The Lagos State Government has been called upon to review and upgrade its urban development master plan to include climate change and adaptation considerations.
Similarly, participants at the recently-held 5th Lagos State Climate Change Summit agreed in a communique released at the end of the event that a well-articulated state-level housing and urban policy that mainstreams climate change mitigation and adaptation into the house building sector should be developed and implemented for more environmentally-friendly and climate-resilient homes that will meet the requirements of the rapidly expanding population in the state.
Besides ensuring a multi-disciplinary approach to the planning, design, construction and management of urban infrastructure, the state government was urged to continue to pursue the development and implementation of a long-term strategic and inclusive vision that is embedded into the current planning, especially land use allocations, while promoting infrastructure with integrated design solutions.
Indeed, government was likewise told to continue its efforts to utilise multi-modal mass transport system, such as the BRT and water transport, in promoting climate-resilient transportation; even as sustainability in transportation system should be improved by integrating telecommunication access to reduce demand for mobility or transportation.
“Governments at all levels should promote climate-smart agriculture and strengthen capacity of small-holder farmers to mainstream climate change impacts into their activities for the attainment of national food security,” declared the communiqué, calling on the authorities to integrate food security and sustainable agriculture into their policies to promote sustainable rural livelihoods in the face of climate change.
A word of advice went to the Federal Government, which was tasked to provide for the private sector an enabling environment to aggressively pursue climate change mitigation and adaptation initiatives in the interest of green development. The FG, along with state and local government, were urged to properly mainstream climate change into their infrastructural development for resilience and sustainability.
Lagos Environment Commissioner, Tunji Bello, on his part, charged the Federal Government to live up to its responsibility by collaborating with the state on how best to reduce the effect of climate change in the bid to develop a sustainable policy framework on the topic.
He expressed dissatisfaction on the manner the Federal Government is handling the climate change issue, stressing that the effects are transboundary, and hence the need for more awareness on global warming.
He said, “Nigeria is vulnerable to climate change and the impacts are already manifesting in the country. We find must find a solution to it now because of the future generations of our country.”
Bello hinted that the primary aim of the annual summit is to create more awareness and change the perception of the populace so as to finding workable solutions to climate change.
He disclosed that the Lagos State Government would develop a work plan on solutions proffered at the summit in order to achieve set goals and objectives.
