Environmentalists Call For Action On Climate Change In Niger Delta

Environmentalists have called for conscious action from the federal government, international oil companies and civil society organisations in bringing solution to impacts of climate change on the Niger Delta region.

The environmentalists, who made the call at the Niger Delta conference on climate change in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, identified end to oil exploration and exploitation in the region as solution to climate change in the region.

Delivering a paper titled, “Loss and Damage in the Context of Global Climate Justice Movement,” executive director, We The People, Mr Ken Henshaw, stated that loss and damages can only make sense when damages on the environment are paid for and crude oil extraction is brought to an end.

Henshaw said it was important that the Niger Delta people understand that in reality, loss and damages in climate change has both political and social issues and the window for solution is closing while the impact is irreparable.

The activist described loss and damage as a climate change concept that recognises the fact that communities that contributed the least to creating climate change are suffering tremendous impacts which they cannot mitigate and which they cannot adapt to.

He called on the Nigerian government and people of the Niger Delta to present a document to the United Nations Committee on Loss and Damages during the COP28 slated to hold in Dubai later this year, on the need to add the peculiar challenges faced by the Niger Delta and other parts of the country, which include flooding, high sea levels, damage to farm lands, damage to artefacts, hunger, displacement of communities amongst others, in its decisions and document.

Also, the executive director, GIFSEF, Mr David Michael, in his keynote address, called for a policy framework to address the challenges of the climate change.

David, who spoke on “Towards a Regional Action Plan on Climate Change”, pointed out that it was time for stakeholders to push for regional climate action plan for the Niger Delta region. He said this should be done through conceptualisation, capacity building, visualisation, transparency, co-production and cooperation.

Earlier in his welcome address, the convener of the conference and executive director, Lekeh Development Foundation, Friday Barilule Nbani, said the conference with the theme: “Niger Delta Climate Change: Imperative for Action”, is a call for attention in addressing the impact of climate change on communities and people of the Niger Delta region.