Climate change has increased the frequency and magnitude of extreme weather events in Borno State. These events have led to loss of lives, diminished livelihoods, reduced crop and livestock production, and damaged infrastructure, among other adverse impacts. The severe flooding witnessed in most parts of Nigeria, including Borno State in 2022, devastated communities, most of which are still struggling to recover. The Borno State Climate Action Plan (BoSCAP) presents detailed actions that the State Government will embark on to address the increasing challenges of climate change and ensure that these actions support the long-term development aspirations of the state, consistent with national and international commitments.
Recently, Nigeria submitted an updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to the Paris Climate Change Agreement outlining ambitious mitigation and adaptation measures across seven economic sectors. As the country seeks to implement these commitments, it is clear that no part of the country illustrates the climate and human security crises than its Northeast region. Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and other front-line states are at the epi-centre of these human and climate crises.
The historical trends in temperature and rainfall patterns have led to water bodies drying up and ravaging agricultural lands. Lake Chad, once the farm lifeblood of the region, has lost nearly 90% of its volume since the 1960s while desertification continues to shrink available agricultural land. With increasing population and poverty in the region, the competition over scarce land resources ignites conflicts, especially between herders and farmers. Climate change is already amplifying these existing conflicts, making the Northeast one of the world’s climate hotspots.
In addition, with armed opposition groups taking over territorial land boundaries and government military forces fencing in affected communities as garrison towns, many families can no longer visit their farms or even leave their communities for neighbouring villages for employment. Displaced communities have to suffer not only the cost of insecurity but also the impact of the climate emergency.
