Minister of State for Environment, Dr. Iziak Salako, has noted that the northern part of Nigeria is more vulnerable to climate change than other parts of the country.
The Minister, who spoke during the launch of Report on ‘Mapping Climate Change Impact, Policy and Action in Nigeria’s 36 States including FCT‘, explained that the impact of climate change varies according to every region in the country.
The Minister explained that the low rainfall in the region exposes the population, who are mostly farmers, to different climate change effects such as desertification and drought. “Vulnerability analysis demonstrates that States in the North experience higher degrees of vulnerability to climate change than those in the South”, he added.
Speaking further, the Minister noted that: “The pattern of vulnerability to climate change also corresponds to the dominance of climate-sensitive agricultural activities.
“The northern regions of Nigeria, which have higher degrees of rurality, are more vulnerable to climate change. The North-Central region has the lowest sensitivity, likely associated with its relatively stable seasonal rains; and the presence of a large distribution of lakes that allow for year-round irrigation.
“The most exposed region is the North-East, as exposure factors vary across the country. Declining precipitation that affects water supply in rain-fed agriculture is an exposure issue of priority in the North, while water loss due to high soil porosity is a key concern in the South-East, which also experiences high exposure”, he further stated.
President, Society for Planet and Prosperity, Professor Chukwumerije Okereke decried the low level of awareness in the country, and noted that the society will collaborate with all the States and their governors to monitor the level of awareness.
The Minister noted that the Government, through the ministry, will work on policies and programmes to address climate change in the country.
