An environmentalist, Mr Gafar Odubote, has called on the government and Nigerians to take precautionary measures to mitigate the effect of current heat wave in the country.
Odubote, also a climate enthusiast and Publicity Manager of Let’s Do It Nigeria, an environmental NGO, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday, April 8, 2019 in Lagos.
The expert attributed the development to depleting ozone layer.
“Nigerian experts in meteorology are presently finding it difficult to ascertain what is happening as regards the current heat wave in the country and neighbouring African countries.
“The effect of the current heat wave and global warming is quite alarming; it is not a Nigerian phenomenon alone but most countries across the world are feeling the effect.
“The heat from the sun is just coming directly at us, no trapping, not sound like an alarmist, I am afraid it is going to get more extreme.
“We must take these precautionary measures at different levels for instance at the industrial level, we should curtail the rate at which industries release toxic fumes into the atmosphere.
“We must also step up regulatory activities to curb gas flaring activities in the country as it is the fastest killer of the ozone layer.
“If the government can reduce the rate of gas flaring in Nigeria, it is going to reduce the global warming effect on our part of the world,” he said.
The expert stressed the need for people to engage in the planting of more trees in the country to reduce deforestation and reduce the level of carbon footprint in the atmosphere.
“We should also encourage individual households to imbibe the culture of tree planting, to mitigate the effect of this heat wave which comes with ripple effect.”
“Even the approach of the rainy season does not stop the effect of the heat wave and the current depletion of the ozone layer, from what has been going on of recent.
“As the rains come, the sun also comes to dry up the soil surface almost immediately and leaves the moisture of the soil depleted.
He expressed concern that the current heat wave would not just affect human health, but also agricultural production, adding that some crops required not just water but also good temperature for them to thrive.
Odubote, who noted that wave heart also affected livestock such as cattle, said livestock had limit to which they could withstand heat from the sun.
“Scientific research has revealed that with the heat wave, most cattle produce less milk and this in turn affects their growth.
“The only benefit of this heat wave is for those that do solar energy but in all, the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.”
The expert called on the government to strengthen environmental laws to curtail the effect of the heat wave and global warming in general.
“The government should come out with actual laws as regard this issue, yes we have committed to various global climate action agreements, but how well are we doing this?
“Climate change effect and global warming are not myth; hence, we should stop paying lip service but take necessary actions to mitigate its effect on the environment.
He called on the stakeholders to look at the long-term effect of wave heat and address its root causes to safe the ozone layers from further depletion.
By Mercy Omoike
