Nigeria: Climate change and Lagos traffic
Of all the problems with the Lagos traffic situation, global warming may be the least reason to prompt moves for solutions if a survey asking this were to be carried out. Lagos, a major city in Nigeria is faced by a perennial traffic situation that most residents have adapted to.
Lagos is the commercial hub of Nigeria and is a base for most investments and businesses in the country. There are around 18 million residents in Lagos and is projected to rise farther in a few years. Road is the major form of transportation in Lagos and is responsible for moves of most people daily.
Lagos traffic situation has been for a number of years, and is constantly on the rise for several reasons especially for the status of Nigeria as a developing economy. The government is working to ease the situation with a traffic agency and other moves that might take some time to manifest.
Global warming is a phenomenon whose etymology came from additions that anthropogenic heat trapping emissions can cause to increase in the average temperature of the earth. Global warming is said to be responsible for climate change which studies have linked to floods, erosion, droughts, wild fires and blizzards occurring of late.
Global warming is a serious issue whose effects may become more obvious in years ahead with rise in heat trapping emissions from human activities. Lagos is working towards climate change solutions with moves to cut and cap emissions. Tree planting, alternative power generation, development of landfills and more are part government works towards this.
Traffic situation is also considered for solutions because of its contribution to other issues within the state; for these and percentage reduction in total traffic situation, issues associated with traffic decline include gains to combating climate change.
With ongoing programs towards traffic reduction in Lagos, much more measures are needed to widen options in this direction; use of smart traffic technologies are required, increased number of traffic control officials on duty during heavy traffic hours are parts of the overall traffic solution.
During traffic, emissions from the tail pipe of vehicles reduce the quality of air in the near environment and are sometimes worse with a stream of old-generation vehicles present on Lagos roads; this presents a health side to the situation before likely escape of emissions to the upper atmosphere.
With fossil fuel powered vehicles predominant on Lagos roads and no reduction in sight anytime soon, there is a range of emission average from the state which may drop with lighter overall traffic and fewer use of these vehicles on the roads.
In future moves of the government that includes improvement of mass public transport services, more vehicle owners can use this service and lead to reduction of emissions from the state. Tree planting is a coordinated move in the state for emission caps; it should be improved with new locations and circadian maintenance for existing ones.
Climate change mitigation in Nigeria will improve with this move from Lagos and states like Rivers and Ogun with similar traffic situation. Climate change adaptation in Nigeria is probably more important at the time because of how it is entwined with national development of priority to the government.
Lagos was ravaged with floods, other states had issues with erosion and desertification; these are environmental conditions associated with climate change that lead to all kinds of losses. For Lagos, adaptation should be quilt with all projects and construction works in the state.
Drainage is needed to come in different designs and pattern to have water flow to channels and remain in directional motion than usual glacier motion occurring after a downpour. Floods also contribute to traffic, and traffic contributes to global warming. Floods help a bad vehicle to get worse and help a good vehicle get bad sooner; so urgency is needed for adaptation procedures in Lagos.
Lagos traffic solution is underway and the situation will get better in time. As nations and blocs also work on emission curbs, efforts of Lagos will add to the whole and improve lives of residents and save the world from a global harm.
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Lagos Traffic Solution Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation in NigeriaBy David Stephen
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