Environment
40million Nigerians Engage In Fuelwood Collection, Charcoal Production, Says Report
Forty million Nigerians, are engaged directly in fuelwood collection and charcoal production, says the report launched by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nation.
This is contained in a report entitled; “2022 State of the World’s Forests,” released at the ongoing 15th World Forestry Congress (WFC) in Seoul, South Korea.
The report said that these engagements provided an estimated 530,000 full-time equivalent direct
jobs for the citizens.
It said that an additional 200,000 people – mostly also full-time – provided transport services for retail and wholesale trade in the fuelwood and charcoal production in the country.
It said that large numbers of livelihoods in other sub-Saharan African countries also depended on the fuelwood and charcoal economies.
The report, however, raised environmental concerns about the further use of wood biomass for bioenergy production associated with greenhouse gas emissions, soil-quality degradation and biodiversity loss.
In many developing countries, the transition to improved energy access and modern renewables may have implications for livelihoods.
“Therefore, there is a need for environmental, economic and social sustainability in bioenergy production, which can be assessed through a set of multicriteria indicators, and life-cycle assessment can be used to explore environmental performance.
“Although the full impact of wood fuel on climate change is disputed, there is little disagreement that benefits can be maximized by applying sustainable forest management practices and increasing the operational efficiencies of combined-heat-and-power plants and biorefineries,” the FAO’s report said.
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) on Thursday, launched an awareness campaign, aimed at educating residents on the increasing impact of climate change.
The campaign also seeks to enlighten residents on the urgent need for personal and community protection measures.
During the launch in Uyo on Thursday, the Akwa Ibom Director of NOA, Mr Mkpoutom Mkpoutom, said that the campaign aims at enlightening residents, about the changes in weather patterns.
He said that this includes unpredictable rise in temperatures, and how these changes threaten public health across the state.
Mkpoutom noted that the current weather was not harmattan, but an extreme form of air pollution, which is harmful to health as it could cause oxidative stress which affects body balance.
“Our environment is changing rapidly, and the effects are evident in the disruptions faced by our communities.
“It is paramount that every citizen of Akwa Ibom understands these changes and take necessary steps to protect themselves, their families, and their livelihoods,” he said.
He appealed to citizens to take the following precautions which include wearing of nose mask, drinking sufficient water, covering of food and water to keep away dust, washing fruits thoroughly before eating, among others.
He directed all NOA structures within the state to engage with local communities through town hall meetings and collaboration.
He also urged engagement with schools and community leaders, to disseminate vital information on early warning signs, as well as safety protocols during extreme weather conditions.
The Chairman of Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State, Ms Surah Animashaun, has urged traders of Aiyetoro and Oluwo fish markets to consistently ensure a hygienic trading environment.
She urged the traders to maintain cleanliness and observe proper environmental sanitation in the markets.
Animashaun said this during a visit to some of the market areas in Epe on Saturday.
She said that clean markets were critical to public health.According to her, poor sanitation could lead to the outbreak of communicable diseases, especially in fish markets, where waste management must be handled with extra care.
The council chairman urged traders to dispose of refuse appropriately, avoid indiscriminate dumping of waste, and ensure regular cleaning of stalls and surroundings
She noted that environmental hygiene is a collective responsibility, adding that everyone should be involved in this development.
Animashaun also warned that the local government would not hesitate to enforce existing environmental laws, including sanctions against defaulters.
She assured traders of the council’s commitment to providing adequate waste disposal facilities and regular monitoring to sustain a clean and healthy market environment.
The council boss also urged traders to desist from selling by the roadside, so as to avoid accidents, noting that several motor accidents had occurred along the Aiyetoro market area.
“We, therefore, urge traders to stop selling on the roadside,” she said.
President, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE), Mrs Margaret Oguntala, has inaugurated the construction of 18 units residential terrace in highbrow Alausa area of Lagos toward bridging the nation’s shelter gap.
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