The Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) is set to host the 2019 National Climate Action Week across Nigeria as the world combats the impact of climate change.
Mr Oladapo Soneye, Head, Communication, NCF, in a statement on Monday said the climate action week would be hosted with the support of some local and international NGOs, corporate organisations and others.
According to him, the atmospheric changing event, with the theme “Promoting Nature-Based Investment for Climate Resilience in Nigeria”, is scheduled for Nov. 25 to Nov. 29 in 15 states.
He said the states included Lagos, Abuja and other representative states across the six geopolitical zones.
Soneye said the objective of the Climate Action Week is to promote nature-based solutions to climate change through mobilising communities, businesses, the youth and women for climate action in Nigeria.
He said the Week would highlight some of the impacts of climate change in
Nigeria and unlock the potential of nature-based investment in building mitigation and adaptive capacity for people and the ecosystem in the most vulnerable areas in Nigeria.
“Nigeria is a diverse country with complex environmental crisis ranging from flooding in the South, soil erosion and land degradation in the East, desertification and drought in the North, to farmland expansion leading to deforestation in the West.
“Combating these various challenges requires a combination of nature-based solutions hence the need to advocate and promote investments in nature-based solutions to address these environmental problems.
“Especially as climate change challenges face people, planet, and livelihood.
“Taking Lagos as typical Nigeria’s coastal state, the state has witnessed historical ocean surges displacing people and affecting livelihoods of both coastal and inland communities.
“This annual incident is continuously exacerbated by climate change as a result of sea-level rise with forced displacement of people across the coastline.”
Soneye said that in July 2018, NCF conducted a satellite imagery assessment of how the Lagos coastline had changed over a period of 10 years forcing coastal communities/households to abandon their property.
He said the Lagos State Government in 2014 commissioned a brown infrastructural project to combat the continuous ocean surge with the building of concrete embankments and a follow-up groin development along some distance of the coastline.
“The impact of this effort has saved millions of lives and the nation’s economic hub
from going underwater.
“However, this environmental crisis persists and combining nature-based investments with existing brown infrastructure will help in achieving a long-term solution to the
ocean surge.”
Soneye said activities for the week include Climate Action Youth Forum; Climate Action Leaders Summit; Tree Planting across Lagos coastline and five states in Nigeria; a tour of a Nature-Based Investment Model Lekki Conservation Centre, and Global Climate Strike March in 18 states.