Some environmental experts in Abuja on Sunday urged Nigerians to restore forest habitats in their homes, to mitigate the current heatwave from climate change.
They made the calls in separate interviews due to the recent heatwave in the country.
The Executive Director Global Initiative for Food Security and Ecosystem Preservation (GIFSEP), Dr Michael David said heat wave was the drying of streams and rivers.
He urged Nigerians to plant more trees and restore forest habitats in homes to mitigate climate change.
“To address the impact of heat wave and the drying of rivers and streams requires a more comprehensive strategy on climate adaptation process, water management and generally ecosystem restoration.”
The executive director added that the factors being experienced in the country were due to climate change characterized by the intensity and duration of the heat.
David said there was an urgent need to safeguard water resources for future generations.
“Heatwave exposes to drought and contributes to health problems in humans and wildlife, leading to high break of diseases.
“Heatwave causes a lot of socio-economic impacts on communities, water scarcity raises a lot of conflict in communities; livelihoods are affected as well as animals and farmers.
Communities are also displaced, leading to migration of people.
The National Coordinator, of Clean-up Nigeria (CUN), Mr Ene Owoh said it was important to note that water and climate change were intellect.
“Climate change affects water supply in several ways from the present unpredictable rainfalls to the depreciating water levels in streams.
“The rising sea levels, the cases of flood and drought, all of these boil down to climate change.
“The truth be told, climate change has altered the availability of water, thus making it less plentiful in the world.
“Climate change has caused water shortage, drought, and the decrease of agricultural produce.
“Let us bear in mind that any increase in temperature level will have consequences on water level as well as human beings.
By Abigael Joshua
