Responses of the Federal Ministry of Environment through Policies and Programs

1. Responses of the Federal Ministry of Environment through Policies and Programs on climate change. By Dr. Yerima P. Tarfa Director, Department of Climate Change Federal Ministry of Environment At Policy Roundtable on “Climate Change, Livelihoods and Public Policy Responses in Nigeria” Organised By Institute for Public Policy Analysis & Management (IPPAM) Thursday, 31 May 2018 Abuja

2. Content • Introduction • Institutional Framework - Global and National • Policies addressing Climate Change • National Program / Activities addressing Climate Change

3. Erosion, inundation, salinisation, stress on mangroves, marshes, wetlands Variability in water supply, quality and distribution. More competition and cross-border conflicts over water resources WATER RESOURCES COASTAL SYSTEMS ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AGRICULTURE Less predictability in crop yield, changing irrigation demand, growing risk of pest infestations Loss of habitat, species and protective ecosystems, migratory shifts Climate Change impacts (source: UNDP Samoa) Changes in biodiversity and forestry composition, extent, health & productivity HEALTH AGRICULTURE FORESTRY Increasing incidents of infectious, water-borne and vector-borne diseases, heat stress & mortality, additional public health costs

4. “Millions at Risk” due to adverse impacts of CC

5. Nigeria’s Concern about Climate Change • Nigeria is vulnerable to the following impacts of Climate Change • Marine transgression or coastal inundation • Expanding Desertification Process • Environmental refugees resulting from migration • Social frictions/conflicts • Increase in suffering and poverty level • Economic dependence on Fossil Fuels • Susceptibility of agricultural productivity • Extreme weather climate change related hazards

6. Response to CC • UNFCCC identifies two responses to the impact of climate change – mitigation and adaptation. • Mitigation is an action designed to reduce the potential effects of global warming through the reduction of the level of GHGs by either increasing the rate of depletion or reducing its emissions. • Adaptation on the other hand is an action designed to tolerate the effect of climate change.

7. Institutional Framework • International • United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Kyoto Protocol. Nigeria ratified the Convention and the Protocol in 1994 and 2004 respectively. • The New Paris Agreement

8. National • FME through the DCC as the National Focal Point implement the Convention / Protocol / Paris Agreement • Policy decisions are taken through the Inter-ministerial Committee on Climate Change; • Collaboration with the Ministry’s Linkage Centres, NGOs and Bilateral/Multi. Organizations, e.g UNDP, World Bank, UNICEF,UNIDO.

9. Policy Initiatives Nigeria Climate Change Policy Response and Strategy –aims at fostering low-carbon, high growth economic development path and building a climate resilient society.

10. NASPA-CCN aims at taking actions to adapt to climate change and leveraging new opportunities, and facilitating collaboration inside Nigeria and with the global community.

11. NASPA-CCN Strategies, Policies, Programmes and Measures • The strategies are presented below, and the full set of policies, programmes and measures are presented in the full NASPA-CCN. • STRATEGIES FOR AGRICULTURE (CROPS AND LIVESTOCK) • Adopt improved agricultural systems for both crops and livestock (for example, • Diversify livestock and improve range management; increase access to drought resistant crops and livestock feeds; • Adopt better soil management practices; and provide early warning/meteorological forecasts and related information).

12. Implement strategies for improved resource management (for example, • increase use of irrigation systems that use low amounts of water; • increase rainwater & sustainable ground water harvesting for use in agriculture; • increase planting of native vegetation cover & promotion of re-greening efforts; and • intensify crop and livestock production in place of slash and burn). • Focus on agricultural impacts in the savannah zones, particularly the Sahel, the areas that are likely to be most affected by the impacts of climate change.

13. STRATEGIES FOR FORESTS • . Strengthen the implementation of the national Community- Based Forest Resources Management Programme. • Support review and implementation of the National Forest Policy. • Develop and maintain a frequent forest inventory system to facilitate monitoring of forest status; and initiate a research programme on a range of climate change related topics, including long term impacts of climatic shifts on closed forests. • Provide extension services to Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), communities and the private sector to help establish and restore community and private natural forests, plantations and nurseries. • Improve management of forest reserves and enforce low

14. STRATEGIES FOR BIODIVERSITY • Support the active implementation of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP), particularly those strategic actions that address climate change impacts. • . Support recommended climate change adaptation policies and programmes in sectors that affect biodiversity conservation, including agriculture, forestry, energy and livelihoods. • Support and implement programmes for alternative livelihoods in order to reduce unsustainable resource use that contributes to loss of biodiversity

15. STRATEGIES FOR FRESHWATER RESOURCES, COASTAL WATER RESOURCES AND FISHERIES • . Initiate a national programme for integrated water resource management at the watershed level • Intensify programmes to survey water quality and quantity for both ground and surface water • Implement programmes to sustainably extend and improve water supply and water management infrastructure •   Explore water efficiency and management of water demand, particularly in Sahel and Sudan savannah areas • Enhance artisanal fisheries and encourage sustainable aquaculture as adaptation options for fishing communities.

16. Other Strategies are Listed Below • Strategies for health and sanitation • Strategies for human settlements and housing • Strategies for energy • Strategies for transportation and communications • Strategies for industry and commerce • Strategies for disaster, migration and security • Strategies for livelihoods • Strategies for vulnerable groups • Strategies for education

17. Cont’d Other climate change-related policies • In addition to the above-mentioned key climate change related policies, Nigeria has several environmental and sectoral policies and plans where climate change issues are at least implicitly addressed. • The National Policy on Environment supports “the prevention and management of natural disasters such as floods, drought, and desertification”. • one of the objectives of Nigeria’s Agricultural Policy is to “protect agricultural land resources from drought, desert encroachment, soil erosion, and floods”. • Other examples include: • Nigeria’s Drought Preparedness Plan, • National Policy on Erosion and Flood Control, • National Water Policy, National Forest Policy, and National Health Policy.

18. Rainfall Harvesting Water harvesting and moisture conservation (through construction of rainwater control and management structures and conservation agriculture or) and rainwater storage (in farm ponds, water pans, sand/sub-surface dams, earth dams, tanks, etc.) are gaining prominence as viable techniques providing supplemental irrigation. • Farmers are adopting a variety of innovative rainfall harvesting mechanisms (RHM) to cope with recurrent droughts (Ngigi et al., 2008). Demonstration and Promotion of Rainwater Harvesting as a viable climate change adaptation option in Nigeria

19. Rehabilitation of water reservoirs in the Savannas Region to enhance climate change resilience and livelihoods particularly for the benefit of women and youth groups. Degraded Reservoir Rehabilitation works Rehabilitated Reservoir

20. Other climate change-related policies • National Policy on Environment supports the prevention and management of natural disasters such as floods, drought, and desertification • Nigeria’s Agricultural Policy - protect agricultural land resources from drought, desert encroachment, soil erosion, and floods • Nigeria’s Drought Preparedness Plan • National Policy on Erosion and Flood Control • National Water Policy, National Forest Policy, and National Health Policy

21. THE PARIS AGREEMENT • “…The Paris agreement has created a veritable global platform for President Buhari’s bold change agenda that focuses on a new roadmap with emphasis on green and inclusive growth at its heart. We now have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the way we do things, and Nigeria will be at the fore-front demonstrating what initiatives can work...” • Amina J. Mohammed, Former Honourable Minister for Environment

22. Addressing Climate Change Thro NDC Implementation • Towards effective implementation of its NDC, Nigeria is putting in place a number of measures, including: • Economy-wide energy efficiency; • Efficient gas power stations; • End gas flaring; • Climate smart agriculture; • Renewable energy; • Reduce transmission losses; • Motor vehicle fuel efficiency standards rapidly increasing over time; • Appliance efficiency standards moving up over time; • Aggressive climate policy and climate law; and • National Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

23. These various policies are credible, but their implementation could pose a serious challenge to the country in view of its relatively economic situation. • In addition to limited capacity, the huge amount of investment required to make the implementation of the country’s NDC is not readily available. • Impacts will vary greatly among different sectors of the national economy, but a useful generalization is that a major effect of most climate policies is to raise energy costs, particularly with respect to transforming to renewable energy sources.

24. With appropriate policies and political will, investors should have the confidence to do much more to address the risks arising from high carbon assets and to seek opportunities linked to the low carbon transition in the largest economy in Africa. • The imperative for low carbon transition is already transforming the world’s energy system and infrastructure, and there is no reason why the same cannot happen in Nigeria once a well formulated evidence-based approach is adopted. • There should be an increase in the flow of additional public and private finance for both low carbon and climate resilient investments to transform the national economy from one fuelled by dirty energy to one fuelled by sustainable economic growth through low carbon and climate resilient investments.

25. Other On – Going Response Programs • Main streaming Climate Change into National Program – through the establishment Climate Change Desk Offices • Aligning NDC with ERGP • Developing Projects to assess the Green Climate Fund • Sovereign Green Bond – implementation of Green Projects

26. Website:www.climatechange.gov.ng Email:info@climatechange.gov.ng Thank you for listening.