Climate change has become a new reality and
a worldwide phenomenon but a second
look at the topic suggests that Nigeria may be immune from it.
In
effect, climate change will mean a change in such weather condition for a
particular location over time.
Impact
as used may be negative or positive or a combination. A literal definition of
climate states that a significant time variation in weather
patterns occurring over periods ranging from decades to millions of years and area such as Nigeria over a period of time.
What
therefore is climate change; can Nigeria be affected; what impact has it on
Nigeria? How can we mitigate the negative impact and ensure that climate
change/global warming does not have disastrous consequence on Nigeria?
Giving
answers to these questions are at best guesstimate as no one can be definitive
about them, but we still need to start thinking about them today to find
answers to tomorrow’s challenges.
What
then is climate change? This can be looked at as the continuing change of the
earth’s climate, which, in time past, was seen to be caused by natural causes.
However,
the term ‘climate change’ today is generally used when referring to the change
in our climate which has been observed since the early part of the 20th
century.
The
changes which are seen over recent years and those which are predicted over the
next century are thought to be mainly due to human behavior rather than due to
natural changes in the atmosphere.
What
causes this change cannot be treated in isolation without looking at greenhouse
effect which is caused by the release of destructive gases by human action
which in turn brings about the warming of the earth surface by increase in the
earth’s temperature.
The
increase in temperature in turn causes the melting of ice which contributes to
the rise in sea level among other disastrous consequences.
Arising
from this, is the question: “Climate
Change in Nigeria: Any Impact?” In this regard an example may suffice.
According
to the report complied in 2010, investigations revealed that over 200 people were
killed by meningitis in Nigeria and Niger Republic in one week. There were
outbreaks in 76 areas. There were 25,000 suspected cases and 1, 500 deaths in
the first quarter of 2009. Although meningitis is a disease caused by an
infection of the meanings, which is the thin lining that surrounds the brain
and the spinal cord, experts have found a correlation between the weather and
this disease. It is generally known that the disease attacks more people during
the dry season because of dust, wind and cold nights. There were indications in
the past one month that many people were treated for acute pneumonia in some
hospitals as a result of the erratic and unpredictable weather which has also confused
farmers about planting seasons raising fear about food production and security.
Apart from the reign of diseases as a
result of harsh weather conditions in Northern Nigeria agriculture has been
affected as a result of erratic weather patterns. The dryness has led to dry
waterbeds and movement of people and their pasture to the southern regions thus
causing tension and conflicts between the original inhabitants and the new
comers. Experts at the United Nations and other global bodies have found over the
years that the world’s climate has changed.
The
drought of the 1970s that swept most of the Sahel region of Africa left the
region, including Nigeria, with general water resources issues. The consequence
of that are the low agricultural output, limited water supply and inadequate
water reserve for power generation which the region is associated with.
Again
the increasing flooding in the coastal and non-coastal regions of the country
is indicative of the expected effect of climate change.
There
are two extremes of the expected challenges of the climate change in Nigeria,
viz, increase in rainy and dry seasons with each lasting approximately six
months on the average, that is, April to October and October to March,
respectively.
Nigeria
daily temperature average differs according to location and period of the year.
Average temperature ranges from 25oC in the southern coast to 40oC in the
north.
A
rise in temperature of between 1.4oC to 5.8oC by 2100
according to Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, will have serious
negative effect on the socio-economic wellbeing of the country in the following
ways: increase in amount of rains and number of rainy day-flooding in the
coastal areas, higher risk of 100years flooding occurring at shorter intervals;
- Deforestation as a result of
relocating of people from the flood affected areas of the coast;
- Change in land use in the coast
may have drastic effect on agricultural output and hence livelihood;
- Desertification will increase
and more droughts which encourage locusts and white flies, which in turn
will affect food and water supply;
- Wildlife will also be affected
with possible effect on the entire food chain.
- Landslides especially in
erosion prone areas;
- high temperature in the north
will cause increase health issues such as meningitis, cataracts, malaria
and yellow fever etc
- High cost of construction
especially in the coastal areas;
I
will stop by saying if we don’t put all this in mind, then what will our future
be?
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