Politics
MRS Grace Oloukoi, a professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Management at Leadcity University in Ibadan, has urged the Federal Government to build a sustainable water management system.
Oloukoi, in her inaugural lecture with the title “Thirsty Cities” on Thursday in Ibadan said this would help to reduce the present environmental stress on water resources.
The don said Nigeria has abundant water resources which can be developed for domestic water supply, hydro-electricity, navigation, industrial use, fishery and recreation.
She said the country could with this abundance benefit from the blue economy, an economic system that deals with the development and management of water resources.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that such resources include the marine/coastal resources, fresh water, rivers, lakes, seas, coasts and groundwater environment.
“The emphasis is on the reduction of marine pollution, conservation of aquatic ecosystems for food, and improved livelihood, energy, transportation and tourism.
“The green economy concentrates on sectors such as energy, transportation forestry and agriculture. But the blue economy focuses on preserving the health of ocean ecosystems and improving livelihood outcomes for humans,” Oloukoi said.
The professor of Urban Planning and Environmental Management said the government needed to fix some challenges bedeveiling water resources management.
She enumerated them to be the absence of coastal regional plans, weak water governance system and resource degradation which are risk factors against the blue economy.
“I am delighted that the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu is presently raising the issue of working with our water resources for a blue economy.
“If we do proper planning: Nigerian coastal cities are likely to be placed on the road map for a blue economy,” Oloukoi said.
The don further stressed the need to properly manage and conserve water.
She added that factors such as climate change and degradation of ecosystem resources were greater challenges the world have to contend with.
Oloukoi said “under watersheds are losing their resources as a result of modification of land cover and urbanisation trends in cities.
“Water stress amplifies the vulnerability of women because they are the main water collectors in most indigenous communities reduces ecosystems-based livelihoods and leads to the emergence and re- emergence of seasonal climate health risks.”(NAN)
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October 20, 2023 @ 5:50 GMT|
Tags: Grace Oloukoi
