LASG Joins Hands With UNDP, C40 Cities To Combat Climate Change

The Lagos State Government has set up a collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and C40 Cities, is gearing up to address climate change, a defining environmental challenge to the world.

Speaking with newsmen in Alausa on Wednesday, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Environmental Services, Mrs. Aderonke Odeneye said Lagos, UNDP and C40 Cities had clearly shown a commitment to the evolvement of a ‘climate change conscious society’ in order to counter the global threat.

The Permanent Secretary revealed the collaboration had commissioned Messrs Geo-Solutions, an Environmental Consultant, to carry out a Risk Assessment of Lagos State, saying the project is aimed at giving a robust evidence-based projection of localised climate risk and hazards expected to feed into the climate action plan.

Odeneye expressed hope that the risk assessment programme, which had already kicked off on the 7th of September, 2020, will contribute heavily to the building of Statewide understanding of climate change and its impact on the environment.

She stated further that the programme is vital to strengthening the Lagos State climate action plan and also central to achieving a more resilient system across the entire State.

“Experts cannot solve climate change issues alone, we all must work together with the Government at the State and Local levels to put an end to this environmental threat,” she said.

Odeneye added that individuals must cultivate habits that play important roles in slowing down the effects of Climate Change, , as the resulting rise in water bodies – oceans, seas, lagoons and rivers – have resulted in flood ravaging the globe.

The Permanent Secretary observed that the Risk Assessment Programme will ensure equitable distribution of the impact of climate change programmes, actions and policies together with indicators that can support monitoring and evaluation.

Odeneye declared that the programme is expected to provide robust evidence and projections of localised climate risks and hazards, while prioritising sectors and actions that will meet short, medium and long-term adaptation needs of the State’s 2020 Climate Action Plan.

She revealed that the programme is scheduled to cut across the 20 local Government areas as well as the five divisions of the State, namely Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island and Epe, in order to arrive at a clear action and strategy for addressing climate risks and impacts.