- Dr. Vahyala Teri emphasized that climate change poses more severe threats than global terrorism, urging immediate action to combat its catastrophic impacts on peace, security, and livelihoods.
- Dr. Teri suggested measures like extensive tree planting, forest conservation, halting open grazing, and integrating climate studies into educational curricula to address the adverse effects of climate change.
- Dr. Ahmad Sajoh and Most Rev. Dr. Musa Panti Filibus highlighted the importance of social justice, afforestation, and reforestation in promoting peace and reducing conflicts, particularly between farmers and herders.
Climate Change Deadlier Than Terrorism, Warns Dr. Vahyala Teri
Dr. Vahyala Adamu Teri, a university academic, has asserted that the consequences of climate change are more severe than those of global terrorism.
He called on stakeholders to unite in addressing this pressing issue, which poses significant threats to peace, security, and livelihoods.
Speaking at a one-day seminar organized by the Iliya Yame Kwace Foundation for Justice, Peace, and Development, Dr. Teri emphasized the urgent need to combat climate change.
He warned that if left unchecked, it could lead to a global catastrophe.
“Our climate has been severely damaged by human actions, and now it is retaliating in ways we did not anticipate,” Dr. Teri said.
He highlighted various extreme weather conditions, such as heat waves, flooding, landslides, droughts, and desertification, which exacerbate conflicts over resources, particularly between farmers and herders.
Dr. Teri outlined several devastating impacts of climate change, including displacement, migration, and the depletion of the ozone layer, which makes the world more vulnerable to environmental hazards.
He noted that the crisis has worsened poverty, caused job losses, and intensified competition for scarce resources like water and land, further fueling the conflict between farmers and herders, especially in the Sahel region.
The professor pointed to the Lake Chad region as a prime example of climate change’s destructive effects.
“The lake, which covered 26,000 km² in the 1960s, has now shrunk to just 1,500 km²,” he said, illustrating how the receding water has led to deadly conflicts and significant property loss.
To address these challenges, Dr. Teri proposed several solutions, including extensive tree planting, forest conservation, the cessation of open grazing, and the introduction of climate studies into school curricula at all levels.
He also urged governments to invest in tree planting, develop drought-resistant seedlings, and provide alternative, affordable energy sources.
In a related presentation, Dr. Ahmad Sajoh, a former Commissioner of Information and Strategy in Adamawa, discussed peacebuilding in diverse societies.
He argued that true peace is unattainable without social justice.
“Extreme social inequality, like what we have in Nigeria, hinders peace. How can there be peace when some import dog food while others scavenge for scraps?” he questioned, urging citizens to challenge unjust actions by their leaders.
Most Rev. Dr. Musa Panti Filibus, chairman of the occasion, emphasized afforestation and reforestation as key solutions to the conflicts between farmers and herders.
He advocated for restoring degraded lands and expanding forest cover to create sustainable ecosystems and natural boundaries that can reduce resource conflicts.
Speaking to journalists, Iliya Yame Kwace, chairman of the organizing foundation, stressed the seminar’s aim to educate the public on the benefits of tree planting, justice, and peacebuilding.
He highlighted his organization’s efforts in planting and maintaining thousands of trees to mitigate climate change effects and pledged to continue these initiatives.
