By ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
The Community Advocates for Rural Development has issued a cautionary alert to Nigerians on the indiscriminate tree cutting and its adverse consequences on human health and the environment.
The Executive Director of CARD, Habiba Ajufoh, stated this in an interview with journalists on Tuesday, on the sidelines of a sensitization campaign on addressing climate change, its causes, and the imminent threats it poses to health and the environment, in Takwashinge community, Dass Local Government Area of Bauchi State.
Ajufoh urged Nigerians to explore alternative energy sources rather than practices that jeopardize their health and the ecosystem.
She said that as part of this initiative, 20 women were empowered with clean energy businesses, receiving solar products to distribute within their community, thereby both earning income and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts.
Highlighting the detrimental impacts of tree felling, she emphasized the necessity for sustainable energy practices, instead of relying on conventional methods like batteries or firewood, she advocated for utilizing solar products and briquettes derived from agricultural waste.
“The repercussions of rampant tree cutting are profound. Trees serve as crucial carbon dioxide absorbers, essential for human health through oxygen production. By depleting these trees, we diminish our access to clean air, expelling harmful carbon dioxide into the environment,” she explained.
Furthermore, she shed light on the cascading effects of tree depletion, causing soil degradation, erosion, and heightened vulnerability to floods.
She underscored the soil’s declining fertility due to discarded batteries, plastics, and waste, necessitating costly fertilizers for agricultural productivity—a burden particularly challenging for the average citizen.
Ajufoh said: “While we acknowledge the indispensable use of firewood for cooking energy, our plea is for conscious reduction. We advocate a ‘plant two for one cut’ approach, encouraging the plantation of new trees alongside any felled. Additionally, we’re promoting the production and use of briquettes as a sustainable alternative to firewood.”
She urged a shift in environmental consciousness, advocating for innovative energy solutions that minimize harm and encouraged simple but yet impactful lifestyle changes, such as opting for solar energy over batteries for torchlights and adopting water purification practices at home to reduce environmental strain.
“In effecting small changes like embracing solar lamps, refraining from torchlights that use batteries, and minimizing reliance on firewood, individuals contribute significantly to preserving lives and safeguarding our environment,” Ajufoh advised.
In a brief remark, the Mai Unguwa of Takwashinge, Umaru Aliyu, expressed gratitude to CARD and ActionAid Nigeria for the project, saying it was timely, assuring that he will lead the campaign within his community to ensure everyone has a behavioral change towards the environment.
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