By Alice Onukwugha
Countries worldwide, especially in the global north, have increasingly recognized climate change as a threat to human health, prompting a shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy.
International bodies such as the United Nations and the Conference of Parties for Climate Change (COP) are leading efforts to develop documents and decisions to support nations, especially those in the Global South, in adopting renewable energy.
Eleven countries, including Costa Rica, Scotland, Iceland, Germany, Uruguay, Denmark, China, Morocco, New Zealand, and Norway, are already at the forefront of embracing renewable energy.
In contrast, Nigeria, a significant crude oil producer and exporter in Africa, is yet to adopt a conscious policy on renewable energy. This has led to continued degradation in the Niger Delta region, where oil exploration and exploitation have taken place for over five decades.
The Niger Delta region has faced challenges of degradation, and in the last decade, it has been severely impacted by yearly flooding, destroying crops, farmlands, communities, and resulting in numerous deaths.
To address these issues, the Lekeh Development Foundation organized the maiden edition of the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, to formulate a conscious Action Plan for the Niger Delta people.
The conference, attended by Nigerian and international environmental bodies and activists, aimed to deepen conversations about climate change impacts and raise awareness of the negative effects of fossil fuel extraction and climate change, especially on women and young people in the region. It also aimed to scrutinize climate policies in Nigeria.
Participants highlighted that climate change effects have exacerbated the woes of the Niger Delta region, leading to hunger, poverty, and loss of life.
For instance, Executive Director of We the People, Ken Henshaw, pointed out that people in the Niger Delta were suffering from hunger due to flooding caused by climate change, which submerged farmlands and communities.
Similarly, Executive Director of KebetKache, Emem Okon, emphasized how climate change has affected the livelihood of women in the Niger Delta, most of whom are farmers, resulting in poverty and hunger.
The conference’s communique addressed the environmental injustice against the Niger Delta and called for an end to the Nigerian Government’s use of fossil fuels.
It also emphasized the need for awareness creation, mobilization of communities, adaptation, and mitigation strategies to combat climate change.
The communique further recommended the promotion of sustainable agricultural practices, enhanced coastal protection, improved flood management systems, and reforestation initiatives to mitigate climate change impacts.
Moreover, it urged the end of illegal gas flaring in the region, halted expansion of fossil fuel extraction, and comprehensive cleanup and restoration of the heavily degraded environment.
The communique also emphasized capacity-building programs and learning from indigenous knowledge to enhance knowledge, skills, and resources for climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Overall, the Niger Delta Climate Change Conference aimed to raise awareness and develop practical solutions to address the urgent challenges posed by climate change in the region.
