The ultimate goal of these efforts... is to emplace adaptation planning and nip on the bud climate change-induced humanitarian crises in Nigeria
In its efforts to build community resilience and adaptation practices to reduce the effects of climate change, the Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development (FM- HADMSD), is scaling up climate change adaptation efforts in Nigeria.
Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development reaffirmed the Federal Government's commitment while setting the context for the side event she held at the ongoing 27th Conference of Parties (COP27) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
The Minister said climate change-induced hydro-meteorological events are causing devastating humanitarian crises in Nigeria. She called on leaders of the developed world to use COP27 to implement the Paris Agreement, particularly funding of adaptation projects in developing countries, as determined at COP26 in Glasgow, 2021.
To buttress her presentation, Sadiya Umar Farouq cited the example of the scenario in Nigeria in 2022 when the rainfall was characterised by early onset dates, late cessation dates, longer length of season, and enhanced precipitation amount.
"These large-scale displacements, damage to infrastructure and destruction of farmlands translates into sharp disruption of livelihoods, increased risk of hunger as farmers are unable to grow crops and there is also a heightened fear of the outbreak of malaria, cholera, diarrhea and other waterborne diseases," Sadiya Umar Farouq stated at the conference.
The minister stressed that, "Our communities are composed of the poor, the elderly, children and persons living with disabilities. Additionally, the effects of climate change render them more vulnerable than they already are."
According to her, so far the ministry's response to climate change adaptation has focused on policy reviews and planning. She said: "Notably, the 2019 Disaster Risk Management Policy developed by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) calls for mainstreaming disaster risk reduction in all areas (including climate
change and environmental factors as indicated in policy priority, as well as resilience building of at-risk communities to withstand disasters."
The Minister said the Disaster Risk Management Policy recognises that reducing vulnerability to hazards requires a focus on root causes through hazards vulnerability assessment to foster prevention, mitigation of existing risks and preparation for possible disasters and adaptation to changing climate risk.
Furthermore, the Policy presents the link between climate change action and disaster risk reduction (DRR). It specifically promotes the need to adopt Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and adaptation projects.
With the hindsight that Nigeria's climate is likely to see growing shifts in temperature, rainfall, storms, floods and sea levels throughout the twenty-first century, the Minister has prioritized adaptive responses to these shifts to avert conflicts in some areas particularly the worst affected parts of the country Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), are both members of the Ministry of Environment led inter-ministerial committee on Climate Change. "We align ourselves with the National Adaptation Strategy and Plan of Action on Climate Change in Nigeria (NASPA-CCN) which was developed in 2011, and more recently the National Adaptation Plan Framework which was developed in 2020 by the Ministry of Environment to guide," she said.
From the humanitarian perspective, Sadiya Umar Farouq disclosed that her ministry works with the Nigerian National Adaptation Plan which seeks to reduce the vulnerability of communities to the impacts of climate change by building adaptive capacity and resilience. The National Adaptation Plan also advocates for the integration of climate change adaptation into relevant new and existing policies, programmes and activities as well as in development planning processes and strategies, she explained.
Putting her ministry's participation in true perspective, she added: "The reason we are here today is to harness and discuss good practices, programmes and strategies that other countries are using to reduce vulnerabilities of Climate Change. We want to know how to build adaptive capacities and resilience in line with national and international policies and commitments in Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation. Specifically, we want to know how to identify and map out climate change risks better, we also hope to generate political
will to implement and finance national adaptation projects as we harmonize inputs and launch a people-centered climate change adaptation in coordination with key partners like the Ministry of Environment, and other relevant MDAs." From that pedestal, she charged the panel to discuss success stories (country case studies), some of the national, regional and international best practices towards climate change adaptation. The discussion further encompassed the interlinkages between climate change, livelihoods and sustainable development as well as on
why we need to scale up Disaster Risk Reduction as a strategy for climate change action. The examination of assessment methods was also not left out in the deliberations.
Among the panel's tasks was to propose short-term, medium- term and long-term climate change adaptation targets/priorities for Nigeria and to examine how the country can leverage on partnerships to bridge gaps and participatory strategies to ensure no one is left behind in the plan.
The panel drew from a rich reservoir of experts which included: Mr. Amjad Abbashar, of the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR), Regional Office for Africa, a position he has held since 2016. UNDRR is the UN Agency responsible for reducing existing disaster risk and losses and preventing new ones globally, through the implementation of the targets of the Sendai Framework. Prior to his current position, Abbashar was Chief of the UNISDR Regional Office for Arab States in Cairo, Egypt from 2010 to 2015. He began his United Nations career in the early 1990's serving as Programme Officer with the UNDP and has worked in several roles within the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs focusing on inter-governmental matters and policy planning
and analyses. Abbashar took part in the establishment of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) and United Nations Peace-building Support office and the Human Security Trust Fund as well.
Another expert in the panel is Sylvie Wabbes, an Agronomist with more than 30 years of professional experience in development, humanitarian, climate and environmental management. Wabbes has been working at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) for more than 15 years, on emergency and resilience for agriculture and food- based livelihood systems with most vulnerable and fragile countries. FAO supports strategic programme and positioning on multiple and colliding risks, impacts and emergencies from disaster, climate change, food chain threats and epidemics (including COVID-19) and conflicts, with the aim to build resilient agrifood systems. Sylvie is a co-leader of the UNFCCC Marrakesh Partnership for Global Climate Action-MPGCA and its Climate Resilience Pathways and is engaged in the UN Food System Summit and its Resilience Alliances: the Climate Resilient Food System Alliance; the Resilient Local Food Supply Chain Alliance; and the Fighting Food Crisis along the Humanitarian, Development and Peace Nexus Coalition. It is also noteworthy that Wabbes has worked on
environmental and community development issues in Africa region based in Zambia and in Kenya, and has extensive good practices to share from the continent.
Another member of the panel is Dr Pasang Dolma Sherpa, the Executive Director of Centre for Indigenous Peoples' Research and Development (CIPRED). Sherpa has been working with Indigenous Peoples, Women and Local Communities for the recognition of the indigenous peoples' knowledge, cultural values and customary
institutions that contributed to sustainable management of forest, ecosystem, biodiversity and climate resilience for more than a decade. She is also the Chair of Specialist Group on Indigenous Peoples' Customary and Environmental Laws and Human Rights (SPICEH) within CEESP-IUCN, visiting faculty at Kathmandu University,
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Steering Committee member to the White Papers lead by IPCC, UNESCO and ECOMOS and holds various advisory roles in different forums, networks and institutions both at national and international levels.
Halima Bawa-Bwari, an Environmental Scientist, is a Director in the Federal Ministry of Environment and Head of Vulnerability and Adaptation Division in the Department of Climate Change. She is currently serving under the office of the Minister for Environment as a Special Technical Assistant. Her work covers being a negotiator for Nigeria on Climate Change Adaptation issues, Lead Negotiator and National Focal Point for Gender and Climate Change in the UNFCCC negotiations.
She also handles Coastal Resilience, Lake Chad Basin Climate Change Resilience and has overseen Climate Finance issues including the Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund and the Green Bonds, amongst others. Halima Bawa-Bwari's work experiences equally cover Nature Conservation and Management, Industrial Compliance Monitoring and Biosafety Management.
Dr. Abubakar A. Suleiman is a Deputy Director in charge of Disaster Management in the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development. He is an Engineer by training who has become a humanitarian by practice. Prior to his joining the Ministry, his research interest was on biodegradable insulation for transformers in the power sector. He obtained his PhDin Electrical Engineering from Universiti Technologi Malaysia and he has more than 3 IEEE Dielectric Journal Publications and over 20 Conferences Papers to his credit.
Since joining the Ministry, he has supported efforts of Disaster Risk Reduction and Humanitarian activities in the Ministry.
The ultimate goal of these efforts, propelled by Sadiya Umar Farouq's visionary stewardship, is to emplace adaptation planning and nip on the bud climate change-induced humanitarian crises in Nigeria which cut across locations, occupations and populations.
