The Society for Water and Sanitation (NEWSAN) on Tuesday, October 22, 2024, called for the integration of climate change adaptation strategies into the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector.
Mr. Benson Attah, National Coordinator of NEWSAN, stated this during a meeting with Dr Nkiruka Madukwe, Director-General of the National Climate Change Council, in Abuja.
He said there was a need for collaboration to address the impacts of climate change on the country’s development, particularly within the WASH sector, which directly affects health, safety, and livelihoods.
“Climate change poses a serious setback to development, and we are especially concerned with how it impacts water, sanitation, and hygiene,” Attah said.
He added that while climate change has revealed neglected issues, the setbacks outweigh the benefits.
Attah commended the Federal Government’s recent efforts, supported by UNICEF, to develop a climate change adaptation plan for the WASH sector.
He stressed the importance of collaborating with the National Climate Change Council to fully integrate climate considerations into WASH policies.
“It is not enough to have policies; we must ensure effective implementation across all sectors,” he said.
Mr. Williams Ngwakwe, a NEWSAN representative, pointed to the need to address climate-related issues such as flooding and its impact on agriculture and food security.
He stated how early rains followed by drought have damaged crops and noted that poor sanitation worsened by climate change has contributed to cholera outbreaks in 34 of 36 states.
Ngwakwe urged the council to prioritise these issues in its agenda, emphasising that NEWSAN’s extensive grassroots network could help implement climate-resilient WASH projects.
He cited ongoing efforts to build disability- and girl-friendly sanitation facilities as part of their work.
Responding, Madukwe acknowledged the importance of building resilience against climate impacts like flooding and high temperatures.
She stressed the need for action, particularly in securing funding through mechanisms like the Green Bond and the loss and damage funds.
Madukwe called for health and infrastructure projects to be prioritised in climate financing plans.
“We need to strengthen infrastructure that ensures access to clean water and sanitation. Why can’t that be part of Green Bond funding.
“One of the things in the green bond is afforestation, what about health, what about infrastructure, access to WASH.
“How can we get the funding for water, sanitation, so when the government bring out the budget where do we stand.
“Your expertise is very important. How do we move from paper to reality, do we qualify for loss and damage.”
The meeting concluded with a commitment from both parties to continue collaborating on addressing climate change in the WASH sector, with NEWSAN pledging its support to the council’s initiatives.
NEWSAN is a civil society network coordinating NGOs and community-based organisations in the WASH sector, with operations across all 31 states and geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
By Tosin Kolade
