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Special Report : Addressing Climate Change Through Tree Planting In Kano

Written by Godwin Duru

In an effort to address the challenges of climate change and desertification, several strategies have been embarked by both states and the federal government.

According to a world bank report in 2022, increasing climate variability in Nigeria is causing more intense and untimely rainfall, leading to land degradation, flash floods, landslides, and gully erosion.

Research revealed that, Nigeria’s climate has been changing evident in increased temperature; variable rainfall; rise in sea level and flooding; drought and desertification; land degradation.

This is in addition to more frequent extreme weather events that has affected fresh water resources and loss of biodiversity.

Nigeria has, over the years, outlined measures and plans toward combating the effect of climate change.

These include the establishment of a national youth climate innovation hub to harness climate innovation ideas from young Nigerians as well as include them in decision-making processes.

However, the federal and state governments came up with a strategy of fighting climate change through tree planting.

Kano State commissioner of environment Alhaji Nasiru Sule Garo who spoke to Radio Nigeria, explained that preparations have reached advanced stage for the planting of 20,000 seedlings of various types of trees across the major streets of the state metropolis to mitigate the effects of climate change.

He pointed out that, the government was making efforts towards addressing some of the effects of climate change, which are causing serious heat and other related challenges as a result of population and human activities in the state.

Nasiru noted that the trees, if planted, would be monitored to ensure that they have grown to be beneficial to people, adding they are to ensure that the state gets rid of flooding as predicted by stakeholders in the country.

Earlier, during the celebration of the national great green wall (NAGGW), day in Kano, the program launched a tree planting campaign across schools, government house and the state ministry of environment .

A non governmental organization, Panacea foundation also joined the tree planting campaign in Kano, where it set up orchards at Bayero university Kano (BUK), Federal college of education Kano, NYSC camp Karaye, and other local communities.

KHADIJAH ALIYU