Read at : Google Alert – desertification
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Lagos partners FADE to fight desertification
| Written by Kingsley Adegboye | |
| Tuesday, 17 March 2009 |
The spate of natural disasters such as tsunamis, global warming, hurricanes and others happenings across the world are warning signs that the end of the planet earth is very near. No doubt, this threat to mother earth is causing panic and fear across the globe. However, those who passionately care about the earth and its green status are doing everything possible to save our beloved earth.
It is against this background that Fight Against Desert Encroachment (FADE), a non-governmental organization committed to fighting desert encroachment in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of the Environment has concluded plans to organise the 4th Sahara desert expedition in April in which 25 able-bodied men and women to be selected through screening, are expected to embark on four-week endurance expedition to London en-route the Sahara desert from Lagos. The first Sahara desert expedition was embarked upon by Dr. Newton Jibunoh, founder of FADE in 1966.
In his address at a press conference announcing the 4th Sahara desert expedition last Tuesday in Lagos, Lagos State Commissioner for Environment, Dr. Muiz Banire said the objectives of this reality programme are numerous, but above all, it would serve as an avenue to educate the Nigerian public to become conscious of the environmental degradation afflicting Africa through desertification, drought, migration and poverty.
He added that the expedition across the Sahara desert will serve as an avenue to open up the Northwest Passage with the greening of the track project making it possible for roads to be constructed in future, pointing out that it is also aimed at mobilizing and sensitizing the sub-region towards a greening culture that will change the face and fortune of the dying planet.
Explaining the involvement of the state government in the fight against desertification, Banire said across the world and Lagos inclusive, desertification affects the livelihoods of millions of people, stressing that it reduces the ability of land to support life, affects wild species, domestic animals, agricultural crops and people.
According to him, the reduction in plant cover that accompanies desertification leads to accelerated soil erosion by wind and water. As vegetation cover and soil layer are reduced, rain drop impact and run-off increases. “Water is lost off the land instead of percolating the soil to provide moisture for plants. Even long-lived plants that would normally survive droughts die. A reduction in plant cover also results in a reduction in the quantity of humus and plant nutrients in the soil, and plant production drops further.
“As protective plant cover disappears, floods become more frequent and more severe. Desertification is self-reinforcing; that is: once the process has started, conditions are set for continual deterioration. The resultant effects of this are poverty and diseases which negatively affect human development. Statistics shows that some 10 to 20 per cent of dry lands, especially sub-Saharan are already degraded, it is also worthy to note that about one third of the world’s land surface is arid or semi-arid and it is predicted that global warming will increase the area of desert climates by 17 percent in the next century.
“The area at risk to desertification is thus large and likely to increase. Hence, concerted effort must be put in place to halt this move through one of the many methods. Lagos State Government in collaboration with FADE recognises major policy interventions and changes in management approaches, both at local and global levels, are needed in order to prevent or reduce desertification. In the light of the foregoing, our Desert Warriors will be joining the global effort in combating this menace through gathering of data and taking land-sat images of the area which will help demonstrate the impact on people and animals on the Earth.
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