By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
The Minister of Environment Balarabe Lawal has disclosed that combating desertification, land degradation and drought requires holistic approach.
He said the approach has to do with effective policy and programmes that can address the underlying causes of desertification such as unsustainable land use practices and deforestation, and, promote the sustainable use of natural resources.
Lawal stated this at a workshop to review the national policy on drought and desertification in Abuja, yesterday.
He said government is committed to addressing the problems of desertification, land degradation and drought in the country. He stated that this commitment implies that a number of complimentary policies, strategies and management approaches have to be put in place to ensure that environmental concerns are integrated into major socioeconomic decision-making processes in the vulnerable areas.
“But past efforts have not yielded the much-desired result due to a number of factors, including absence of a strong policy framework within which issues relating to desertification and drought could be addressed holistically”.
The Minister said” in recognition of this glitch, government in 2007, formulated a National Policy on drought and desertification with the overall objectives of reducing the vulnerability of the Nigerian environment to the menace of drought and desertification. “However, after 17 years that the policy has been in use, and considering emerging environmental concerns and gaps that need to be bridged, the review of the current policy is rather long over-due”,he explained.
He noted that “this policy must place emphasis on participatory and bottom-up approach. “In this regard, decisions about the design and implementation of anti-desertification and drought mitigation activities are to be taken with the full participation of every stakeholder including the affected communities”.
He maintained that a good policy on drought and desertification must also take cognisance of basic principles including precautionary and proactive measures. Inter and intra generational equity, sustainable development, and Gender Equity”.
He also said the conceptual framework upon which the policy should be based on include issues related to problem identification, appropriate policy statements, identification of relevant strategies, indication of the legal and institutional elements as well as resource mobilization linking these elements.
He added that
“It has been documented that the major drivers of land degradation, desertification and drought are agricultural expansion, unsustainable land use practices, climate change, and not leaving out urbanization, infrastructuraldevelopment and extractive industry development”.
Similarly, he added Nigeria is not exempted from these challenges. Among the most widespread and serious environmental problems in Nigeria, combating desertification, Land Degradation and impacts of Drought have been most intractable.
“There is a general consensus that desertification is by far the most pressing environmental problem in the dryland parts of the country. It has been estimated that between 50 % and 75 % of Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto, Yobe, and Zamfara States in Nigeria are being affected by desertification.
“These States, with a population of about 27 million people account for about 38 % of the country’s total land area. The dryland has a high carrying capacity and is a home to over a quarter of the Nigerian population. It supports about 90 % of the cattle population, about two-thirds of the goats and sheep and almost all the donkeys, camels and horses found in the country. “. He stressed that the zone has also played a dominant role in the agricultural modernization of the country; promoting export crops such as cotton, groundnuts and gum Arabic and of food crops like rice and wheat. But as we speak now, these areas have been impoverished by droughts and desert-like conditions.
Also ,the minister said the reviewed policy document must take into consideration policies on, Agriculture, mining, urban development, climate change, etc. in order to identify and bridge necessary gaps.
“ I have no doubt that stakeholders from these sectors are represented at this workshop to bring their wealth of knowledge and experience to bear.
He also use the opportunity to expressed our profound gratitude to the World Bank, who through the ACReSAL Project, provided the financial support for this policy review and for other numerous supports to Nigeria’s environmental sustainability.
He urged the participants to take critical look at the current policy document, identify the gaps and produce a National Policy on Desertification,Land degradation and Drought that will stand the test of time.
Meanwhile,speaking in his welcome address, Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mahmud Kabari, said the review of national drought and desertification policy reflects our collective concern and commitment to protect our environment, enhancing resilience, and ensuring the livelihoods of millions of Nigerians who are directly impacted by drought and desertification, especially in the northern regions of our nation.
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