As the world combats the impact of climate change, the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) with the support of some local and international NGOs, corporate organisations and others is set to host the 2019 National Climate Action Week across Nigeria.
The atmospheric changing event with the theme “Promoting nature-based investment for climate resilience in Nigeria” is scheduled for 25th to 29th November, 2019 in 15 States including Lagos, Abuja and other representative states across the six geopolitical zones.
The objective of the Climate Action Week is to promote nature-based solution to climate change through mobilizing communities, businesses, youths, and women for climate action in Nigeria.
Nigeria is a diverse country with complex environmental crisis ranging from flooding in the South, soil erosion and land degradation in the East, Desertification and Drought in the North, to Farmland expansion leading to deforestation in the West. Combating these various challenges requires a combination of nature-based solution hence the need to advocate and promote investment in nature-based solution to address these environmental problems especially as Climate change challenge facing people, planet, and livelihood
Taking Lagos as the typical Nigeria’s coastal state with a significant population living along its coast lines and the economic capital of the nation having its major Central Business District occupying Lagos Island. Ocean surge as a result of sea level rise has been a major environmental crisis leading to loss of life, infrastructure, and hindering business growth in the area. Lagos has witnessed several historical ocean surges displacing people and affecting livelihood of both coastal and inland communities. This annual incident is continuously exacerbated by climate change as result of sea level rise with forced displacement of people across the coastline.
In July 2018, Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) conducted a satellite imagery assessment of how the Lagos coastline has changed over a period of 10 years forcing coastal communities/households to abandon their property. The Lagos State Government in 2014 commissioned a brown infrastructural project to combat the continuous ocean surge with the building of concrete embankments and a follow-up groin development along some distance of the coastline. The impact of this effort has saved millions of lives and the nation’s economic hub from going under water. However, this environmental crisis persists and combining nature-based investment with existing brown infrastructure will help in achieving a long-term solution to the Ocean surge. The Climate Action Week will highlight some of the impact of climate change in Nigeria and unlock the potential of nature-based investment in building mitigation and adaptive capacity for people and ecosystem in the most vulnerable area in Nigeria.
