‘Tree planting part of measures to halt desertification’

The North-East are putting measures place to check the threat of desertification and erosion in their respective areas.

According to a recent survey, state governments and other stakeholders have expressed concern over the situation, expressing the need for concerted efforts by all to check the menace.

They identified causes and suggested measures to be taken, saying the involvement of the populace in the process was paramount.

One of the major causes identified as responsible for the increase in areas affected by desertification in the North-East, is insurgency which has resulted in unending security challenges.

In Borno, the state government said it had been supporting the planting of three million tree seedlings annually as part of measures to check desertification.

According to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Alhaji Mohammed Dankoli, planting of trees is in line with the 25-year Development Plan of Borno government.

Dankoli said the plan, which intended to mobilise citizens of Borno to plant at least a minimum of three trees per person annually, was aimed at recovering a minimum of one kilometre every year.

He observed that the lingering security challengesin the sub-region had assisted in increasing desertification in the state.

Dankoli said many internally displaced persons who lost their sources of livelihood, had resorted to felling of trees for fuel, or selling as firewood, to make a living.

According to him, even the military are engaged in clearing trees in areas with thick forest because of the belief that such forests are used by insurgents as hideouts.

He observed that the lingering security challengesin the sub-region had assisted in increasing desertification in the state.

Dankoli said many internally displaced persons who lost their sources of livelihood, had resorted to felling of trees for fuel, or selling as firewood, to make a living.

According to him, even the military are engaged in clearing trees in areas with thick forest because of the belief that such forests are used by insurgents as hideouts.

Dankoli said because of this development, a lot of trees, some as old as 50 years and above, had been cut down.

The permanent secretary said efforts by the ministry and other stakeholders to engage in mass planting of trees were thus threatened by insurgency which brought about the insecurity.

He said areas mostly affected in the northern parts of the state were not accessible due to threats of attacks from insurgents.

Last year, we nurtured one million seedlings but could not distribute all because of insurgency,” Dankoli said.

The Regional Director of African Climate Change Research Centre, a non-governmental organisation, Dr. Usman Ali, engaged in the fight against desertification in Borno, said his organisation planted 3,000 trees in 2020.

“We intend to plant 10,000 trees this year, starting from Damasak, the headquarters of Mobbar Local Government Area.

“Gum Arabic and Neem trees are part of the seedlings we are going to distribute because of their capacity to survive arid conditions,” Ali disclosed.

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