climate-change
As part of efforts to mitigate the threatening climate change and create economic opportunities for the people of Niger Delta, the Danish government in partnership with Academic Associated PeaceWork (AAPW) is set to take the climate change campaign to the rural communities in Bayelsa State.
At a network launch held at the Golden Tulip resort, Onopa, Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, with the theme; ”Advancing Community Capacity to Mitigate Climate Change Impacts and Develop Green and Blue Economy in the Niger Delta’, participant discussed on the way forward for the most impacted region in the country.
Funded by the Embassy of Denmark in Nigeria, the project will run for two years and will be implemented by Academic Associate PeaceWorks (AAPW) in four communities that are highly affected by climate change, environmental degradation and piracy in Bayelsa and Delta states.
These communities have the potentials for developing Green and Blue economies in their areas. Therefore, the project aims to promote sustainable practices in marine and terrestrial environments, emphasizing conservation, resource management, and development of communities in the Niger Delta region.
In his address, the Denmark Ambassador to Nigeria, Sune Krogstrup, said the partnership with AAPW was to fight climate change and create economic opportunities especially in the local communities who are the worst hit.
“So, here in Nigeria we believe there is a lot of potential in engaging local communities in identifying solutions to the current challenges deriving from climate change.
“We have heard today many stories from the local communities that there are severely impacted by climate change, this is a concern and that’s why we want to partner with AAPW to fight this.
“We are optimistic that the important work we have started in the communities will lead to changes that will benefits the local dwellers and provide economic opportunities in the communities and we hope that other international partners will come on board and we also hope for the support of the Bayelsa state government to create a long-lasting effect”, he said.
Speaking also, the Acting Executive Director, AAPW, Nkoyo Toyo, said the issues of climate change is a global concern and most especially in Nigeria
He said the Niger Delta, especially the rural communities are the most impacted in this phase and so governments have taught it wise to bring this back to home “and so, we are looking into rural communities who are the most hit of climate change”.
In his remark, the Bayelsa State Governor, Sen. Douye Diri, said the government and the people are ready to partner with the project.
While saying that Bayelsa is the most impacted state in the country, he urged the initiators to extend their frontiers beyond the three pilot communities so that more can benefit from the exercise.