Laraba MUREY
As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to mark this year’s World Environment Day, WED, Actionaid Nigeria, AAN has reeled out solutions to protect the environment in the country.
Manager, Social Mobilisation, ActionAid Nigeria, Adeduntan Adewale, said “our extraction of natural resources has grown to such a scale that we are now using the equivalent of 1.6 Earths to maintain our current way of life, and ecosystems cannot keep up with our demands.”
He revealed that “It is essential for us governments, businesses, particularly the informal sector, rural communities, CSOs and individuals – to think long-term and invest in the global transition to a more sustainable future by committing our resources to replace solutions that power our everyday lives with sustainable ones.”
According to him “we need to do more, and at a faster rate. This World Environment Day, let us continue to march together, and with each conscious step towards our sustainability goals, let us remember we only have one chance, and only one Earth. If we continue to destroy nature, we will destroy humanity.”
He said “Let us act responsibly to protect our environment, to rethink our consumption habits, to start recycling and upcycling.”
Adewale stated that “Water has been called the most crucial link in climate action and also the most ignored. Of course, water plays an important, interconnected role across key economic, social, and environmental agendas.”
He said “By working towards a common goal, we can achieve monumental change, and we have seen sustainability as a movement gain tremendous traction.”
“Beyond addressing our carbon footprint, tackling our vast use of resources is equally important. We all have the responsibility to strive for circularity and promote reuse, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling, notably through recycling and reuse initiatives. It is also crucial that industries ensure wastewater is effectively treated to a quality that allows feedback into our water”, He said.
Furthermore that “‘Water is everywhere, playing an essential role in the functioning of our industries, municipalities, and buildings but potable water is rare in our communities. If we overlook and skip safe water in our strategies, we risk derailing our efforts on climate and decarbonization of industry sectors.
“Additionally, the sheer volume of water being moved and treated every day leads to greater energy consumption, consequently contributing to the alarming climate change.”
Adewale disclosed that “Our Earth is currently facing a triple planetary crisis: climate disruption, biodiversity loss, and unabated pollution.
“Notably, the unpredictable local climates have disrupted our farming activities, thereby affecting livelihoods due to a surge in pests and diseases.
“Coastal cities like Lagos and Niger Delta generally continue to sink as sea levels rise, especially during the rainy season.”
Highlight of the celebration was awareness campaign walk by AAN, rural women, Activista, and Keke Riders Association to share and disseminate environmental related campaign messages, particularly on pollution
Year 2022 is a historic milestone for environmental sustainability, as it is 50 years since the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment.
