Environment
WED: Challenges Of Coastal Erosion In Rivers
Small Island Develop
ing States (SIDs), Raise Your Voice Not The Sea Level.”
That was the theme and sub-theme respectively of this year’s World Environment Day (WED).
The World Environment Day was introduced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to draw global attention to the devastating impact of climate change on the environment.
For last year, the celebration had the theme; “Think, Eat, Save, Reduce Your Footprint,” while for this year. It is Small Island Developing States (SIDs).”
The significance of this year’s celebration was that attention was being focused on the environmental challenges confronting Small Island Nations, which are vulnerable to ocean surge.
Rivers State by its geographical location is a littoral state with small islands that are already feeling the effect of climate change.
Some of these islands in Rivers State are; Andoni, Bonny Okrika, Opobo and Kalabari among others.
The grand finale of the celebration in Rivers State which took place at the Alfred Diette Spiff Civic Centre was attended by corporate organisations and individuals.
Among the corporate organizations that attended the celebration included: the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Indorama Nigeria Limited Nigeria Limited Natural Gas Liquefied (NLNG) and other international oil corporations (IOCs).
Also at the event were representatives of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Among personalities at the celebration include: Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, ably represented by the Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr. Ipalibo Harry, Chairman, Rivers State House of Asssembly Committee on Environment, Hon. (Mrs) Victoria Nyeche, Professor Winston Bellgam, Dr Okikere Iragunima, Chief Medical Director, Rivers State Hospital Management Board, Dr Nyema Weli, Commissioner for Environment Rivers State and his health counterpart, Dr Sampson Parker, among others.
The Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Environment, Hon. Mrs Victoria Nyeche, in her opening remark said that, the theme for the celebration must be localised to reflect the environmental realities facing the state.
Hon Nyeche, who was chairman of the occasion, regretted that the World Environment Day celebration had become a yearly ritual without definite steps being taken by the authorities to address problems highlighted during celebration.
According to her, the objective of the celebration will be defeated, if the government fails to address it.
She, however, said that, the issue of saving our environment from pollution must be seen as a collective effort by all as the government alone cannot do it.
“There must be a resolution to do something to improve the environment,” she said.
Hon. Nyeche said that the Rivers State House of Assembly has taken steps to improve the environment especially with the passage of the Rivers State Waste Management Bill into law and urged the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to give his accent to the bill.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Nyema Weli said that the theme was to call attention of the international community to threat of sub mergence of coastal communities across the world, following the rising sea level.
Dr Weli said that Rivers State was not immune from this threat as tidal erosion was threatening the existence of many riverine communities in the state.
The commissioner, who attributed this situation to the anti-environmental activities of man, said that, time has come for the enactment of policies and programmes to check man’s activities on the environment.
Acording to him, “we have contributed to the problem of green house gases.”
“This is the time to remind all to reduce our carbon emission and cherished processes that encourage us to dispose our waste properly.”
He said that the ministry has proposed a new Rivers State Environmentla Management Bill to ensure sustainable environment for the state.
The commissioner also advocated tree planting exercise across the state to check tidal and other forms of erosion while environmentally friendly electronic gadgets must be used by homes across the State.
The State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr Ipalibo Harry, urged the Federal Government to treat the state as a special area in view of its vulnerability to ocean surge and other natural disasters.
Rt. Hon. Amaechi said that the state government has professionalised waste management system in the state, while increased budgetary allocation has been made to the Rivers State Minsitry of Environment.
He condemned the continous building on water right of ways by some residents of the State as well as the continous use of dynamites by fishermen.
The Governor urged Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) to wake up to their responsibilities of checking some anti-environmental practices in the state, such as the use of tyres to roast meat in abattoirs among others.
In his keynote address, Professor Winston Bellgam explained that Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta have peculiar environmental challenges that distinguishes them from the rest of the country.
Professor Bellgam said that time has come for the Nigerian government to put in place processes towards the development of the coastal areas.
A cross section of the people who attended the event said that the position of Hon. Victoria Nyeche, must be taken seriously in order to realise the objective of the celebration.
They also urged the government to give more attention to the problem of coastal communities as some of them would in the nearest future become extinct due to rising sea level.
It would be recalled that before the grand final, awareness campaign was carried out by the government in Bonny and Ngo, while a tree planting exercise was carried out at the Isaac Boro Park.
Cross section of participants at the 2014 World Environment Day celebration in Port Harcourt, recently.
Some residents of Port Harcourt and its environs have reacted to the impending flooding in parts of the country, including Rivers state.
It would be recalled that the federal government last week predicted flooding in some states in the country, including Rivers State.
A cross session of residents who spoke to The Tide on the issue said time has come for residents to be careful about the way they managed their waste, especially at this time of the year.
According to them, people must avoid blocking water channels as well as indiscriminate dumping of waste into water channels.
Speaking with The Tide, an Environmentalist, Elder Blessing Jackson Tiko, called for caution by residents of Port Harcourt and its environs
Tiko who was a former deputy operational officer Phalga Environmental Sanitation Taskforce, said people must be conscious of the way and manner that they manage their waste.
“We know that we have the rain and if you watch it is coming especially this month of July,it would rain and rain and rain
“We have to be very conscious of how we manage our environmental system, the way we throw our waste and how we evacuate it so that every where will be open for water to move freely
“Water doesn’t want blockage, water wants free flow, ’he said
Tiko urged state governments to liaise with the federal government and development agencies to dredge and open up river channels to enable Water move freely.
He particularly called on the Niger Delta Basine Development Authority and the Niger Delta Development Commission to liaise with state governments in the quest to end flooding in the states.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alice. A. Alabo a trader at Mile 3 Port Harcourt, urged the state government to do something on the constant flooding at the Abuja bypass in Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt,
She said the bypass is always flooded at every little rainfalls stressing that something must be done about it.
Alabo also told The Tide Correspondents that the Abuja bypass has no receptacles and called on the management of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to provide receptacles for the people, to ensure proper waste disposal in the area.
“The government should provide us with receptacles for us to properly place our waste which is causing the flooding in the area.
A shop owner Dickey, Livia Marko lemanted the incessant flooding along the Abuja bypass, adding that the situation is affecting their businesses.
“We have been begging the Rivers State Government and the local government to come to our aid.
“The Ego Line Progressive Union contributes N10,000 every year to make sure that we evacuate the drainage.
“We called the Hausa boys to come and clean from the beginning to the end of the tunnel which leads to the Interwoba
“So immediately after each rainfall within 10 minutes it will dry otherwise we cannot stay in our shop.
“I am begging the government to come to our rescue, even if they want to open the gutter or canal. It will help in preventing the flooding or they should clean the gutters starting from Ikwerre Road to the Interwoba axis”, he said
On his part,Mr. Ajaka Olawa, lamented that the flooding in Timber area by Abuja bypass area is so terrible that no businesses can easily be carried on in the area.
He blamed it on the continuous blockage of drainages
. “I can’t remember the last time the government came to clean the drainage, so when it rains we find it difficult to stay here.
“Some of our shops are wet because of the flooding. And if the rain falls heavily, we pack our goods. If not. they get damaged, and I am expecting this message to reach the government for them to do something about it”
“The people, the government gives the job are not being followed up, that’s why the road is still looking bad,
“The government is trying, but they should put more effort to make sure that the jobs are being carried out.
Also, Mr. Chukuma said, during the flooding along Abuja bypass by Timber, no activities take place.
He said that if rain falls, either little or heavy, none can use the road because the road will be inundated by water. Sometimes it takes two to three days for the water to dry.
According to him, eight years ago, the former governor was here to see things for himself, but nothing happened till he left office.
By: Victoria Gilbert / Ossia Victory
Following the rising impact of toxic waste in the Niger Delta communities in Nigeria, an Ecological Think Tank, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has urged oil-producing communities in the region to monitor their environment and report incidents of pollution or other environmental hazards in real time to appropriate authorities.
The Project Manager, Communities and Culture, HOMEF, Cadmus Atake gave the advice last Friday during a Community Environmental Monitoring Training for the people of Nembe, Town-Brass in Bayelsa and Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom States respectively which was held in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Atake said though the extractive activities of oil companies have impacted negatively on the communities, the people still have a role to play in protecting the environment by not throwing plastics in the water bodies or engaging in activities inimical to the environment.
He said, “The purpose is to train the people on how they can monitor their environment that has been impacted by extractive activities, for them to observe the changes that occur in their environment and things they see when they go out to fish.”
Atake also harped on the need for documentation and reporting of the identified environmental challenges or pollution, saying that monitoring without reporting would be an effort in futility even as he tasked them with the accuracy, authenticity and originality of data without any mutilation.
He encouraged people to use mobile phones to take real-time photos and videos without editing the images in the case of pollution or oil spills.
His words, “Reporting is an essential aspect of any monitoring activity. It affords the opportunities to track the activity and its impacts. It makes an activity visible and draws attention to it. Also, it helps to identify associated risks and to know the required controls and learning outcomes needed to prevent the reoccurrence of failures of an activity. No monitoring exercise is complete without a report of observations and a point of action.
“You must identify what caused the pollution, state the name of the community and landmark and if possible, use GPS, time and date the pollution was observed.”
One of the participants, OmusuoDieworio from Bayelsa State noted that apart from the activities of the multinationals, the people have contributed to the disappearance of fishes in the rivers by dumping refuse and plastic wastes inside the river which posed a great threat to fishes even as he urged community leaders to promulgate laws prohibiting that and the youth leaders to ensure the enforcement.
“Our people should be sensitized on the hazards of toxic waste. We should put laws that are binding on us. Our fishermen should discipline themselves enough after drinking sachet water eating should not drop the waterproof inside the water. They should also be discouraged from using dynamite and other chemicals for fishing as all these are harmful to both the aquatic animals and human beings that will consume it.” He said.
Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, UmoIsua-Ikoh of the Peace Pact Development Foundation, said the provision in the PIA where the community should forfeit its 3% development fund in case of pipeline vandalism criminalizes the community and should be expunged noting that no community will agree to vandalize pipeline but an individual or a criminal.
He said they should go after anyone who vandalises pipelines and not make the entire community bear the brunt of one person.
On his part, Stephen Oduware, the Program Manager at Fossil Politics, called on the communities to network with CSOs, CBOs, doctors, lawyers, media especially those from their communities and other community members who have the community at heart to advocate at all fronts.
“The community people should partner with CSOs, CBOs so that they will be able to advocate from all fronts from the health implication of this pollution from the legal and human right violations as a result of this pollution, land grabbing and then they will be able to get well-researched works from the academics, we believe that with this network they will be able to push for the justice they needed.” He said.
The Delta State Govern-
ment says it is working hard to tackle the issue of climate change in the state.
Special Adviser to the state Governor on Sustainable Development Goals) (SDGs, Lady Diana Eyo _Enoette, said this in an interview with newsmen during the launching of Green City Project in Port Harcourt.
She said the government was doing this by raising awareness on the impact of climate change in the State and also control the indiscriminate dumping of waste across the State.
Eye-Emoette said government has also setup scouts across the State to embark on tree planting campaign in all nooks and crannies of Delta State.
She said time has come for governments across the Niger Delta region to create more awareness on climate change, adding that continuous human activities in the region have made it vulnerable to climate change
Diana described her government as a leading voice on climate change as far as the Niger Delta region is concerned and stressed the need for other governments in the region to follow suit.
She said Green City’s initiatives have become a potent weapon in fighting climate change, stressing that the initiative is coming at the appropriate time.
The special advise said governments across the country should key into the green city’s projects inorder to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a university teacher, Professor Magnus Onuoha, has called for conscious efforts by governments across Africa to check carbon emissions.
The university teacher also described the green city’s initiatives as a safe avenue for emerging cities in Africa.
Prof Onuoha, who spoke via videophone described the project as innovative, adding that climate change is real and no longer fallacies.
According to him “it is glaringly telling on our faces and the possibility of it going away is not there”.
He said.
By: John Bibor