As the world celebrate international desertification day ,experts has called on African union to declared states of emergency to all the forestry among 55 members states ,so as to save it before against turning more into complete Sahara desert , as a result of increase irrational human activities and lack of commitment by member states toward combatting desertification ,and soil erosion , which today has a negative impact to all parks and game reserves in the region.
The assistant director of African climate reporters Dr piman Hoffman make the called during an interview with journalist to mark this year world desertification day, Under the slogan, ‘Let’s Grow the Future Together,
He said, Desertification has triggered displacements of millions of people across Africa and world in general and its still causing more harmful and devastating effects especially to African forestry due to the continuous falling down of forestry trees, and the increase demand of charcoal and firewood business with the extraction of mineral resources, over-grazing ,increase in human population and rapidly economic development.
According to him over hunting and overexploitation of natural resources through various human activities like overfishing, over cutting-down of trees and mining business have caused a significant serious reduction and damages in the number of varied plants and animals species in all the forestry
“millions of animals were forced to migrate while some has gone extinction due to continuous attack by hunters,bush burners,wood-cutters, miners,and timbers commercial sellers”
Hoffman says, According to international data, an estimated 18 million acres of trees are clear-cut each year to make way for new development and wood products- that is just under half of all the trees on the planet since the industrial revolution began.
Adding also that millions of different species that live in forests, deforestation and desertification is a major threat to their survival and a big conservation issue.
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According to him many African forest today faces serious extinction problems , which lead to the reduction of visiting tourist and archeologist and other forestry experts from international countries to the region ,also another problems is the increase insecurity.
“The diverse existence of animal and plant species in different habitats has been widely affected by overhunting,over-grazing and overexploitation of natural resources in the region . These human activities do not give room for the replenishment, growth, or new development of already exploited or harvested products”
Furthermore ,The activities of woodcutters in African forestry increases the greenhouse gases within the atmosphere which leads to further global warming and other problems associated with environmental degradation
“Such irrational human activities need to stop if we wish to survive in this planet because without forestry,no one would live in this earth”
He suggest that African Union A.U need to authorize all members states to be more committed in trees planting in other to combat increasing desertification that is turning African forestry to Sahara desert and exposing the natural vegetation to soil surface.
A.U to call on all African leaders to halt activities of woodcutters, miners and commercial timber producers,
He further appealed to A.U to be more committed in supporting Greet green world project “GGW Project” ,as to halt the speed of sahara desert eating our forestry
Adding also that A.U need to immensely support all project related to renewable energy organization ,Local and international NGO and CSO, in other to enable countries import new renewable technology at a cheaper prizes
Also urging all forest rangers across the region to be more committed in protect wild-life and halt actitivies of commercial wood-sellers and illegal miners
The 2019 World Day to Combat Desertification (WDCD) will mark its 25th anniversary of the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD across the Globe).
In his own message to world desertification day , An environmental expert and climatologist ,and also team leader of environmental volunteers in Nigeria, Comrade james Samson,the public relation and enlightenment officer of African climate reporters , says, African union must embark on supporting renewable energy and energy efficiency project among its members countries ,so as to immensely support Paris agreement.
James note that Renewable energy and energy efficiency in developing countries will prevent 1.4 gigatonnes of emissions by 2020
He stressed that renewable energies are sources of clean, inexhaustible and increasingly competitive energy.
They differ from fossil fuels principally in their diversity, abundance and potential for use anywhere on the planet, but above all in that they produce neither greenhouse gases – which cause climate change – nor polluting emissions.
Their costs are also falling and at a sustainable rate, whereas the general cost trend for fossil fuels is in the opposite direction in spite of their present volatility.and this would reduce the large number of thousands of women that are dyeing as a result of using firewood for domestic cooking
Remembered that world international day to combat desertification is observed every 17th of june which is aimed to promote public awareness of international efforts to combat desertification world-wide. the Day will celebrate the 25 years of progress made by countries and people in sustainable land management (SLM), and look at the next 25 years where land degradation neutrality
Another environmentalist comrade suleman jibril ,the national president of Metro-environment and awareness organization in Nigeria said, African union A.U must find a way of organizing a conference for all African leaders which would focus on sensitizing them on all the dangers associated with desertification and soil erosion and earthquake in the region.
There is a significant drawback among members nation toward combating desertification and drought in Africa,hence the need to be more committed than before.
He the appealed to all companies, refineries and industries to support members countries in trees planting programs and fight desertification
The concluded by saying that There are many companies and refinaries in Africa that contribute in polluting the atmosphere yet, they don’t plant even a single tree in the forest
“Am calling on all African countries to learnt lesson from Kigali-Ruwanda on how they beautify their country with trees and enforced strong law that protect their forestry
