Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has urged the United Nations to institutionalise the protection of the world’s deltas, including Nigeria’s Niger Delta, through a convention.
The Bayelsa governor stated this against the backdrop of increasing threats from erosion, pollution, flooding, as well as shrinking salt marshes and mangroves to the world’s 25 deltas.
His spokesperson, Daniel Alabrah, in a statement, quoted Diri as saying on Monday during the opening of a three-day ‘4th Mega Delta meeting: International conference on dialogue between land and sea’ in Shanghai, China.
Stakeholders had identified the threats as a global problem that required international cooperation to find solutions and prevent the extinction of the deltas and their capacity for sustainable livelihood and economic development.
“It is with deep emotion that I address this gathering, for these deltas are not merely places on a map. They are the lifeblood of our communities, custodians of our stories, and the fragile promise of tomorrow.
“I speak with urgency and passion — not only to list challenges, but to honour the courage and resilience of those who continue to live, work, and dream in these deltas.
“These deltas feed nations, anchor economies, and nurture biodiversity. Yet they face rising seas, land subsidence, and dwindling sediment flows. From the Yangtze River (in China) to the Mekong River (in South East Asia; from the Danube (in Europe) to the Niger Delta, the pattern is the same. The deltas that sustain us are under threat,” Diri stated.
He cited the report of the Bayelsa State Oil and Environment Commission titled: ‘An environmental genocide: Counting the human and environmental cost of oil in Bayelsa, Nigeria’ as detailing what happens when ecosystems are exploited without accountability.
He also said it was a reminder that environmental resilience must begin with justice.
Diri averred that the global body must take responsibility and urgent action to prevent the ongoing depletion of the river deltas.
“If deltas connect rivers to the oceans, then this conference must connect knowledge to action. That is why Bayelsa State, with the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, has been leading the call for a United Nations Convention on the Conservation of River Deltas (UNCCRD),” Diri said.
Urging stakeholders at the conference to point the way forward by making a declaration of intent, he said the proposed convention would protect deltas as unique and fragile ecosystems, restore degraded wetlands and empower local livelihoods, as well as mobilise global science and finance for sustainability and adaptation.
“At home, we are translating this vision into practice. We have created a Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy to align our conservation efforts with opportunity.
“We are restoring mangrove forests, which are the green shields of our coastline. We are training youths and women for livelihoods in aquaculture, eco-tourism, and renewable energy,” he said.
The conference had, in attendance, 180 participants from 31 countries, including policy makers, scientists and researchers from academia, community leaders and civil society organisations.