By Ibrahim Kado
Gombe – Jewel Environmental Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, has urged Nigerians to take advantage of the current rainy season to plant trees so as to address the growing problem of desert encroachment.
Malam Ismail Bima, the Chairman of the organisation, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Gombe.
He said: “Now is the right time for Nigerians to take part in tree planting so as to reduce the effects of climate change and global warming”.
“The issue of cutting of trees is one of the major challenges facing our environment today, as many people largely depend on trees as their source of fire wood.
“Now we are calling on them to stop, and even if they have to cut trees, they should plant at least 10 trees to replace any tree they cut. Through that arrangement, we will be able to sustain the environment.
“Tree planting will aid our efforts to manage our environment by reducing gully erosion, environmental degradation and the soil will also be enriched,’’ he said.
Bima said that his organisation had been sensitising the people to the need to plant more trees in their neighbourhoods.
“The rural communities should be made to understand that the global warming is a global phenomenon and that climate change is a reality.
“We, however, need to go beyond tree planting to sustain our environment,’’ he added. (NAN)