Deforestation, Climate Change and How They Affect Us!
Forests are very important — they serve as home to animals, maintain water cycle, maintain oxygen level and mitigate global warming. In spite of the numerous importance of forests, there is a continuing depletion of forests all over the world. The increasing demand for wooden products, farming and ranching to carter for the burgeoning human population, and man’s desire for ever expanding cities have accumulated into loss of forests across the globe. Deforestation is the removal of a forest and converting the land to a non-forest use. It is also the permanent destruction of forests in order to make land available for other uses and statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) indicates that 18 million acres of forests are cleared annually [1]. The act of deforestation contributes up to 25% of global carbon emissions annually[2].
Nigeria, like the rest of the world currently faces the challenge of deforestation — the country’s forests are disappearing rapidly. The need for firewood and charcoal, rapid urbanization and population boom, construction and illegal lumbering for export are the major drivers of deforestation across the country. It has been estimated that Nigeria loses 400,000 hectares of forest land to deforestation annually [3]. Similarly, a report by the Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF) also suggests that Nigeria has lost 96% of its original forest cover [4].
Deforestation and forest degradation, if not urgently addressed has adverse effects on humans, biodiversity and the environment at large. Forests serve as carbon sinks that absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere. However, the clearing of forests means the sequestered carbon ends up in the atmosphere thereby contributing to global warming. Associated with global warming are challenges such as the melting of ice-carps, sea level-rise, coastal erosion and increased heatwaves. The degradation of forests leads to biodiversity loss which causes a serious imbalance in the ecosystem. Forests are habitats to over 80% of terrestrial biodiversity [5], destroying forests means a lot of flora and fauna stand the risk of extinction before the next generation. Similarly, the livelihoods and traditions of people are being threatened as a result of deforestation. With the current rate of forest degradation, millions of forest people across the world currently face challenges of food insecurity, displacement from their homes, and loss of livelihoods.
Addressing this climate and environmental emergency requires collective effort from everyone — government, private sector, CSOs, and citizens. Large scale proforestation, reforestation and sustainable forest management should be of utmost priority in every country of the world. The creation of jobs and economic empowerment in developing nations would go a long way in reducing the need for firewood and charcoal in households — improved earnings will help households choose green energy sources. Reduction and recycling of forests products where necessary should be practiced by all and sundry. In addition, advocacy and awareness campaigns on climate action must continue to make more people embrace sustainability. Protecting our forest and taking climate action is everyone’s responsibility — LET’S ACT NOW!
