By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
In commemoration of the World Environment Day, Save the Children International (SCI), Nigeria, said, children continue to suffer the most from the effects of climate crisis, such as, drought, flood, erosion, crop failure and desertification, – that in turn threatens the quality and quantity of food production, decreases nutritional value of staple crops due to higher carbon dioxide concentrations and contribute to dire food insecurity and chronic rates of malnutrition for children.
The commemoration of World Environment Day 2024 focuses on land restoration, halting desertification and building drought resilience under the global theme, “Our land. Our future. We are #GenerationRestoration.”
Save the Children in a statement issued on Wednesday by Mogbonjubade Adesulure; Digital Media and Communication Specialist, said the Katsina State Children’s Parliament, during their recent sitting, has called upon the State government to design strategies and plans, including the inclusion of climate science education into the school curriculum, to address the increasing threats of environmental degradation on the present and future generation.
It said Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Zanna Sunoma, Deputy Speaker, Nigerian National Children’s Parliament, on his part called upon policy and decision makers by saying, “the government and stakeholders, restore our lands and build resilience against desertification and drought. The actions we take today will determine the legacy we leave for the future generations.”
“The evidence paints a grim picture. Global warming is on the rise. We are already witnessing disruption in weather pattern that is exposing many communities, farmers and pastoralists, to displacement. In the coming years, rainfall variability is projected to increase, extreme weather events will persist.”
The statement also said the Country Director, Save the Children International, Duncan Harvey, said “The world is at a crossroad. Climate change is aggravating the state of the environment in myriad ways and impacting negatively on the human society, including children. The central message of this year’s World Environment Day resonances our collective agency to restore our planet. In this regard, Save the Children is campaigning for and with children to call for urgent action on the climate crisis as well as inequality to create a safe, healthy and happy future for all children.”
For Save the Children, “the climate crisis is a child rights crisis. The climate crisis is a grave threat to children’s survival, development, learning, protection and their other rights. Therefore, without addressing the climate crisis, we will not achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and progress towards realizing children’s rights in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989) and/or the Child Rights Act (2003)” added the Country Director.
It said at the national and subnational levels, the Government of Nigeria has initiated and is implementing policies and programs towards addressing challenges related to climate crisis. Those federal and state governments initiatives need to be backed by a strong state systems and sustained financial arrangements in order to restore the land, confront desertification, and build resilience for drought so that no more child will suffer from the current effects of climate crisis.
Besides government-led action, it is imperative for all community members to act against environmental degradation and work towards climate and biodiversity targets. Land restoration is essential to avert food and water crises, migration, conflict, and economic losses caused by ecosystem decline. This will ultimately lead to positive and lasting benefits for Nigerian children, particularly those from poor and vulnerable households.
SCI Nigeria recognizes the growing negative impacts of environmental degradation on children, the most deprived and marginalized people, thus reducing opportunities for children to survive, learn and be protected. Everybody has a shared responsibility to protect the environment, hence, we call upon all concerned stakeholders and individuals to develop a culture of responsible behavior in protecting the planet earth – and make peace with the land.
