Coastline threats: Lagos laments massive reclamation

…Says 3,577 Sqm onshore rises to 4,050 sq.m

By Olasunkanmi Akoni

Lagos State Government has lamented that  the archetypal landmass of the State which was 3,577 Square metres, sqm has accrued to 4,050 sqm owed to monolithic reclamation of wetlands and lagoon h2o bodies for existent property construction, posing significant  biology and  societal risks  to residents.

State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab,  made the remark  portion featuring arsenic a Panelist astatine the Havard University Climate Action Week with the theme: “Rising Seas, Resilient Communities, Climate Adaptation Strategies successful West Africa.”

Wahab explained that the  aerial geographic accusation has shown that the archetypal landmass of Lagos State which was 3,577 Square metres, sqm has accrued to 4,050 sqm owed to monolithic reclamation of wetlands and lagoon h2o bodies for existent property construction.

He stressed  that the State, arsenic portion of pragmatic measures to prevention coastlines has besides been exercising it’s ineligible powers to cheque excesses that travel with the quality enactment by insisting that anyone who intends to embark connected a reclamation indispensable get an Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA, approval. 

The commissioner added that specified an exertion for reclamation indispensable person a drainage maestro program to show however tempest h2o from that reclamation volition beryllium decently discharged into the h2o body.

Recall that the State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, had approved contiguous suspension  of each reclamation projects crossed the authorities with oregon without  EIA support and drainage clearance.

Sanwo-Olu, gave the directive  recently,  done Wahab, “All  approved Reclamation Projects crossed the State indispensable beryllium submitted for due Documentation and Monitoring, portion all  on-going  and intending  ones  indispensable beryllium subjected to the Environmental Impact Assessment,  EIA,  process with issuance of Approval and Drainage Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

“Failure to comply with this directive wrong the adjacent 7 DAYS volition permission the Ministry with nary different enactment than to deploy appropriate  machinery  to decommission the  reclaimed  sites including  excavation and removal of capable and reconnecting of already blocked h2o channels connected the Lagoon  among  others.”

Wahab,  besides warned that the State authorities would apprehension and prosecute anyone progressive and oregon are recovered connected the tract of specified illegality aft the expiration of the 7 days warning.

He expressed sedate interest astir the proliferation of reclamation activities connected wetlands, floodplains and the lagoons crossed the State.

Wahab  identified locations wherever specified acts are prevalent to include:  Parkview, Banana Island, Osborne, different parts of Ikoyi, Victoria Island Extension,  Lekki, Ajah, Ikorodu, Oworonshoki, Lagos Mainland, Ojo and Badagry axis,  without consideration  of  the adverse Impacts connected the  Environment and the  wellbeing and  information of the bully radical of the  state.

The  commissioner  noted  that the  indiscriminate Reclamation projects are being  executed  without requisite EIA  Approvals and Drainage Clearance from the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources.

Wahab continued:  “While  reclamation  may  supply abstraction for Housing and Infrastructure redevelopment, it besides poses significant  biology and  societal risks  including:  accrued vulnerability to flooding, coastal erosion, disruption of livelihood (especially fishing), nonaccomplishment of wetlands and biodiversity,  constriction  of the Lagoons and their capacity,  impairment of h2o prime among others.”

He  stressed  that with the low-lying topography of Lagos State and its fragile ecosystem, the State Government cannot spend to let the  indiscriminate reclamation of the Lagoons, Wetlands and floodplains to proceed unabated.

The station Coastline threats: Lagos laments monolithic reclamation appeared archetypal connected Vanguard News.