TheCable

Despite directly impacting our communities, health, and livelihood, climate-related reports usually take a back seat to dominant news beats like politics and business. Climate Watch aims to ensure you never miss important stories on climate change and actions being taken toward limiting its impacts.

Here is a round-up of last week’s climate stories:

• Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 president, says adaptation must be “front and centre” of the climate agenda. AI Jaber spoke on Sunday at the opening of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) climate week in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The COP28 president said countries must double their adaptation finance as well as replenish the green climate fund. “We live in a region of extreme heat, water scarcity and food insecurity,” he said. “We are also suffering harsh climate impacts, from droughts to the devastating floods of Derna. To deliver for our region we must put adaptation front and center of the climate agenda.”
• The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) on October 3, alerted the Nigerians on the possibility of deterioration in visibility in some northern states due to dust haze. The agency said the states likely to be affected are those near the Sahara. NiMet advised residents to take necessary precautions and urged   persons with respiratory ailments to protect themselves. Read more here.
• The African Development Bank (AfDB), in its “Nigeria Country Focus Report (CFR) 2023″, said the country requires strong private sector investments to meet its climate change and green growth goals. The bank said Nigeria needs an annual investment of $20.5 billion in renewable energy, sustainable transport and waste management. AfDB said the mobilisation of private sector climate finance is critical in meeting the 2030 nationally determined contribution (NDC) targets of the country. The organisation said the strength of the private sector to finance climate change initiatives in the country lies in its ability to harness the interest of investors, investment funds and credit institutions. Read more here.
• The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on October 7, alerted Nigerians to expect floods in nine states following the release of water from the Lagdo Dam. The agency said the affected states are Adamawa, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Kogi, Anambra, Edo, Delta and Bayelsa. Mustapha Ahmed, NEMA director general, said the water release is expected to last till the end of October. Ahmed said the recent release had led to the displacement of several communities and could lead to further destruction of crops and other infrastructure. Ahmed said this year, 159,157 persons had been affected by flooding, including 28 lost their lives and 48,168 individuals displaced in 13 states across the country. He advised communities along the River Niger and Benue basins to strengthen their preparedness to avert potential damage and losses that could arise due to the flooding.