Protection of the Atmosphere and Conservation of Biodiversity

– The Nigerian Situation So Far

Apart from the adoption of the principles of sustainable development as reflected in the series of regulations, guidelines and standards, it has ever been the desire of the Federal Government of Nigeria to single out the sources of gaseous emissions and maintain them at the level of full compliance by the year 2010 using the following strategies:

 

a) Review of existing National guidelines and standards to include vehicles, generating sets, aircraft etc;

b) Intensification of public enlightenment campaigns at all levels on the benefits of adequate maintenance, retrofitting, adopting effective technology, ensuring efficient energy use, and increased cost benefit;

c) Maintenance of effective databases on industries and their compliance status;

d) Maintenance of a register of technologies, vehicles, generating sets, and aircraft for approval for manufacturing and importation;

e) Introduction and enforcement of emission control certificates for vehicles, generating sets, and aircraft by 1999;

f)   Elimination of Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) consuming processes;

g) Enforcement of laws relating to the siting of new industries;

h) Installation of a minimum primary treatment for all new industries;

i)   Building secondary central treatment facilities in all major industrial estates in cities;

j)   Invoking the polluter pays principle immediately;

k)  Ensuring 100% waste segregation, recycling arid re-use by the year 1999;

I)   Promotion of research in Best Available Technology Effective for Local Adoption (BATELA);

m)       Making eco-labeling compulsory for all products by the year 2000;

 

n) Promotion of commercialization of sanitary land fill and incineration as appropriate;

o) Encouraging citizen empowerment in pollution control;

p) Introduction of green technologies and promotion of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in all industrial facilities;

q) Creation of an environment fund for soft loans as economic incentives for environmentally friendly industries; and

r) Promotion of tax rebates for industries installing pollution abatement facilities.

 

In compliance with the requirements of the Montreal Protocol and the provision of Agenda 21, the phasing out of ODS in Nigeria has been given priority among the programmes being implemented by the Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA). In 1993, the Federal Government of Nigeria established a Regional Environmental Monitoring Station at Oshogbo under the auspices of the Global Atmospheric Watch (ClAW) programme of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The station monitors background atmospheric pollution. GEMS/Air Nigeria is a component of the Global Environment Monitoring System whose specific goal is to monitor and assess urban air quality, the programme commenced in 1995 with FEPA as the focal point.

 

Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), the activities of the Nigerian government in the area of pr6tecting the atmosphere include: phasing out the consumption of ozone depleting substances (01)5); monitoring background atmospheric pollution and the total column ozone; data bank automation; a greenhouse gas inventory; climate change research and training; promotion of environmentally friendly energy practice; and participation in the Global Environment Monitoring Systems (GEMS).The unpleasant side effect of industrialization is the waste generated from industrial processes Another source of pollution is gaseous emission especially from fossil fuel burning processes and processes using gas. Since the oil and gas sector has continued to be the backbone of the Nigerian economy, contributing over 90% of the nations Foreign exchange earnings and at least 80% of the GDP. This situation is likely to continue unchallenged into the future. The pollution is a major health hazard with the levels of the gases emitted around highways and runways sometimes 10 times higher than permissible levels in Nigeria, Ghana, Europe, and many other countries. In order to reduce the levels of these gases to tolerable ambient limits, it is important to single out the sources of gaseous emissions and maintain them at the level of frill compliance within the next few years 2010.

 

The Federal Governments policy goal on the conservation of biodiversity is to ensure sustainable use of forest resources and preservation of the many benefits accruing from soil, water, and wildlife conservation for economic development. Among the current priority programmes in Nigeria are the extension of National Parks and Reserves and the compilation of the flora and fauna of Nigeria. The Nigerian Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) reviews the status of biodiversity conservation in Nigeria in an attempt to fill the gaps identified in the country study programme, and develops strategies and action plans to bridge the gaps in the conservation effort. It has ever been the desire of Nigeria to continue to be active in the international arena while developing at the local level infra-structural, human, and institutional capabilities that will ensure equitable sharing of biodiversity benefits over time. To achieve this goal, the Nigerian strategy is being based on:

a) Inventory, identification, and rehabilitation of all threatened and endangered species of fauna and flora;

b) Increasing the network of protected areas to include, all ecosystem types consistent with internationally accepted classification;

c) . Promotion and enhancement measures for both in-situ and ex-situ conservation through identification, inventories, evaluation, monitoring, research, education, public awareness, and training; d) increasing the nation’s biodiversity management capability (human, infrastructural, institutional, and technological);

e) Development of economically and culturally sound strategies to combat biodiversity loss;

f) Protection and promotion of policy guidance for bio-prospecting and indigenous knowledge (intellectual property right); and

g) Rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems.

 

The Protected Area Programme identifies areas and sites of conservation interest and classifies the identified areas using IOCW criteria. Only four states (Delta, Edo, Kogi, and Kwara) have been inventoried so far. Nigeria also implements relevant international Conventions, which address the conservation of biological resources. These conventions include Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), Convention on Wetlands (RAMSAR). and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES) that are geared towards the promotion of rehabilitation of damaged ecosystems and endangered species under in- situ conservation of the ecosystems and threatened species. Apart from the implementation of the above Conventions, there are other programmes aimed at conserving biological diversity or reducing threats posed by biodiversity depletion and habitat loss. These programmes include: (i) Control of water Hyacinth and other Invasive plant species; (ii) Protected Areas! Ecosystem Management; (iii) Management of Watersheds; and (iv) Wetland Management

 

Resulting from the Government’s efforts in biodiversity conservation, the following achievements have been made:

a) There are 32 game reserves/sanctuaries and six National Parks in place covering a total of about 4,293,800 ha scattered in different areas of the country;

b) There are 12 strict Nature Reserves; and

c) There are 13 proposed Game Reserves/National Parks covering about 372,000 ha located across the country.

 

The continual depletion of plant and animal species and the degradation of ecosystem stemming primarily from economic motives have become an important issue of growing global concern. Despite the unbridled rate of increase in the exploitation of biodiversity globally, the rate of replacement has not been commensurate with use. Thus, the number of threatened and endangered species is increasing. Biodiversity as the economic and socio-cultural base of human systems, providing unquantifiable benefits to man and the environment including shelter, food, clothing, medicine, recreation, and resources for industry, needs to be conserved and managed sustainably for present and future generations. Uncontrolled logging and tree felling are the order of the day in many parts of the southern states of Nigeria. This carries with it loss of precious biological diversity. Nigeria’s wildlife is rapidly declining due to habitat loss and increased pressure from hunters, poachers, and bush burning. Animals that have recently disappeared from Nigeria include the cheetah, the pygmy hippopotamus, the giraffe, the black rhinoceros, and the giant eland. About 10-1 2 species of primates, including the white throated guenon species of primates and sclater’s guenous, are under threat. Also an estimated 484 plant species from 112 families are threatened with extinction because of habitat destruction and deforestation.