Climate Change In Nigeria And Its Remarkable Impact In Agriculture

CLIMATE CHANGE IN NIGERIA AND ITS REMARKABLE IMPACT IN AGRICULTURE

Globally, climate change has impacted the world in remarkable ways from global warming to drastic changes in weather conditions, natural disasters to say but a few.In this article our focus will be on climate change in Nigeria and its remarkable impact in Agriculture i.e.; how it has adversely affected agricultural production. Climate change is defined by World Bank as the significant variation of average weather conditions becoming for example warmer, wetter or drier- over several decades or longer. United Nations refers to it as the long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. According to Price Water Coopers (PWC), Nigeria became committed to the Climate Change Crusade after attending the 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) which took place between 31st October to 13th November 2021 in Glasgow; committing to achieving net-zero by 2060. Her government after the COP26 signed into law the Climate Change Act, 2021 which was passed by the National Assembly in October 2021. The purpose of the law is to develop and implement mechanisms that will foster low carbon emission and develop a sustainable environment in the country. Pre-Climate Change Act, 2011, unregulated activates such as gas flaring, bush burning, carbon monoxide emission, etc. from refineries, rigs, farming activities, exhaust of cars and burning tyres in abattoirs has depleted the ozone layer significantly. As a result we experience changes in weather conditions (hotter or wetter, etc.) which in the long run affected agriculture negatively. Nigeria has two seasons: rainy and dry season. Before the adverse implication of climate changes, rainy season begins from April – September with July being the peak of the rains and a two week August break and Dry season starting from October to March. Coastal areas usually experience shorter dry seasons and longer rainy season and vice versa for desert areas. Today however, climate change has altered the seasons remarkably. More recently we don’t see rains sometimes till May and April is the peak of the heat; the peak of the rains now is August with the breaks now in September. CAUSES OF CLIMATE CHANGE Climate Change can be caused by either natural or human factors. The activities of man most especially during the industrial revolution has released large amounts of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere which has in turn caused global warming in our world. These causes include: Green House Gases emission: Examples are Carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide. These greenhouse gas has increased the greenhouse effect and caused the earth’s surface temperature to rise. Carbon dioxide (CO2): Apart from humans exhaling carbon dioxide, man’s activities like burning coal, oil or natural gas has led to CO2 emission. Reflectivity or Absorption of the Sun’s Energy: This is caused by activities such as agriculture, road construction, deforestation and emissions of small particles (aerosol) into the air. The Earth changing its orbit and rotation. Solar activity variations. Volcanic Eruptions: This can throw Sulphur dioxide (SO2) into the atmosphere. Changes in the ocean’s current. CLIMATE CHANGE AND ITS REMARKABLE IMPACT IN AGRICULTURE In Nigeria, the climate change has led to several harmful effects which in turn has affected agricultural production and these effects include: Increase in heat – related mortality, dehydration, and spread of infectious diseases (meningitis). Rising Ocean current, sea levels, fluctuating rainfall has resulted in flooding mostly in the coastal regions in Nigeria. Cancer of the skin as a result of the harsh weather conditions. Hunger, starvation and death as a result of food shortage. Climate change is a threat to Nigerian Food Security because of the unpredictable length and onset of the farming season which has in turn affecting both subsistence and commercial farmers. Nigeria still practices rain fed agriculture. Rain Fed Agriculture is a practice where farmers depend on weather conditions to begin the onset of farming. As a result of this practice, it has rendered her vulnerable to the adverse effect of climate change which includes, soil degradation which resulted in low crop yields. Rain fed Agriculture practice in Nigeria make farmers wait for the rains before the onset of farming and this in turn has led to shortage in food supply, hunger, inflation, pest infestation to mention but a few. Deforestation activities has increased erosion most especially in sloppy areas, leading to depletion in the soil’s nutrients and in turn causing poor farm yield. Climate change causes (greenhouse gases, Sulphur dioxide, etc.) has deposited unhealthy substances in our soil which in turn has caused the underwater layer to be polluted and then resulting in poor agricultural yields. Flooding one of the effects of climate change has made farmers to lose their farm produce which has led to pollution, pest and insect infestation, hunger, starvation and death. With conscious efforts from our government to implement the net-zero by 2060 and the adoption of best practices to reduce the effect of climate change and its remarkable impact in Agriculture, Nigeria can become a giant of Africa in all ramification. Also read: WORK HABITS AND ITS AMAZING EFFECT ON THE HEALTH OF THE EYES. https://thereadywriters.uk/work-habits-health-of-the-eyes/

Work Habits and Its Amazing Effect On the Health Of the Eyes 1

WORK HABITS AND ITS EFFECT ON THE HEALTH OF THE EYES

In this article our focus will be on how our work habits can affect the health of the eyes in amazing ways and how we can manage our screen time be it computer, phones or television. The eyes is one of the five sense organs which works with our brain to tell us the size, shape, color and texture of an object; in other words it allows us to see our environment. The eyes’ anatomy is made up of several parts (Iris, Pupil, muscles, conjunctiva, Cornea, Lenses, Retina, Optical nerve, etc.) which works together to help us see clearly. Sometimes, we can inherit defects (short nearsightedness, long farsightedness, etc.) from our parents. Over time, age or our lifestyle can also make our eyes deteriorate faster. How can work habit affect the eyes? Work habits can affect the eyes in the following ways: It could lead to computer Vision syndrome (digital eye strain). This eye problem is caused by prolonged use of computer and it has symptoms such as eye irritation, blurred vision, headaches, backaches, neck aches, muscle fatigue, etc. Computer Vision Syndrome is becoming a prevalent issue among the working class. Most especially those whom their work involves long/constant screen time. Computer Vision syndrome is not known to have permanent damage on the eyes but the symptoms can be very discomforting. Photo sensitivity – The constant exposure to ultraviolet rays from computer screen in the long run causes one to be very sensitive to light rays, sunlight inclusive. It can make one’s eyeballs elongated. As the pressure of the eyes increases as a result of long screen time, the eye balls gradually become elongated altering its shape. How to Manage our Screen time durind work? To ensure our eye health do not deteriorate significantly it is very important to manage our screen time properly. Some solutions to these environmental causes include: Adjust your computer: Move the computer screen 20 to 28 inches from the eyes or just beyond the arm’s length to improve the comfort of the eyes. Blink Frequently – This helps the eyes from drying out. According to a research by the University of Iowa, we blink 66 percent less while on a computer. Take regular screen breaks to rest the eyes. Reducing glare and harsh reflections on the computer screen by modifying the lighting in the room, closing window shades, changing the contrast or brightness of the screen, or attaching a filter or hood to the monitor. Use the right glasses: It’s important to get glasses needed for viewing digital screens. If you use glasses, always check for time to time that the prescription of your lenses is not weak. Blue ray glasses helps to reduce the radiation from the screen from penetrating the eyes. Adjust your posture: Sit up straight, keep your shoulders relaxed, and use a chair with the right height and good back support. Take regular breaks: This one can do by practicing the following Follow the 20-20-20 rule i.e. look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes; learn to blink constantly when you can not help but sit. Rest for 15 minutes after every 2 hours of continuous screen use and Do non-screen tasks: Rather than read e-book, get hard copy books, play cheese, scrabble and other activities that will not involve looking at screens (computers, tablets, phones, etc. Use eye drops to reduce dry eye symptoms. Poor eyes can lead to decreased work efficiency and huge loss of productivity. So it is important that we care for our eye health and ensure we regularly (at least once a year) go for proper eye checkup apart from practicing the above screen time management techniques so our eyes can remain healthy.