I
4SJ
DAILY TRUST
Thursday, March 17,20 11
NVIRONME T ;
Combating desertification, land degradation through afforestation
Meningitis onthe . Increase in Lokoja, says NMA chair
By TIna A. Hassan
From Isiaka Wakili, Lokoja CASES of meningitis are current ly en the increase in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, owing 10 the excessive heat in the metropolis. The chairman of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) in the state, Dr Ahmed Allah, said meningitis patien ts have flo()ued most of the hospitals in the capita l city. "The sudden rise in the cases of meningitis in Lokoja and its environ is due to the current environmenta l conditio n of the metropolis. The heat is excessive right now, and it has some adverse erfects like dehydration which ha s heightened the rate of meningitis to about 30 percent," Allah said . He appealed to residen ts to ensure that their houses are well ventilated; addi ng that those who could aHord to condition the air should do so to minimi"e the effects of excessive hea t. Daily trusl had rer"rte'l th at excessive heal in the capita l city has compelled many of Ihe residents to resort to sleepi ng ou tside their houses in [he night.
I
WORSENING desertification due to desert encroachment and the lack of vege tation cover, especially in the northern parts of Nigeria, has continued to force many people to relocate from their homes in search of new env ironment that is more habitable and which can support their major source oflivelihood, mainly animal rearing and farming. Desertification as defined by the free encydopedia, Wikipedia, is the degradation ofland in arid and semi arid areas due to various dilnatic factors and human activities such as tree felling, bush burning and the loss of soil water due to climate change. Eleven s tates in the northern region of Nigeria have been iden tified as the frontline states that are worst hit by desertification which is grad ually increasing the poverty levels in those states. According to a leading environmentaJ management expert of the Greenwall Sahara project and Ch ief Executive Officer of Agricultural Development Company (AGRlDEV) Emeka Mba, the promotion of commercial agrofo restry projects and reforestation in areas that are already facing th e threat of desert encroachment is a necessary step towards protecting the,environment from the forces of global warming and human induced desertification and desert encroachment. He said the eleven states Ulat Jre already prone to the impact of desertification indudeAdamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Katsina, Kebbi, Kano, Jigawa, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara and more states would be affected by U,e change, which is why aforestalion is advo-
DE!iERT encro'lchment, cated for in these slates. Recent study has shown that "desertification has encroached into a total land mass of I, 650 square kilometers in the nineteen ( 19) northern states at the speed of 0.6 kilometers per year and this menace, it is feared, would get to the eastern and southern regions if not checked," Mba said. He advocated an efficient means of land conservation through commercial tree planting, mixed agriculture, animal husbandry and promotion of modern agricultural practices in order to control erosion, reduce soil water loss and provide vegetation cover. Desertification is known to
COMMUN ITIES around the riverine areas of Kogi State have been advised to take the s l;l le monthly environmental sani tation seriously to forestall the ep idemic of cholera and gaslro intestinal diseases. The state's Commiss ioner for Health, Dr Dorcas Onunmiya . gdve the advice wh ile on a sen~ itization visit to Edekakpo comm unity in Kogi Local Governmen t Area of the state. The area had r<c"!lIly been said to be affected by an outbreak of Cholera epidemic which claimed several lives and left about 30 people bedridden
in the area. The commissioner condemned the res idents' poor attitude towards environmental sanita tion a nd urged Ulem to desist from thr~l\ving feaces into.the rivers afld defecating in open places. Onunmiya argued that co ntrary to th~ reported epidemic of choler:' in the area, on-the-spot assessmen t by officia ls of the state Min istry of Health to the affec ted com munities in Ajaokuta. Kogi and Lokoja Local Governments showed that it was a case of gastroenteritis. She admonished residents of the communities h. . cu ltivate safe personal hygiene and
.
.
encroachment, loss of soil fertility due to intense heat which wou ld in turn affect farming, the livelihood of millions of people as well as lead to increased human migration and commwlal dashes over land ownership. At a recent workshop o n protecting Ule environment tagged
.
â&#x20AC;˘
i,¡_
ened by U,e growing incidence of desertification due to desert encroachment and oU,er human induced activities that are detrimentallo the environment. He said government's effort to protect and conserve the environment as well as ensure food security is under threat if "we fail to
cause severe soil water loss. desert
Commissioner,links cholera to poor sanitation From Isiaka WakiJi, Lokoja
environment@dailytrust.com HOTliNE: 08036417326
assured of governm ent's continued efforts towards providing potable water supply and toilet facilities to fores tall any eventua lit y. 'Your healthy living depends on how clean you r environment is. Governmen t has taken the responsibility of p roviding medication if there is any outbreak of diseases; it is your responsibility to take good care of yo ur healthy by keeping a clean environment. I advise you to always boil your water before you drink it, and anytime you go to the toilets, defecate properly and ensure that you wash you r hands well before you eat;' the commissioneraclyised.
DEVASTATING Impact of desertification to a poorfarmert 'desert to food; the minister of envi ronment, John Odey, observed that 43 percent of the nation's land mass that supports an estimated 40 million people, ues within the dry region and it is now being Uueat-
take care of deteriorating conditions in our dry lands which hold a lot of economic potential for the production of a wide range of staple food and cash crops as weU as wild life conservation."
There will be auction sales of unserviceable vehicles equipmenls and office items at the office of Abuja Municipal Area Council AMAC, Garki th Area 10 on the 18 of March, 2011 _ Time: 10am Prompt For Enquiries Contact: JAHAZ VENTURE (AUCTIONEER) 08036042256.