The Society for Planet and Prosperity, an environmental NGO, has called for urgent climate action and support for victims of the devastating flood disaster in Borno.
This is contained in a statement signed by Ugochukwu Uzuegbu, Communications Officer, SPP, on Monday in Lagos.
Uzuegbu said the organisation was deeply saddened and commiserated with the government and people of Bornu over the flood disaster that recently struck the state.
He noted that the tragic event, triggered by the collapse of the Alau dam, resulted in numerous casualties, loss of lives and widespread destruction of livelihoods.
Referencing the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Uzuegbu said the incident claimed the lives of no fewer than 30 persons, with at least 414,000 people displaced.
He said that NEMA also estimated that no fewer than one million people had been affected by flooding across the country, with many communities at risk.
He noted that while the immediate cause of the disaster was the dam’s failure, the underlying cause remained climate change, which, through increased rainfall, exerted pressure on the dam, leading to its collapse.
Uzuegbu quoted the President of SPP, Prof. Chukwumerije Okereke, as saying:
“At this point, it is crucial that we deal with the root cause of the flood given the many obvious risks and impacts of climate change.
“It has become very clear that we cannot continue to play the ostrich.
“This unfortunate incident is once more, a rude awakening to the dangers ahead, most especially highlighting the vulnerabilities of the subnational regions which bear the brunt of these climate impacts.
“We are very troubled by this sad occurrence and advocate that urgent action be taken by governments at all levels, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to provide relief to the people of Borno.”
According to him, as the world prepares for the forthcoming COP29 generally regarded as the Finance COP, and as Nigeria prepares to submit her National Determined Contribution (NDC) 3.0, SPP strongly advocates early access to international finance.
He said the group also seeks speedy implementation of the Loss and Damage Fund and improved funding of the Adaptation Fund to meet current needs.
“It is equally important that these resources, when available, are used efficiently and transparently, with the subnational also able to access these funds to help them enhance their disaster preparedness, adaptation efforts and mitigation measures.
“Governments, particularly at the sub-national level, must urgently implement climate vulnerability risk assessments, and develop early warning systems.
“They should also prioritise developing climate change policies aligned with these assessments in order to mitigate future risks.
“Efforts should be made to improve climate change awareness among the people.
“Informed communities are better equipped to adapt and embark on meaningful community-led actions against climate change”. (NAN)
