Small Island Develop
ing States (SIDs), Raise Your Voice Not The Sea Level.”
That was the theme and sub-theme respectively of this year’s World Environment Day (WED).
The World Environment Day was introduced by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to draw global attention to the devastating impact of climate change on the environment.
For last year, the celebration had the theme; “Think, Eat, Save, Reduce Your Footprint,” while for this year. It is Small Island Developing States (SIDs).”
The significance of this year’s celebration was that attention was being focused on the environmental challenges confronting Small Island Nations, which are vulnerable to ocean surge.
Rivers State by its geographical location is a littoral state with small islands that are already feeling the effect of climate change.
Some of these islands in Rivers State are; Andoni, Bonny Okrika, Opobo and Kalabari among others.
The grand finale of the celebration in Rivers State which took place at the Alfred Diette Spiff Civic Centre was attended by corporate organisations and individuals.
Among the corporate organizations that attended the celebration included: the Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria (SPDC), Indorama Nigeria Limited Nigeria Limited Natural Gas Liquefied (NLNG) and other international oil corporations (IOCs).
Also at the event were representatives of the Nigerian Environmental Society (NES), United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the National Orientation Agency (NOA).
Among personalities at the celebration include: Governor Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, ably represented by the Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr. Ipalibo Harry, Chairman, Rivers State House of Asssembly Committee on Environment, Hon. (Mrs) Victoria Nyeche, Professor Winston Bellgam, Dr Okikere Iragunima, Chief Medical Director, Rivers State Hospital Management Board, Dr Nyema Weli, Commissioner for Environment Rivers State and his health counterpart, Dr Sampson Parker, among others.
The Chairman, House of Assembly Committee on Environment, Hon. Mrs Victoria Nyeche, in her opening remark said that, the theme for the celebration must be localised to reflect the environmental realities facing the state.
Hon Nyeche, who was chairman of the occasion, regretted that the World Environment Day celebration had become a yearly ritual without definite steps being taken by the authorities to address problems highlighted during celebration.
According to her, the objective of the celebration will be defeated, if the government fails to address it.
She, however, said that, the issue of saving our environment from pollution must be seen as a collective effort by all as the government alone cannot do it.
“There must be a resolution to do something to improve the environment,” she said.
Hon. Nyeche said that the Rivers State House of Assembly has taken steps to improve the environment especially with the passage of the Rivers State Waste Management Bill into law and urged the State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi to give his accent to the bill.
In his welcome address, the Commissioner for Environment, Dr Nyema Weli said that the theme was to call attention of the international community to threat of sub mergence of coastal communities across the world, following the rising sea level.
Dr Weli said that Rivers State was not immune from this threat as tidal erosion was threatening the existence of many riverine communities in the state.
The commissioner, who attributed this situation to the anti-environmental activities of man, said that, time has come for the enactment of policies and programmes to check man’s activities on the environment.
Acording to him, “we have contributed to the problem of green house gases.”
“This is the time to remind all to reduce our carbon emission and cherished processes that encourage us to dispose our waste properly.”
He said that the ministry has proposed a new Rivers State Environmentla Management Bill to ensure sustainable environment for the state.
The commissioner also advocated tree planting exercise across the state to check tidal and other forms of erosion while environmentally friendly electronic gadgets must be used by homes across the State.
The State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, who was represented by the State Commissioner for Employment Generation and Empowerment, Dr Ipalibo Harry, urged the Federal Government to treat the state as a special area in view of its vulnerability to ocean surge and other natural disasters.
Rt. Hon. Amaechi said that the state government has professionalised waste management system in the state, while increased budgetary allocation has been made to the Rivers State Minsitry of Environment.
He condemned the continous building on water right of ways by some residents of the State as well as the continous use of dynamites by fishermen.
The Governor urged Environmental Health Officers (EHOs) to wake up to their responsibilities of checking some anti-environmental practices in the state, such as the use of tyres to roast meat in abattoirs among others.
In his keynote address, Professor Winston Bellgam explained that Rivers State and the entire Niger Delta have peculiar environmental challenges that distinguishes them from the rest of the country.
Professor Bellgam said that time has come for the Nigerian government to put in place processes towards the development of the coastal areas.
A cross section of the people who attended the event said that the position of Hon. Victoria Nyeche, must be taken seriously in order to realise the objective of the celebration.
They also urged the government to give more attention to the problem of coastal communities as some of them would in the nearest future become extinct due to rising sea level.
It would be recalled that before the grand final, awareness campaign was carried out by the government in Bonny and Ngo, while a tree planting exercise was carried out at the Isaac Boro Park.
Cross section of participants at the 2014 World Environment Day celebration in Port Harcourt, recently.