By Vincent Ujumadu
AWKA — Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has identified environmental degradation and flooding as the state’s number one existential threat, saying about 98 per cent of the problem is caused by human activities.
Speaking during a media engagement to mark Anambra’s 35th anniversary, Soludo said more than 30 per cent of the state’s landmass had been compromised, reinforcing its status as the gully erosion capital of Africa.
He said the situation had been worsened by blocked drainage systems, unauthorised construction on waterways and reckless excavation activities, which have significantly altered the state’s natural soil porosity.
According to him, the severity of gully erosion is progressively reducing Anambra’s land area at a scale that exceeds the financial capacity of government to address alone.
The governor, therefore, called for a shift from the traditional reactive, government-centred approach to environmental management to a community-driven model involving local institutions, churches and other stakeholders.
He urged residents to consider the environmental legacy they would leave for future generations, asking what condition they would hand the state over to their children.
Soludo also unveiled the Anambra Clean and Green Initiative, a comprehensive environmental programme built around four pillars: Green, Clean, Planned and Sustainable.
Emphasising that environmental protection was a collective responsibility, rather than the sole responsibility of government, the governor urged residents to embrace tree planting as part of efforts to restore the ecosystem and improve air quality.
“The scale of this crisis is more than what government alone can solve; we must collectivise the responsibility,” Soludo said, as he formally launched the state-wide green initiative.
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