CLIMATE CHANGE AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN ANAMBRA STATE, 2002-2024

Abstract

This paper focuses on climate change and socio-economic development in Anambra State, 2002-2024. It examines the factors influencing climate change, the challenges posed by climate change to the people and proffer solutions to the challenges posed by climate change to the people of Anambra State. The paper employs the qualitative approach and the main sources of data collection are primary sources. These primary sources are accompanied by secondary and tertiary sources which include textbooks and journal articles. The paper employed Anthropogenic Global Warming (AGW) Theory which was propounded by Swedish Scientist Svante Arrhenius in the year 1896. The theory contends that human emissions of greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide (CO2), methane and nitrous oxide are causing a catastrophic rise in global temperature. During the past century, human activities such as burning of wood and fossil fuels as well as burning of forests are thought to have increased the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere by approximately 50%. Svante Arrhenius being the proponent of the AGW theory believes that man-made CO2 emissions which is one of the causes of climate change is responsible for floods, drought, harmful harmattan and others. In Anambra State, human alterations of the natural world or man-made emissions has affected the environment which has led to flooding, drought, severe harmattan. flooding for instance, has affected Anambarians in critical ways and this flooding are caused by erection of structures in wrong places, burst of water main pipes, dam spills, poor agricultural practices, illegal mining, poor waste disposal, poor engineering practices without regards to environmental impact assessment, extraordinary heavy rainfall, deforestation, housing development in flood-prone areas and building in a very low lying areas. The research also discovered that the challenges posed by climate change to the people of Anambra State include: destructions of shop and goods; destruction of machines in some of the industries, destruction of farms and buildings; forcing some people out of their homes, food insecurity, destruction of schools, church and government projects. Arising from the above findings on the causes and consequences of climate change in Anambra State, the research concludes that the attention of both the state and Federal government of Nigeria are needed through: reducing the burning of fossil fuels, use of renewable energy source, introduction of environmental education in school curriculum from primary to higher institution, building of wing dam or wing dike in Anambra State; building of spillways; establishment of afforestation and building of artificial levees as these will go a long way in the managing or reducing the future consequences of the climate change effects in Anambra State.