NiMet plays up impact of climate change, releases 2022 SCP draft
Nigerian Meteoro logical Agency ( NiMet) has said that climate change has become too obvious following observed anomalies in occurrence of extreme weather and climate events which have become more frequent and have threatened livelihoods, human existence, food and nutrition security, infrastructures and sustainable development across the globe.
The agency has said that it is against this backdrop of preservation of the nation that it provides reliable weather and climate information, especially in issuing early warning advisories that assists in taking informed decisions to prepare against risks associated with weather extremes and climate change phenomena.
Director General/Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and Permanent Representative of Nigeria with the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), Professor Mansur Bako Matazu, made this known during his keynote address at the One-day Stakeholders’ Workshop in Abuja tagged: The Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) draft 2022 Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP).
According to Professor Matazu, the impact of climate change in 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 leading to floods and other unprecedented weather related events is a reason for the renewed effort of impact-based forecasting and early warnings of weather hazards.
He said, “As you may be aware, our mandate as an Agency of Government is to generate, analyse and develop all meteorological information for the purpose of advising decision and policy makers in all tiers of Government and across all sectors of the economy with accurate and reliable weather and climate information, especially in the issuance of early warning advisories that will assist in taking informed decisions to avert and prepare against risks associated with weather extremes and climate change phenomena.
“The changes in our climate have become more obvious in recent times following the observed anomalies in occurrence of extreme weather and climate events which have become more frequent and result into hazards such as flooding, droughts, heat waves, increasing temperatures, sea level rise, changes in onset and cessation dates, frequent dry spells etc. which have threatened livelihoods, human existence, food and nutrition security, infrastructures and sustainable development across the globe.
“Memories of the flood of 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 in Nigeria remains fresh in our hearts as we try to recover from the shock and devastation of the unprecedented weather events. Hence, the essence of impact-based forecasting and early warnings of weather hazards.
“The services provided by NiMet are essential in ensuring weather and climate hazards do not threaten the sustainable development of Nigeria but become opportunities to further expand socio-economic benefits through resilience, mitigation and adaptation actions,” Matazu said.
According to him, NiMet has been providing such life-saving and economically impactful data to stakeholders and clients across the socio-economic sectors of the country including: Seasonal Climate Prediction (SCP),Decadal Agricultural Meteorology Bulletin published every 10 daysFarmers Guide.Crop-Weather- Calendar (CWC), drought and flood monitoring bulletin, climate and health bulletin, high-impact weather forecast, heavy rainfall forecast among others.
Professor Matazu also stressed the importance of early warning as weather and climate predictions are perishable, therefore, the earlier the information goes out, the more beneficial the impacts.
NiMet provides services across multiple sectors of the Nigerian economy including Agriculture, Aviation, Telecommunications, Power & Energy, Building and Construction, Oil & Gas, Disaster Risk Reduction & Management, Education, Defense, Marine & Maritime, Health, Finance & Insurance, among others.
