Lagos intensifies climate change awareness

Lagos intensifies climate change awareness
Qasim Akinreti, Lagos

The Lagos State Government in southwest Nigeria has intensified its s effort to combat the challenges of climate change and sustain a cleaner and healthier environment.

This is also being done to promoting economic growth and well-being of the citizenry, as the state has witnessed negative impact of rains in the last few days.

Community sensitisation

In this regard, the Commissioner for Environment, Mr Tunji Bello held an interactive session with all Community Development Associations, CDA, in the State.

He equally used the opportunity to sensitize the community leaders on the issue of climate change and the dangers it poses to the globe. It will be recalled that Climate change has been a major world concern in recent times.

Mr Bello urged the CDA chairmen to support the State Government, by ensuring that the enlightenment campaign on the issue of climate change was widely propagated and extended to the grassroots.

 Represented by the Director, Conservation and Ecology in the Ministry, Mrs. Adebola Afun, he appealed to all ‘Lagosians’ to desist from dumping refuse and other wastes into the drains to avoid drainage blockage which results in flooding threatening lives and properties.
Commenting on the recent flooding, he noted that the situation was worsened by drainage blockage, and the intensity of rainfall which was high, the damages would have been lesser if there was unimpeded flow.

He urged ‘Lagosians’ to patronize Private waste disposal companies to dispose their waste to make Lagos environment cleaner and prevent the fall out of health hazards which resulted in frequent visit to hospitals by the people.

Delivering the lecture on “The Role of the Citizenry in combating Climate Change”, Professor Musiliu Onilude advocated tree planting as veritable tool for combating climate change. Threat of climate change, he opined, could be curbed by planting of trees. He said: “tree planting add value to properties, improve the aesthetics of the community and ensure good health.”

Tree planting benefits

Professor Onilude said the benefits of tree planting include; absorbing carbon dioxide (the main greenhouse gas), absorbing and reducing pollutants (Ozone, sulphur-dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, dust particulates and noise), producing oxygen, reducing localized extremes in temperatures, (cooling in the dry season and warming in the raining season), reducing the effects of flash floods (tree canopies intercept rainfall, slowing down its path to the ground beneath) Stated.

He further stated that trees provide habitats for a broad range of wildlife, reduce skin cancers by providing shade from harmful ultra-violet radiation and reduce stress by providing psychological refreshment and a sense of well being through softening the built environment.

He advised planters to ensure that trees are planted at the appropriate raining season as it is cheaper and more convenient especially June and July when the rains are well stabilized.

Climate Change Challenge

Another speaker at the event, Mr. Sulaiman Arigbabu noted that Climate change poses socio-economic, political and environmental challenges to Lagos State by virtue of her geographical location, population and volume of commercial/manufacturing activities going on in the State.   

In his words: “climate change is the biggest threat confronting Planet Earth today and coastal states like Lagos are major theatres where this reality is manifesting.   Increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases is of concern to us because we human beings are the source of that increase. We are tilting the balance of nature and this has grievous consequences. Human beings today are responsible for what is referred to as anthropogenic factors leading to global warming by emitting earth-threatening quantities of greenhouse gases through our technologies, transportation, power generation, cooking, manufacturing, agricultural practices, waste generation and disposal”.

Commendation on giant strides          

He commended the State Government for making several efforts to combat climate change in Nigeria.

Some of the activities he recalled include advocacy programmes such as climate change clubs in schools, annual tree planting exercise, annual international climate change summit, working with various non-governmental organisations to popularise the fight against climate change.

Others he noted are landscaping and beautification projects, annual World Environment Day celebrations, introduction of Bus Rapid Transport scheme in an attempt to reduce vehicular emission, sustainable waste management program to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions from wastes, adoption of waste recycling methods through various waste-to-wealth initiatives.

The Community leaders represented by Honourable Omowanle commended the State Government for laudable projects it had initiated especially in areas of the environment. He promised that they will continue to Support government in its desire to improve the environment.

 
 PR/Williams