Why many cities are yet to address climate change —Expert

Lack of relevant city policies and action plans; existence of regulations on urban planning and environment which have not been adjusted to manage climate change; slow response to climate disasters due to lack of capacity and resources; and lack of public awareness on climate variability and climate change-induced hazard mitigation have been adduced as reasons why many cities have not addressed the climate change issues.

Chairman, NIESV Lagos State Branch, (Mrs) Olabisi Demola-Alade, disclosed these in her goodwill message during this year’s World Habitat Day organized by the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development in Alausa, Ikeja.

She emphasised that climate change impacts are real; adding that in the coming decades, hundreds of millions of people in urban areas would be likely affected by rising sea levels, increased precipitation, inland floods, more frequent and stronger cyclones and storms, and periods of more extreme heat and cold.

According to her, climate change might also negatively impact infrastructure and worsen access to basic urban services and quality of life in cities.

Despite the risks, she challenged individuals and the government, saying they could do something in their own little ways by beginning to create awareness.

“I know that the Lagos Government has been doing this. We have to intensify efforts on awareness so that the average man on the street knows about this looming problem and get involved in its solution or mitigation.

“Citizens would be sensitised to plant trees in their homes, reduce deforestation and always choose to use cleaner energy,” she said

Demola-Alade urged that as professional service providers in the built environment, the state surveyors and valuers, town planners, architects, builders, surveyors and developers, must make plans for planting of trees on their properties and always adopt the use of power generating plants with low carbon emission.

According to her, they must advise their organisational clients’ right in their adoption and maintenance of power plants and machineries in their factories and industries, pointing out that through this way, they would begin to ensure a cleaner environment in the cities from private sector efforts.

“The government will have so much to do. It will have to make the local governments active on this cause of creating awareness and instigating action from residents,” she added