Gas Flaring: 2008 Deadline Achievable ––Minister
12.03.2007
Minister of Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Hajia Halima Alao, has said the 2008 deadline set by government to cut gas flare is "realistic and achievable."
Alao, who expressed the view at the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN) forum in Abuja, said government wascommitted to the deadline and urged all Nigerians to support the effort to reduce gas flare, as the practice was injurious to the climate.
"Emission from this flares goes into the environment andwarms up the globe, resulting in negative consequences such as drought and diseases that are already here with us.
The Sahara is moving at an alarming rate annually and you can imagine the impact in the next few years if precautionary measures are not taken.
"NAN reports that stakeholders in the oil and gas sectors havecalled for an extension of the deadline to 2011, and stressed theneed for proper arrangements to be made.
On climate change, Alao called for transfer of adequateand clean technology, to enable developing countries copewith the consequences of the phenomenon.
She said "there must be transfer of technology, there must becapacity building for developing countries to enable them cope with the consequences of climate change," adding that it was unfortunate that the developing world contributed the least to global warming, but were the most vulnerable to its impact.
"Developing nations contribute about three per cent to theemission problem, while developed nations are responsiblefor the major emission causing climate change today.”
We are all going to be affected by its consequences, hence the need for collaboration to tackle it," she said.Alao said government would not impoverish Nigerians, in an attempt to address the impact of climate change.
"The problem originated from the activities of developed countries, and they must be at the forefront of initiatives tomitigate it," she said.
