The Environment Stakeholders decry inadequate funding for Hadejia Jamare River Basin
Deforestation, one of the causes of climate change
National climate change fund undelWay ~t~iN-路 The fund will boost attainment of green economy By Chln.dum Ow......lam, Assistant Housing" Environment Editor s a response to the need to broaden the scope of national interventions for impact at all levels of governance through strategic alliances among development partners and mobilisation of additional resources for sustainability of activities to check the climate chaos in the country, the Federal government plans to set up a National Climate Change Fund (NCCF). Under the proposed fund, which woufd serve as a catalyst to leverage additional resources from the private sector, bilateral and other multilateral sources, the government will utilise it to finance Nigeria National Climate Change Policy (NNCCP)Zero Draft, after legislation has been passed by the National Assembly in support of the creation of such Fund. The government's new onslaught on climate change is contained in a draft prepared by the Special Cnmate Change Unit of the Federal Ministry of Environment with technical support from ACI EnvIronment and Resources Limited in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) expected to be firmed up next week by stakeholders. Nigeria ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in August 24, 1994 and accented to its protocol on December 2004 (with March 2005 as the date for
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while the proposed Nigeria's climate change policy fulfills commitments to global convention for articulation of relevant policies and measures, which are associated with elements affecting socio-economic development and sustainable economy at the national level.
its entry into force) and has an obligation to develop a coherent National Climate Change Policy for Nigeria. National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) inventories from all sectors of the Nigerian economy and mitigation assessment since the mid 1980S show that Nigeria is among the least emitting countries and falls among the countries which do not have an emission reduction target dateline (a Non-Annex 1 Country, by the classification of the Convention. The document, Towards a Low Carbon Economy: A National Climate Change Policy for Nigeria niche consist of partnership building, tangible programme components, extensive stakeholder partiCipation, cognate technical expertise and broad range of contribution from traditional and nontraditional sources, particularly the private sector. The nine major aspects of the policy are to implement mitigation initiatives towards a low-carbon economy and high-growth development path through optimisation of energy generation as well as consumption and raising the proportion of renewable (including small to large scale hydropower) and other clean sources to meet
growinl:! local demands of electricity; enhancing food security, redUCing poverty and promoting healthy living Tor all Nil:!erians and integrating dIsaster risk management of c1imaterelated hazards into development planning. Other approaches are promoting private sector participation in the expandin~ business opportufllties in climate change response; planning for future climate change scenarios and building dynamic response strategies, Including adequate research and infrastructure development; building adequate capacity to manage climate change; fostering cross-sectoral actions and mechanisms concerned with climate change and enhancing international cooperation in climate change response. The policy also backed the establishment the Nigeria National Climate Change Commission (NCCC) to serve as a clearing house and implementation authority for all climate change matters including determining the appropriate levels of funding to projects on mitigation and adaptation to climate change, tech nology acquisition, market incentives and guiding investments in research and
development towards sustained economic and human advancement. A bill for the creation of a Nigeria National Climate Change Commission has already been harmonized and awaiting President Goodluck Jonathan'S signature. It also proposed the establishment of climate change desk offices in all local, state and federal government establishments as part of a targeted capacity-building framework in the areas of science, policy, adaptation, mitigation, technology generation, carbon finance and markets to strengthen the human resource capital base for these subjects as a means of mainstream climate change issues into strategies, pl~ns and pl!'nning for SOClo-economlC and sectors development at the federal, state and local government levels. Similarly, following low level of awareness of the impacts of climate change, the document lroposed raising plan an strategy that would be developed and implemented at all levels and in all sectors sensitive and vulnerable to climate change to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the population and all policymakers have baSIC knowledge about climate change ana its impacts by 2020 as well as strengthening education and outreach programs to raise responsibilities of the climate change for both decision makers and the citizenry to enhance their participation in the implementation of climate change res]lonse activities at all levels, including the communities.
customary fanning practices further aggravate<l environmental degradation_ From John AIwbo. Dutse "Occasional vanoalism of instruments placed for gatherWhile the government ing hydro meteorological data wfthm the catchments_ Poor was berated for paucity management of water system of funds, nonchalant atti- results in serious blockages of water ways," it stated_ tude toward payment of It recommended that all water charges by farmers stakeholders should join hands in order to solve the and weak community problems_ The communique called for awareness due to cusimproved budgetary provitomary fanning practices sions and support for River Basin Development further aggravate enviAuthorities (RBDAs) towards the objective. ronmental degradation '. - achieving It also advocated for the susteD'>RTICIPANTS at a round nance of this special commitCtable discussion on the tee and further encourages the menace of flood in Jigawa committeetoliaisewitlimemState have identified tlie luke- bers of the Natiol.lal Assembly warm attitude of the Federal from the catchment states. It recommended for capacity Government towards providing adequate funds for the building and vigorous awareHadejia Jamare River Basin ness for farmers on their role Development Authority as the in prevention of flood through maior setback, militating modern farming practices. agamst the efforts to overcomAccording to the participants, ing the yearly disaster. "In addition to the use ofTypha This was contained in a com- grass harvesting machine, mUnique issued at the end of there is need to also include the . roundtableI which was manual labour, escavators and made availab e to The community participation." Guardian in Dutse. The communique recomThe parley, which was organ- mended that effort should be ised oy the ligawa State House made to make the governors of Assembly special commit- of the five-catchment states to tee on floOd, also indicated be adequately intimated of all that typha grass and siltation the problems so that they along the river course were could contribute to the amongthemajorfactorscaus- improvement of the agency. ing flooding. It recommended for improveThe communique also stateo ment of effective mechanism that the nonchalant attitude that will provide timely wamtoward payment of water ings on ffood to all communicharges Oy farmers and weak ties likely to be affected. commumty awareness due to ~imft 路.nWtlltVttfM
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Climate change threatens Nigeria's water resources due to the severe low C lmatfl C ange capadty flows, and a reduction of the ' " JORRIED that the changing YY climate is likely to exacerbate water management problems in Nigeria through its impact on rising sea levels in Nigeria coastal regions, variable rainfall and extreme events like floods and drought particularly in Northern Nigeria, participants have called on national and state governments to gear up efforts to reduce unsustainable water management and improve the efficiency of agricultural water use, that is, water productivity. The patticipants who met in a one-day Dialogue on Water and Climate Change in Lagos organised by Bread of Life Development Foundation in collaboration with the Water and Sanitation Media Network, noted that climate change would affect urban and rural water through unpredictable rainfall leading to inadequate recharge of aquifers and surface water, quality and quantity
capadty of rivers in sediment transport while air, mechanical and hydraulic erosion has been accentuated. In a communique signed by Babatope Babalobi, executive director Bread of life Development Foundation, Michael Simire,
Lagos State coordinator Water and Sanitation Media Network, they also recommended thorough investigation of groundwater-stream flow interactions in Nigeria and development of water effidency plans as well as integrating water resources management (IWRM) as a veritable tool for adaptation to climate change impacts on water
ofwater sources to be impaired,
resources in the country. The group said that innovative and strategic investment. research and development together with international cooperation should be promoted to improve agricultural water management by means of pattidpatOIy irrigation management. water harvesting.
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crop vaneties, water storage, and dissemination of agricultural best practices. According to them, the Federal and State MinisOies of Water Resources in Nigeria should ensure that water resources issues were adequately addressed in climate change analyses and climate policy formulations. Likewise, climate change problems should be adequately dealt with in water resources analyses. management and policy formulation in the state_
over exploitation of aquifers no regulation, agriculture taking precedence over domestic use of water and fresh inland water likely to be affected by salt intrusion from the sea Drought arising from climate change is likely to have adverse consequences for the hydrological cycle and water resources while other consequences of drought in Northern Nigeria are a decrease of water table flows in the alluvial aqUifers resulting in a decrease of base flows, a decrease of the non-dis-
water-savin~/drought-resistant