I(J)\~ .
KALEIDOSCOPE
lHEGUARDlAN,Sunday,March20,2011
6 ~L!i 14,(r(J:':Ule~~~~--------------------------.:..:..:::========
$4mSet Aside For
Nigeria's Forest Protection By Tunde Akingbade/who was in Jalingo and Yola
um of S4 million has been set aside for Nigeria to access on submission of a validatedTull National Programme on REDD+ for consideration by the Policy Board of the United Nations on REDD+ at its sixth meeting, which will begin this week in Vietnam. Members of the Forestry Commission of Cross River and Taraba States are expected to accompany Federal MinistryofEnvimnment'sofficials to the Vietnam meeting. 11,e meeting in Vietnam will look at the Nigerian states that are taking the issue of conservation of forests senously; and such could be beneficiaries from the S4m fund. Taraba has been on the heels of Cross River III the protection of its forest. Last week, it inaugu路 rated its Technical Committee on REDD with a marching order from the State Governor, Dambaba D. Suntai that it must produce concrete results and evidences to belong to UNREDD+ family within weeks. Indeed, Taraba is trying to follow Cross River as the next state that has put its house and books together to conserve its forest under REDD+ and reap the benefits from U,e global community under the umbrella of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climale Change The mountain range In Taraba State (UNr-ccq nJeGuardianofMarchl3,hadreponeddlat the UN was about to use Cross River State nau~urates UNREDD+ experiences for other states. . . . . can be reached by walking from village called According to Governor Suntai, Taraba has leant A\JRtnp from Lagos to Abu)a, Maldugun, Yola Yelwa. from the experience of Cross River State, whIch UJy air turned out to be a kind of aerial survey One of the interesting hot spots in Taraba State took years before itgotadmiued into UNREDD+ of Nigeria's landscape, and having a first hand is the Gangirwal, which is described as Nigeria's family. he thus promised that "it will take Taraba highest mountain. It is about 2420 metres above State Just six months to become the second knowledge of what Nigerians have done to their foresL And by extenSion, we saw what the the sea level.l',ere is also another higher level. REDD+ pilot State in Nigeria". Katabs Dibon, the advancement of Sahara desert has succeeded III called the cabbal Hendu at the Gashaka Gumn Commissioner for Environment, said that the doing to the fringes of some of the eleven front- Park. State is ready towork hard and fast on all that is line states that are battling with desert necessary by the UN guidelines and standards to encroachmenL . 'T1\RAMomcials are aware that before they ful路 make it the second REDD+ State in Nigeria. We cruised at an attitulle of 27,000 feet above Ifill the United Nations' guidelines; it must also Dibon called on civil servants and forestry omthe sea level. The first impression from Lagos in have Tech nical Committee on REDD+. This body- cials in d,e State to monitor and protect the forthe sunny afternoon is a s~1UtUe dlroUgh. was inaugurated. last week m)ahngo by the State est noting that it is very important they conGovernor, Suntal, a pharmaCISt whose knowltributed to government's conservation efforts. Southern states blessed WIth green vegetatIon and murky rivers- Ule Ogun River, U,e Osun edgeeabout plants is an added quality, accordSalisu Dahiru, National Coordinator, Nigeria UN River andpossibly asse River or Ogbesse - . ing to observers. During Ule inauguration at the REDDt- programme recalled that Ule country's rneandenng through a once lush tropIcal hllJh Government's Office, Mr. Yaweh Gave, Ollef of. journey towards REDD+ readiness began III foresL But now Ule green you see are not entire- Staff to the Governor, who stood III for him, saId November2009 when it requested to Join the Iy forest of trees but bushes with scanty young that Taraba is one of the few states in Nigeria UN-REDD+ programme as a determination develthat still have large amounts of standing forests opment agent u"ees. Crossing the Niger and Benue Rivers, you do U,at have been maintained and preserved over "REDD mechanism has the potential to simulta路 not see any green anymore. As you descend into the years. Gave said the state is aligning with UN neously address climate change and nJral poverAbuja from air, what are left are scattered brown agencies, U,e Food and Agricultu re Orgalllzauon ty while conselving and sustaining vital ecosyssh rubs hidden Ill-between the rocky terram of (FAO/, UNEPand UNDP to promote susta mable tern services", he said. the capital city. Iiveli lood In the forest communities in a way Mr. Samuel Tal tully, State Coordinator of REDD+ By the time wegot1:9 Maiduguri, nothing d,atwill enhance poverty reduction and comis to chair the 13 member Technical CommiUee. seems to be left There were just few tiny plants. munity empowerment. 11,e whole landscape was broWll. However, between U,e houses are trees planted to save people from Ule scorching sun. Adamawa State is not too differenL The sun pounded and it was difficult to believe that one had once lived in this terrain in Ule North eastern corridor, in Maiduguri.
B
Taraba I
For-est B0 dy
We cruised at an attitude of 27,000 feet above the sea level. The first impression from lagos in the sunny afternoon is a shuttle through Southern states blessed with green vegetation and murky rivers - the Ogun River, the Osun River and possibly Osse River or Ogbesse meandering through a once lush tropical high forest. Now, the greens you see are not entirely forest of trees but bushes with scanty young trees. Crossing the Niger and Benue Rivers, you do not see any green anymore ... As you descend into Ahuja from air, what are left are scattered brown shrubs hidden inbetween the rocky terrain of the capital city.
1 A lEhad an environmental odyssey in the Y Y North Eastern region of Nigeria. The journey was actually to end in )alingo, Ule capitalofTaraba by road. Taraba ca n be described as a strange state in terms of vegeta路 tion. It's a bridge between the forest and the Savannah and the dry land. All through ilie stretch of road from Yola, Adamawa State to lalingo, we saw dry land wiUl several people searclling for water from dry river bed with d,e aid of pumpinl;\ machines. Taraba has forests and U,e Mamblila Plateau, a very unique area wid, almost temperate climate. There is abundance orbiO<liversity in ilie Gashaka Gumti Parkin the State as well. These qualities are the prerequisites the state . has for the UN REDD+ programme. The mountain ranges stTetches towards cameroon and Cross River State too. Ngel Nyaki fo rest is in Taraba and experts describe it as an impressive std nd of montane and sub-montane forest and U,at it's the most plant species ricll montane forest in Nigeria. There are over 24 endangered plant species there. The place is U,e home of ilie endangered Nigenan chimpanzee called Pantrog7odyres subsp, viI/emus. There are other primates in the forest such as Tantalus monkeys and putty nosed Ceropithecus nidtans. The NgeJ Forest Chiel 01 SIan, TarabaGovt. Yahweh, Commissioner lor Environment. Ka.abs Gibon, wi.h mcmbersoINationalandStal~Committ.. ofUNREDOafterhsinaugurationInJallngo
PHOTOS' TUNDEAKINGBAOE