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Tag: Climate Change

  • Aisha Buhari urges action against impact of climate change on women, children

    Aisha Buhari urges action against impact of climate change on women, children

    Mrs Aisha Buhari, the President, African First Ladies Peace Mission (AFLPM) and Nigeria`s First Lady, has called for global actions to address the negative impact of climate change on women and children in Africa.

    She made this appeal in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Mr Aliyu Abdullahi.

    According to the statement, it is unfortunate that women and children are at the receiving end of the the negative impact of climate change in Africa.

    The Nigerian president’s wife expressed the need for stakeholders, especially development partners, to mobilise resources for lasting solutions to problems associated with the devastating impact of climate change on women and children.

    “The impact of climate change has not only affected development but also women and children who are always at the receiving end of any type of crisis,” she noted.

    The first lady also told the gathering that, her foundation, the “Aisha Buhari Foundation”, had in the last six years provided support to victims of insurgency and other natural disasters whom are mostly women and children in Nigeria.

    NAN reports that Mrs Buhari spoke when she joined other African first ladies in the 3rd Turkey-Africa Partnership Summit held in Istanbul, Turkey.

    The event was organised by the Turkish first lady, Mrs Emine Erdogan, to interface with her African counterpart to providing ways in tackling the negative impact of climate change on women and children on the continent.

    The first lady has since returned to Abuja.

  • Climate Change: We’re focused on What worksfor Nigerians – Osinbajo

    Climate Change: We’re focused on What worksfor Nigerians – Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that the Federal Government would keep to its Climate Change commitments and focus on how to do that in a way that works best for the needs of the Nigerian people.

    The Vice President said this on Friday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the World Bank, led by its Managing Director of Development Policy and Partnerships, Dr. Mari Pangestu, as well as its Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri.

    He also interacted with officials of the International Monetary Fund on the IMF Article IV bilateral consultations.

    The Vice President has been advocating for a just transition to global net-zero emissions, particularly calling on multilateral agencies, and Western countries to stop the planned defunding of fossil fuels/gas projects in developing countries as part of the energy transition plan towards the global net-zero target by 2050.

    At both meetings with the World Bank MD and IMF officials, Prof. Osinbajo again noted that Nigeria remains committed in helping to reduce global greenhouse emissions, even as the needs of Nigeria and other developing countries should also be taken into account.

    “I think it is very important, at least this is what we are trying to do, to keep our sights on what would work for the majority of our people.

    “The truth, of course, is that we have fossil fuel resources, we have all of that, but we have energy issues, distribution and quality of access to energy, as well as clean energy.

    “So, those are the issues; access to energy and education, then renewable energy, and how to be able to move quickly enough in terms of putting renewable energy in place,” the Vice President was quoted to have said in a statement by his media aide, Laolu Akande.

    The VP also highlighted funding challenges for developing countries in its response to climate change and preparation for adaptation, alongside other implications of the Paris Agreement.

    As part of that Agreement, a $100billion per year was pledged by the wealthier economies to help developing economies to respond to the challenges of climate change and support mitigation and adaptation.

    In her remarks, Dr. Mari Pangestu, expressed her delight to visit Nigeria, saying this is her first country mission since assuming her current position in March.
    According to her, following COP26, the global body was considering ways to “address both development and climate crisis in developing countries, noting that the development crisis has been heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    “The way we are trying to approach it is the Green, Resilient, and Inclusive recovery and growth strategy which must start with developing countries.”
    Commending Nigeria’s energy reforms, Pangestu noted that the World Bank would explore ways to ensure developing countries attract the needed financing so as to achieve its climate and development objectives.

    During the interaction with IMF which was virtual, the VP restated Nigeria’s position on Climate Change adding, however, that no developed economy grew its industrial base on renewable energy alone and so developing economies should not be asked to do that.

    The IMF Article IV Consultation Mission team was led by Ms. Jesmin Rahman, Mission Chief for Nigeria at IMF.

    The consultations, based on the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, involve bilateral discussions between a member country and the IMF.

    An IMF staff team “visits the country, collects economic and financial information, and discusses with officials the country’s economic developments and policies.”

  • COP 26, Africa and the imperative for energy transitioning – Dakuku Peterside

    COP 26, Africa and the imperative for energy transitioning – Dakuku Peterside

    By Dakuku Peterside

    Elementary leadership lesson highlights that today’s decisions shape tomorrow’s future. It is only those meant for the destruction that will not pay heed to this all-time truth. This aphorism aptly captures the mood of the country as the world gathered recently in Glasgow, Scotland, to discuss climate change and the future – a future that depends directly on activities within and outside the frontiers of our immediate ecosystem and biosystem.

    We witness climatic chaos that impacts different parts of the world irrespective of who was most culpable in emitting the greenhouse gas or more carbon compliant. Nature sees the globe as one; hence the impact of pollution and carbon dioxide in faraway Asia may have a devastating effect in Africa and vice versa.
    It is a fact that climate change is impacting communities in every country in different dimensions. It causes rising sea levels, coastal erosion, extreme weather events, disrupted economies, food and water scarcity, insecurity because of resource scarcity, and conflict and terrorism.
    These are all manifestations of this global challenge. Undoubtedly, the world needs urgent action, new partnerships, and ambitious ideas to tackle this challenge. Any meaningful solution must be international in approach. Little wonder global leaders gathered in Glasgow to negotiate and strategise on how to achieve net-zero emission soon.

    In the imaginary hall in Glasgow, there were four classes of countries represented. The first is the developed countries, the post-industrial economies, who are entitled to be preaching the gospel of net zero-emission, and 1.5C temperature goals. The second group of nations are those who were in Glasgow for showmanship to register their presence. The third group of countries are those whose national economic interests will be impacted by the actions or inactions of post-industrial economies in
    pursuit of climate change objectives. The fourth group are those who, in pursuit of their national economic interest, are resisting the mitigation measures prescribed by the West against the harmful effect of climate change or are unenthusiastic about the narrow Western definition of climate change mitigation.

    Based on signals coming from Abuja, Nigeria seems to belong to the third group. It runs a mono-product economy heavily dependent on fossil fuel and rent-seeking on other natural resources, which the world is clamouring to reduce or eliminate in favour of clean and renewable energy sources. It may be counterintuitive for Nigeria to champion 1.5C and zero-emission goals, given that it may not be in its national interest, at least in the interim. The importance of national interest and the various divergent positions of different countries in the discussions at Glasgow shows the contradictions and conundrums the world faces in dealing with carbon emission and energy production issues, which is why COP26 could not arrive at a consensus on crucial issues.

    The post-industrial nations took the position of an immediate and severe shift in energy production and usage from carbon to renewable and clean. This position is understandable because these nations historically used carbon energy to fuel their industrialisation and have mostly moved to a knowledge economy and have the financial and technological muscle to champion green energy and the economic opportunities therein. The new emerging energy giants (Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia) have a different position which primarily is a call to be given more time to power a new economic renaissance based on exploiting carbon energy and using it to transition into a knowledge economy less reliant on carbon energy and more reliant on technology and innovation.

    The developing countries that are heavily reliant on carbon fuel for primary substances have a different position altogether. Although not wholly condemning a shift from carbon to clean energy sources, we are calling for the developed countries to assist them to make such a transition. President Buhari, in his speech at the conference, emphasised this position. He pledged that Nigeria would cut its emissions to net-zero by 2060 but argued, however, that “attaining national and global climate change goals will require adequate and sustained technical and financial support to developing countries. And that developed countries should channel greater effort towards assisting developing nations to meet their “Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) commitments through the pledges made by the developed countries to provide at least $100 billion yearly.” China and Russia seem not enthusiastic about climate change and are struggling to lead in these discussions and participate actively.

    Leaders from developed economies have made various pledges to show their commitment to achieving the 1.5C temperature goal, and they are calling on other leaders to work together to accelerate the innovation and deployment of clean technologies needed to keep the 1.5°C goals within reach so that they are accessible and affordable for all. Most of the leaders set out the ambitious actions they are taking domestically and internationally and send a clear message to all stakeholders to accelerate urgent action this decade. They set out a positive vision for a clean, green future and its benefits, including creating new jobs and global growth. However, where does it leave developing countries, especially in Africa? What is Nigeria’s national interest in switching to carbon- free, renewable, and clean energy forms given our abundance of fossil fuel and gas deposits and our reliance on them for national development?

    The case of developing countries is unique. Africa claims that it is contributing less to carbon emission in the world given its low
    level of industrial activities. But Africa presents an even more unique stance. Africa has a net disadvantage in climate change because it suffers more than it contributes to the problem. Compared with developed countries, the whole of Africa does not emit as much greenhouse as some major industrial countries or industrial blocs of the world. Therefore, African countries must articulate a better strategy in dealing with the global issue of climate change and greenhouse emissions that will help it grow and not be disadvantageous in the long run. Therefore, I propose the following: First, African countries will mostly need to continue exploiting fossil fuel for consumption and sales to grow their economies into industrialised or knowledge economies. Any power bloc should not harangue Africa to take actions detrimental to its growth. They should avoid any quick and dangerous shift to cleaner energy unless the structures and systems that will facilitate such transition smoothly are in place. The consequences of a wrong move may be dire and catastrophic given the poor state of the African economy now hugely dependent on carbon energy. Proper research and planning are needed to understand and articulate a more robust approach to such a transition that will have little or no consequences to our economy and way of life.

    Second, for African economies to leapfrog to carbon neutrality and zero-emission effectively, they will need new technologies, know- how, and economic imperatives to make such a move. Therefore, Africa should be demanding technological transfer in green, clean, and renewable energy as part of these negotiations. The developed countries must be ready to provide that. They must not be preaching to Africa to take a leap of faith and transit to carbon-free energy whilst hiding the technology and milking Africa from using such technology. It will be tantamount to a double standard. It is like asking someone to do deep-sea diving he does not need, only to come back to ask him to buy swimming gadgets at an exorbitant price from you.

    Third, commensurate incentives for investment in a carbon-neutral economy for African economies need to compensate for the loss of investment in fossil fuels. If the developed economies want to save the planet for future generations, they may need to pay the bill for leapfrogging African economies to carbon neutrality. It is noteworthy that $100b has been earmarked yearly to facilitate the achievement of the 1.5C goal. This action is commendable, but this amount is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed to make the transition easier for Africa. There is a need to continuously increase the funds and get nations that contribute to more CO2 emissions to pay more.
    Finally, Africa must be made to benefit extensively from the economic opportunities inherent in the transition to clean and renewable energy. Future economies will be built on new energy forms. The way we live our lives will change forever. New jobs, new ideas, new ways of working, new gadgets and technologies will come up. The renewable energy technology may not completely replace carbon energy and its technology. They are more likely to coexist together with carbon energy technology and usage reduced to the barest minimum. Africa must be positioned to benefit from the energy mix of the future and not play catch up to the rest of the world.
    However, Nigeria needs to adequately articulate its national interest and modus operandi in engaging with the rest of the world in
    renewable energy, climate change and their economic implications. In his speech at COP26, President Buhari hinted at the broader scope of Nigeria’s stance and approach in dealing with these issues. I commend him for such leadership in such an important issue. His pledge of net-zero carbon emission by 2060 gave Nigeria a 40 year gap to plan and put its acts together. Therefore, Nigeria can strategise to increase exploration and exploitation of fossil fuel in the short run to position itself economically to cut down carbon emission and dependence on fossil fuel at the appropriate time. Recently, Nigeria has been preoccupied with preventing millions of its citizens struggling with rising cost of petrol and gas from not resorting to charcoal and firewood, which means fewer trees, deforestation and more carbon offloading. It shows that Nigeria is not ready yet to deal aggressively with clean energy and climate change issues.

    Nigeria and the rest of the world are on different pages at COP26. The next ten years will be critical for Nigeria as the world increases its pace towards clean energy. The world is pushing towards zero- emission while Nigeria is still battling to decide on what to do with gas flaring and gas resources generally. The world is creating a new model of economic prosperity, but Nigeria has not even optimised the old model much more, positioning itself to benefit from the recent economic model. It is time we got ready to face the future. The decisions we make today will shape tomorrow and the future.
    I implore the government to take the issues of energy transition and the concomitant implications seriously. I call on the government and research institutes to invest in research in this area focussing on Nigeria and how it must navigate the turbulent waters of global energy shift from carbon to clean energy. Products of the study should guide the government in its plans and policies in this regard. I will suggest the government sets up a think tank of appropriate professionals to keep abreast of developments in this critical energy area and advise the government accordingly.

    We need a cross-ministerial collaboration among the relevant ministries and Industry to start working at coming up with ways of achieving the 2060 net-zero carbon emission pledged by the President and put Nigeria in a position to benefit fully from the new global energy economy devoid of carbon emission and delivers for the climate and the people, economic development, and biodiversity. The crux of Nigeria national interest in this energy issue is to work collaboratively with others in the comity of nations to keep the 1.5°C temperature and carbon emission goals in sight whilst supporting sustainable livelihoods and meeting shared promises on adaptation and finance of its people and economy.

  • UNGA 76: Niger says climate change is another pandemic with devastating effects

    UNGA 76: Niger says climate change is another pandemic with devastating effects

    Apart from disastrous economic consequences, the COVID-19 pandemic has also amplified the climate and security crisis in the Sahel, said Niger’s Minister of Foreign Affairs during the country’s turn to speak at the UN General Assembly.

    Hassoumi Massoudou highlighted that his country and region are suffering recurrent droughts and flooding, as well as locust infestations and the annual loss of thousands of hectares of agricultural land due to degradation.

    Citing recent words of President Mohamed Bazoum, he said to win the fight against climate change, the world needs more political will.

    “It is the hope of Niger that COP26 in Glasgow will serve as a framework to reaffirm political will to battle the effects of climate change,” he said, noting that some of the big hurdles include finance and technology transfer for developing countries.

    As a current non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the Foreign Minister noted that his nation is co-chairing with Ireland an expert group that aims to adopt a resolution regarding the climate crisis.

    “It is our conviction that fragility linked to climate change is an aggravating factor in conflicts and humanitarian crises,” he said.

    Massoudou added that Niger understood this correlation clearly since it currently finds itself surrounded by “hotbeds of instability” and facing the attacks of “terrorist hordes”.

    He said, however, that despite the size of their country and the lack of resources, Niger has shown itself to be resilient by safeguarding its territorial integrity and stability.

    This was due to the foresight of Niger’s Government, the courage and determination of its Defense and Security Forces and the invaluable support of bilateral partners such as multilateral organizations, he explained, extending “sincere thanks” for such efforts.

    The Foreign Minister also informed the Assembly that as part of a pilot programme last June, Niger had been able to return almost 6,000 people to their homes after six years of displacement.

    “We also aim to eventually repatriate around 130,000 displaced people from Diffa to Borno state in Nigeria,” he stated.

    Massoudou said his Government remained convinced that terrorism and organised crime were the consequences of other ongoing challenges that must be overcome, especially poverty and inequality.

    “It is not only military actions that will allow us to definitively defeat terrorism, but also our ability to implement development programmes and meet the essential needs of our populations,” he emphasised.

    The Foreign Minister said that while 2021 continued to be shadowed by COVID-19, the year has been a turning point for the consolidation of democracy in his country.

    “Niger was able to succeed in the first peaceful political transfer of power from one elected president to another,” he explained.

    Massoudou called on the international community to show the same disposition it had in the fight against COVID-19 to tackle other challenges such as climate change, “another pandemic with devastating effects”.

    “In Niger, we believe that our commitment to the defense of ideals of the [UN] Charter and the values of peace, solidarity that it embodies, will allow us to carry out this fight in order to build a world of peace, justice, and prosperity,” he said

  • Climate change: Nigeria ready to support attainment of Paris Agreement – Buhari

    Climate change: Nigeria ready to support attainment of Paris Agreement – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari has assured the global community of Nigeria’s readiness to support global multilateral processes for the attainment of the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

    Speaking at a Virtual Leaders Summit on Climate, the President said the fight to redress the impact is the responsibility of all countries and stakeholders, congratulating President Joe Biden of the United States for renewed interest in the Paris Agreement.

    According to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, yesterday, Buhari commended the President of the United States of America (USA), Joe Biden, for convening the summit.

    “I would like to express my profound appreciation to the President of the United States, His Excellency, Joe Biden, for convening this summit at a time the world is experiencing tremendous vulnerability from the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change impacts, among several other global challenges.

    “The issue of climate change has taken the front burner globally, as its effects can be seen and felt all around us; ranging from increased atmospheric temperature to irregular rainfall patterns as well as sea level rise owing to the melting of glacial ice.

    “Nigeria commends the Biden administration for the positive decision of returning the United States to the Paris Agreement. In addition to bringing about abundant green economic opportunities to the US economy, the move further complements the larger transition process of global economies to low carbon development pathways,’’ he said.

    The President said the summit would prove instrumental in galvanising high-level political support for the implementation of the Paris Agreement and its Katowice Rulebook as well as inviting more countries and stakeholders to take more climate-oriented responsibilities.

    Buhari told world leaders that Nigeria was one of the most vulnerable nations, and it had started undertaking major environmentally sound and climate-friendly programmes, while treading the path of sustainability.

  • How climate change contributes to rising conflicts in Nigeria – Abdulsalami

    Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, has attributed the rising conflicts in the country to the impact of climate change on the people.

    He said this during the 2nd General Abdulsalami Abubakar Foundation Annual Peace Lecture organised to commemorate the International Day of Peace in Minna on Saturday.

    The event was tagged “Good Politics at the Services of Peace: The Role of Eminent Persons in the Prevention and Management of Conflict in Nigeria”.

    Abubakar explained that climate change had led to soil erosion, environmental degradation, dwindling water resources and natural disaster which culminated into high competition for scarce resources.

    “We cannot bequeath chaos, disunity, a state of insecurity and hopelessness to the future generation. We must raise the bar of peace and always walk the long road to peace in all our endeavours,” he said.

    He called on the youths to be tolerant, fair, and to respect human dignity and avoid vices that could disrupt sustainable peace and development in the country.

    In his lecture, Gov. Abubakar Bello of Niger identified climate change as a threat that had destabilised communities over rights to natural resources.

    He called on eminent persons in various parts of the country to come up with the best approach to reduce and manage conflicts in the country.

    “Peace entails collective efforts in order to ensure safety and security at all levels. We all have a role to play, we must all dialogue for the survival of the country.

    “Peace building and security management is everybody’s business, it is our collective responsibility to provide peace and not government alone.

    “Conflicts management and prevention is every individual’s responsibilities, government and individuals must play their parts, we should caution ourselves in the promotion of culture of peace,” he said.

    Also, Prof. Laraba Abdullahi, Chairperson of the occasion and former Vice Chancellor of University of Abuja, said that sustainable development was an essential component for peace.

    She noted that insurgency, banditry and kidnapping had continued to be the greatest threat to peace that most political actors were yet to address.

  • Senate reconsiders Digital Rights, Climate Change bills after being passed into law

    Upper chamber of the National Assembly, the Senate on Tuesday reconsidered seven bills, including the Digital Rights and Freedom (Est, etc) Bill, 2018 and the Climate Change (Est, etc) Bill, 2018, it has previously passed into law.

    TheNewsGuru (TNG) reports the Senate and the House of Representatives had passed into law the Digital Rights and Freedom, and Climate Change bills.

    Others bills passed by the NASS to be reconsidered as well are the Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill, 2018; Nigerian Film Corporation (repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2018; Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioner of Nigeria (Est, etc) Bill, 2018; Chartered Institute of Training and Development of Nigeria (Est, etc) Bill, 2018, and National Institute of Credit Administration (Est, etc) Bill, 2018.

    The bills were passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives and were transmitted to the Clerk National Assembly for onward transmission to the President C-in-C for assent.

    After critical examination of the bills, the directorate of legal services of the National Assembly observed some fundamental issues, which required fresh legislative action.

    Clause 2 (1)(2) of the Nigerian Aeronautical Search and Rescue Bill, 2018 (FIB. 139); Clause 2 (1)(4), 3(1))f), 5(2), 7(1)(a) (2)(a), 8, 9,17(1) of the Climate Change (Est, etc) Bill, 2018, and Clause 11 of the Chartered Institute of Pension Practitioner of Nigeria (Est, etc) Bill, 2018, were found to have fundamental issues.

    Also Clause 18 (2) & (6) of the Chartered Institute of Training and Development of Nigeria (Est, etc) Bill, 2018; Clause 7 (3)(5) and 8 (1)(3) of the National Institute of Credit Administration (Est, etc) Bill, 2018; Clause 4 (1)(2)(3) of the Digital Rights and Freedom (Est, etc) Bill, 2018 (HB. 490), and Clause 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 of the Nigerian Film Corporation (repeal & Re-enactment) Bill, 2018 were found to have fundamental issues.

    A technical committee of the Senate, House of Representatives and Directorate of Legal Services met and worked on the clauses, and relying on order 1(b) and 53(6) of Senate Standing Order, the upper legislative chamber accordingly resolved to rescind its decision on the affected Clauses of the Bills as passed and re-commit same to the Committee of the Whole for re-consideration and passage.

     

  • Climate change challenges: Osinbajo tasks Nigerian techies

    The development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate technologies remain the best solution to climate change challenges, the Acting President , Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has said.

    The Office of the Vice-President said Osinbajo made the statement on Friday at the inauguration of the Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre (NCIC) situated at the Enterprise Development Centre of the Lagos Business School.

    Mr Laolu Akande, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice-President, made Osinbajo’s view known in a statement on Saturday.

    The Nigeria Climate Innovation Centre is a public-private partnership involving the Federal Government, the World Bank Group and the Pan-Atlantic University.

    The Centre provides holistic, country-driven support to accelerate the development, deployment and transfer of locally relevant climate and clean energy technologies.

    Osinbajo said the task of advancing climate action was crucial, especially for Nigeria, in the view of the challenge of climate change and the need for the adoption of an innovative approach.

    “The pressure for livelihoods and food for a huge population will put tremendous pressure on natural resources and the implications for climate change will be dire indeed.

    “The creation of an enabling environment for climate-smart businesses to thrive is simply the only way to go,’’ he said.

    Osinbajo said he had visited several start-ups, technology hubs and innovation spaces around the country and seen innovativeness, creativity and drive of Nigerians.

    He said Nigerians were “constantly developing and deploying solutions in many sectors’’, including “agriculture, health, transport, security, climate action and many more locally relevant climate technologies’’.

    According to him, one of the key sectors where there is potential for high impact interventions by green technologies is the off-grid solar sector.

    Osinbajo said the Solar Home Project and Energising Economies Initiative were some of the private-sector-driven efforts targeted at providing off-grid power to homes, markets and economic clusters across the country.

    He said that so far, 13,000 shops at Sabon-Gari Market in Kano were currently being powered through high-capacity stand-alone solar systems.

    He said more were expected to come on stream soon at the Ariaria Market in Aba, Sura Market in Lagos, and other markets in Oyo, Edo and Ondo states.

    The acting president challenged the new climate Centre to develop and deploy technology and expertise required to deliver clean energy in areas prone to oil pollution and other related hazards.

    According to him, the innovation Centre must seek to develop the technology and expertise required to deal with the oil spill challenge in the Niger Delta region.

    He said the Federal Government was investing considerably in Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) to help overcome challenges and risks brought about by the use of kerosene and firewood in homes.

    Osinbajo tasked the NCIC team to come up with innovation in smart cooking equipment that could utilise LPG in the most efficient manner.

    The acting president urged stakeholders in the off-grid power sector to take advantage of the Green bond issued by the Federal Government and the opportunities provided at the newly inaugurated climate Centre to fund their projects.

    “It provides a platform to attracting or unlocking venture financing and private equity funds for climate-smart businesses and Nigerians providing climate-smart solutions,’’ Osinbajo said.

     

  • Population growth, climate change responsible for water shortage – FG

    The Federal Government, says population growth and effects of climate change are some the factors causing shortage of supply of potable water.

    The Minister of Water Resources, Mr Suleiman Adamu, said this at a symposium to commemorate the 2018 World Water Day in Abuja.

    According to him, in spite of the accomplishments and enormous opportunities such as abundant freshwater, favourable weather, substantial human capacity available in the water sector, a lot of work still needed to be done.

    He said it was saddening to note that the current national access to water supply stood at 57 per cent, millions of Nigerians, especially in rural areas are still without access to improved drinking water sources.

    ‘‘The provision of water infrastructure is capital intensive, hence the need for a concerted effort by all stakeholders to overcome the challenges in the water sector.

    ‘‘Statistics have shown over the years that with the rapid increase in population growth, access to clean drinking water and sanitation steadily declines.

    ‘‘A lot of factors contribute to the water crises, such as climate change, poor management and a lot more, the most incriminating is the neglect of our ecosystem.

    ‘‘This has resulted in environmental damages such as floods, droughts, water pollution among others.

    ‘‘A worrying challenge is the declining percentage of Nigerians that are getting that water supply through piped networks, from 31 percent in 1990 to less than 7 percent in 2017.’’

    Adamu, represented by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Musa Ibrahim, said the result had shown that the remaining 93 per cent of Nigerians got water from other sources.

    He said it was evident in the drilling of boreholes with resultant consequences on the environment in urban areas and fetching of unclean water from streams and rivers in rural areas.

    The minister restated the Federal Government’s commitment towards formulating and implementing policies and programmes that will enable sustainable access to safe and sufficient water for all Nigerians.

    Mr Simone Grego, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Representative, said that drinking water resources was one of the major issues of the century globally.

    Grego, quoting a UN World Water Development Report, said globally, 3.6 billion people live in potentially water-scarce areas, saying this figure could rise to 5 billion by 2050, if nothing was done.

    According to him, 80 per cent of waste water returns to the ecosystem without being treated, saying this development was leading to degradation of the ecosystems causing ecological imbalances and water scarcity.

    Grego called for urgent solutions that would protect, manage and restore natural ecosystems that would respond to the human and ecological challenges being faced.

    ‘‘Planting new forests, reconnecting rivers to flood plains and restoring wetlands are solutions that will address contemporary water management issues,’’ he said.

    He pledged the commitment of UNESCO to support government’s transition to green economies and in programmes to implement better integrated water policies.

    Dr Chichi Okoye, WaterAid Country Director, said the SDG 6 commits the world to ensure that everyone has safe water by 2030, saying protecting the natural environment and reducing water pollution was imperative.

    She urged the Federal Government to prioritise water and sanitation by improving budget allocations to the sector.

    ‘‘The dire situation needs the highest level of government’s attention, especially in delivering water for the poorest and most marginalised people.

    ‘‘In addition to financing, we need an integrated approach to solving the water crises where water, sanitation and hygiene needs are integrated into health, education, nutrition and gender equality.

    ‘‘Without water, none of the UN Global Goals can be met,’’ she said.

    News Agency of Nigeria reports that World Water Day is celebrated on March 22 annually to focus attention on the importance of water to mankind.

    The theme for World Water Day 2018 is: ‘Nature for Water’ – exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century.

  • Space: the next frontier to fight climate change

    The UK Space Agency said on Thursday that it would invest 38 million pounds (52.79 million dollars) to help people cope with climate disasters by using satellites.

    The device will monitor unpredictable weather patterns in Rwanda, deforestation in Colombia, the risk of forest fire in Indonesia, and the impact of severe climate swings on Tanzania, Fiji and Vanuatu.

    “The UK Space Agency’s International Partnership Programme will help developing countries tackle big issues like disaster relief and disease control,” Britain’s science minister Sam Gyimah said in a statement.

    From battling illegal mining in Colombian forests to protecting Mongolian cattle from death by extreme weather, researchers are looking to space to cope with earth’s climate challenges.

    Climate change is causing more frequent and severe flooding, droughts, storms and heatwaves as average global temperatures rise to new records, sea ice melts in the Arctic and sea levels rise.

    Now earth is looking to space for answers.

    In countries like Colombia, forests are under threat from farmers seeking grazing land and criminal gangs cutting down trees for illegal gold mining.

    When forests are degraded or destroyed, the carbon stored in the trees is released into the atmosphere, with deforestation accounting for 10 to 15 percent of carbon emissions worldwide.

    In Mongolia, where about 30 per cent of the population depend on livestock herding, severe winters known as ‘dzuds’ are killing off animals and devastating the economy.

    Camels, goats, horses and cows have been dying in record numbers.

    The UK Space Agency’s 10 projects, which will partner with global satellite companies like Inmarsat and CGI.

    It will join more than 20 existing initiatives that use satellite communication to tackle humanitarian issues that occur during cyclones and other natural disasters.