The Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Tuesday, flagged off the 7th Lagos State Annual Climate Change Summit with an assurance that he would leave behind a plan that would reduce water challenges in the state.
Governor Fashola, who spoke while declaring open the three-day Summit at the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, said, although, the future holds a grim picture of global environmental adversity, Lagos had put several measures in place to counter any such adversities both at present or in the future.
Such measures, the Governor said, include the tree planting and greening programme to check erosion, Energy Conservation through the construction of Independent Power Plants (IPPs) and the Eko Atlantic City Project, which he described as the new wall of Lagos on the Atlantic.
The Governor added that his administration had also put in place a 13 year plan (2012 – 2025) to protect, conserve and sustain the environment of the State.
“As a way of setting the agenda for the future, there is likely to be a growing population needing more food and water, dwindling water supply and land being lost to desertification.
“Farmers will need to move their cattle and livestock in search of food and water, conflicts and security breaches will arise from cattle and livestock trespassing on other people’s land and sometimes damaging food crops. More people will be using smart phones, tweeting, texting and communicating,” he said.
Governor Fashola further stressed that the developments would create a steady and persistent demand for energy to keep the phones and devices functional.
Also predicting the possibility of more people being displaced by flood among many other future problems across the globe, Governor Fashola, however, said that the picture was not altogether a grim and hopeless one.
The environment could still be sustained by those who dared to reach for the available measures, he said.
According to the Governor, work has also commenced on a flagship waste water and sewage treatment plant at Odo – Iya Alaro in Ojota, which would define the future of waste water and sewage treatment in Lagos.
Governor Fashola added: “As for the future, I have no fear. The environment in Lagos will remain protected and sustainable”.
The Governor however said that the Eko Atlantic City Project, the new wall of Lagos on the Atlantic, was already achieving its objective of protecting Lagos from flooding even before the city was fully built.
Although, the State has witnessed waves as high as seven metres, “the wall and the project just did their jobs.” he said.
