Mercy Corps and the Katsina State Government have enlightened the residents on the importance of planting trees to combat desertification, mitigate climate change and preserve the ecosystem.
Mr Philip Ikita, the Senior Programme Manager, Mercy Corps, said on Tuesday in Katsina that the event was part of the activities to commemorate the 2024 World Environment Day, with the theme: “Our land, Our Future”.
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Ikita stressed the need for collective efforts to promote the activities of land restoration, drought resilience and combating desertification.
He explained that the importance of land can never be overemphasised, saying, ” because we live on it and plant crops to survive.”
He, however, said one of the major factors posing threat to the environment was desertification.
Ikita urged farmers and herders to live in peace with one another and inculcate the habit of planting trees in their environment.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Environment, Alhaji Musa Adamu, represented by a Director, Alhaji Nura Abubakar, said that human activities on the environment have negative consequences on the environment.
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He said that it was such activities causing global warming and climate change, which affect not only the environment, but even the human beings and other living organisms.
The commissioner, therefore, urged the people to inculcate the habit of planting of trees and proper dumping of waste disposal to avert desertification and other environment related-diseases.
Also, the Director, Climate Change in the ministry, Dr Yusuf Gide, said as a result of desertification, some trees, plants, shrubs and animal species were at the stage of extinction.
He further revealed that desertification causes low agricultural productivity and increased temperature that have serious consequences on all living organisms.
Gide said that the government would continue to raise tree seedlings for free distribution to people as part of measures to fight against desertification.
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Mercy corps, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), are currently implementing a project in the state.
The project tagged: “Conflict Mitigation and Community Reconciliation”, is being implemented in Batsari, Jibia, Danmusa and Kankara LGAs.
