An agribusiness expert, Mr Wale Oyekoya, on Wednesday said that the Federal Government should look at effective ways to address climate change and its adverse effects.
Oyekoya, who is also the Managing Director of Bama Farms Group, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that climate change affected populations and distribution of species.
According to him, climate change affects ecological communities, that is the ecosystems and nature’s provision of food fuels and clean water.
Oyekoya said that climate was an important environmental influence on ecosystems which were greatly affected in a variety of ways.
“For instance, warming may force species to migrate to higher latitudes or higher elevations where temperatures are more conducive to their survival.
“Climate change is an adverse environmental phenomenon that is causing enormous concern all over the world. It refers to some anomalies in the climate system resulting from human activities.
“These anomalies include increase in the concentration of Green House Gases (GHGs) such as Hydro-fluorocarbons (HFCs) and Chlorofluorocarbons(CFCs) in earth’s atmosphere, which will ultimately lead to global warming.
“In fact, global warming has already begun as earth’s temperature has risen between 0.4 and 0.8°C in the last 100 years.’’
Oyekoya also said that: “Climate Change affects the populations and distributions of species, the composition of ecological communities (ecosystems) and nature’s provision of goods and services – such as food, fuel and clean water.
“Climate change also compounds other major threats to biodiversity, such as invasive alien species, habitat fragmentation and over exploitation.
“The Federal Government should proactively take steps in addressing environmental problems. These include effective management of waste, flood and coastal erosion.
“It should also build up our advocacy programmes through workshops, seminars, public lectures, media campaign, climate change and waste water summits, tree planting land reclamation, landscaping and beautification,’’ he said.
Oyekoya also told NAN that there should be campaign against desertification through the desert warriors and control of land, water, noise and air pollution.
He noted that Nigeria was densely populated with a population of over 180 million people half of whom, were considered to be in abject poverty and is recognised as being vulnerable to climate change.
“Climate change and global warming if left unchecked will cause adverse effects on livelihoods in Nigeria, such as crop production, livestock production, fisheries, forestry and post-harvest activities, because the rainfall regimes and patterns will be altered.
“Floods which devastate farmlands will occur, increase in temperature and humidity which increases pest and disease will also occur.
“Other natural disasters like floods, ocean and storm surges will happen thereby disrupting the country’s Gross Domestic product (GDP) from the agricultural and other sectors alike,’’ Oyekoya said.
