Climate change: Developed countries should focus on carbon emission control, developing countries should focus on behavioural change

Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at the Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Prof. Mynepalli Sridhar has suggested that to tackle climate change, developed countries must focus on control of their carbon emissions, while developing countries must focus more on behavioural change.

He said this in an interview with Ecoscope while commenting on the recent floods that have ravaged major cities across the world.

He said, “The floods are surprising because they are coming around the same time within a gap of a few days to weeks. So this must be related to climate change.”

Professor Sridhar added that, “In Nigeria, we know that most of the floods are caused by human errors. But in Europe, when there is a flood, there must be a strong reason, because they are very careful about managing thier waste and they don’t block their drainages. So as a result, I sincerely feel it must be climate change. We hear that ice in the European region has melted, and also this year we have people complaining of heat wave more than before in Europe and also in the United States. All this can be linked to climate change.”

As a solution, he said “Developed countries must focus on control of their carbon emissions. Developing countries must focus more on behavioural change. These are the two things I have always strongly believed.

“Our behavioural change is very vital. We don’t bother. If a flood comes and there is loss of life, livestock and property, we just compromise! We don’t give it any thought beyond that, whereas in Europe they ask what was the cause and how do we prevent it. They discuss more at a policy level. Whereas in a developing country like Nigeria, we only trying to look at how to overcome this for now.”

He said government was lacking in terms of policy and action in tackling floods and related environmental problems.

Responding to the question on whether Nigerian should fear experincing floods like those witnessed in Germany recently, he maintained that Nigeria remained relatively safe as the country does not experience flooding on such a scale.

“Nigeria practically speaking is a safe country. Although the floods are coming, it is not as serious as what you find in Bangladesh, India or some of the European countries. Nigerians can be comfortable for now.

“I don’t say forever, but things have to change. Climate change is a global problem. Every little thing you can do to prevent it helps the whole world. we need to think of waste management. In dealing with waste we have not been disciplined.”

He urged government agencies like NESREA to intensify their efforts towards the environment. He also charged the government to establish long term plans on climate change and environmental management.

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