By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
ABUJA (PRECISE POST) – The Taraba State Governor, Dr Agbu Kefas has launched the state’s Climate Change Policy and Action Plan, aimed at integrating climate change mitigation efforts across several sections of the State.
The governor said that noted that the idea represents a decision about the future of the state, it’s people and its natural resources.
Unveiling the document in Jalingo on Friday, the governor said the policy was aimed at ensuring that Taraba’s forests remain standing and its rivers continue to flow for present and future generations.
“We are taking the decision about the future of Taraba. We are deciding whether our forests will still be standing and whether our rivers will still be flowing,” Kefas said.
He noted that climate change was already affecting agriculture and communities, with unpredictable rainfall and drying rivers posing serious threats to farmers and residents.
The governor said the policy covers critical sectors including health, infrastructure and education, and stressed that environmental considerations must become an integral part of government planning.
Kefas directed all ministries, traditional institutions, local government councils and citizens to play active roles in implementation, and warned that any climate policy that fails to support farmers would not succeed and urged residents to protect forests and discourage bush burning.
He also called for improved waste management, noting that climate action cannot succeed while streets and drainage systems remain clogged with waste.
According to him, climate resilience must be mainstreamed into the state’s development plans, with local governments taking the lead since issues such as flooding and bush burning occur mainly at the community level.
Kefas noted that the success of the policy would be measured not by the number of conferences or workshops, but by tangible changes in communities.
He called on the Federal Government, the National Council on Climate Change, international partners and other stakeholders to collaborate with Taraba in implementing the policy and action plan.
Kefas added that every citizen could contribute by planting and protecting trees and discouraging bush burning, described Taraba as richly endowed with mountains, rivers and forests and stressed the need to protect them.
He declared that the Climate Change Policy had come to stay and would form part of the state’s development agenda.
Earlier, the Commissioner for Environment and Climate Change, Hajiya Aishat B. Barde, called on MDAs, LGAs, traditional institutions, communities, youth and women groups, the private sector and development partners to embrace their responsibilities in implementing the policy.
Barde said climate action was a shared mandate that required collective commitment, coordination and sustained action, and described the launch as the beginning of a new phase of coordinated and measurable climate action in the state.
She said the policy would help Taraba build a state that is environmentally sustainable, economically prosperous and resilient to the challenges of changing climate.
Barde applauded Natural Eco Capital, Society for Planet and Prosperity, and the African Climate Foundation for their financial and technical support.
She also commended Governor Kefas for creating an enabling environment and prioritizing climate action in the state.
