Thursc a'l. March 8, lOll
DAILY T RUST
52
environment@dailytrust.com HOTLINE: 08068701960
onment
We're determined to halt desert encroachment - Zamfara commissioner Desertification is gradually moving southwards - turning vast settlement into deserts, threatening human existence and degrading theenVifonment. In this Interview, Zamfara State Commissioner for Environment Mouktar Mahammed Lugga says the eleven frontline states worst hit by desertification In the north are ready to face the threat head on.
encouragm! Ihnn to pbnt morc bcawc II Ui 001 1m,,! firewood frum lreel INllihunmgUlbuilM fiiCIlh.! IMy noc pQnlmgmorelo rcpbce thoK 0f'CS thai haw bt-cn fdkd. We have I progn.mmc going on now and Ihu is InYOlvinSlhtw
BI'OUJ'6 01 mdivKIuals m lree plant in! to lhat Ihcycanlplftdale tl\ll roourca haw 10 be fCJU~cd.. Youcannol,lUSltakcwlwfrum the m",ronmc:nl Wli h bIlWlclns il We Ire liso lOIOrklng wltn OIhcr org;lniutionl like tht Fed eral Minl~ry of F..nnronml!nl hi
We annol hope to aduevc much devdooprncnli(thetrmron · menllS hoIdlJl8 ~ down. Tht-Iont! "'1m rJan iI for w 10 bot Ihlt to fr.th1(lO out iI 51antbrd fnmtWOrk lOfbHling ofsolutions, rulcs and an « t' OOtlllL IgcTWb IICd 10 tM enVl.lon mtnt bcamc lhe tEfcel .. lha: I""';C ~ Me able to SlOp dciftl'11~f'OIk:hmcnt, we an CIttUIn
thai _ ",'UUki see. periOd
of «onomk- t-UJIll anJ the north will be ablc 10 go brl . nd lake III nghlful pbc : 10 1M kaguc ofSC;a(ri when II come . II' ( 0111 nbuuon 10 lhe nallonals, uWI h
find ahcrmlTvc toUf'U5 01 mrtJY 1bn-care 10 many IOUfl;CS bullM chaUcngt is the C05I. We arc trying 10see how. can bImcu Ihtte: and get our pcopk 10 tun uU,ng them. We are doing I 101 in this rtgard and we cent~ mOllir on KfUiliUlion In Iht am of tquillblc UK 01 fUOWCCI.
WE
I Is 1M moll,.. lion Zamfan SIlk kadlns 0Ihn (rontUne IIIICS 10 1m a Rand 01 dcsertiRntlonf Ltt me Idl you. II wasn't I dlf· fKUlt kb 10 bring togtther other frontline AalCi becauR we.~ tUlly tunnln! out of options. it is tllha- _ the dcxrt and fishl it or _ kftprunningW1lil \« aR-
roc
race
hOlw. lalm company which has
Impacu of desc:rtlfiCllion In our
IAT it lhe vuibJe impKI 01 ckkrtiflQ-
"""" down.dY.naa tu.YC aff«ted ~K" our hod productkxl and we
ltoili. Zamf~,..SCak!
mainty do 5Ubmtmc &munl- Our apKuhurai ykld hu rcduud and nom our bnd hat rtduced. • lot of il hu bun lakm ow:r by lhe desert 10 we teanS ' lItualion whtrf: lhm! Is hille land 10 bt> usaf by bIJCf &nulia.. Anotha- visibk dfecc of desntiftcauon Ii WI our bGlS are abo b.st dU;;.apparing. We ute il for cookina and 11m IlIINdr WOIX by the IKMndng desert. 8«ause Irttl afe felkd wlthoul re~Kc menlo It makes the probkrn more difficuh to JOtvc. We abo have I lot d Inflw: of pcopk &om other 51a1a, c.omil1llo abo I7dI the lUCI lOr flftWOOd and ~ purJlQKf and supply IMn 10 Olhu WlCI. Our fKtona M\-e abut down d~ 10 lKk oIl1IIW malmats and thi. mnn. lhat I1W1Y pcopk no kIngef haw Jobt 10 thae ill hlgh I1IIk of unanp6ooyma1I since we no kJnscr produce the nw rnI1aiIb thII wou&d tultlin thc:se fIcIoricL ~ arc IOfnC 01 the Yisfbk
Ilille.. We have DOC been able 10 do mud! and rWty il tw a1t~ our economK lliIIe thai III why we fed toY mUSl tili aU ncccuary IChon
W:
1lIere art a b oflmpKlJ which pbce to pL1C:t. Wt ~~ thaI N.ft now h«n occupied by the deKrt ~y lIS you IJ1CIon lowaros W bordn 10 Nigu RtpubUc. 1lIOK were scnkmrnu tNt used 10 fIouruh bul if)'OLl go now. theft arc few ptopk; moA of the mhabhMtu haw mlpattd to othn u .... You know we are maml, fubnitlOWC haYe ~k !'armen who arc cattle rnnn. Ut rut' teD you JOmCthing mlmstmg. in tht- ia.sI kw monw III this ~ ~ hu t-n 10 'IV)' from
~ of our 5tltkmmU
wre
much mlgratJOO 01 Fubni Camilla to 11oI-in, Acbmlwa and other IINI. PropIe arc )QvinS lMlr homes because they no Ionga h.w puiflJ.bad (or thrir aolmab: and 1hc yidd in 1UmS 01 apicuIoun mluad. Zam{m. uSed to be known b I lot 01 OJtlon, we cvm
hu....ur
'arm""
now to puvml furtkc twm..
I
I ~obvtou" l hl t
lhc IIvcs
of people Ire Ilffectcd by thU phc.nomcnon. Whal Ire you doifll in tM un of pub-
licl_lCftCSI! We have I Ioc of prosramrnes bdnB carried out Ioally heR; we have I lot 01 awarcnaa on Bdao for the people to milly undcntandins the adVU'SC efkcu of dimate change on thtu IiveJ evident In the arowin! dcicn mcroKtuncnt .00 10 thmk of RlJwnabtllly In the _y natw'iIl ruourca arc used becauIc we tv...c 10panrdecCOftIlooily from the UiCol raowca In
I.
the environment. We haw. lot olthlnpwe hope 10 do. Whal we arc dolna now Is that we arc taIlunS 10 ftakdloldcn hU thc wood adIa-. auocbtion, ....... than know "'" ....,. n«d tolUlbin lhcmvuonrnmlnu as thc:y ClfT1 out thm lrade. We arc
We can't ~ running aw.lY from the dcKrt and the problems that come with IL The motivation Is the ckspcnuon 10 get I soIut ion fOr our p«JpIe. \,'e h.vC to do JOmdhinglnd w haw 10 do II fast unu ~.~ cannoc couUuu~ III run IWily from k. This IS torncthlng thai is 1fICY110lbk. the dcwn Uicoming 10 ~kc O\~r 1M) il Is tflhtt Wt dW)OW to run and kttp funning or we Jtand and ron front II but we an brave enoogtt 10 Ay that this tunc uound. • woukJ IIOp runnlOS.oo confront ~
.........
Convincing the rft( cf the tkwn frontline $lakS fiICc..1 with dt-se:ru.fical ion ~ ~ry caty h«iIUK they lbo shared tM AfUC pai6IOf\ and tht samt problem and all that wu nceded WU I trigger which Zamf.... State provided. I can teU J'OU ttw I find tMm ~ wry pu$ktnate aboulthe problem. I can CYCIl Ay lOme 01 them arc In(lU puiionalC lhan
m,.&.
.....D
s the .Jimalt conlmisJKHl bill crillad to your
cou.rw.
I think it • wry crilinl and we an' going to kknhfy and concnn oursdvts with II We intend 10 ~ II u an advoc-cy 1001 10 Bd tM IlIcnl!on oIthe prelidcncy_ It Iscaty '0. JClmC()neIOWC the bill u not n~ry because they 1ft' not adv"'ndy affected by cll· matt ~ bullthink lhal II an error and llul III really unfortunate b«iImc 1M Mtgr'Ilion thou Is happc:nlng 10 us prtM'1l11y \\"bn-c thou· AJldJ and d ousan(b of our young
people arc noving 10 1M JOUth IS also tHins I loll on the rcpoo$
,aowca.
Thil is t.nhcallhy and no ant down .00 think that il is realty l1onc! of thor business
~Ld Nl
mmd.
COMMISSIONER of Environment, Zamf.,. Stat_, Alh.JI Moullt.r Mohammed lugg.
I
o Ihe frontline Ilata haveakMIl ltnn plu 10 ladle: ~ifKa·
We hope 10 ham. .du:dl the envtron.mcntill bows as it.tItcIJ the dcvcn 01 UL We wma to have uNform laws and be: able 10 push fOr Icgbbtion thai would r«ogmu 1M &ct that _ hoIw theic probkms and accord III with JOfIlC JII, I\UI ofmvironmmtaDy dWlmpd 5laI:CI beca.lw we arc truly mvi~.......,.
............
because let me leU you lhat the lemptalion 110..1 tht dt:spt:.... uon Ire there 10 ITIOVC 10 Uc:IS th;u are not fMin« ,he Impact 0( desertl·
fication..
U.....
....,.body " ""'~ ccmtd. we would ate I 101 0( mftUl( cI people In It ,ow! llalCi to I think
everybodr"
bwoiMSi. When \Ore: t;ill!: ()( envuonmcn· lal iliutS. II ty have no rcsp«IlO border to tllb do;c:n wouk! con· Iim)C to mc;;vc.. If II O\/cnaka the north. ilwo..dJ COflIIlfnC the middIt: bell and it would mntilwc III IOUlhtrn n-.emftl! until QxI knowswhcrL ills
H ,...,.,.,.
OW do you inlOld 10 acc:CSI inlcnutionaJ fu nd 10 Ilidru, the
Funding may not be I probkm ilwrare~"'$how~
Ind lhe abibty 10 hdp oundvcs bciwt' 0Ihct. QI\ abo come 10 our .k!. Wt I t t 1101 lUJding oundva lhal what w~ wi 00110 do III going 10 be: cur. bul whal \W; Ixk in funds, we n:akcupin abcndctn· miMlion 10 "'-e arc determined. and 1Undin&" not goinllOilopUS lhough it may.&ow us down. WhaI ~ haw sol"! lOr III now Is that we art 11 dcspcnu IfOUP 01 people Ind _ al~ dtspcnIt for IOiulioru 10 toNcOUt probkm. We 1ft' ~ aboul what_1ft' doin& _ take lias a job and this II c:orrtiJII from dte hart and I think II II Plio Rluatn Ullnitially.