38-Vanguard, TUESDAY, FEBRUARY' 15, 201 1
Environment WATCH BY IAIDE AKINBOADE UJA - In order. to combat the problem of eforestation in Nigeria, the Federal Government has allocated five billion naira· (N5B). to plant seedlings to help in combating deforestation challenges in the
Al
FG aiiocatesN5b on seedlings to combat deforestation
nation.
Permanent Secretary, Ecolorrkal Fund Office (EFOI. Mrs. rb~ Odusote'stated this when the agency had a consultative meeting on the Pr.esidential initiative 01) afforestation programme, she s~d one million seedlings in each 36 states and Federal capital Territory (FCT) , are expected to be raised, She noted that the money has been released and the contract has already been awarded. According to her, "Nigeria is experiencing an annual rate of deforestation of about 35% resulting from illegal and uncontrollable bush burning, overgrazing, unsustainable fire wood gathering, oil spillage from exploration activities, inappropriate agricultural practices ·and disjointed infra'structural development programmes. She continued, these have caused environmental degradation in alarming magnitudes in different parts of the country. Deforestation also results in soil erosion sand other climate change effects causing the drying up of the nation's water bodies, siltation, water table reduction, flooding, disruption in rainfall patterns, sharp increases in atmospheriC temperature as well as increased emission of carbon dioxide and other green house gasses." She stressed the benefits of
Secretary of EFO, also had a meting with consultants to the South East soil erosion control projects and the executing agency, said the project is worth N7 billion nana with 11 consultants. She noted that it is expected that the project will help in reducing the challenges the South Eastern part of the country are facing on the issue of erosion. She said though the projects is still at the procurement stage but assured the project consultants that they will give them enough time to ensure that they deliver the project on targets. "Your co-operation and understanding is paramount for us to redress the various ecological problems confronting our people, restore the environment and deliver the benefits of the whole exercise to our communities."
·20 .. consuitants were afforestation tbatitwQuldhelp' in reducing poverty in the appointed as the programme country; it would provide jobs kicks off immediately. The for youths and also address the aeadline for raising the 37 challenges that are facing .million seedlings by the deforestation and climate various contractors is by May change, 2011. .
Odusote, wo· warned the contractors to ensure that they are in site by 14 of February 2011 and any defaulter will lose part of his fund on the contract. Meanwhile, the Permanent
Deputy Director, Soil erosion . Mr. j Mekwunye, in his welcome address said the - success of the project depends largely, on the level of commitment on the part of the consultant. He also urged the 'consults to ensure that the right strategy is used to ensure that ·erosion 'problems in the Southeastern part of the country are a thing of tire past.
.Carbon credit: Nig to generate over N34b
Why crossi'river ba~ logging -;moke
BYIAIDE AKINBOADE He s1th:! government will continj.le in its policy of sustaining the gains already recorded in the forestry and he Cross River State environment sector by ,. Governor, Senator liyel ensuring that the state .. Imoke has said that the remaihs the- cleanest and recent ban on all logging greenest through. the within the state is to reduce expansion ofits beautification deforestation and at the same scheme to semi urban areas, time help in solving the waste management climate change crisis. framework, forest and Governor Iruoke who stated biodiversity conservation this in Calabar said the state efforts and urban' is participating actively in the environment management. global REDD and other environment and has Imoke said that "In order to climatE: change campaigns achieve and attain an efficient organized an environmental and is expecting to access and summit which resulted in the effective waste substantial financial and management system in the development of a state policy technical resources from the state in line with global backed by legislation that I United Nations REDD to stipulates the conservation of best practices, ; support the state's REDD+ environmental its rainforest. government will commence readiness efforts in 2011. ::W~ Qqnned logging . , "We will extend REDD+ ' th,e imple.mentation of jts 'actiVities a'esignated the public private sector activities to other forest partnership for waste state'·s mangrove swamp a communities in the state so management evacuation to reserve-area. These have all that" we can confidently ens ure efficiency and scaled up the value of our participate in the emerging sustainability" . carbon stock which we shall low carbon economy through be earning revenue from in His government he the carbon credit mechanism", explained has worked the not too distant future", he he stated. said. tirelessly to preserve the
BY JOHNBOSCO AGBAKVVURU,CAIABAR
T
and
A BUJA-ExpertssaidNigeria
~anma:keover N34 billion on
sale of carbon credit the nation is 'able to implement Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Degradation (REDD) , projects. The CoordinatorofUNISPACE and Global Oxygen Development (GOD), Mrs. Oluremi AdikwU-Ba:kare stated this while fielding questions with jOll!11alists, said the NGO has identified at least one CD.M/ voluntary carbon market in each of the 774 local government area council in the country. The CDM and REDD is a partnership between developed and developing nations to reduce green house gasses (GHO); emission through forestry activities. Afforestation and reforestatiria,prirfcipaliW carbon trading will assist in of forest ecology and forest protection in Nigeria. The actors of the forestry CDM is called developer of afforestation and reforestation
projects. AccordingtoheJ; "UNISPACe/ GOD commends Nigeria for putting inq place a national. , '.,.', REDO. readiness plan with the first REDD project at advanced stage in Calabat. Consequently we have identified at least one CD.M/ voluntary carbon market (VCM) , bankable REDD/forestry project in each of the 774 local area coundls." Bakare continued, "in our projection at 20% scenario of deforestation avoidance projected rate at $15 per ton of carbon dioxide, Nigeria's carbon credit sequestration capacity through the project's implementation of these projects, it is estimated to generate equivalent of $229,605,000 USD per year, which translates to about N34.44 billion per year. She noted that UNISPACF/ GOD has already enter into an agreerrlent with Federal Ministry of Environment 2010. Those at the meeting included Dr. Victor Fodeke from Ministry of Environment and Mr. Joseph Collardeau.