***says pollution accounts for 6.7 million premature deaths annually.
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
Director-General of National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Dr Matthew Olumide Adepoju has called for technical partnership with individuals, industries and institutions to evolve collective stringent measures towards mitigating climate change and air quality issues.
The NASRDA Director-General made the call at the ongoing week-long 1st International Conference on Atmospheric, Earth and Space Sciences (ICAESS 2024 Hybrid) at the Felele Campus of Federal University Lokoja (FUL) on Tuesday.
Adepoju who was a Guest Speaker at the conference organized by the agency’s Centre for Atmospheric Research (CAR), Anyigba in collaboration with FUL described air pollution as a “Silent Killer and Threat to Human Existence.”
“Technically speaking, pollution kills and it is a threat to human existence due to the fact that a total of 6.7 million premature deaths are linked to the combined effects of household and ambient air pollution per year as established by the world Health Organization (WHO)”
“From the Northern to the Southern Hemisphere, even in the Equatorial region, air quality is rapidly declining due to mainly population growth and industrialization.
“This global profligate decline in air quality is a critical challenge in our society. It has pressured scientists to hunt for approaches to sustain the atmosphere and lessen its negative consequences on public health.
“Therefore, I boldly say that the theme of this conference, “Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences for Sustainable Development,” has succinctly captured one of the most recent challenges confronting global communities” pointed out.
NASRDA through CAR (one of its Research and Development arms) has established various initiatives to address the issues including the Tropospheric Data Acquisition Network (TRODAN); Atmospheric Chemistry and Environmental Research (ACER) as well as the Atmospheric Research Software and Instrumentation Development (ARSID).
In his welcome address, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, said the theme of the conference, “Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences for Sustainable Development,” is timely and crucial.
“As we face the undeniable realities of climate change, environmental degradation, and resource depletion, the role of atmospheric and environmental sciences in shaping sustainable development becomes ever more urgent.
“We believe that the outcomes of this conference will not only advance scientific understanding but will also contribute to the policies and actions necessary for sustainable development.
“However, I must emphasize that the success of this conference will be measured by how well we apply its outcomes in the real world. Knowledge is powerful, but it is the practical implementation of that knowledge that will create the lasting impact we all desire”, Prof Akinwumi stated.
Prof. Odjugo, Peter Akpodiogaga-a Ovuyovwiroye,
Director, Research and Training
Nigerian Meteorological Agency, Abuja, in his lecture, related the interconnectivity of environmental components (Physical and Human) with Atmospheric science and Sustainable Development.
The expert said that environmental and atmospheric challenges were on the increase with the intensifying impacts adding that the development would affect the attainment of the SDGs globally and Nigeria in particular.
He identified partnership and collaboration key, if the SDGs were to be attained saying that environmental and atmospheric Scientists were equipped with the solutions if only Government would give them the opportunity to play their parts.
Earlier in their lecture titled: “CAR-NASRDA Mandates and Activities towards Saving Lives, Ecosystems and Environment”, Ibrahim Y. Tudunwada and Najib Yusuf Galadanci called for collaboration with the CAR in areas of atmospheric research and related sciences. (Ends)