CHALLENGES OF DESERTIFICATION , DEFORESTATION AND EROSION Our country is faced with a geographical pincer threat from desertification in the north and coastal erosion in the south. Through a combination of overgrazing, abuse of woodland for fuel and increasingly unreliable rainfall, over 55 million people in 11 northern states could be affected, putting under severe threat 50-70% of the landmass of the states of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara. Down south, rising sea levels threaten Nigeria’s coastal regions. The Niger Delta may be the source of oil wealth but its low-lying terrain criss-crossed with waterways makes it extremely vulnerable to flooding. The recent near-submergence of the region is a sad reminder of what lies ahead if nothing is done. The “Efficient Wood Fuel Stoves for Nigeria Programme” is a joint initiative of the German NGOs, Atmosfair GmbH and Lernen-Helfen-Leben e.V. (LHL) and a Nigerian NGO, Developmental Association for Renewable Energies (DARE) to promote dissemination of improved cooking stoves to households in Nigeria. This project has been registered as a CDM [Clean Development Mechanism] project and is being financed by a Carbon offset company Atmosfair GmbH and subsidied by United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change. The objective of the project is the reduction of the GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions into the atmosphere and to halt desertification and deforestation by the use of an improved cook stove called the Save80 which saves about 80% of the fuel used in an open fire. With the consumption of 80% less firewood, a Save80 Stove is estimated to save around 2.5 tonnes of CO2 per year and thus reduces the amount of GHG emissions into the atmosphere, the major cause of global warming, and sea level rise. Over 70% of our population, that is, about 112 million people, still use firewood as the primary source of fuel, thereby, continuing to put pressure on our fast depleting forest reserves, and with it, increased global warming. The project aims to distribute 10 million stoves by the year 2020 to improve women’s welfare and livelihoods. By the end of the project, it is hoped that at least 22 million tons of CO2 would have been saved, stemming the tide of the continous sea level rise, providing jobs for thousands of our youth, saving significant time and effort by at least 10 million women not having to collect fuel wood, and saving money spent on firewood and kerosene. Is this a lone voice in the wilderness? Check this link: Climate Change in the Niger Delta ciel.org/Publications/Climate/CaseStudy_Nigeria_Dec07.pdf
Posted on: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 14:40:07 +0000
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