Coastal and Marine Areas Development Initiative (CMADl) has called for the establishment of Coastal Areas Development Agency in the country.
Chief Presiding Officer of CMADl, Henry Erikowa, made the call at Egbokodo-ltsekiri, Warri, Delta State, while admonishing students of Egbokodo Secondary School, to imbibe anti-climate change habits.
He stated this while initiating the formation of the school’s Environmental Conservation Club in commemoration of this year’s International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystems.
CMADI developed Falcorp Mangrove Park, Ijala Ikenren, Warri.
Erikowa stressed that the agency would fast-track the sustainable management of coastal communities across the country whose homelands and livelihoods were at the verge of extinction.
The International Day for the Conservation of the Mangrove Ecosystem was adopted by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 2015 and celebrated each year on July 26 to raise awareness on the importance of mangrove ecosystems.
The presiding officer stressed that coastal ecosystems were no doubt critical to maintaining human well-being and global biodiversity.
He regretted that states with mangrove ecosystems like Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Cross River, Akwa lbom and Edo were neck deep into the petroleum sector, leaving the most sensitive parts of their bodies exposed to disasters.
Mangroves, he added, are rare, spectacular and prolific ecosystems bordering land and sea.