Girl Child Day: Mitigating Effect of Climate Change Crisis
As the world celebrates the International Day of the Girl Child, stakeholders in Nasarawa state have been urged to use whatever means to protect the girl child devastated by climate change challenges.
One of the biggest issues facing the world in the 21st century is climate change. According to reports, women and children are the most affected in times of climate change crises.
The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s conclusions make it clear that those who are already marginalised and most vulnerable would be the ones who suffer the worst effects.
In an interview with the Nasarawa state Environmental/Climate Change Officer, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD),/Value Chain Development Programme (VCDP), Mr. Joseph said, “Climate change is among the many challenges that affect the girl child today.”
“Flooding, and extreme weather has displace so many family from their resident to IDPs camp and other settlement and such displacement has expose the girl child to rape, child abuse, child tracfiking and other negative behaviour which are not healthy for the girl child.”
“When there is a rise in the sea level, it result to flooding, and when there is flooding in the community, it usually comes with debris that contaminated the water which cause health challenges for the girl child, such as infection and cholera due to lack of hygiene in the area as a result of flood.”
“The women have been supported with climate resilient technology such as solar power bore hole that does not depend on diesel or fuel to reduce the effect of scarcity of water in order to aid farming.” Joseph added.
Voice of Nigeria further interview some girls on the street of Lafia.
Narrating their ordeal, fourteen year old girl Anna John and Niret Emmanuel said their homes were washed away by flood and had no place to put their heads.
Also, Aisha Suleiman and Fatima Kallamu, who hawk on the street, lamented that they were forced to withdraw from school to hawk and fend for their families following the flooding that destroyed their means of livelihood.
Affirming the important of girl child Education, a SS three student of Lafia East Secondary School, Lafia, Patricia Sale called on government at all levels to create the needed environment to enhance the enrollment of more girls in schools to acquire basic knowledge.
The theme for this year’s International Day of the Girl Child is: Invest in Girls’ Rights, Our Leadership “Our Wellbeing.”
