LAGOS, 05 June 2021 – The Nigerian Institute for Oceanography and Marine Research in collaboration with the Global Monitoring for Environment and Security & Africa (GMES and Africa) join the Government and People of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and communities around the world to commemorate World Environment Day.
The theme for this year’s commemoration is “Ecosystem Restoration” and focus on resetting our harmonious relation with nature.
The GMES and Africa programme is a regional West African initiative contributing to poverty eradication, ecosystem restoration and sustainable development by addressing the need for reliable, timely and accurate land, marine and climate data and information for the region by exploiting Earth Observation (EO) data and technologies to 12 West African countries including Nigeria.
GMES and Africa (marine) consortium in West Africa, led by the University of Ghana provides the following services:
1) mapping potential fishing zones (PFZ) and monitoring fishing vessel traffic;
2) monitoring and forecasting oceanography variable.
3) forecast of ocean conditions disseminated as SMS, USSD and an app;
4) monitoring coastal vulnerability, and
5) coastal ecosystem/habitat mapping
In 1972, the UN General Assembly designated 5 June as the World Environment Day. The first commemoration took place in 1974 under the slogan “Only One Earth”. Every year ever since, 5 June has remained United Nation’s flagship day for promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment. This years Environment Day celebration will kick off with the formal launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration 2021-2030. The Decade will be a global mission to restore billions of hectares of degraded landscapes notably forests including coastal mangroves, farmlands, coastal zones, grasslands, wetlands and seabed as well as coral reefs.
As the people and government at all levels in Nigeria commemorate World Environment Day, restoring our degraded landscapes primarily the coastal mangroves stretching from Lagos to the Niger Delta is one of our major concerns.
Thank you
Dr. Regina Folorunsho (rfolorunsho@yahoo.com)
Director, Marine Meteorology& Climate Department
FOR: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR/CEO (NIOMR)