assessing the impacts of, and vulnerability and adaptation to, climate change 13 This implies that predicted impacts of climate change mentioned earlier will intensify. In the rural areas, major activities that contribute to climate change include bush burning, illegal felling of trees, a means of livelihood for the production of fuel wood and charcoal. The mean annual variability and trend of rainfall over Nigeria in the last six decades depicts several inter-annual fluctuations that have been responsible for dry and wet years or extreme climate events such as droughts and floods in many parts of the country. The flares have apparently contributed more greenhouse gases hence climate change in the country. A United Nations report listed the erosion of natural resources caused by climate change as one of the causes of conflict in Sudan. In Nigeria, though the impact of climate change is already significant the long run impact will be disastrous if nothing is done now to build up the country’s resilience against the threat posed by climate change. Desertification, in which fertile land becomes barren desert, now affects as much as 60% of Nigeria’s land, exacerbated by drought and climate change. Available reports indicate that the average temperature of the earth has increased by 0.74 degrees Celsius over the past 100 years. In addition, the Niger Delta may be the source of oil wealth but its low-lying terrain criss-crossed with water ways makes it extremely vulnerable to flooding. Environment chief Erik Solheim urged countries to help Africa build a more sustainable future, suggesting that solar plants in the Sahel might “help green and uplift the area.” The agency has funded water-management projects in Sudan, where more than 2 million people have been displaced, partly as a result of depleted resources. The first factor aggravating flooding is climate change, which has been shown to contribute to more extreme storms and rainfall. Despite all these caveats, climate change clearly can play a part in fostering conflict. Recent Fuel Price Increase and the Nigerian Economy, New Technologies and Journalism practice in Nigeria, Causes and Effects of Climate Change in Nigeria, Vocational and Technical Education in Nigeria, Causes and Effects of Insecurity in Northern Nigeria   Â, Effect of Insecurity in Nigeria on Economic Development, A Major Cause of Insecurity in Nigeria: Corruption, Climate Change, Conflict, and Insecurity in Nigeria. In Nigeria half of the 15 million population of Lagos lives less than six feet above sea level, including the wealthiest areas of Victoria Island and Lekki Penisula. Hence, further changes in rainfall and temperature will affect livestock production as well as availability of animal species. Climate change is increasingly becoming a serious challenge to Nigeria's socioeconomic development. It is hot and wet most of the year in the southeast but dry in the southwest and farther inland. This statement shows the seriousness of the threat posed by climate change to countries in Sub-Saharan African, including Nigeria, that depend mostly on climate-sensitive resources for sustenance of livelihood and overall development. This prompted this study that took a general overview of climate change impacts in Nigeria. Man’s activities which cause emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) increase global warming. Nigeria is strongly predisposed to severe negative impacts of climate change … The U.N. says the scale of climate change,… Archive Desertification, in which fertile land becomes barren desert, now affects as much as 60% of Nigeria’s land, exacerbated by drought and climate change. Source: Human dynamics of climate change, technical report, Met Office, HM Government, UK, 2014. The competition for usable land will only get more intense. All Rights Reserved. Trees help to regulate the climate by absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere. In Nigeria, the primary tropical forest cover has been decimated by 97% mostly since 1990. The intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) defines climate change as statistically significant variations that persist for an extended period, typically decades or longer. Indeed, Nigeria has long been known to be vulnerable to climate change and its adverse effects, especially on the health and livelihoods of Nigerians. This class describes the science of global warming and the forecast for humans’ impact on Earth’s climate. Climate change, in particular, is currently one of the most critical issues facing mankind today. 3. If there are fewer trees left to absorb Co2, then Co2 will build up in the atmosphere. This global warming is what actually induces the change in climate. Nigeria’s primary tropical forest in Cross River State has been decimated by 97%, mostly since 1990. billed to discuss the causes of climate and environmental changes and the need for environmental-friendly education policy in Nigeria through the following sub-headings. The main cause of deforestation in Nigeria is the demand for wood fuel. The industries that replace the forests do not only damage the earth’s ability to absorb Co2, they often cause an additional problem by producing carbon emissions of their own. At least 10,000 people have died in the resulting clashes since 2011, and many more have lost their homes. All of these will continue to negatively affect human life and the ecosystems in Nigeria. Parts of New Orleans are sinking at a rate of 2 inches per year and could be underwater by 2100. Indeed, climate change is not only a challenge to agriculture development (food security) in Nigeria, but to the country’s general development and livelihood sustenance of the entire Nigerian citizenry. USAID staff and other development practitioners may find this information useful for climate risk management and for considering the linkages between climate change and development. The impacts of climate change will surely be felt in almost all the geographical location as well as sectors of the nation’s development. nigeria’s national action plan (nap) to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (slcps) The direct impact will manifest through the loss of lives, livelihoods, assets, infrastructure, etc. All these will directly and indirectly affect the livelihoods of fish farmers, their immediate families and their dependants. Across the Sahel, more than 80% of people depend on natural resources for their livelihoods, according to the U.N. As water and farmland become scarcer, land conflicts in countries with strong ethnic divides are poised to get far worse. Climate Change and Forestry in Nigeria: The forest reserves of the nation are not left out in the threat posed by climate change. 1) The concepts of climate, environment, climate and environmental changes; 2) Causes of climate and environmental changes; But the problem of climate security isn’t limited to a corner of Africa; current estimates suggest that anywhere from 25 million to 1 billion people will be forced to migrate because of the changing climate by 2050. The effects of climate change are projected to manifest through changes in land and water resources, specifically, changes in the frequency and intensity of droughts, flooding, water shortages, worsening of droughts, worsening soil conditions, desertification, disease and pest outbreaks on crops and livestock. The communiqué stated that climate change is a development issue that should be mainstreamed into various sectors of national, regional and state development plans. In Nigeria the effects of climate change is expected not to stop at just effecting the crops and plants (i.e. Bearing in mind the high population density (9th largest population in the world) of Nigeria, any displacement of this mass of people will be catastrophic especially as over 50% of this population lives below poverty lines. Here’s How Climate Change Is Making It Worse. Climate change is a major challenge facing the world today. It is worthy to note that eleven out of the thirty-six states in the country are gradually being swallowed up by desert encroachment. The direct effects manifest in persistent and resistant to treatment as were never experienced before. Millions more have been displaced, with many joining the flow of migrants to southern Europe. As a result, cattle herders from northern Nigeria have been pushed farther and farther south to find land to graze livestock, causing friction with farmers settled in central states. Burning coal, oil and gas produces carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide. Deforestation: Deforestation where forests are cut down faster than they are replaced is a major contributor to climate change. Increasing livestock farming. Furthermore, extreme weather events are known to facilitate some cardiovascular disease like asthma. Climate change is one of many root causes of conflict around the world: it leads to food shortages, threatens people’s livelihoods, and displaces entire populations. Your email address will not be published. Pests and diseases migrate in response to climate changes and variations. Therefore, there is need to mitigate the impacts of climate change must be given priority if the nations Millennium development goals will ever be achieved. 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