By Florence Oretade, Funmi Awoyale, Abuja - The Guardian
Going by recent moves to mitigate the effects of climate change, efforts are underway to develop adaptation strategies of action in Nigeria and to fine-tune modalities for incorporating early warning strategies in a preparedness and response master-plan.
TO mitigate the far-reaching effects of climate change on the nation, the Federal Government is working towards adoption of a national climate change preparedness and response master plan.
The Minister of Environment, John Odey said in Abuja at a press briefing to herald this year's World Environment Day that the National Planning Commission was already fine-tuning modalities for incorporating early warning strategies in the blueprint.
The master-plan, according to him, would comprise the National Action Plan to mitigate the effects of climate change, the Adaptation Strategies of Action in Nigeria, the National Ozone Programme of Action, the National Forestry Development Programme and the National Action Plan to Combat Desertification and National Capacity Self-Assessment (NCSA).
He said that these action plans constituted a practicable framework for embarking on concrete, effective and targeted initiatives to reduce environmental degradation and develop the necessary partnership between the three tiers of government and civil society organisations towards promoting sustainable development in Nigeria.
Besides, another major policy goal being pursued by government, he noted, was to ensure sustainable use of forests and check desertification encroachment, which had prompted extensive reforestation and afforestation programmes such as the community-based tree planting programmes and control of fuel wood extraction from the reserves.
According to Odey, this year's commemoration was therefore geared towards emphasising the nation's determination to sustainably manage its natural resources and deal with the most demanding threat of the 21st century.
Odey added that climate change impact, if unabated, could pose great dangers to life and property, especially on the nation's vulnerable coastal regions which could suffer from sea level rise and repeated ocean surge with high level social consequences, such as family dislocation, loss of properties and even life.
He also said that the menace could also expose most parts of the country to desertification, thereby worsening the incidence of desert encroachment and food productions system.
He said: "The resulting decline in land productivity could also lead to high level problems of ecological refugees, as people would need to move to where the land is more productive."
Odey said food security would also be threatened as a result of either low or excess rainfall as well as the timing as a result of changes in the seasons which would pose a great danger to agriculture in the country.
He added that coastal regions that relied heavily on fishing might also witness acute reduction in harvest as climate change upsets ocean currents and fisheries.
The minister therefore called on government officials, politicians, the private sector, academics and researchers, the youth, children and other key stakeholders and the populace to be environmentally aware and implement environmental initiatives that work across the nation.
Activities to mark this year's World Environment Day included a National Post Primary Schools Climate Change debate and competition, continuation of the national tree planting campaign, exhibition of climate change best practice especially in the areas of renewable energy and the production of various information and education materials to communicate and promote awareness of environmental issues nationally.