Monday, December 13, 2010

Floods displace hundreds in Nigeria

AllAfrica.com via the Daily Independent (Lagos): Over 500 people were displaced as a result of the recent flooding that ravaged some part of the country, Mohammed Sani-Sidi, Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), has said. Sani-Sidi disclosed at a media session on Wednesday in Cancun, Mexico, that the widespread devastation was occasioned by the adverse effects of climate change.

…In recent months, heavy rains had led to devastating floods in states like Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Jigawa, Ogun and Lagos, leading to displacement of many communities. He said that the agency was ready and willing to learn best practices on how to manage the impact of global issues as they affected Nigeria, adding that the unsavoury effects of climate change had gone beyond environmental and now bordered on socio-economic.

Sani-Sidi charged developing countries to adapt a strategy on how best to adapt to and mitigate the impact of climate change, stating that NEMA would be drive the process on Nigeria's adaptation initiatives. He said that, in order to drive the process, the agency would be more pro-active in its effort to enlighten residents of flood plains on the dangers of such habitation instead of waiting for disaster to occur….

No comments: