The climate conference that just ended in Durban, South Africa once again demonstrated the collective resolve of nations to tackle issues of climate change. Climate change negotiators confounded sceptics as a new global alliance was formed. The ‘Durban Platform’ committed all countries to a global deal on cutting carbon emissions by 2015, although it will not come into force until 2020. It also resulted in concrete plans for financial transfers to developing countries vulnerable to drought, floods and stoms, including Nigeria.
The discussions that dominated the 5-day event identified Africa as the most vulnerable to and the least capable of dealing with the impact of climate change. It was noted in part that despite significant efforts now in both the local and the international arena to adapt to the vagaries of climate change, Africa’s ability to cope has been adversely affected by the recent global financial meltdown and the food crises. Consequently, Durban Conference was a call for more financial assistance (Green Fund) to these vulnerable countries. Climate change scenarios for West Africa and Nigeria indicate that the climatic variability being experienced is likely to increase and intensify. Changes in precipitation levels and patterns are also likely to occur.
Most of the issues that dominated the Durban Conference had earlier been identified at the? recently concluded 14th Regional Climate Outlook Forum for West Africa, Cameroon and Chad in Abuja. That conference took place sometime in June of this year with the theme: “Optimisation of Seasonal Climate Forecast in Climate Risk Management and Adaptation to Climate Change.”
The Director-General/CEO, Nigeria Meteorological Agency(NIMET), Dr.Anthony Anuforom, had submitted at the Abuja conference that efficient climate services was needed to support sustainable development and ensure the attainment of MDGs in all countries. This is against the background of the fact that countries in the Africa sub-region were most vulnerable to the impact of extreme and unusual weather phenomena, whereas their capacity to cope and recover from the effect of natural hazard is also lacking. It then becomes imperative to provide early warning information as a means of reducing the impact of severe weather events.
Similarly, the Africa Disaster Risk Management Team Leader at the World Bank, Mr. Paolo Caputo, disclosed that in order to help improve disaster management and assist countries that were already reeling under the impact of climate change in the West Africa sub-region, the World Bank through the global facility on disaster reduction and recovery has set aside the sum of $27 million. He listed the priority countries for the global facility to include; Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali,Togo and Senegal.
Commenting on why Nigeria was not included on the ‘most vulnerable’ list,Caputo said that vulnerability to floods was a strong criteria used. Also considered were: track records of the? various governments in terms of disaster management, their commitment to the global framework for action and the possibility of integrating actions of disaster management with the existingWorld Bank portfolio. He emphasised that the five countries on the most vulnerable list were chosen by a large constituency of donors which support the global facility for disaster reduction and recovery, adding that the list could be expanded depending on the needs and requests from the various governments in West Africa.
The World Bank helmsman however pointed out that the efforts of the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) at climate change mitigation and adaptation were beginning to yield fruits for Nigeria as the country was now off the danger radar.Such efforts may include the just- concluded roving seminars for farmers in Nigeria. Partly, the seminars were informed by the fact that rainfall patterns in most parts of Nigeria have been altered, causing flood or drought. There have also been increased frequency and intensity of thunderstorms and lightning, desert encroachment and gully erosion. These meteorological hazards constitute major threats to the country.
The Roving Seminars therefore provided NIMET an opportunity to bring weather and climate information to rural farming communities and create further awareness on the importance and advantages of utilising the Agency’s weather and climate information services to enhance agricultural output. These services provide the necessary guidance in making operational decisions on their farming activities for increased agricultural yields and minimized risks.
While declaring the Roving Seminars open in Abuja, the DG/CEO, NIMET, Dr Anthony Anuforom cited instances of spate of floods in 2010 which destroyed farmlands in almost every part of the country. This resulted in higher food prices and further spread of poverty in the land. This disturbing trend, he noted, has continued even this year (2011). And since about 80 per cent of the variability in agriculture and food production was due to weather vagaries, the seminars became imperative as it was believed that if no adequate climate change adaptation was employed, by 2020, between 2 to 11 per cent of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) may be lost.
In a separate interview with Leadership, Dr Anuforom pointed out that, “Statistic shows that average annual losses from weather related events were in the orders of $1 billion in 1990s, $35 billion in 2004 and almost doubled in 2005. In addition, it was recorded that, between 1980 and 2005, nearly 7,500 natural disasters worldwide took lives of over two million people and produced economic losses estimated at over $1.2 trillion. He added that hazards were known to have the potential to set back economic development and progress for long periods of time because of the need to divert funds away from development to management of emergency, disaster, and reconstruction activities. When disaster occurs, the affected regions must be rebuilt just to get it back to “normal”, therefore the expediency of information on climate change to farmers can not be overemphasized.Rain guages for monitoring rainfall distribution and moisture availability were also donated to about 345 farmers spread across six geo – political zones of the federation by NIMET.
As its modest contribution to the Transformation Agenda and improve the quality of life of the average Nigerian, the agency has also embarked on building strategic infrastructure. The recent launch of the National Weather Forecasting and Climate Research Centre (NWFCRC) located near the toll gate of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja is so far regarded as a clear resolve on the part of the federal government to tackle the issues of climate change headlong. It is conceived as an all embracing integrated centre where all operational information on weather, climate data, products and services offered by NIMET would be easily accessed.
The Agency has not also relented on its campaign to phase out the consumption of Hydro Chloro Fluoro Carbons(HCFCs),especially as Nigeria was a party to the Montreal Protocol which comprises nations that have agreed in a deal to curb emissions. In meetings that featured talks on carbon credit, carbon trading and technology transfer, NIMET has been stressing the need for public awareness programmes and information systems on ozone, and air quality issues in order to reduce the emission of pollutants that cause excess ozone production near earth’s surface.
It is also on record that following the successful installation and commissioning of the Low Level Wind Shear Alert System (LLWAS) at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria has not witnessed any air mishap as was the case in past. Wind shear is a hazardous meteorological phenomenon caused by sudden changes in the wind speed and/or direction over a short distance and /or short period of time. Only recently, the Honourable Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, inaugurated the first, out of the 6, Doppler Weather Radar Technology for the purpose of accurate weather forecasts in the country’s airspace. This state-of-the-art equipment at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International airport in Abuja? was designed to provide metrological products and services which would enhance the quality of forecasts for hazardous weather events like flooding.
There are still assurances that the remaining five Doppler Weather Radars would be installed at Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri, Port Harcourt and Yola airports very soon. When fully completed, the impact of the technology would be of immense benefit to all, especially in the area of agriculture.
These domestic reforms are significant indices of Nigeria’s preparedness to tackle the impact of climate change, leveraging on the services of NIMET, the only government institution vested with the power to make weather predictions for national socio – economic development, safety of lives and property.