learnt. Earlier,50 volunteers were sent to Ethiopia and 15 to Zimbabwe , while others have been sent to developing countries including Laos , Myanmar and Thailand since 2002. Next month, China will send its first volunteer team to Latin America .

" Ethiopia alone asked us to send volunteers for more than 450 posts last year," Wang said. "About 50 countries around the world have asked volunteers from China ." (WIC, February 15, 2006)

Potable water projects finalized in East Shoa Zone

Half of the potable water projects under construction in East Shoa Zone, Oromia State , with an outlay of over 118 million birr have been finalized, the zonal Water Resources Office disclosed.

Office Head Mohammad Ahmed told WIC that the projects started and finalized this fiscal year were located in 10 woredas with acute shortage of potable water. Accordingly, the projects in semi-pastoral areas of Boset, Bekektu-Mumie, Melmelie and Kiltu-Umbulie have been finalized, he said, adding that exploration works of 20 underground water wells have also been finalized.

Maintenance of 20 pumps, 10 switch boards and nine reservoirs as well as installation of seven generators have been undertaken so as to durably use the underground water wells. (WIC, February 15, 2007)