.

By Festus Ahon, ASABA

MINISTER  of Science and Technology, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, has blamed environmental disasters on limited knowledge and a low level of preparedness for their prevention and management.

Onu stated this at the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, during a two-day workshop on Integrated Capacity Building and Development of Local Content in the Applications of Space-based Technology for Tackling environmental challenges in the Niger Delta.

Represented by Dr. N. E. Gajere, the Director and Chief Executive Officer, National Centre for Remote Sensing, NCRS, Jos, Onu said: “Our responses in tackling the prevailing environmental challenges must be critical to limit casualties, alleviate suffering and hardship, restore essential life support and community systems, mitigate further damages and provide the basis for subsequent recovery. 

“Our limited knowledge and low-level of preparedness to prevent or reduce and manage our environmental problems leaves no one in doubt as to the extent of our vulnerability. It is against the foregoing that we need to develop our capacity in the Niger Delta Region to be able to respond appropriately to any problem whenever and wherever it occurs.

“We must be aware that environmental disasters are not tied to local, regional, national or international boundaries, and therefore be prepared to share our space-based assets and work together to drive away disaster from our environs.

“The establishment of the Advanced Space Technology Applications Laboratory (ASTAL), Uyo in November, 2011 therefore is to serve as a focal point for satellite remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and related activities especially in the Niger Delta Region of Nigeria.  

“ASTAL is poised to advancing space knowledge through vigorous research and applications of satellite remote sensing and geospatial technologies for the identification, inventory, development as well as management of natural and human resources. “

In his remarks, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Space Research and Development Agency, NASRDA, Dr. Halilu Ahmed Shaba, disclosed that the workshop is organized by ASTAL Uyo, with the support of NCRS Jos, NASRDA Abuja, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology as well as Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku and the University of Delta Agbor.

Shaba said “The challenges on the environment are enormous with catastrophic consequences on human health and the environment itself. The utilization of the resources present in the world have been overstretched due to the ever rising population. 

“It is as a result of this population pressure that forests were cleared, grasslands ploughed or grazed, wetlands drained and many more. This exponential population growth has wreaked havoc on human life and environment. 

“Space based technologies provide a platform through which managers can generate information that can make sound decisions for sustainable development.

Space technology which is not an ego trip is one of the sectors which the Federal Government has given priority attention to, as it serves as the engine of growth and development of the digital economy. 

“Nigeria is a land of remarkable diversity in its environmental, cultural and socio-economic context. Consequently, the need for inventorying and the generation of resource information and mapping in the developing world such as Nigeria cannot be over-emphasized.  

“It is worth emphasizing that accelerated development and economic prosperity of any nation depends increasingly on major advances in Space Science and technology of which satellite remote sensing and Geo-information sciences are major components. 

“A nation needs a well-informed, scientifically literate population that is capable of adapting to and working with new and emerging technologies for overall sustainable development”. 

In her opening remarks, the initiator cum Vice Chancellor, University of Delta, Agbor, Prof. (Mrs) Stella C. Chiemeke, said: “this two days workshop is going to make us understand the job of ASTAL, we all know that the world is evolving and adopting new technologies in world processing and problem solving strategy is what is key. It is important that our nation is not left out in this particular transformation agenda”.

Also, the Ag. Rector, Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, Dr. Leonard U. Ojogbo, noted that “In this time of changing world with prosperity on one hand and economic tumor on the other hand, it is hard to predict the future as we become more concern about the damaged environment arising from man made activities and national disasters, we look more to space Technology resolutions”

Vanguard News Nigeria