Governor Alex Otti of Abia State, has announced that his administration is in serious conversation with notable development partners to drive her waste-to-wealth initiative.
He said that his administration was hoping to make the most of the large amount of waste generated in its urban centres, by converting them to useful, reusable products, to improve environmental sanitation standards, create jobs and generate wealth in the State.
Governor Otti made this known in Umuahia, Abia State Capital at the flag-off of a 2-day stakeholders engagement session on climate change, organised, by the State’s Ministry of Environment, promising that significant progress would be made in that regard before the end of 2024.
He observed that climate change is a threat to human existence, noting that people’s survival is largely dependent on how they respond to the threats and actual dangers that confront communities.
He commended Philemon Asonye Ogbonna, commissioner for Environment and his team, for their dedication to the cause of mitigating the crisis of climate change, through strong administrative initiatives and public enlightenment.
He expressed optimism that the outcome of the event, will emerge, a robust policy framework that would serve as the State’s compass, as it navigates what promises to be a complex future.
Governor Otti, explained that his administration’s earliest decision to set up a “Climate Change Department, in the State Ministry of Environment’, was to coordinate its response to changes in the climatic conditions, as they affect local communities.
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He expressed joy that the department hit the ground running almost immediately, mobilising community leaders and other stakeholders to rise to the demand of mitigating the impact of climate change in the State.
“As most people know, every plan and programme we have for the future is dependent on our ability to preserve our natural environment.
“This involves the development of a new template, through relevant institutional structures, to manage how we interact with nature in our day-to-day activities as farmers, manufacturers, traders, or regular domestic and industrial energy consumers.
“We understand that an effective climate action requires a reliable data bank. In line with this awareness, we have been meticulous in building our climate database, focusing on key impact metrics, as they affect different communities.
“In the oil producing regions of Ukwa, we are attentive to the effects of oil exploration activities on the natural vegetation, farmlands, and water bodies. In the other districts in the State, we try to keep our eyes on the influx of herders from different parts of the country in response to desert encroachment, and how their movement affects the local farmers and their crops.
“We are also keeping track of communities facing environmental threats arising from gully erosion, flooding and deforestation.
“We are not just gathering data for the fun of it, the data we collate will drive our patterns of spending on challenges related to the environment. Presently, gully erosion control projects are on-going at several locations in the State. These projects are initiated to save lives and property, and also reclaim land areas that could have been washed away.
“It will also interest this distinguished audience to know that our forest reserves are now better managed, because we are committed to expanding the layers of environmental buffers around the State.
“We have also stepped up supervisory activities around our water bodies to stem the tide of pollution, and also mitigate threats arising from the activities of economic adventurers”, he said.
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