To mitigate the effects of climate change, a United Nations-backed coalition of 1,000 stakeholders from over 100 countries, consisting of Nigeria, yesterday, launched an action plan to steer digitalisation towards accelerating sustainable development.

The Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability (CODES) is to reorient and prioritise the application of digital technologies for the attainment of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and address the triple planetary crises of climate change, and biodiversity loss, as well as pollution and waste.

The flagship roadmap was launched during the Stockholm+50 international environmental meeting in Sweden. The gathering proposed a comprehensive and strategic approach to embedding sustainability in all aspects of digitalisation. It includes building globally inclusive processes to define standards and governance frameworks for digital sustainability, allocating necessary resources and infrastructure and identifying opportunities to reduce potential harms from digitalisation.

Minister of the Environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, is attending the meeting, where he made a case for implementation of sound management of chemicals and waste activities, mainstreaming of waste and chemical management in national plans, and establishment of a multi-stakeholder committee to bring governments, Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) under a common platform.

Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and CODES co-champion, Inger Andersen, said: “Digitalisation is changing the way the world works, but the new world of work must be a sustainable one. It is critical that digital innovations and technologies accelerate environmental sustainability. UNEP is committed to supporting CODES and digital sustainability as a core part of our new Digital Transformation Programme.”

Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and CODES co-champion, Achim Steiner, observed: “Digitalisation – the use and adoption of digital technologies – is driving massive economic, social and environmental change that can either deepen or close inequalities. The future of humanity and the health of planet Earth will be significantly shaped by this transformation. UNDP is committed to supporting a transformation that offers a greener and more just future that leaves no one behind.”

In his remarks, President of German Environment Agency and CODES co-champion, Dirk Messner, noted: “Digital transformation must be governed as one of the key sustainability issues for the global community today. We can’t afford to fail to align the disruptive forces of digital change with our common sustainable development goals.”

BESIDES, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), yesterday, disclosed that over 3.3 billion persons live in places vulnerable to global warming.

The study by IFRC and World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in Abuja, highlighted how the power of nature to protect people was being overlooked.

The report, captioned “Working with Nature to Protect People: How Nature-based Solutions Reduce Climate Change and Weather-Related Disasters,” showed that nature-based solutions could reduce the intensity of climate and weather-related hazards by 26 per cent.

It indicated how lives could be saved by working with nature-based solutions to prevent exposure to these hazards and support vulnerable communities in adapting to and withstanding the dangers of a warming world.

For the first time, the analysis showed that these solutions could provide developing countries with valuable protection against the economic cost of climate change, saving at least $104 billion in 2030 and $393 billion in 2050.

Commenting, IFRC Secretary General, Jagan Chapagain, submitted: “The climate crisis is driving multiple humanitarian crises around the world. Its impact on the lives and livelihoods of millions of people is intensifying. Greening nature, and restoring forests, farmlands and wetlands are some of the best and most cost-effective ways to support vulnerable communities to adapt to risks and impacts they already face. Protecting nature will protect people.”

WWF Director-General, Marco Lambertini, said: “Let’s be clear. If we don’t urgently scale up efforts to limit the impacts of a warming world, more lives will be lost and economies and livelihoods affected. Nature is our greatest ally and also a crucial buffer against climate change. By restoring and protecting it, we can help ecosystems build resilience and continue to provide crucial services to humanity and in particular, to the more vulnerable communities.”

ALSO yesterday, Nigeria Meteorology Service (NIMET) secured lighting sensor equipment to forecast thunderstorms, lightning and other extreme weather conditions in the country. The World Meteorology Organisation (WMO) had informed the most populous black nation to brace up for extreme weather conditions.

The lightning detection and surface weather monitoring technology would, among others, assist in detecting a large portion of in-cloud (IC) and Cloud to Ground (CG) lightning 45 minutes before approaching the earth.

NIMET Director-General, Prof. Mansur Matazu, while receiving the tools donated by an American consortium, Earth Network, said the equipment would improve their forecasting capability to provide real-time information on lightning and thunderstorms.

These inclement phenomena, he stated, were dangerous to flights, energy supply and distribution, besides destruction of properties and lives.

He hinted that the agency was improving its high impact weather forecast capacity through utilisation of total lightning data and current forecasting techniques to provide related services to customers and stakeholders.

Matazu said in line with the agreement signed with the consortium, 10 Automatic Weather Stations and 10 lightning sensor equipment were provided to the agency accompanied by training of NIMET staff by Earth Network technicians on the installation and management of the facilities.

He disclosed that the first three tranches of the lightning sensor would be installed at Abuja, Lagos and Benin airports, while the remaining seven are to be mounted by NIMET employees across some of the weather stations nationwide.

West African Representative of the Earth Network, Jean Base Ngameni, further explained that the tools would provide real-time weather data and monitor large scale events such as thunderstorm lightning, adding that the equipment will equally improve NIMET precision and timeliness in producing weather forecasts, especially for dangerous weather system at airport locations.

The Technician, Jemiver Bamfuact, on his part, harped on constant Internet services, as the captured data would be sent to their American partners for interpretation.