Flood warning : Bayelsa Govt seeks FG intervention in building flood shelters

Flood warning : Bayelsa Govt seeks FG intervention in building flood shelters

The Bayelsa government on Monday urged the Federal Government to fastrack the delivery of 'flood shelters' promised in the wake of the 2012 flood following the warning that the state may be prone to flood in 2017.

Rear Admiral John Jonah (Rtd), Depity Governor of the state who represented Gov Dickson of Bayelsa made the appeal at the ceremony to mark the 2017 World Environment Day at the Banquet Hall in Yenagoa.

Jonah noted that the state was grappling with several environmental challenges including land slides, oil spills, marine erosion, flash flodding which were beyond the capacity of the state to deal with.

He noted that the state was pleased with the Federal Government's plan to establish modular refineries in the Niger Delta region as it would eliminate the pollution caused by illegal refineries with adverse consequences on the environment.

Bayelsa government shifted the commenmoration of the2017 World Environment Day (WED) from June 5, to June 19, 2017.

Speaking earlier, Mr Williams Alamene, Commisioner of Environment lamented that current flooding following heavy rains experienced in Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital was traceable the blocked drainages.

"The flood in Yenagoa is man made, since the rains started, our team at the Ministry of Environment has been working round the clock, there has been no rest, efforts are being intensified to open the drainages for water to flow.

"We have issues with people dumping wastes into the drainages and blocking them, some people have also built houses on the natural drainages that would have been a source of draining water out of communities.

"We are soliciting the support of members of the public to comply with town planning standards," Alamene said.

He regretted that indiscriminate and excessive logging of timber was going on at a spate which wss not only unsustainable but also negates efforts at mitigating the effects of climate change.

Speaking on the 2017 theme of WED "Connecting people to nature in city and on land from the poles to the equator", guest lecturer Dr Anthony Chovwen noted that Bayelsa was endowed with rich biodiversith which can be harnessed for tourism.

He noted that unlike oil revenue, proceeds from environmental based tourism has no adverse effect on the environment.

He said that humanity depends on nature wnd urged citizens to take deliberate steps to protect and conserve the environment.

"The world's oceans, forests and soils act as vast stores for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. Farmers and fishermen harness nature on land and under water to provide us with food.

"Scientists develop medicines using gemetic materials drawn from millions of spices that make up 'EARTH' outstanding biologicwl diversity.

"Billions of rural people across the world spend every working day "connected to nature" and appreciate their dependence on nature,"  Chovwen said.