By Makama Hashim Sani, Jos
The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 21 March as the International Day of Forests.
The day seeks to raise awareness on the importance of forests to people and their vital role in poverty eradication, environmental sustainability and food security.
Every year on the International Day of Forests, countries are encouraged to undertake local, national and international efforts to organize activities involving forests and trees, such as tree planting campaigns.
These activities tend to Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainable manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and curtail the loss of biodiversity.
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In Plateau state, government has provided an opportunity to highlight specific forest contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through massive campaign on Sustainable management of all types of forests.
The Director Forestry services Plateau state, Mr. Samuel Gupar who spoke to our correspondent highlighted the significance of the day, adding that the government is on top of the situation.
In his submission, Head of department forestry Technology, Federal School of Forestry Jos, Dr. Steve Chomini opined that the attendant issue of the depletion of the ozone layer formed by human supergene activities brought about so many attendant effects on humanity and the environment.
Deforestation continues at an alarming rate, as it is estimated that 13 million hectares of forest are destroyed annually, accounting for 12 to 20 percent of the global greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change.
More than a billion people depend directly on forests for food, shelter, energy and income
The theme for this year’s International Day of Forests is Forests and Biodiversity.
Forests are home to about 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity.
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