By Terna Chikpa
The Taraba State Government on Friday unveiled its climate change policy and action plan to tackle the increasing effects of climate change in the state.
Governor Agbu Kefas, who spoke during the launch in Jalingo, said the initiative was aimed at safeguarding the future of Taraba by protecting forests, rivers and other natural resources.
Kefas lamented that the effects of climate change were already affecting agriculture and communities, expressing concern that unpredictable rainfall patterns and drying rivers could have serious consequences for farmers and residents if urgent action was not taken.
“These decisions are about the future of Taraba. We are working towards protecting our forests and ensuring that our rivers continue to flow.
“The effects of climate change are already affecting agriculture and communities. The unpredictable rainfall, alongside drying rivers, could have serious consequences for farmers and residents if urgent action is not taken,” Kefas said.
The governor urged residents to support climate policies that promote farmers’ growth while protecting forests and discouraging bush burning.
Kefas also called for improved waste management, stressing that climate action could not be effectively pursued while streets and drainage systems remained clogged with waste.
He called on the Federal Government, the National Council on Climate Change, international partners and other stakeholders to work in partnership with the Taraba State Government to implement the policy and action plan.
Earlier, the state Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Hajiya Aishat B. Barde, called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), local government councils, traditional institutions, communities, youth and women’s groups, the private sector and development partners to embrace their responsibilities in implementing the policy.
The commissioner said climate action was not the responsibility of a single institution but a shared mandate that required collective commitment, coordination and sustained action.
Barde assured that the policy would help Taraba build a state that is “environmentally sustainable, economically prosperous and resilient to the challenges of changing climate.”
She applauded Natural Eco Capital, Society for Planet and Prosperity, and the African Climate Foundation for their financial and technical support towards the development of the policy.
The commissioner also commended Governor Agbu Kefas for creating an enabling environment for the fight against climate change and making it a priority in the state’s development agenda.