NIMET to reduce populace vulnerability to climate change - Matazu

Abiola Seun

The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET), has said appropriate government policy framework coupled with adaptation and mitigation strategies of climate change will reduce vulnerability of the populace to climate change.

Speaking over the weekend on the theme, “Climate Issues, Opportunities and Solutions In Nigeria,” at the British High Commission hosted by Youth Consultation on Climate Change and Nationally Determined Contributions (YCCCNDC), the Director- General, NIMET, Prof Mansur Matazu, explained that the agency has built infrastructure, develop competencies for effective delivery of its service as indigenous but international in nature with global relevance.

According to the NIMET boss, with global relevance and visibility, NIMET’s products and services were available and multi-sectoral in applications and increasingly important to understand.

He stressed that government alone cannot do it, hence the need for effective collaborative partnerships and integration of meteorological information into planning and implementation of development programs were strategies for managing weather-related risks in all sectors of the economy.

“Effective collaboration with MDAs, state governments, NGOs, universities and research institutes on sustainable strategies to reduce the effects of climate change in Nigeria. These collaborative partnerships will only be sustainable with youths as climate actors and as integral part of the solution.”

“These NIMET services are key instrument to reduce effects of changing climate and restore the degrading ecosystem in the country. NIMET, as part of our statutory responsibility will continue to provide meteorological early warning system, identifying severe weather events related to climate change.”

Matazu explained that the agency embarked on making regular weather and climate predictions to help the public mitigate effects of climate change by way of Early Warning Systems (EWSs), and regular assessment of impacts of climate change.

Matazu further disclosed that the agency also embarked on regular assessment of climate change and its impacts on the socio-economy activities of the country, through publications.

Such publications according to Matazu, include climate review bulletins (now State of the Climate in Nigeria), agromet decadal review bulletins, drought, and flood bulletins, among others

The permanent Representative of Nigeria with WMO revealed that such publications strengthening organs of government, assists government by giving proper and timely advice to in formulation of policies that would help government mitigate the effects of climate change.

“The agency has put several Early Warning Systems in place to help alert the public and stakeholders on impending hazardous weather and climate events.”

According to Prof Matazu, in the past 150–200 years, considerable changes have taken place in the composition of atmospheric gases due to natural processes and human activities, such as increasing energy consumption, industrialization, intensive agricultural practices, urbanisation and rural development, etc which has led to rise in global temperature and high spatial and temporal variability.

“The changing temperature regime has resulted in considerable changes in the precipitation (rainfall) pattern and a changing climate will result in considerable changes in natural vegetation and in land use practices.”