CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change poses significant threats to the built environment through rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and increased frequency of extreme weather events. This study investigated the impact of climate change on the durability of building materials commonly used in Nigeria. A comprehensive analysis of 60 years of meteorological data (1965-2024) from the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) was conducted across Nigeria's three climatic zones. The data was divided into two 30-year periods Historical Period 1 (HP1: 1965-1994) and Historical Period 2 (HP2: 1995-2024) to identify climatic trends and their implications for concrete, steel, timber, and masonry materials. The methodology employed secondary data collection and literature review, analyzing four key climatic parameters: mean annual temperature, total annual rainfall, mean annual sunshine hours, and mean annual wind speed. Comparative analysis revealed significant environmental shifts, with Southern Nigeria experiencing the most severe changes including temperature increases of +1.0°C, rainfall increases of +298mm, and reductions in both sunshine hours (-0.6 hr/day) and wind speed (-0.6 m/s).Results demonstrated that all building materials face substantially accelerated degradation under current conditions. Concrete experiences enhanced carbonation and chloride penetration with 2030% service life reductions. Steel reinforcement shows 30-40% service life reduction in coastal environments due to intensified corrosion. Timber faces the highest vulnerability with potential 40-50% service life reductions from enhanced fungal decay and increased termite activity. Porous masonry units experience severe efflorescence and progressive strength loss, resulting in 20-40% service life reductions. The study revealed synergistic effects where combined climatic changes produce deterioration exceeding individual impacts, with Southern Nigeria facing the most aggressive conditions. The study concludes that traditional construction practices based on historical climate data are inadequate for current conditions. Recommendations include immediate revision of building codes and material specifications, adoption of climate-resilient materials and enhanced protective systems, implementation of climate-responsive design approaches, and intensified maintenance programs for existing structures. These findings provide critical insights for stakeholders to enhance building resilience and ensure the sustainability and safety of Nigeria's built environment.

Climate change driven by increasing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations calls for urgent implementation of atmospheric CO2 reduction. However, adsorbents are mostly expensive and energy-intensive, especially for developing nations. Agricultural wastes, especially corn cobs, are a sustainable alternative due to their lignocellulosic composition, natural porosity, and abundance as underutilized biomass. This study investigated the CO₂ adsorption potential of chemically activated corn cob-derived adsorbent through packed bed column experiments. Corn cobs were collected, processed, and activated using potassium hydroxide (KOH) at temperatures between 400-600°C. CO₂ gas was generated in-situ via CaCO₃-HCl reaction and passed through glass columns (2.1 cm diameter, 5 cm bed height) at flow rates of 0.5-2.0 L/min. Four particle size ranges (100, 250, 500, and above 500 µm) were evaluated over 60- minute contact periods at ambient temperature (29±2°C). Characterization via SEM-EDS revealed highly porous morphology with 90.05% carbon content and oxygen-containing functional groups favorable for CO₂ binding. The 100 µm particle size achieved the highest equilibrium adsorption capacity of 5,459 ppm·L/g, while 250 µm particles demonstrated optimal removal efficiency of 48.0%. Breakthrough analysis indicated that smaller particles delayed saturation, with 100 µm maintaining effectiveness beyond 45 minutes compared to 25 minutes for above 500 µm particles. Flow rate influenced performance, with reduced rates (0.5 L/min) compensating for larger particle sizes by increasing contact time. These findings reveal that corn bobs are a viable solution for carbon capture

Nigeria, as a developing nation is particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change. A large part of the economy of the country depends on natural resources, which are particularly vulnerable to climate change. When those resources are affected, communities are implicated.1 Disease, loss of livelihoods and settlements can force entire communities into relocation or complete extinction and even refugee status. As critical as the effect of climate change is, it is not clear whether Nigerians are aware of what climate change is or its effects. Perhaps the biggest obstacle is the lack of awareness and knowledge.2 this study examines the impact of of climate change on the people of Edo State, Nigeria.