Impact of sea level rise in coastal
areas of Nigeria
Over the years they have been rapid increase in global temperature,
excessive rainfall and high level of evaporation all around the world. all this
changes occurs as a result of climate change through the global warming
phenomenon hence global warming is basically the rapid increase in
carbon-dioxide emissions mainly as result of burning fossil fuels undermining
the international accord to reduce such emissions as addressed
in the Kyoto protocol adopted in 1997 and signed by 186 countries in
2001, a structure established to cut down carbon emissions but currently most
multinational oil companies in the Niger delta region Is still engaged in gas
flaring which is a major cause of carbon
dioxide emission that leads to global warming. It may interest you to know that
Nigeria emits about 35million tons of carbon dioxide with 12million tons of
methane from Rivers and Delta State alone..
In a recent report we were informed that rising
sea levels from warming temperature will submerge Lagos,Bayelsa ,Rivers states
and half of Delta state and Cross rivers state, from all indications all these events are
unfolding themselves gradually, In July 10th 2011,Lagos State experienced a heavy down pour
with a water level of about 3 feet high and 5feet in some areas ,the flood
practically shut down the entire State, this was as a result of a rise in sea
level.
In August 2011,1n Ibadan at least 102 persons
were thought to have been killed by flood in and around the south –western Nigeria as a
result of heavy rains , and from records last year alone about 500,000 people
were displaced nationwide as a result of floods and heavy rainfall around the
nation.
Causes
of sea level Rise
There
are two main factors that have contributed to observed sea level rise
Firstly thermal expansion; as ocean
water warm up, it expands and thereby increases the sea water level.
Secondly from the contribution of land
based ice due to increased melting of the ice caps and the major store of water
on land is found in glaciers and ice sheets.
Sea level rise is one out of many evidences
that strongly support the view that the climate has recently warmed, it is very
likely that human aided (anthropogenic) warming also add to sea level rise
observed in the latter half of the 20th century,there is widespread
agreement that significant long term sea level rise will continue for centuries
to come most especially in coastal regions of
Nigeria, from scientific studies projected sea level rise to end of the
21st century relative to the global average sea level at the end of
the 20th century.their projection for this time period is for an
increase in sea level of between 18 and 59cm(7.1 and 23inch) according to
intergovernmental panel on climate change(IPCC).
Effect:
Based
on the projected increases stated above ,notes that current and future climate
change would be expected to have numerous impacts, particularly on coastal
systems such as
· Increase flood risk and potential loss of lives
· Increased coastal erosion
· Changes in surface water quality and ground water
characteristics
· Increased loss of property and coastal habitats
· Loss of non-monetary cultural resources and loss of
tourism, recreation and transport function.
There is an implication that many of
these impacts will be detrimental especially for the three quarters of the
world’s poor who depends on agriculture systems and fish farming. We cannot
actually put an end to this occurrences but we can at least reduce the impact by
putting an end to gas flaring and burning of fossil fuels in the nation by
multinational oil companies in the Niger Delta and by leaving the new oil in
the soil as recommended by environmental right action /friends of the earth
Nigeria.
Written
by ATAKE-E, CADMUS.
February, 2012
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