Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the earth’s near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and it’s projected continuation. Global temperature increased 0.74 + 0.18C (1.33 + 0.32F) during the last century. Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation are responsible for most of the increased temperature since the middle of the 20th century.
Natural phenomena such as, solar variation and volcanoes produced most of the warming from pre-industrial times to 1950 and had a small cooling effect afterward. These basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 40 scientific societies and academies of science, including all the academies of science of the major industrialized countries.
The African continent is a rich mosaic of ecosystems, ranging from the snow and ice fields of Mount Kilimanjaro to tropical rainforests to the Sahara Desert. Although it has the lowest per capita fossil energy use of any major world region, Africa may be the most vulnerable continent to climate change because widespread poverty limits her capabilities. Signs of a changing climate in Africa have already emerged: spreading disease and melting glaciers in the mountains, warming temperatures in drought-prone areas, and sea-level rise and coral bleaching along her coastlines.
PRESENT DAY IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE OR GLOBAL WARMING ON AFRICA:
• Cairo, Egypt- Warmest August on record, 1998. Temperatures reached 105F (41C) on August 6, 1998
• South Africa- Warmest and driest decade on record, 1985-1995. Average temperature increased almost 1F (0.56C) over the past century. Outcome: Extensive fires along the coast in the Western Cape Province.
• Senegal-sea-level rise, Sea-level rise is causing the loss of coastal land at Ruisque, on the south coast of Senegal
• Guinea Bissau- sea-level rise is practically eroding the low lying coastal areas of this and other coastal countries
• Kenya- Mt. Kenya largest glacier disappearing. 92% of the Lewis Glacier has melted in the past 100 years.
Deadly malaria outbreak in 1997.
Worst drought in 60 years, 2001
• Tanzania- Mt. Kilimanjaro, Ice projected to disappear by 2020.
Malaria expands in mountains due to high temperatures in the Usambara Mountains.
• Uganda- Rwenzori Mountains, disappearing glaciers
• Lake Chad - disappearing lake. The surface of the lake has decreased from 9,650 Sq. miles (25,000kmSq. in 1963 to 521 Sq. miles (1,350km sq.) today. Modeling studies indicate the severe reduction results from a combination of reduced rainfall and increased demand for water for agricultural irrigation and other human needs.
• Many observers feel pressure to act sooner than later. Global temperatures have increased about 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit since 1906, according to the 2007 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Without a new treaty to halt carbon dioxide emissions, world temperatures could rise an additional 7.2 degrees by 2100, raising fears of widespread crop failures, climate "refugees," rising seas and desertification for regions such as Sub Sahara and Kalahari Desert areas of Africa etc.
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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS ON NIGERIA
Seasonal rainfall patterns have changed, in the southern parts of Sub-Saharan Africa, floods and erosion are now common. The Southern States and Middle Belt areas of Nigeria, including Delta, Edo, the Western and South Eastern States all experience flooding and massive soil erosion on a yearly basis. The northern states all experience a drastic lack of rain and loss of vegetation on a regular basis.
Sea-level rise,
Nigerian States aborting the Atlantic coast are all suffering from sea-level rise. Unless immediate steps are taken, much of the infrastructure development planned or now taking place may all be drowned out by sea-level rise in the not so distant future. The most recent studies predict a sea-level rise of up to six feet in the next twenty to fifty years. Most of the developments now taking place in Lagos Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers and Cross Rivers States will all be submerged under water. A call to be pro-active is well deserved. Nigerians and her rulers must take sea-level rise and climate change into consideration when planning for infrastructure developments.
Nigeria’s fresh water fish and vegetation may be negatively impacted as the salt water of the oceans inordinate the rivers and lakes. Mangrove forests and fish may be rendered extinct. The already polluted waters in the oil producing areas of Nigeria are likely to move northwards and cause havoc in the only land areas spared in the north which desertification is already wiping out.
Both the Arctic and Antarctic sea ice are melting and this phenomena can not be stopped. This means all of Nigeria’s coastal regions stretching from the west to the east will be affected. Millions will be displaced, infrastructure destroyed. Diseases will become rampart leading to further civil unrest.
Population displacement and dislocation.
Nigeria and much of Western Africa is already experiencing population dislocation, mostly from our neighbors to the north and within. These forced migrations are putting huge pressures on the already large population in these countries and causing strife among the general population in terms of water, food shortages and diseases such as malaria, leprosy, polio, river blindness, and a host of others will become even more common. Sea level rise and flooding will create even greater problems as Nigeria’s south harbors the highest population density. Where will all the displaced people go? Are the Nigerian government, NGOs and/or private organizations proactively planning on population relocation as a result of sea level rise or flooding? Global warming is a reality and is already here. We should already have projects on the ground with active contingency plans ready for execution.
Erosion
The Southeastern states have erosion problems dating from several years and this problem continues to grow. Recently the Governors of the Southeastern states called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to declare the southeast zone an emergency for erosion intervention measures. They specifically proposed massive forestation projects, a water channelization master plan, and sustainable land.
Drought
Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is alerting her northern states of an impending catastrophe. States such as Sokoto, Katsina, Zamphara, Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano, Borno, Yobe, Gombe, Bauchi and Adamawa are suffering the effects of climate change. Inadequate preparation will lead to water and food shortages nationally.
Health and Welfare
Diseases- adverse health effects from warmer temperatures- Diseases typically found in certain zones like the hotter desert areas or flood prone areas are likely to spread into regions where these diseases were previously unknown, thereby adversely affecting the general population. Examples include aerosolized dust or soil contact disease: Lassa fever. Food or water borne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A and E and typhoid fever. Respiratory disease: Meningococcal meningitis and animal contact disease: rabies. Climate change may also lead to massive increases and migration in disease vectors such as mosquitoes, rats, mice, cockroaches, etc
Transportation
Transportation networks are vital to any nation’s economy, safety, communication, and quality of life. Climate change impacts pose significant challenges to Nigeria’s existing and proposed transportation systems. Our existing sea-ports and airports at Lagos, Warri, Port Harcourt, Kano and Calabar as well as the proposed rail system in the country, the road network linking all the states in the federation would all be threatened if adequate planning is not put in place. Examples exist worldwide where flooding, sandstorms and other natural disasters have disrupted travel of all types including air, water, rail and freight shipments.
Political
Civil unrest of the population; in a climate where the health and welfare of the general population is at stake, political unrest becomes common.
Lack of Food, Drinking and irrigation Water Availability
REMEDIES
UN Secretary General, Ban Ki_Moon; global warming blamed mainly on burning fossil fuels could raise sea-levels by 50 CM to two meters (20” to 6’6”) this century.
2009 was the second warmest summer on record in the southern hemisphere-
USA Today.com 09/16/2009.
Greenhouse gases trap heat and warm the atmosphere. A United Nations Environment Program report in September found effects such as drought, melting sea ice and ocean acidification arriving ahead of, and looking worse than, the IPCC's 2007 projections.
"Business as usual" leads to an increase of more than 8 degrees, "truly a catastrophic world," says Alden Meyer of the Union of Concerned Scientists in Washington, D.C. "We've spent two decades putting this off. We won't get a second chance."
“Climate change is a fact of life, there is not much Africa will be able do to reduce the negative impacts since the culprits are the major industrialized countries, however there are several remedies African countries should embark on immediately to reduce these impacts;
But my concern is what we are doing domestically to fight climate change. The implication of our un-preparedness is that we are going to walk blindly into disaster unless we act fast” –
Honorable Eziuchi Ubani, Chairman, House Committee on Climate Change (Nigeria)
“It is also my intention to encourage the rest of the country to take the issue of climate change more seriously than we have. Let us not be deluded, the weather patterns are changing, ocean levels are rising, many of our riverine communities are being washed away, there is intensification of desertification, and we have to be careful not to be caught unprepared”
Dr. Emmanuel Oduaghan, Delta State Governor.
Minister of Environment for Nigeria, Mr. John Odey has done well in creating a Nigerian Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) which consists presently of the Ministries of Environment, Public Works-Transportation, Housing, Public Safety and Health. We beg the minister to include other governmental bodies such as all the affected states in the federation, both Federal and States Ministries of Agriculture, and Town Planning, etc. It is of great importance to make the IPCC a national organization since this problem of climate change is a national concern. One state or region would not be successful in taking care of its climate change problems. Problems of this magnitude require great regional effort in working cooperatively, continually, and comprehensively for it to be successful.
IMMEDIATE POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
• Alternative Energy Sources
Over the years most of the developing world including Nigeria, have depended on firewood and charcoal for heating purposes at home and in light industries. This practice has depleted the rain forest and increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Nigeria is blessed with abundant natural gas. The time has come for our nation to embark on a project to make natural gas available to its citizenry. Natural gas development and distribution may be expensive and time consuming in the short run, but eventually will pay off. Natural gas gives off far less carbon dioxide and is a cleaner burning fuel.
In the northern parts of the country wind power is an energy resource that could be easily harnessed.
Solar energy is also readily available. Nigeria is a God blessed nation devoid of calamities except those we have imposed on ourselves. The time has come for us to be smart and take care of our own. If we don’t, know one will.
• The oil companies have practiced gas flaring since they first came to Nigeria and have continued and Nigerian authorities have allowed them to. This is a wasted natural resource, which could be harnessed and put into good use. Gas flaring is also polluting the atmosphere and negatively affecting the people living in these areas in several ways.
• Many leaders in Nigeria have expressed concern over climate change and its impacts but little or nothing is being done to arrest the situation. For examples, desertification in the northern states and flooding and erosion in the middle belt and southern states respectively. These problems are not new. Sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria has been suffering from climate change for over fifty years. We are well aware that the financial assistance the gross polluters as well as so-called rich countries, including China and India and Brazil are now willing to make available to developing countries is nothing but a mere token. Nigeria must have projects and plans in place to validate its seriousness of ameliorating the impacts of global warming to successfully compete and win some of this money.
• Nigeria has no choice but to successfully partner with her neighbors. Global warming is a regional problem which one community would be unable to solve, it requires cooperation among nations working together. For example, Nigeria would have to partner with Chad, Niger, Cameroon, Republic of Benin, Togo and Ghana. In addressing the issue of drought, Nigeria would partner with Niger and Chad. If this is not done, the citizens of Niger and Chad will be forced to seek refuge in Nigeria as the drought gets worse in their country due to a lack of food and water. Working together to curb drought would make life’s necessities available to our neighbors thereby discouraging mass “climate refugees” migrating to Nigeria.
• Establish partnerships with nations familiar with flooding and flood controls e.g. Denmark.
Territorial Area Climate Change (TACC)
• Build sea walls, levees in areas subjected to flooding and sea level rise
• Harness water: - water channelization and storage-
Create man-made lakes
• Adopt Israel’s drip irrigation systems where needed, due to limited exposure to evaporation.
• Regional Planners should allocate areas where development would be allowed.
Encourage systems of living efficiently with water
Designate flood plains to be devoid of development
• Re-Forestation and vegetation cover
A massive program for re-forestation; creation of forest timber, cocoa, rubber, palm fruit and nut plantations for commercial purposes would not only reduce green-house gases (GHG) but also create employment.
• Reclamation and clean up of petroleum polluted lands of the Niger Delta Region.
Many of the fertile lands in the Niger Delta is polluted and abandoned. If they are cleaned up, these lands could be used together with others for the re-forestation programs.
OTHER METHODS OF REDUCING GLOBAL WARMING IMPACTS
Promulgate laws and regulations for green buildings,
Grant tax incentives to encourage environmentally sound buildings
Education: Introduce Climate Change in schools from elementary to university levels.
Educate the public
Reuse, Recycle and Reduce materials such as paper, aluminum, steel, etc
Notes
Global surface temperature is defined in the IPCC Fourth Assessment Report as the average of near-surface air temperature over land and sea surface temperature. 90% uncertainty interval.
The 2001 IPCC joint statement was signed by the world wide scientific community.
REFERENCES
For a green Delta: A look at climate change The Guardian, Emmanuel Uduaghan, Thurs., Oct. 22, 2009
Antarctic coastal ice thinning surprises experts Yahoo News, Alister Doyle, Wed. Sept. 23, 2009
Climate Change: House C’ttee decries Nigeria’s response This Day, Onwuka Nzeshi, Sept. 25, 2009
FG Convenes Inter-Ministerial Parley on Climate Change This Day, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Oct. 26, 2009
Erosion: South-East govs seek emergency declaration, This Day, Sufuyan Ojeifo, Nov. 12, 2009
The warning on drought, This Day, Editorial, Oct. 29, 2009
Global Warming in Africa: http://www.climatehotmap.org/africa.html
Global Warming: Early Warning Signs:
Contributing Organizations:
Environmental Defense
Natural Resources Defense Council
Sierra Club
Union of Concerned Scientists
U.S. Public Research Group
World Resources Institute
World Wildlife Fund
http://www.climatehotmap.org
http://nsidc.org/iceshelves/larsenb2002/index.html
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