By ibrahima yakubu
A head of world international forestry day, climatologist, experts and other stake holders on protecting wildlife and other living organism has stressed the need for collaborative effort to tackle desertification ,deforestation,which caused increase migration of Human,animals and other living organism that are residing in the forestry
The patron African climate reporters dr Yusuf nadabo make this statement during his presentation at Teku kaduna international farm To mark this year world forestry day .
Nadabo who was the former head of Anatomy department kaduna state university “kasu” told journalists shortly after his presentation that the world must rise-up and face reality and tell our serves the truth,and find news ways of tackling the speed of desertification that is affecting agricultural land and forcing millions of people into migration from urban to rural centre across the planet.
Every 21 March the United Nations raises awareness of the importance of all types of forests. This year the International Day of Forests promotes education to Learn to Love Forests. It underscores the importance of education at all levels in achieving sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation. Healthy forests mean healthy, resilient communities and prosperous economies
Forestry is facing many challenges due to continuous human irrational activities of Cutting down of trees for Timber production,
Forests cover 30% of the world’s land surface, and are home to around 90% of the world’s land-based animals, plants, insects and birds.
He says, Desertification has triggered displacements across the world. Each year, millions of hectares of land are lost. According to the UN agencies, land degradation affects 1.5 billion people globally. Their reports reveal how desertification has turned into a monstrous challenge for Africa:
The situation is worse in African due to lack of serious dedication and commitment by both NGOs/CSO and the authority,as desertification is now trying to turned the region into a monstrous challenges that could affect every sector in the region
He says annually ,Africa loses about 80 million tonnes of cereal crops from about 105 million hectares of croplands. This can be prevented if soil erosion is curbed.
Adding also that desertification has affected many states from Northern Nigeria ,and many otrher African countries which include Niger republic,Chad,Cameroon ETC.
The demand for charcoal business and firewood is threatening the existence of the forestry, forcing migration of many wildlife
Trees help to protect soil and regulate water on farms. Crops grown in agroforestry systems are often more resilient to drought, excess rain and changes in temperatures.
He then calls on all Nigerians, NGO and CSO,youth organization,Religious leaders,traditional title holders to immensely double effort toward supporting the government in the daily battled against desertification that is affecting the region
The Great Green wall is a pan-African proposal to plant a wall of trees at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert to battle desertification. The strip of land from Dakar to Djibouti is 15 km (9 mi) wide and 7,100 km (4,400 mi) long.
Dr nadabo then calls on kaduna state government to introduce tougher punishment for bush burners,and also appealed for another tougher punishment for people that are cutting down tress illegally in the foresty of kaduna
Earlier in his opening remark ,Mallam Ibrahim salisu who is the founder of Teku international farm kaduna that organizes the event , told journalists shortly after his presentation that, the event was organize toward supporting kaduna state government with over 550 different varies of trees species , in other to combat desertification that is encroaching the state,and to rise more awareness on 17 th June, international day to combat desertification.
Ibrahim said,for the past 3 months,kaduna state has declare state of emergency in its forestry ,so as to halt the speed of deforestation ,desertification ,and save young trees that are facing problems due to continuous demand for domestic used and other climatic factors.
He said,the demand for charcoal is becoming another big problems disturbing the existence of African forestry,hence the need to stand up and support the government in the fight against desertification through donating trees and also used other means of informing the society on the danger of cutting down tress with planting a new one.
(Deseartification is real and is affecting all aspect of human life,hence the need to support the government against deforestation )
Ibrahim says ,millions of people from north-eastern Nigeria were force to migrate due to the effect of desertification and how it affected their farmland and the environement they lived
Adding that,the best way to halt the speed of desertification that is turning agricultural land to sahara is to plant trees,and sensitize the public on the implication of cutting down tress without planting a new once
Pointing out that, the Continuous cultivation without adding supplements, overgrazing, lack of soil and water conservation structures, and indiscriminate bushfires aggravate the process of desertification.
Ibrahim further said,every year,he use to plant over 80,000 different spacies of trees ,and half of its goes to some part of the states ,while some also goes to the neighboring African countries
He says,Many companies from neighboring countries do usually comes and buys tress and take it to their countries for planting,in other to protect their environment ,
In his own Remark ,comrade Rilwani abdullahi, leaders of person with disability in the state says ,”we are the worse hit by climate change in the entire Africa due to our nature”
Abdullahi added,desertification is a big problems
It is important that the forests get the right value because it is important for the people living in these forests and exploiting them to recognise that the impact is of unsustainable exploitation of these forests but also to understand how much this exploitation is costing the environment and the whole world globally.
