MITIGATING THE IMPACTS OF GREENHOUSE GASES ON ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY- PEOPLE AWARENESS AND PREPAREDNESS A CASE STUDY OF ABUJA, NIGERIA

¹Durotoluwa, A.O., ²Durotoluwa A. O and ³Mogaji K. O.

ABSTRACT

There has been unprecedented rise in the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases with its concomitant deleterious effects on humanity and the planet. This study sought to determine the current level of awareness on the impacts of greenhouses gases and to gauge people’s preparedness towards a carbon free environment, while it examined the challenges combating the new adaptation. This was questionnaire based cross-sectional study.  The study was conducted among the residents of Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria. Purposive random sampling technique was adopted. A total of 564 participants were included in the study. The result showed that 54.6% of the respondents demonstrated excellent knowledge of the greenhouse gases, and its impacts. Larger proportion of the participants (66.13%) agreed to be utilizing high energy efficiency appliances (low energy consuming device); Similar proportion of the respondents (66.31%) reckoned public means of transportation as their main form of transportation and 13.5% of the participants assumed to be practicing afforestation.  Less than 14% of the study population admitted to be using solar source /other renewable source of energy and fewer than 11% of the respondents engaged in effective waste reduction measures. Majority of the respondent identified inadequate power supply (42%), oil bunkering and gas flaring (28%) to be very important problem in combating the effect of greenhouses gases. The key measures to achieving a reduction in amount of greenhouses gases would include; improving the electricity grid, increasing transportation mode shift from automobiles to buses, developing policy to end or lessening gas flaring and implementing climate smart agriculture, and reforestation.

Keywords: Awareness, Emission, Greenhouse Gas, Mitigation, Preparedness