Climate Watch: NiMet warns of heavy rainfall, flooding in southern states

Despite directly impacting our communities, health and livelihood, climate-related reports usually take a back seat to dominant news beats like politics and business. Climate Watch aims to ensure you never miss important stories on climate change and actions being taken towards limiting its impact.

Here is a round-up of last week’s climate stories:

• The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has warned of heavy rainfall and possible flooding in most southern cities from June 29 to 30. The agency said heavy rainfall is anticipated over parts of  Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Anambra, Imo, Abia, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom, Cross River and parts of Taraba. The agency also warned that there will be flooding of roads, low-lying settlements and river channels in these states. It advised residents to avoid low-lying areas, desist from driving through running water, clear waterways of debris and avoid standing under trees and unsecured structures during the rain. Residents of the cities were also advised to switch off electrical appliances before the rains to avoid electric shock. 

• Residents of Ushafa community in the Bwari area of the federal capital territory are currently at the mercy of a devastating windstorm, which has led to the destruction and loss of properties in the community. TheCable visited the community to see the state of climate-induced destruction and speak with affected residents. Read the full story here.

• At the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)  in Rwanda, the 54 countries committed to join the Queen’s Commonwealth Canopy (QCC), a project on forest conservation. The project which was designed to create a Pan-Commonwealth network of forest conservation projects was first launched at the Malta CHOGM in 2015. At the time, only seven countries joined the project. Read more here. 

• As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, food security and fertiliser availability in different parts of the world have been affected. But this could be an opportunity for regions like Africa to take up the gauntlet and fill the gap. Read this report to find out how. 

• Akinwumi Adesina, the African Development Bank (AfDB) president, has asked G7 countries to support a $1.5 billion emergency food production plan developed in collaboration with the African Union to help African countries avert a looming food crisis. Adesina said the world must do more to tackle the increasing global food insecurity worsened by Russia’s war in Ukraine. The AfDB president added that there is a need for G7 countries to support the fight against the increasing food crisis in the continent, stressing that Africa does not need to hold bowls in hand to beg for food, but needs seeds in the ground to produce food for itself. 

• Similarly, the AfDB has rolled out the Affirmative Finance Action for Women in Africa (AFAWA) to bridge the finance gap. The bank said access to finance for women will bolster inclusivity in Africa and narrow the global hunger gap. Quoting Africa’s gender index, Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, AFDB director-general, West Africa region, said only 23 percent of women have access to finance in Africa. This, according to her, is why the bank has partnered with other stakeholders to change the narrative.