Environment
Tackling Environmental Degradation Via Tree Planting
It is a common knowledge that forest cover protects the environment against erosion, desert encroachment and environmental degradation generally.
However, official records from the Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) show that Nigeria’s total forest cover has depreciated from six per cent in 1997 to 10 per cent in 2010.
Also, Nigeria has yet to meet the FAO recommendation of 26 per cent forest cover for countries’ territories.
To redress the trend, the Federal Government has been putting some strategies in place to promote afforestation.
One of the programmes introduced by the President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration is the Presidential Initiative on Afforestation.
The Minister of Environment, Hajia Hadiza Mailafia, said that 22 million assorted seedlings had been distributed to communities under the programme.
She said that the ministry was intensifying efforts through the initiative to ensure the preservation and protection of the environment.
The Jonathan-administration has also approved N10 billion for the resuscitated National Council on Shelterbelt and Afforestation to enable it to carry out afforestation programmes.
The council is charged with the responsibility of stemming the southward movement of the Sahara Desert and mitigating its effect on the environment.
Vice-President Namadi Sambo noted that although the council was set up about nine years ago, it became dormant when the Great Green Wall Initiative came on-stream in 2005.
The minister of environment said that the Great Green Wall Initiative would be implemented in the frontline states of Kebbi, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina, Jigawa, Kano, Yobe and Borno.
Mailafia said that the current rate of desert encroachment into Nigeria was estimated at 0.6 km per annum.
“The green barrier will be a global answer to the combined effect of natural resources’ degradation and drought in rural areas,’’ she said.
According to her, the project will be executed in phases over a 12-year period.
Dr Bukhar Hassan, the Director, Drought and Desertification Amelioration Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, said that trees could help in reducing greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
“Greenhouse gas (GHG) is a gas in the atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range, which is solely responsible for global warming or greenhouse effect,’’ he added.
Hassan said that planting more trees meant cooler temperature, cleaner air, replenished ground water supplies, safer and beautiful environment.
Mr John Auta, a former Director, Forestry Department, Federal Ministry of Environment, said that tree planting was the primary solution to the problem of climate change.
Auta said that tree planting was a major strategy which could address climate change in Nigeria.
“Carbon trading is one of the major products of afforestation,’’ he said, adding, however, that Nigeria had not met FAO’s 26-per-cent forest cover requirement.
He stressed that environmental problems such as desertification and erosion could best be controlled through tree planting.
Auta said that human-induced global deforestation was responsible for 18 per cent to 25 per cent of the current climate change.
Auta said that the second phase of the Presidential Afforestation Initiative would start soon, adding that the initial phase, which involved the cultivation of tree seedlings and the development of nurseries, had been completed.
He said that the seedlings would be distributed to the states under the second phase.
However, G-SAP, a non-governmental organisation, underscored the need for Nigerians living in cities to initiate urgent urban afforestation programmes.
Mr Jock James, Project Director of G-SAP, made the call when he inaugurated the “Instant Urban Forest’’ project in the FCT recently.
He said that the programme was particularly aimed at mobilising the public to plant trees in urban centres.
James stressed that more trees ought to be planted in urban centres because rural communities were still having some trees.
“If we plant trees, they will not only make our environment green but we will also curb climate change as well as desertification,’’ he said.
Sharing similar sentiments, Alhaji Salisu Dahiru, the Acting Director of Forestry, Federal Ministry of Environment, said that afforestation would also boost flood-control efforts.
He noted that indiscriminate felling of trees was responsible for at least 20 per cent to 25 per cent of climate change effects.
Dahiru stressed that deforestation was one of major factors causing the degradation of the environment.
“It is largely responsible for the flooding which we are seeing in the eastern parts of the country because of the absence of trees which provide cover and prevent heavy rain from reaching the loose soil.
“The roots of trees help to bind the soil together, so when the soil is not there, torrential rainfall continues to wash away this loose soil,’’ he said.
All the same, Mr Idoko Stephen, an environmentalist, stressed that the tree planting campaign was not a new phenomenon, adding that what was obviously lacking was its continuity and sustainability.
He, however, bemoaned a situation where tree planting campaigns were largely restricted to the urban areas, stressing that there was a greater need to enlighten rural dwellers about the importance of planting trees.
All in all, stakeholders want the government to sustain its tree planting programmes, while engaging in a more vigorous public enlightenment campaign on the importance of tree planting.
Abochol writes for the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Martins Abochol
Some residents of Port Harcourt and its environs have reacted to the impending flooding in parts of the country, including Rivers state.
It would be recalled that the federal government last week predicted flooding in some states in the country, including Rivers State.
A cross session of residents who spoke to The Tide on the issue said time has come for residents to be careful about the way they managed their waste, especially at this time of the year.
According to them, people must avoid blocking water channels as well as indiscriminate dumping of waste into water channels.
Speaking with The Tide, an Environmentalist, Elder Blessing Jackson Tiko, called for caution by residents of Port Harcourt and its environs
Tiko who was a former deputy operational officer Phalga Environmental Sanitation Taskforce, said people must be conscious of the way and manner that they manage their waste.
“We know that we have the rain and if you watch it is coming especially this month of July,it would rain and rain and rain
“We have to be very conscious of how we manage our environmental system, the way we throw our waste and how we evacuate it so that every where will be open for water to move freely
“Water doesn’t want blockage, water wants free flow, ’he said
Tiko urged state governments to liaise with the federal government and development agencies to dredge and open up river channels to enable Water move freely.
He particularly called on the Niger Delta Basine Development Authority and the Niger Delta Development Commission to liaise with state governments in the quest to end flooding in the states.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alice. A. Alabo a trader at Mile 3 Port Harcourt, urged the state government to do something on the constant flooding at the Abuja bypass in Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt,
She said the bypass is always flooded at every little rainfalls stressing that something must be done about it.
Alabo also told The Tide Correspondents that the Abuja bypass has no receptacles and called on the management of the Rivers State Waste Management Agency to provide receptacles for the people, to ensure proper waste disposal in the area.
“The government should provide us with receptacles for us to properly place our waste which is causing the flooding in the area.
A shop owner Dickey, Livia Marko lemanted the incessant flooding along the Abuja bypass, adding that the situation is affecting their businesses.
“We have been begging the Rivers State Government and the local government to come to our aid.
“The Ego Line Progressive Union contributes N10,000 every year to make sure that we evacuate the drainage.
“We called the Hausa boys to come and clean from the beginning to the end of the tunnel which leads to the Interwoba
“So immediately after each rainfall within 10 minutes it will dry otherwise we cannot stay in our shop.
“I am begging the government to come to our rescue, even if they want to open the gutter or canal. It will help in preventing the flooding or they should clean the gutters starting from Ikwerre Road to the Interwoba axis”, he said
On his part,Mr. Ajaka Olawa, lamented that the flooding in Timber area by Abuja bypass area is so terrible that no businesses can easily be carried on in the area.
He blamed it on the continuous blockage of drainages
. “I can’t remember the last time the government came to clean the drainage, so when it rains we find it difficult to stay here.
“Some of our shops are wet because of the flooding. And if the rain falls heavily, we pack our goods. If not. they get damaged, and I am expecting this message to reach the government for them to do something about it”
“The people, the government gives the job are not being followed up, that’s why the road is still looking bad,
“The government is trying, but they should put more effort to make sure that the jobs are being carried out.
Also, Mr. Chukuma said, during the flooding along Abuja bypass by Timber, no activities take place.
He said that if rain falls, either little or heavy, none can use the road because the road will be inundated by water. Sometimes it takes two to three days for the water to dry.
According to him, eight years ago, the former governor was here to see things for himself, but nothing happened till he left office.
By: Victoria Gilbert / Ossia Victory
Following the rising impact of toxic waste in the Niger Delta communities in Nigeria, an Ecological Think Tank, Health of Mother Earth Foundation, HOMEF, has urged oil-producing communities in the region to monitor their environment and report incidents of pollution or other environmental hazards in real time to appropriate authorities.
The Project Manager, Communities and Culture, HOMEF, Cadmus Atake gave the advice last Friday during a Community Environmental Monitoring Training for the people of Nembe, Town-Brass in Bayelsa and Eastern Obolo, Akwa Ibom States respectively which was held in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Atake said though the extractive activities of oil companies have impacted negatively on the communities, the people still have a role to play in protecting the environment by not throwing plastics in the water bodies or engaging in activities inimical to the environment.
He said, “The purpose is to train the people on how they can monitor their environment that has been impacted by extractive activities, for them to observe the changes that occur in their environment and things they see when they go out to fish.”
Atake also harped on the need for documentation and reporting of the identified environmental challenges or pollution, saying that monitoring without reporting would be an effort in futility even as he tasked them with the accuracy, authenticity and originality of data without any mutilation.
He encouraged people to use mobile phones to take real-time photos and videos without editing the images in the case of pollution or oil spills.
His words, “Reporting is an essential aspect of any monitoring activity. It affords the opportunities to track the activity and its impacts. It makes an activity visible and draws attention to it. Also, it helps to identify associated risks and to know the required controls and learning outcomes needed to prevent the reoccurrence of failures of an activity. No monitoring exercise is complete without a report of observations and a point of action.
“You must identify what caused the pollution, state the name of the community and landmark and if possible, use GPS, time and date the pollution was observed.”
One of the participants, OmusuoDieworio from Bayelsa State noted that apart from the activities of the multinationals, the people have contributed to the disappearance of fishes in the rivers by dumping refuse and plastic wastes inside the river which posed a great threat to fishes even as he urged community leaders to promulgate laws prohibiting that and the youth leaders to ensure the enforcement.
“Our people should be sensitized on the hazards of toxic waste. We should put laws that are binding on us. Our fishermen should discipline themselves enough after drinking sachet water eating should not drop the waterproof inside the water. They should also be discouraged from using dynamite and other chemicals for fishing as all these are harmful to both the aquatic animals and human beings that will consume it.” He said.
Speaking on the Petroleum Industry Act, PIA, UmoIsua-Ikoh of the Peace Pact Development Foundation, said the provision in the PIA where the community should forfeit its 3% development fund in case of pipeline vandalism criminalizes the community and should be expunged noting that no community will agree to vandalize pipeline but an individual or a criminal.
He said they should go after anyone who vandalises pipelines and not make the entire community bear the brunt of one person.
On his part, Stephen Oduware, the Program Manager at Fossil Politics, called on the communities to network with CSOs, CBOs, doctors, lawyers, media especially those from their communities and other community members who have the community at heart to advocate at all fronts.
“The community people should partner with CSOs, CBOs so that they will be able to advocate from all fronts from the health implication of this pollution from the legal and human right violations as a result of this pollution, land grabbing and then they will be able to get well-researched works from the academics, we believe that with this network they will be able to push for the justice they needed.” He said.
The Delta State Govern-
ment says it is working hard to tackle the issue of climate change in the state.
Special Adviser to the state Governor on Sustainable Development Goals) (SDGs, Lady Diana Eyo _Enoette, said this in an interview with newsmen during the launching of Green City Project in Port Harcourt.
She said the government was doing this by raising awareness on the impact of climate change in the State and also control the indiscriminate dumping of waste across the State.
Eye-Emoette said government has also setup scouts across the State to embark on tree planting campaign in all nooks and crannies of Delta State.
She said time has come for governments across the Niger Delta region to create more awareness on climate change, adding that continuous human activities in the region have made it vulnerable to climate change
Diana described her government as a leading voice on climate change as far as the Niger Delta region is concerned and stressed the need for other governments in the region to follow suit.
She said Green City’s initiatives have become a potent weapon in fighting climate change, stressing that the initiative is coming at the appropriate time.
The special advise said governments across the country should key into the green city’s projects inorder to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, a university teacher, Professor Magnus Onuoha, has called for conscious efforts by governments across Africa to check carbon emissions.
The university teacher also described the green city’s initiatives as a safe avenue for emerging cities in Africa.
Prof Onuoha, who spoke via videophone described the project as innovative, adding that climate change is real and no longer fallacies.
According to him “it is glaringly telling on our faces and the possibility of it going away is not there”.
He said.
By: John Bibor