The Benue Director of Environment, Mr. Daniel Iorshagher, has attributed the increasing heat being experienced by Makurdi residents on extermination of forests along the River Benue.
Iorshagher told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Makurdi that the extermination of forests, which happened some years back for the purpose of cattle rearing, had continued to impact negatively on the environment.
He said the heat in Makurdi was further complicated by the location of the city in a valley which prompted increases in light rays responsible for excessive emissions of carbons.
The Director warned that the current heat experienced throughout the city would not be reduced unless more trees were planted along the Benue valley.
Iorshagher said that poor agricultural practises, coupled with commercial activities like burnt- brick production along the river bank, continued to hinder regeneration of the forest belts in the state.
He said as part of efforts to reduce the effects of global warming in the state, Gov Gabriel Suswam had earmarked N200 million for the provision of solar energy in some villages.
The director also said the government had constructed bore holes that were powered by solar energy for the purposes of reducing the effects of global warming.
Iorshagher also appealed to the people to avoid acts capable of destroying forests and pleaded with them to plant new trees which would help to trap carbon emissions that were generated by human activity.
He also advised urban dwellers to abide by the rules of urban planning while constructing their houses.
The director also advised them on the use of renewable energy sources for the purpose of controlling the effects of global warming.
Iorshagher said the country needed to have alternative sources of power to control global warming and climate change since the public power supply was no longer reliable.
"The use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and Tama are necessary to protect the world from climate change and global warming.
"In Benue, people use generator sets to power their electronic devices such as fans and air conditioners to mitigate heat but they never know that the generators are the main causes of heat.''
Iorshagher also said that as income improved, more people purchased generators thereby further complicating the heat situation in the state.
He described global warming as one of the most complicated problems confronting the modern industrial world.
The director lamented that global warming was caused by burning of fossil and forests which exacerbated greenhouse gases emissions.
He said the gaseous emissions of carbon dioxide from activities of deforestation and industrialisation were responsible for the growing cases of global warming and climate change.
Iorshagher said that the combined adverse effects of global warming and climate change were responsible for the increasing cases of death including declining work efficiency in the state.
He said that global warming and climate change were already affecting the rainfall pattern either increasing its intensity or lowering it.
