From Our Housing Stand (129)
Climate change is an adverse environmental phenomenon that is causing enormous concern all over the world. It refers to some anomalies in the climate system that is a result of human activities. These anomalies include increase in the concentration of GHGs, HFCs and CFCs in earth’s atmosphere, which will ultimately lead to global warming. In fact, global warming has already begun, as earth’s temperature has risen between 0.4 and 0.8°C in the last 100 years. Nigeria is one of the world’s most densely populated countries with a population of over 180 million people, half of which are considered to be in abject poverty. Nigeria is recognized as being vulnerable to climate change.
Climate change and global warming if left unchecked will cause adverse effects on livelihoods in Nigeria, such as crop production, livestock production, fisheries, forestry and post-harvest activities, because the rainfall regimes and patterns will be altered, floods which devastate farmlands would occur, increase in temperature and humidity which increases pest and disease would occur and other natural disasters like floods, ocean and storm surges, which not only damage Nigerians’ livelihood but also cause harm to life and property, would occur. The paper provides a strong starting point and a useful guide for further investigations and solution finding projects, both at the local and international levels which focus on more specific issues like public health, food security, energy, adaptations and barriers to them.
Causes Of Climate Change In Nigeria
It has been argued on several occasions that, Global warming and Climate change are coequal and indistinguishable. This is actually not correct as global warming can be described as one of the major aftereffects of climate change.
According to experts, global warming is an overall warming of the planet, based on average temperature over the entire surface, while climate change is a change in regional climate characteristics including temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind and severe weather events. Climate change betides as a result of pollution of the atmosphere through excessive emission of green-house-gases.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), of Europe, there are seven indicators that would be expected to increase in a warming world as a result of climate change, they are:
- Tropospheric Temperature
- Humidity
- Temperature Over Oceans
- Sea Surface Temperatures
- Sea Level
- Ocean heat content
- Temperature over land; and three indicators would be expected to decrease, they are:
- Glaciers,
- Snow Cover And
- Sea ices.
In reality, the causes of climate change in Nigeria are largely Anthropogenic (man-made) in nature. Human causes have been influenced by the industrial revolution of the 19th century, which saw the large-scale use of fossil fuels for industrial activities. Natural resources are being used extensively for construction, industries, transport and consumption.
Human factors have contributed to climate change and presently, the scientific consensus on climate change is that human activity is very likely the cause for rapid increase in global average temperature over the past several decades.
Natural Causes
Volcanic Eruptions
The main effect volcanoes have on the climate is short-term cooling. Volcanic eruptions pump out clouds of dust and ash, which blocks out some sunlight. The ash particles being heavy, they fall to the ground within three months. Volcanoes affect the climate through the gases, and dust particles thrown into the atmosphere during eruptions. The effect of the volcanic gases and dust may warm or cool the earth’s surface, depending on how sunlight interacts with the volcanic materials.
Ocean Currents
The oceans are a major component of the climate system. Ocean currents are located at the ocean surface and in deep water below 300 meters (984 feet). They can move water horizontally and vertically and occur on both local and global scales. Ocean currents carry heat around the Earth. The direction of these currents can shift so that different areas become warmer and cooler. Oceans store a large amount of heat, so that small changes in ocean currents can have a large effect on coastal and global climate.
Solar Variations
The sun is the source of energy for the earth’s climate system. Although the sun’s energy output appears constant from an everyday point of view, small changes over an extended period of time can lead to climate changes. It is reasonable to assume that changes in the sun’s energy output would cause the climate to change, since the sun is the fundamental source of energy that drives our climate system.
Other natural causes are
- Continental Drift
- The Earth Tilt and
- Comets.
Anthropogenic (Man-Made) Causes
The main cause of climate change in Nigeria has been attributed to high concentration of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in her atmospheres. The excessive emission of these GHGs causes the atmosphere to be in a polluted state. Basically, the greenhouse gases which contribute to the surfacing of climate change are the following:
- Carbon-di-oxide (CO2)
Carbon dioxide is a component of the atmosphere which is released through natural processes such as respiration and volcanic eruptions and through human activities such as deforestation, land use changes, and burning of fossil fuels.
- Methane
This is a hydrocarbon gas produced through both natural sources and human activities including the decomposition of works in landfills, agriculture, ruminant digestion and manure management associated with domestic livestock.
- Nitrous Oxide
Nitrous Oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas which is produced through soil cultivation practices, especially the use of commercial and organic fertilizers, fossil fuels combustion, nitric acid production and biomass burning.
- Chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) They are gases of industrial origin used in a number of applications, but now largely regulated in production and release to the atmosphere by international agreement for their ability to contribute to destruction of the ozone layer.
However, of all the greenhouse gases listed above, carbon dioxide (CO2) has been identified as the gas which singularly contributes the most to climate change. The immediate question which then comes to mind is: what are the elements of carbon dioxide?
With specification to Nigeria, the sources of carbon dioxide (CO2) are (i) The burning of Fossil fuels; (ii) Deforestation and (iii) Gas Flaring
Effects Of Climate
When climate change surfaces, there is a sudden change in rainfall patterns, wind patterns, and also increase in temperature amongst others which result inevitably to natural disasters like flood, drought, desertification etc
The primary effects consist of the major effects of climate change on the environment, The primary effects are:
Flood
Climate change effectuates irregularity in rainfall patterns. Thus, causing rain to fall in an unusual manner, this sometimes may be excessive. Excessive rainfalls result in flooding, which brutally destroys lives and property of the citizens.
In 2002, more than 16 states were flooded in Nigeria, resulting in many deaths as well as displacement of over 2 million people.21 The rise of sea levels beyond its carrying capacity, due to climate change, may lead to overflow of the sea waters which is capable of causing flood also.
Drought
When irregularity in rainfall occurs, rain ceases to fall for an unusual long period of time. The effects of this when taken with the after effects of the increasing average temperature of the earth due to climate change will result in drought. Drought is a period of dryness that causes damage to crops and prevents successful growth of plants.
Desertification
This is the process by which an area becomes a desert. It is substantially caused by the combined effect of deforestation and the unusually over-heated climate. It occurs majorly in the northern parts of Nigeria. Reports have it that, 35% of previously cultivable land in 11 northern states of Nigeria has been overrun by desertification. This has deeply affected agricultural practices negatively in Nigeria.
Bad Health Condition
Climate change affects human health directly or indirectly. According to the World Health Organization, “climate change is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year” between 2030 and 2050. As global temperature rises, so do the number of fatalities and illnesses from heat stress, heat stroke and cardiovascular and kidney disease. Environmental experts have explained that, one of the direct consequences of climate change in Nigeria includes cerebraspinal meningitis, cardiovascular respiratory disorder of elderly people, skin cancer, high blood pressure, malaria, cholera and child and maternal health issues.
In conclusion, Experts have proposed that, the injurious effects of climate change in Nigeria can only be curtailed through the process of mitigation and adaptation. By mitigation, environmentalist encourages parties to avoid the unmanageable, while by adaptation encourages parties to manage the unavoidable. One of the major reasons for adaptation is because climate change cannot totally be avoided as it is impracticable to put an end to all its causes in Nigeria. While mitigation primarily involves reduction in the concentration of GHGs either by reducing their sources or increasing their sinks, adaptation involves acting to minimise the effects of climate change. Mitigation policy helps reduce future increases in climate change while adaptation policy deals with the unavoidable impacts of climate change. Thus, it is humbly advised that, mitigation and adaptation strategies be implemented in order to enhance protection of citizens from the dangerous effects of climate change to a satisfactory extent in Nigeria.
