Climate Change, Disaster Risk Management And The Urban Poor In Port Harcourt Metropolis.

ABSTRACT: The need to adapt to climate change will be a fundamental driver of developing countries. The impacts are global in outlook but the mitigation policies and plans to cut down greenhouse gases emission and other elements are more local in actions. This study is carried out to evaluate and ascertain the risks of climate change on the urban poor in Port Harcourt city. However, from our findings, it shows various possible sectors that the impacts will be severe. These areas include environment, health, food insecurity, air and water pollution, flooding and ecosystem distortion; and the urban poor are most vulnerable. Also, most vulnerable areas in the city were identified which include Diobu, D/Line, Port Harcourt Township, New GRAs and most parts of Obio/Akpor local government areas in the city. Most of the residents in these areas suffer flooding because of increasing rainfall. The temperature of the city has increased and the ecological system is distorted around the coastal areas. The study also proffers possible appropriate policies and plans that should be adopted by policy makers and urban planners to mitigate and/or ameliorate the impacts of climate change on the poor of Port Harcourt city.

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