HOMEF trains N/Delta coastal communities on environmental monitoring

The Health of Mother Earth Foundation (HOMEF) on Friday concluded a training workshop for Niger Delta oil communities on environmental monitoring.

The capacity building for coastline settlements along the Atlantic gave tips on adaptations to mitigate negative impacts of climate change like coastal erosion and rising sea levels.

HOMEF is an ecological think-tank and environmental rights advocacy group.

The capacity building programme drew participants across the Niger Delta region from Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo states.

Mr Stanley Egholo, Fossil Politics Lead at HOMEF noted that the challenges posed by oil pollution and climate change have made environmental monitoring imminent.

He regretted that oil bearing communities often lose cases instituted to seek environmental justice due to lack of credible scientific evidence.

He urged the participants to take interest in defending their environments and gather empirical evidence whenever there is oil pollution.

Mr Onyekachi Okoro, Executive Director, Media Awareness and Justice Initiative who served as a resource person said that empirical data reinforces and strengthens advocacy for environmental justice.

Okoro took through the rudiments of Understanding Environmental Monitoring – Air, Water and Land.

According to him, recent technological advancements have made so many digital tools available for monitoring the environment.

He explored the immense potentials of smartphones and how they could be deployed in monitoring the environment.

He urged the participants to leverage on the location and geotagging features in mobile phones to geotag photographs.

He assured participants that evidences obtained by digital tools are credible and universally acceptable for litigation and advocacy.

Speaking at the panel segment, Chief Alagoa Morris, a renowned environmentalist highlighted the challenges to environmental monitoring and gave tips on how to overcome them.

He urged participants to refrain from exaggerating pollution incidents as credible facts were sacrosanct in environmental activism and would always survive validity tests.

Morris encouraged participants to work with residents of pollution impacted communities and avoid taking sides in community conflicts.

Earlier, Oba Oluwambe Ojagbohunmi: The Ogeloyinbo of Ayetoro shared insights and tips on coping with the menace of loss of land to Ocean encroachment.

Speaking on the theme Sea encroachment, Coastal Erosion and Livelihood Losses: Building Community Resilience against Climate Change, the traditional ruler called for unity and collaboration amongst coastal dwellers.

According to him the Ayetoro community’s historical template of communal practices has promoted solidarity as they battled incursions of the sea.

He called for adaptation in livelihood practices and cited his examples of having to resort to rearing fish species that survive in a mixture of fresh and salt waters following inflow of salt water into areas hitherto known to be of fresh water habitats.

He regretted that Inspite of raising concerns over 25 years ago to Ondo and Federal governments, the Ayetoro community has been left to grapple with the threats to their existence from the Atlantic Ocean.