Rising greenhouse gas levels are triggering climate and environmental changes.
Helen Oji takes a look at the devastating eff ects of climate change
Greenhouse Gas The world needs high –speed climate for an immediate bending of the global greenhouse gas emission curve, leading experts have cautioned, aggressive reduction of fossilfuel usage is the key to averting devastating heat extremes and unmanageable sea level rise and climate change has become a major challenge of mankind as a result of increase population and desire of man to solve the problems of life and all generating power are the cause of climate change.
Climate Change brings with it an increase in malnutrition, mental health conditions, infectious diseases spread and even death.
Rising greenhouse gas levels are triggering climate and environmental changes that will aff ect human health in many ways.
Climate Change is often thought of in terms of its eff ects on physical environment: rising sea levels, heat-waves and storms.
But increasing evidence shows that the human impact – and in particular the impact on human health will be a major challenge for scientists, politicians and ordinary people.
Diseases Outbreak Recent problem is the issue of cholera which is one of the infectious diseases that remain a major health burden in Nigeria.
Several incidences have raised concern that climate change may exacerbate the risk of the disease in the future.
Future risk of this disease is essential, especially for regions where the projected climate change impacts, and infectious disease risk, are both large.
Cholera is a growing threat, especially for those most vulnerable.
Each year about 2.7 million people suff er from cholera, and about 90,000 of them die from this preventable disease.
Those who become ill are often the most diffi cult to reach.
Most are poor, live in conditions with poor water quality and sanitation, and often do not have access to treatment when they become ill.
Global Temperatures Many Nigerians are suff ering the existing health threats and the emerging ones as a result Rising greenhouse gas levels are triggering climate and environmental changes.
Helen Oji takes a look at the devastating eff ects of climate change Eff ects of climate change on the environment of climate change.
Climate change is intensifying with dimensions in age, economic resources, and location.
Just recently, Minister of State for Environment, Usman Jubril mentioned in his interview with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) News “Th e eff ects of climate change are felt at every sight of the country.
Rising global temperatures would have a catastrophic effect on human health and patterns of infection would change, with insect-borne diseases such as malaria and dengue fever spreading more easily.
” But the climate we have come to expect is not what it used to be, because the past is no longer a reliable predictor of the future.
Our climate is rapidly changing with disruptive impacts, and that change is progressing faster than any seen in the last years.
Refrain from Exacerbating Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, urged Nigerians to refrain from activities capable of exacerbating the consequences of climate change and adopt clean air policies and expressed concern over environmental devastation, particularly the current fl ood ravaging parts of the country.
According to him, the current scenario of flaring associated gas, incidence of oil spillage and the discharge of untreated effl uents into the canals, rivers and seas cannot continue indefinitely and adding that concerted eff orts to save the environment and Nigerians from devastating effects of greenhouse gas emissions, discharge of untreated harmful effl uents and deforestation.
“We cannot continue to pretend that this does not aff ect our environment, our health and lives.
Competency “Nigeria as a nation cannot afford to continue with this business-as-usual attitude to forest clearing or deforestation and the eff ect of climate change is real and its consequences are severe and we must do our utmost not to exacerbate it,” he stressed.
“Setting standard, ethical codes of conduct and professionalizing every segment of environmental practices is very apt and is therefore, at the very heart of the sustainability of our lives and we as a nation need to key into building capacities and the competencies in every aspect of environmental management, be it green or brown,’’ he added.
S u s t a i n a b i l i t y a n d Accountability He further called for increased involvement of stakeholders in the management, protection and sustainability of the country’s environment.
A c c o r d i n g t o h i m , we need to encourage private sector, civil society and non-governmental organizations’ participation in environmental stewardship and accountability.
Regulations He called for synergy among the three arms of government for greater enforcement of environment laws in the country and the job of enforcement of environmental standard and regulations needs the collaboration of the three arms of government.
“It also needs the effective commitment of the law enforcement agencies to enforce the provisions of our extant laws and regulations on the environment.
“Those who cause malicious and harmful damage to our environment must be made to bear the brunt of the law.
“It is now criminal to stand aloof and do nothing while our environment is deliberately being destroyed,’’ Dogara added The Chairman of the c o m m i t t e e , O b i n n a Chidoka, that environmental devastation in the country had brought hardship on Nigerians, put health at risk and dislocated economy and social life.
There was no part of the country that was not experiencing one form of environmental challenge or the other and come to the conclusion that the actions or inactions which are fast destroying our environment have to stop, if not, we will have no place to run to very soon,’’ he said.
T h e M i n i s t e r o f Environment, Usman Jubril said that there was need to mainstream environmental issues in developmental projects in the country and adding that they would study the bill and make submissions to the committee.
