By Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged UN-member countries to rededicate themselves to the task of rebuilding and restoring a healthy environment for future generations.
Making the call Monday in Katowice, Poland, the Nigerian leader noted that no country can confront climate change all by itself.
President Buhari, in an address to the opening session of United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP24), warned that the challenges of climate change, including rising temperatures, desertification, floods, low agricultural yields and drying up of water bodies, are enormous and evident to all.
Citing the receding Lake Chad, the president noted that the effects of climate change are felt more on the vulnerable communities who lacked the capacity and technology to properly address such challenges.
‘‘Obviously, no country can confront the phenomenon alone. In this regard, Nigeria believes in joint and cooperative efforts to tackle the problem.
‘‘We urge that efforts to address the challenges of climate change be pursued within multilateral frameworks. Concerted efforts should be made to strengthen sub-regional and regional organisations, to serve as hubs for Climate Action and partnership,’’ the Nigerian leader said at the International Conference Centre, Katowice.
Speaking specifically on Lake Chad, the President reaffirmed that Nigeria remains committed to saving the Lake, which is a source of livelihood to 40 million people, from extinction.
He said Nigeria would build on the success of an International Conference held earlier in February this year in Abuja to create additional awareness globally on the serious environmental and security challenges facing the Lake Chad region.
The President told COP 24 Summit, attended by world leaders and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, that a consensus was reached at the Abuja Conference that an inter-basin water transfer from the Congo Basin remains the most sustainable option available to resuscitate and safeguard this precious water body that was once the 6th largest fresh water Lake in the world.
On behalf of the Member Countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission, the President thanked the Italian Government for donating 1.5 million Euros towards completion of the feasibility studies on the proposed inter-basin water transfer project.
‘‘I once again call on the international community to support this worthy project, for the benefit of nearly 40 million people that depend on the Lake for their livelihood, and to guarantee future security of the region.
‘‘I would like to reiterate Nigeria’s commitment to constructively supporting multilateral action aimed at addressing climate change.
‘‘We must rededicate ourselves to the task of rebuilding and restoring the healthy environment we inherited for future generations,’’ he said.
President Buhari also used the occasion to highlight what Nigeria had done and is doing on climate change after the adoption of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change in 2015.
‘‘We in Nigeria have commenced the implementation of our Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
‘‘In the next 15 years, we aim to achieve 20% emissions reduction below Business as Usual (BAU) and 45% emissions reduction with the support of our international partners by 2030.
‘‘Our efforts include the review and introduction of new responsive Legislation/policies, strengthening institutional and manpower capacities, and encouraging gradual transition to low carbon economy.
‘‘Nigeria has also recently ratified the Doha Amendment and will soon deposit the instrument for ratification,’’ he said.
The President assured the people that Nigeria will continue to pursue industrialisation and economic development, with sound environmental management and best practices.
He added that Nigeria had unlocked the potential of its sovereign green bond to galvanize private capital to finance environmentally sustainable projects.
