Climate Change: Environmentalist urges FG, states to tackle rising sea levels

Mr. Furoebi Akene, an environmentalist, has called on the Federal Government and states along the Atlantic coastline to save coastal communities from being submerged due to the alarming rate of rising sea levels.

Akene’s position was conveyed in a Save Our Soul (SOS) message to President Bola Tinubu and Governors of all Coastline States on Monday in Yenagoa.

Akene, who is the Executive Director of the Centre for Environmental Preservation and Development (CEPD), advocated for  urgent action to curb impending disasters.

According to him, the threat and effect to life and properties across coastline settlements and nearby communities lying below sea levels is clear for all to see.

Akene, a former Commissioner for Lands and Survey in Bayelsa, said that there was an impending disaster before coastal communities and other settlements around the coast as a result of the rising sea level.

“To this end, the Federal Government and the governments of the coastal states should have a very strong synergy and urgently respond to the unprecedented and devastating impacts of rising seas before it is too late.

“The saying goes, ‘It is too late to sit in a seismic class, the morning after the earthquake.’’’

The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had on Aug. 27, issued a global SOS from the Pacific Island nation of Tonga at a meeting of the Pacific Islands Forum.

“The warning in the Tongan capital Nukuʻalofa was with a plea to the world to massively increase finance and support for vulnerable countries in grave danger of the human-caused climate crisis.’’

According to the environmentalist, the UN chief warns that the ocean is overflowing.

He said it was a crazy situation as rising seas were a crisis entirely of humanity’s making-a crisis that would soon swell to an almost unimaginable scale, with no lifeboat to take us back to safety.

Akene explained that climate change and temperature rises were global problems traced to burning fossil fuels that released heat-trapping pollution.

According to him, Nigeria is a major contributor to this global malady.

He also noted that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change concluded unequivocally in 2021, that humans had caused the climate crisis.

Akene pointed out that all communities on the Atlantic coast from Lagos to Calabar were in danger that needs urgent attention.

“It is not only Lagos, Warri, Burutu, Port Harcourt and Calabar affairs but the entire Atlantic coastal environment.

“In Bayelsa–Odioma, Okpoama, Brass Island, Egbabeleu, Akassa, Sangana, Koluama, Foropa, Ekeni, Ezetu, Amatu, Agge and a lot of communities on the coastline are already endangered.

“The situation is not limited to the coastline communities but up to tens of kilometres into the hinterlands.

“In Bayelsa, communities such as Odioma, suffered much devastation last year as a result of the scourge, promises were made but ended as campaign promises without implementation,” Akene said.

He also recalled that other settlements such as Koluama, Sangana, Europa and Okpoama had their turns at different times.

The environmentalist recommended setting up early warning systems for vulnerable coastal communities.