As one of the Re-evaluation Counseling Community’s Climate Coordinators, I was privileged to be a part of a meeting of over 50 climate coordinators from different countries of the world held on July 1, 2023. These are people who have committed themselves to encouraging and supporting each other to act against and discharge any distress that might keep us from playing an active role, as significant and radical as necessary, to resolve the climate emergency. In Re-evaluation Counselling, we practice a procedure – ‘co-counselling’ – in which people try to help each other deal with the effects of emotional hurt through catharsis (called “discharge”). Our role as climate coordinators involves uniting with others to publicly oppose irrational policies and visibly support rational solutions. Together, we work towards a world where individuals are empowered to address their emotional hurt and take collective action to combat the climate crisis.

During this meeting, we were made to reflect on our next step as climate coordinators. Therefore, I recalled my recent connection with Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL), an organization saddled with the responsibility of empowering everyday people to work together on climate policy. They do this by building the political will for the climate solutions we all need. My connection with CCL will further amplify my voice. I will become more empowered to talk with neighbours, friends, and local officials about how national climate action can help ensure a healthy future. In addition to other supports, I will also build political support for climate action. By focusing on shared values rather than partisan divides, we build relationships with community leaders and with federal elected officials, always starting from a place of respect, gratitude, and appreciation. This approach had often revealed a surprising openness to climate action on the part of officials who have yet to publicly embrace climate solutions. A process which I hope works as I make recommendations for Nigerian leaders (community, local, state, and federal) to take a more proactive step towards ending flooding in Nigeria.

The flooding disaster bedevilling Nigeria has become a recurrent decimal and an annual occurrence. Worst still, the most recent got very close to the seat of power, the Federal Capital Territory, making it obvious that there could be no better time to engage the leaders (especially the federal elected officials) on the need for climate action than now. In my last post, I asked a crucial question: “What can be done to prevent future occurrences?” As one of my next steps as a climate coordinator, I will also attempt to respond to this question.

  1. The flooding situation in Nigeria calls for a comprehensive approach.
  2. I recommend that the government should engage in a dredging project on major rivers in Nigeria, like River Kaduna and other flood-prone communities.
  3. As a way of building resilience, they should install automated flood early warning systems and weather stations.
  4. The government should be more intentional about robust infrastructure development, enhanced early warning systems, and floodplain management strategies.
  5. I wish to also stress the need for community education and collaboration among government agencies and stakeholders.

It will be great if you will lend your voice to this discourse. Let us know what you think about the current flooding situation in Nigeria (and the world by extension) and what can be done to prevent future occurrences. Feel free to COMMENT, SHARE, and LIKE. You can also SUBSCRIBE as we are devoted to bringing you more such publications on ecological issues.