Consequences of climate change worst than terrorism – Dr. Vahyala Teri
A university don, Dr. Vahyala Adamu Teri has posited that the effect of climate change which the world is currently grappling with is worst than the effect of global terrorism calling on all stakeholders to come together to proffer solutions to the odious scourge which constitute great threat to peace, security and livelihoods.
Teri who made the position during a one day Seminar organized by the Iliya Yame Kwace foundation for justice, peace and development noted that the scourge must be fought fiercely in order to restore the order of global ecosystem and to prevent the world from sliding into an impending apocalypse.
RELATED NEWS
Climate change: Stakeholders urge Adamawa govt to produce 3-5 year action plan
ACReSAL kicks off 2 day sensitisation workshop on climate change
Climate change: Dangote group moves to save environment, parleys journalists
He noted that our climate has been wounded by human actions and in return the climate is fighting humans in more ways than envisaged leading to all sorts of inclement whether conditions including rising heat waves, flooding, landslides droughts, desert encroachment which exercerbate conflict for resources especially between farmers and herders.
Teri added that some of the debilitating effects of climate change include displacement, migration and depletion of ozone protective layer making the world to be susceptible to the vagaries and fury of the climate and exposes man and his environment to seismic danger.
The university don added that the climate crisis has also worsens poverty occasioned by loss of jobs, competition for scarce resources like water and land and has introduced new dynamics and variables into the raging farmers/herders conflict especially within the sahel region.
He added that the climate induced farmers/herders conflict has led to the death of thousands of people and the pulverization of properties worth millions of naira mainly between the pastoralists and farmers for long. He observed that the crisis currently bedeviling the Lake Chad region is rooted in climate change as the water in the in the lake is fast receding.
Teri noted that the lake which occupies a landmass of 26,000km2 in 60s has now dried up to 1,500km.
While suggesting way forward, the university don calls for planting of more trees, preserving our forest resources, stoppage of open grazing, planting of more trees and the introduction of curriculum based climate studies at primary, second and tertiary institutions.
He also called on governments to invest in tree planting, produce drought resistant seedlings, provide alternative and cheaper sources of energy amongst other policy initiatives.
Also speaking during his presentation entitled peace building in a diverse society, a former commissioner of information and strategy in Adamawa, Dr Ahmad Sajoh noted that peace is not the absence of conflict noting that there can only be peace if social justice prevails.
“When you have extreme social inequality like the one we have in Nigeria, do not expect peace. Where is the peace in a situation where some people import their dog food from abroad while some people rummage through garbage cans for rotten leftovers to survive?,” he questioned.
He urged the people to rise up and challenge some of the heinous actions of their leaders as leaving a life of defeat is not the way to go.
Also speaking, the chairman of the occasion, Most Rev Dr. Musa Panti Filibus noted that afforestation and reforestation are handy solutions to the litany of crisis that has existed between farmers and herders noting that embracing afforestation will lead to the mitigation of the perennial conflict.
He also called for the restoration of degraded lands and expansion of cover to create sustainable ecosystems and establish natural boundaries that can reduce conflict over resources.
Speaking to newsmen on the sidelines of the event, the chairman, Iliya Yame Kwace foundation, Iliya Yame Kwace noted that the seminar seeks to enlighten the people about the benefits of tree planting, justice and peace peace building in communities.
He noted that since its inception, his organization has championed planting and sustenance of thousands of trees adding in order to mitigate the effect of climate change promising to maintain the tempo.
