The Ebonyi State Government, yesterday, unveiled a policy and action plan on climate change, which stipulates goals, objectives, and strategies towards mitigating the consequences of global warming, especially its impact on agriculture and associated livelihoods.
Governor David Umahi, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Kelechi Igwe, noted that his administration recognised climate change as a topical issue and had resolved to prioritise it, stressing that the state government established the Climate Change Office to ensure a green and sustainable environment in the state.
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He added that his administration had achieved positive results in its efforts to combat the negative effects of climate change, which include construction of pulverisation plant with capacity to process 200 metric tons, climate change sensitisation and tree planting initiative in the 13 council areas and a bill on climate change, among others.
“Notwithstanding these achievements, we are consistent in mitigating the impacts of climate change, hoping that the new policy and adaptive action plan document, if well implemented, will impact positively on the state.
“This action plan requires an ambitious, strategic, clear but feasible framework and the strategy must be directed to all stakeholders and they must understand the crucial role they have to play towards climate change mitigation, adaptation and resilience,” he stated.
He, therefore, urged all stakeholders to contribute to the plan to enable the state to have a compendium that would form a concrete climate change policy and adaptive action plan.
Speaking, Senior Special Assistant to the governor on Climate Change, Mrs. Obianuju Aloh, commended Umahi for providing an enabling environment and the need to combat global warming in the state.
She noted that climate change was a reality, as it had resulted in serious global environment challenges, which now constituted threat to human health, agriculture, peace and security.
“It has been responsible for the storms, drought, rising sea level, flooding and global economy and we must act fast to tackle these threats to save the world,” she said.
She explained that the action plan would encompass policies formulated specifically to tackle environmental hazards, stressing that it would help to curb the effects of climate change in the future and improve public health.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has trained no fewer than 250 persons on emergency response and techniques in flood and disaster management.
Its Head of Operations in Imo/Abia office, Evans Ugoh, who disclosed this in Owerri, said the beneficiaries were drawn from various communities in Imo and Abia states to collaborate with NEMA in tackling disasters.
Ugoh said the decision to train the local response coordinators was based on the Director-General Muhammed Muhammed (rtd.) initiative of taking disaster management to the grassroots level.
He said NEMA was mindful of the 2020 flood prediction and would intensify response activities in ensuring that flood disasters were curtailed in the country, urging the trainees to discharge their duties with dedication and warned that the agency would not tolerate any form of inefficiency or dereliction of duty.
THE SUN, NIGERIA
