ENVIRONMENT FG partners United Nations to halt biodiversity loss in 2020

Saraki tasks UN on climate change

Sen. Bukola Saraki, Chairman Senate Committee on Environment and Ecology, has appealed to the United Nations Development Programme for adequate funding to combat climate change in Nigeria especially as it relates to environmental sanitation, degradation, forestry, agriculture, power and other related climate change problems in the country.

While making the remarks at the United Nations framework convention on climate change otherwise known as Conference of Parties in Lima, Peru in Southern America, Senator Saraki who was represented by Alhaji Fatai Jimoh, clerk of the committee promised to collaborate with his colleagues in the National Assembly to establish a UNDP/NASS multi-sectoral committee on climate change that would seek for additional funds to support the federal government’s efforts on the endemic problem of climate change in Nigeria.

The multi-sectoral committee if established, according to him, would ensure judicious allocation and utilisation of any grant released to the country.

Saraki also charged the federal government to take the issue of climate change very seriously in order to promote a conducive and friendly environment so as to encourage local entrepreneurs and facilitate foreign investors.

He also advised the UN to shift its paradigm from negotiations to full implementation 20 years after its inauguration.

He urged the federal government to provide enabling environment of hosting the 22nd edition of the conference in the year 2016. This became imperative when the hosting right has been granted to Africa more so when South Africa had hosted it in 2012 and Nigeria is yet to host it.

he Federal Government is working with the United Nations Global Environment Facility (GEF) and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to halt biodiversity loss in the country by 2020.

This is in line with global agreement to take urgent action to halt the loss of biodiversity in recognition of its importance to sustain a healthy planet and for delivering essential benefits to people.

Speaking at a workshop on National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) Revision Process in Abuja, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Mrs. Mede Nana Fatimah, said the revised NBSAP will guide their efforts in the conservation and sustainable use of the rich biodiversity over the next decade, including setting their ambition to halt its overall loss by 2020.

“In the longer term, our ambition is to move progressively from position of net biodiversity to net gain,” she said.

Fatimah said there is need for mainstreaming biodiversity into other key economic sectors of mining, agriculture, forestry, fisheries, health, energy and education amongst others to enable biodiversity to be conserved and sustainably used in all forms of land, sea use.

She said this would help it to be resilient to pressures such as climate change.

Nigeria is a party to the Convention on Biological Diversity and signatory to the Convention at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).

In 2006, Nigeria completed her Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP).

Under the convention, countries are required to ensure that the NBSAP is mainstreamed into planning and activities of all sectors whose activities can have an impact on biodiversity.

Fatimah said the actions of GEF and UNDP reinforce the fact that a collaborative effort of all stakeholders is needed in helping to arrest the loss of biodiversity.

Speaking earlier, Director of Forestry, Salihu Dahiru, said Nigeria has submitted its fifth national report and is revising its NBSAP in line with the strategic Plan 2011 – 2020 and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets as a flexible framework.

He said the revision in components is the convention’s arrangement to ensure adequate stakeholders engagement and participation which will guarantee ownership and participatory implementation.

According to him, the stocktaking and assessment informed the strategy and action that must be taken to plan and implement the action agreed upon.

“We must in this exercise adopt specific, measurable, ambitious but realistic and time-bound targets so that biodiversity loss in our country will be halted,” he said.

Biological diversity is said to underpin ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services essential for human well-being in food security, human health, provision of clean air and water, contribute to local livelihoods and economic development, yet despite its functional importance, biodiversity continues to be lost.