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The Director General (DG) of Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF), Mr. Adeniyi Karunwi has urged Nigerians not to panic as a result of the alert for looming flood, but rather engage in measures to curb any disaster.
According to him, people living in areas prone to flood as indicated in a recent warning by the Nigerian Hydrological Service Agency (NHSA) should take proactive measures to mitigate the effects of the flood rather than panic.
Karunwi said measures such as healthy environmental practice, proper waste management and promotion of energy efficiency should be adopted.He added that people living in coastal regions should start decongesting and clearing drainages around their surrounding as well as disposing wastes only in designated dumpsites.
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The NCF DG said as part of long-term measures, business organisations should consider reduction in fossil fuel usage to promote energy efficiency towards a green economy.
According to him: “Coastal states such as Lagos, Bayelsa, Delta and others must take necessary action to curtail illegal sand mining as this will also help prevent erosion in their communities.”
“Regulatory bodies should be prepared to handle emergencies to prevent or minimise losses,” he added.Karunwi said environmental education campaign should be intensified in flood-prone areas and in other parts of the country while relief materials and palliative measures should be put in place to help the vulnerable.“The time to act is now as the reality of the impact of climate change is clearly manifesting in our daily life,” he added.
