By Obiabin Onukwugha
The Delta State government says it has regenerated 52 hectares of Woodlots in different communities of the state in the last five years.
The project, which is being driven by the United Nations Development Project, (UNDP), is geared towards climate change mitigation.
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment in Delta State, Dr (Mrs) Oseji Mininim, stated this while delivering a paper on Climate Change Impacts And Other Environmental Issues at an event organized by the African Network For Environment And Economic Justice (ANEEJ) in Warri, recently.
Mininim, who was represented by the Director, Climate Change in the Ministry, Mrs Vivian Briggs, noted that Delta state was being ravaged by climate change impacts because of its terrain.
According to the Permanent Secretary, the state government has embarked on numerous projects and programmes aimed at reducing land degradation, conservation of biodiversity, improving ecosystem services and mitigating climate change.
She said the programme, was being pursued and implemented through the various environmental laws in the state.
“Delta state being a littoral region with low lying terrain, crisscrossed by numerous water ways is highly vulnerable to the impacts of global warming and climate change due to enormous amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions such as carbon dioxide, methane e.t.c released into the atmosphere from oil exploration and exploitation, deforestation and sustainable land use practices.
“Climate change is already having significant impacts in Delta state as projected by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC 2007) which is evident in flooding, heat waves, coastal inundation, saltwater incursion and poor crop yield just to mention a few.
“The Delta State Government has embarked on numerous projects and programmes aimed at reducing land degradation, conservation of biodiversity, improving ecosystem services and mitigating climate change.
“Delta State Government drives her Environmental programmes based on the Laws enacted by the State Government. We are presently operating with the Delta State Ecology Law (2006), Delta State Environmental Protection Agency (DELSEPA) Law, 1997, Delta State Environmental Sanitation Law, 2006 (CAP.D17), Delta State Waste Management Board Law, 2004 (No. 4) and the Forestry Law.
“It is expedient to mention that the Delta State Government in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)-serving as Technical partners implemented the Territorial Approach to Climate Change (TACC) programme (2011 to 2015) aimed at reducing the vulnerability of local communities to climate change impacts and develop a low carbon and climate resilient economy for the State.
“The programme successfully produced three fundamental documents for the State viz; The Delta State Climate Change Policy. This climate smart policy is meant to climate proof development projects in all sectors of the economy.
“Delta State Integrated Territorial Climate Plan. A 5-year strategy and action plan in different key sectors for mitigating and adapting to climate change with time frame and estimated cost.
“A Biophysical and Socioeconomic Assessment Report. An evidenced-based Research work on the nexus of climate change and environmental degradation,” she said.
Mininim further pointed out that the state government in a bid to achieving a laudable afforestation/forest regeneration programme, collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) from 2016 to 2021 to implement the Sustainable Fuel-wood Management (SFM) Project.
She stated: “The Delta State Government in a bid to achieving a laudable afforestation/ forest regeneration programme, collaborated with the United Nations Development Programme/ Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) from 2016 to 2021 to implement the Sustainable Fuel-wood Management (SFM) Project in Delta State.
“The project was an initiative to check deforestation and in the same vain contribute to climate change mitigation through integrated and sustainable fuelwood production, utilization and promotion of sustainable biomass energy technology in Nigeria using output based and market based approaches.
“The key achievements of the project include; the regeneration of 52 hectares of woodlots in some forest reserves at different communities in Delta State,
Creation of Community Forest Management Committees (CFMCs) to protect and manage nearby forests.
