Former Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Jide Alao; representative of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment and National Project Coordinator, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Mr. Salisu Dahiru; immediate past Director, Department of Climate Change(DCC), Dr. Samuel Adejuwon and Director, DCC, Dr. Peter Tarfa during a stakeholders validation meeting for the Nigeria’s first Biennal Update Report in Keffi, Nassarawa State, recently
Towards fulfilling the reporting obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Federal Government has concluded plans to submit Nigeria’s Biennial Update Report (BUR).
The BUR covers information on natural circumstances and institutional arrangements, National Greenhouse Gas Inventory Reports (NIR), information on mitigation actions and their effects – methodologies and assumptions, constraints and gaps, and related financial and technical capacity needs.
The Conference of Parties (COP) to UNFCCC adopted in 2010/COP16 the Biennial Update Report (BUR) for the purpose of enhancing reporting of climate change mitigation actions and their effects.
Consequently, Nigeria as one of the non-Annex1 Parties under the UNFCCC has the obligation to prepare and submit every two years, reliable, comprehensive, consistent, comparable and transparent BUR to COP.The consortiums that handled the thematic sectors of the BUR namely: National Green House Gas Inventory – Triple “E” Systems Associates Ltd; Mitigation Analysis – E &Y; Domestic Measurement, Reporting and Verification – Millcon and Millcon Consult as well as other key national experts and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the strategic partner.
Since the inception of joint global actions on climate change arising from the Rio Conventions of 1992, Nigeria has been active on many fronts. It has submitted the First National Communication (FNC) in 2003, the Second National Communication (SNC) in 2014 to meet the country’s obligations to the UNFCCC.
The Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) was submitted in 2015 within the framework of the Paris Agreement, while the third National Communication was the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Environment, Dr. Shehu Ahmed who opened a Stakeholders validation meeting for the Nigeria’s First BUR in Keffi, Nassarawa State, organised by the Department of Climate Change (DCC) with the support of the United Nations Development Programme, recently, said that Ministry is committed to implementing the overall mandate of the Climate Change Convention and its Protocol.
Represented by the National Project Coordinator, Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP), Mr. Salisu Dahiru, he said that Nigeria, like many developing nations, is strongly predisposed to severe negative impacts of climate change due to its fragile economy, weak resilience and low adaptive capacity. Much of the economy is dependent on climate-sensitive resources.
“With the realization of the potential dangers of global warming and the consequent socio-economic implications to the whole world, the United Nations adopted the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992. The objective of the Convention is to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with climate system,” he said.
Director, Department of Climate Change, Dr. Peter Tarfa explained that the document gives Nigeria an opportunity to communicate low carbon development efforts in a transparent manner.
Following the National Stakeholders Validation of the document, Tarfa said, the endorsed document will be submitted for the commencement of the ICA process, where it will be reviewed and analyzed, upon which, if meeting the requirement and approved, it will be published and made available on the UNFCCC website.
