ASABA/Nigeria: An eight-man committee selected from Non Governmental Organizations to find solution to Disaster, risk reduction and climate change management in the country and the world at large has come up with a communiqué on the way forward.
The communiqué was issued at the end of a two-day Interactive Session on Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Management held in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State.
The interactive session was geared towards reducing the socio-economic vulnerabilities to disaster as well as dealing with environmental risk and other hazards across the country.
The two-day interactive meeting was organized by the Christian Rural and Urban Development Association of Nigeria, (CRUDAN), at Havanah Hotel.
According to the communiqué, some of the issues at the front burner as identified at the meeting and which needed human and practical solution as a result of climate change and DRR, included, air pollution; unnecessary burning of waste; indiscriminate dumping of refuse; fire accident; deforestation; political violence; religious intolerance amongst other debilitating factors affecting human existence.
In the communiqué, the committee and other participants having identified some of the challenging issues facing the tackling of DRR- related problems to include, lack of adequate funds; lack of adequate preparation network; poor and ineffective sanctions on offenders; lack of information on the part of community members; poor capacity response on the side of civil society; etc, agreed to put modalities in place that would facilitate solutions raised, and as well come up with action plans peculiar with their various communities within a 3-months’ time frame work actualization.
That, there should be a coalition with sister organizations to help curb the menace of environmental disasters in our various communities.
It further said, there will be a collaboration of FBOS and Churches in order to sensitize the people on the need to protect their environments from hazards and disasters.
Concluding, the communiqué, signed by the Chairman, Mr. Okoye Peter and Mrs. Pat Gbemudu, as secretary, respectively, noted that the committee pleads with the government, community/religious leaders to kindly join forces with the CSOs in sensitizing and changing mindset towards Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate Change Management in our societies.
