BNRCC Project Backgrounder - Building Nigeria's Response To ...

PAGE 10Drought , and loss ofvegetation will cause fuelwood scarcity.Nigeria and Climate ChangeIt has been determinedthat global Climate Changewill have a strong impacton Nigeria—particularly inthe areas of agriculture,land use, energy,biodiversity, health andwater resources.Nigeria, and all thecountries of Sub‐SaharanAfrica, are highly vulnerableto the impacts of ClimateChange, according to theThird and FourthAssessment Reports of theIntergovernmental Panelon Climate Change. It wasnoted that Nigeriaspecifically ought to beconcerned by ClimateChange because:• of the country’s highvulnerability due to its long(800km) coastline that isprone to sea‐level rise andthe risk of fierce storms• almost 2/3 of Nigeria’sland cover is prone todrought and desertification• its water resources areunder threat which willaffect energy sources(Kainji and Shiroro)• rain‐fed agricultureand fishing activities fromwhich 2/3 of the Nigerianpopulation dependprimarily on for food areunder serious threat• Nigeria has a very highpopulation pressures—140million people surviving onthe physical environmentthrough various activitieswithin an area of 923,000square kilometers• Nigeria lacks thefinancial capacity andtechnological know‐how tocombat the postulatednegative impacts of ClimateChange• Nigeria does not yethave a fully establishedinstitutional and legalframework, nor systematicapproaches and policiestargeted at combating,mitigating and adapting tothe impacts of ClimateChange.Given the above factors, itis clear that Nigeria’s longtermdevelopment priorityof poverty reduction, theMillennium DevelopmentGoals and President UmarMusa Yar’adua’s SevenPoint Agenda will beseverely constrained ifinsufficient attention is paidto the current and futureimpacts of Climate Changeon the nation.“Ultimately climatechange may affectthe very right to lifeof variousindividuals.”Kyung‐wha Kang,UN Deputy HighCommissioner forHuman Rights.Increased VulnerabilityNigeria has no favorabledisposition on any of thethree parameters ofincreased vulnerability.(NEST 2004)A sea‐level rise of just 0.2mas a result of ClimateChange could flood over3,400 km 2 of the country’scoast land. One predictionis that “Nigeria will loseclose to $9 billion as aresult of such a disasterwhile at least 80% of theinhabitants of the NigerDelta will be displaced dueto large areas being belowsea level in the oil‐richregion” (GuardianSeptember 17 2001, p. 80).More than two‐thirds ofNigeria is prone todesertification. ClimateChange is predicted toworsen the incidence ofdrought and desertificationand millions of people willbe turned into refugeesbecause of the disaster.States, such as Borno,Sokoto, Jigawa, Zamfara,Kebbi, Yobe, Kaduna, KanoBauchi, Adamawa, Bauchi,Niger and others are at risk.Over 80% of Nigeria’spopulation cites agricultureand fishing as their primaryoccupation. Our agricultureis rain fed. Our foodproduction system will beadversely affected by thevariability in timing andamount of rainfall, frequentoutbreaks of crop pests anddiseases and heat stress.Food shortages will increaseand many farmers couldlose their sources oflivelihood due to ClimateChange.