SM4CC SERIES: CLIMATE CHANGE IN NIGERIA AND THE WAY FORWARD

“Well, considering all the problems that Nigerians have to deal with, nature conservation is pretty high up on the pyramid of needs. A lot of people out there are still too hungry or too poor to care about the environment. Although ironically, taking care of the environment could provide them with the jobs and income they need.”

The above paragraph was a comment on the first post in the Social Media For Climate Change (SM4CC) series – it’s also my basis for the piece you are about to read. I examined in the first post, a few of the issues we face as a nation as regards Climate Change - and our lack of actions, or better still, more enthusiasm in activities put in place to prevent them.  

The second sentence in the comment above brilliantly gives a reason as to why there is a problem – most people are too poor and hungry. If the peoples’ main concern is how to feed and get out of poverty, there’s nothing you can do or say to them to make them conscious of, and protect their environment. More on “why” in my next post.

The last sentence of the comment states and shows that, even in this situation – our lack of concern for the environment and its attendant consequences, there are possible solutions. Basically, all would be well if the care and safety of the environment is linked to the general well being of the common man. This is one of such solutions.

“…Climate change must be viewed in the context of achieving sustainable development through poverty reduction and environmental protection…the development of localized medium and long-term adaptation strategies, and of low carbon development plans that address the issue of poverty and African development potential, point the way forward…”

Hence, there is a need for more affirmative and proactive action by the government and its citizenry; individuals. This can be undertaken separately by either the government or individuals but, I think its best when done collectively – either in supporting roles or equal participation. What is of importance is the need for active collaboration between the government and individuals. 

You might have noticed I broke down citizenry; a collective, into individuals; a unit. Now, for truly efficient and effective implementation and adoption of actions to take place, these actions have to be taken to the grassroots - grassroots in this case would be the local governments; government as a collective, broken down into units. The next two paragraphs explain this further.

“…Government at all levels must share a common goal of ensuring the safety, health and welfare of its citizens and communities. Climate change will affect a range of community assets, services, operations and policy areas and so developing policy strategies at the local level will be more specific. Local governments, therefore have a greater responsibility to take action to adapt effectively…”

“…Even though Africa has contributed very little to global warming, it will be disproportionately affected by the negative impacts of climate change and the poorest and most vulnerable will bear the brunt of it…because local government has some unique elements, as it is in close proximity with the citizens through the services it delivers to communities, as well as regulatory and planning responsibilities. Therefore, it has to be on the frontline in tackling climate change impacts and building adaptive capacity…”

Now that it is certain that the local governments are to lead the way forward on climate change issues, through collaborative efforts with individuals in their communities, what should constitute these collaborative efforts? I’m going to conclude this piece by quickly proffering a couple of suggestions, most from a Community Conservation and Development Initiatives (CCDI) report.

1. A clear vision needs to be established which will produce climate resilient local governments that are prepared to take proactive steps to prepare for projected climate change impacts. More work is needed to assist local governments to identify the areas to plan for and make policy on; associated with built, natural and human systems that provide services or activities.
2. The institutionalization of participatory processes must be encouraged through the establishment of a robust communication/multimedia framework e.g. townhall meetings etc. to strengthen communication and feedback mechanisms between communities, stakeholders and local governments.
3. All local governments should conduct climate change vulnerability and risk assessments as part of the planning process for action. This will help with the selection of priority planning areas, which should be the focus of the actions and long term preparedness plan. Local governments should pool resources to conduct investigations.
4. Financial support for some of the key activities identified can be sought locally and internationally. Funding mechanisms should be administered with a transparency and accountability institutionalized. Criteria for the disbursement and management of the ecological fund must be reviewed with particular reference to improving adaptive capacity at local government level.
5. Local government chairmen, instead of donating the usual things like motorcycles, tricycles etc. that contribute to environmental degradation, when giving back to their communities, should rather focus on giving environment friendly things such as fuel efficient stoves, recycling bins to enable separation of waste etc. 

Reference
 Mobilising Local Governments for Climate Action. Raising Awareness and Building Capacity. Edited by Kofo Adeleke.