By Mashe Umaru Gwamna
As apart of effort towards addressing menace of drought and desertification.
The Minister of Environment Abdullahi Muhammed has revealed that Nigeria has developed a national Action Plan for management of droughts and desertification.
Abdullahi made the disclosure recently on the sideline of the 8th Ordinary Session of the Council of Ministers of the Great Green Wall of member Countries, in Abuja recently.
He said a five-year strategic plan that will engender coordinated efforts of building resilience against Climate change, desertification and other climate- driven environmental challenges have been developed with key components such as awareness creation and strategic partnership between government, communities, and development Partners.
He pointed out that the National Strategic Action Plan is a key plank of the Implementation Strategy of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI).
“This Plan was developed in line with the Harmonized Regional Strategy of the GGW Convention”.
He says the National Tree Planting Campaign is a demonstration of the government commitment towards fighting dessert encroachment and encouraging land reclamation.
He explained that “the theme “Rising up from drought together”, emphasize the need for an early action to avoid disastrous consequences for humanity and the planetary ecosystems.
“The matter requires even more attention now as Drought is a major driver of land degradation particularly in the drylands.
“As you are aware, when the land is degraded its productivity declines, greenhouse gas emissions increases and biodiversity is depleted.
“I will like to remind us that Desertification and Drought are among the greatest threats to global sustainable development, especially in developing countries”,he said
He pointed that , Drought is increasing in frequency and severity and is predicted to affect over three-quarters of the world’s population by 2050.
“According to World Metrological Organization,the number and duration of droughts has increased by 29 percent since 2000, as compared to the two previous decades. With the increasing impacts of climate change, it is obvious that no country would be immune to drought incidence”.
Talking about commitment, the minister stated that, Nigeria has been committed to other global and regional goals such as the Bonn Challenge and Land Degradation Neutrality( LDN) and dedicated to fulfill its pledge to the African Forest Restoration Initiative that seeks to restore 100 million Hectares of degraded landscape by 2030.
“So far , over Five Hundred and Fifty-five Thousand, Four Hundred and Eight Hectares of land restoration have been recorded.
“Today we are calling on all stakeholders to treat land as a limited and precious natural capital, prioritize its health and push hard to restore degraded land resources. “Everyone has a role to play because everyone has a stake in land use and management. Let us not forget that a growing human population and roaring consumption are putting unsustainable pressures on the natural resources we depend on for survival. Our misuse and abuse of land and water is changing fertile land into deserts”,he emphasized.
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