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WaterAid, says it is collaborating with other stakeholders to strengthen climate resilience in Nigeria.
Evelyn Mere, WaterAid Country Director, made this known at the Second Annual Climate Change Conference held in Abuja.
Mere, who was who was represented by Kolawole Banwo, Head of Advocacy, Policy, and Communications, WaterAid, said that the impacts of flooding, drought, and saline intrusion on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services have affected public health and economic growth.
The conference, themed “Strengthening Policies and Investments for Climate-Resilient Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Services,” aimed to highlight the urgent need for resilient infrastructure and collaborative action.
“WASH is not just about building stronger infrastructure but ensuring that services anticipate, respond to, cope with, recover from, and adapt to climate-related events.
“One of the objectives of this conference is to bring all stakeholders together to discuss, facilitate, and unlock the required funding needed to build the resilience of WASH facilities to climate change,” Mere said.
She emphasised that communities, especially vulnerable ones, must continue to enjoy sustainable access to water, sanitation, and hygiene services despite the changing climate.
“All stakeholders need to build a common front, share information, jointly conduct research, identify needs and gaps, and collectively work out solutions that everyone can support,” she added.
Mere further noted that collaboration among stakeholders would ensure cohesive and coherent planning, programming, and interventions to make WASH infrastructure resilient to climate change and its impacts.
Mr. Richard Pheelangwah, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, highlighted the intersection of climate change and WASH as a major concern, noting that climate change poses significant threats to these essential services.
He said Nigeria is among the ten most vulnerable countries globally, experiencing severe impacts from climate change and natural hazards.
“Nigeria is highly exposed to climate and environmental hazards such as air pollution, coastal flooding, and desertification, all of which affect water quantity and quality,” he said.
Pheelangwah noted that many communities are still at risk of waterborne diseases, inadequate sanitation, and compromised hygiene practices.
He stressed that the low level of water availability and access to safe water has serious implications for health, education, nutrition, safety, and the overall well-being of the population.
He also announced that the Ministry, in collaboration with UNICEF, would produce a climate rationale for WASH services in Nigeria, aimed at identifying various categories of climate risks.
Mrs. Ngozi Abohwo, Director of Hydrology at the Federal Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, also emphasised the impact of climate change on WASH infrastructure and service delivery.
“There is a need to strengthen our policies and investments to make WASH infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate change,” she stated.
She appreciated the support from WaterAid and other stakeholders and called for continued collaboration towards achieving climate change resilience.
By Akpan Glory
