Environmental degradation in Anambra our number one existential threat – Soludo declares state of emergency

Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, has declared a state of emergency on environmental challenges plaguing the region, labeling environmental degradation as the "number one existential threat." More than 30% of the state's landmass has already been eroded, and Soludo warned that even allocating the entire state budget to ecological remediation would fall short of the necessary funds to tackle the issue.

During a live broadcast marking the state's 35th anniversary, Soludo emphasized the urgent need for collective action to address the environmental crisis. While progress has been made in tackling insecurity, he stressed that the environmental situation is a severe existential crisis, with about 98% of the degradation attributable to human activities.

Anambra is cited as the gully erosion capital of Africa, if not the world, with more than 30% of its landmass eroded. Communities like Nanka, Oko, Amaokpala, Ozubulu, Ogidi, Nkpor, parts of Onitsha, and Nnewi have experienced severe erosion, causing the collapse of homes, roads, and farmlands. The governor attributed the problem to the state's porous soil and human activities, which have exacerbated the degradation over the years.

The crisis is a result of 60 years of cumulative negligence, stemming from blocked drains, unauthorized construction on waterways, uncontrolled runoff, reckless excavation of soil without environmental impact assessments, farming on vulnerable slopes, deforestation, and indiscriminate sand mining.