Advocacy Meeting with Government Stakeholders on Climate Change in Akwa Ibom State.

League of Queens International Empowerment, with support from Urgent Action Fund held a one day advocacy meeting with Government stakeholders on climate change in Akwa ibom state. There were 30 young women in attendance, 4 persons from ministry of Environment, ministry of Agriculture and ministry of womens Affairs. The aim of the meeting was to know the plans of the ministry on the issue of climate change in the states.

The young women presented advocacy statement which stated that climate change is a global issue and it will continue to stress the community ecosystem, which is already very fragile. Climate change affects farming resulting in low crop yields and by extension, food production. We all know that our land has been badly affected by oil and

gas activities which has caused pollution and destruction of livelihoods. Flooding has

become an annual occurrence. When floods happen it affects people in all aspects

of their lives. Thus, climate change deepens poverty for women and makes survival

very challenging. The gender impact of climate change is mainly seen in women’s

increased roles in agricultural production. Climate change in diverse ways affects our

health, some of us are vulnerable to the impact of climate change.

Climate change affects women and men differently. Women’s domestic roles often

make them disproportionate users’ of natural resource such as water, fire wood and

other forest product. Climate change has negative impacts on the environment and

aquatic life. When carbon emission increases, the ocean water gets hotter which

results in a release of solid methane deposits on the sea floors. We also plead for

our government stakeholders to increase sensitization among citizens and also train

the youth at the secondary level, to inculcate the habit of protecting the environment.

Government and private agencies should carry out effective sensitization on proper

waste disposal while the citizens should dispose their refuse appropriately.

Encourage planting of economic trees to restore the ecosystem and the mangrove.

The climate change manifestation in our communities are;

1. Flooding

2. Destruction of livestock

3. Poor harvest from farming

4. Food insecurity

5. Increase in temperature due to green -house emission

6. Sea levels are rising

7. Sever heat because of deforestation and bush burning.

The program coordinator Idongesit Alexander spoke on the importance of empowering young women and girls in leadership, socio-economic, and environmental rights. She also said League of Queens works to address gender-based violence, climate change

issues, womens human right. The organisation is currently campaigning against the

impact of gas flare on women and girls; the need to build livelihood opportunity for

young women and girls in the Niger Delta.