Climate change: UNESCO to partner Nigeria on Lake Chad

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says it will partner with Nigeria to organise an international conference in 2017 toward increasing Lake Chad water level.

Mr Benoit Sossou, Abuja Regional Office, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

Sossou said that the meeting, which would be held in Abuja, was an effort to address the effects of climate change on the Lake Chad and this would involve Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, among others.

“Two Assistants General Director of UNESCO will come to Nigeria to support the government of Nigeria to organise a world-wide conference on Lake Chad.

“Because of the climate change, the surface of the Lake Chad has been reduced to less than 10 per cent.

“Climate change is a very huge problem which challenges the region of Lake Chad basin. This is a very big concern to the authorities of Nigeria, Chad and Cameroon, among others.

“Nigeria is the lead country to organise this conference to work on how to bring water back to the Lake Chad,“ he said.

Sossou said that it was a big challenge for the whole planet to keep the world safe in order to preserve the environment.

He said that many sustainable development goals were linked to environment and climate change.

“In UNESCO, we have the science sector which is working on climate change. We have regional programmes, which involve participation of eight countries covered by the office in Abuja.

“The organisation is fully committed to work on climate change to support different countries to come up with a safe world after 2030 sustainable agenda,’’ he said.