By Fai Cassian Ndi
 |
| Tansi Laban Bambo |
This year's world desertification day was celebrated in Bamenda midst numerous challenges and a clarion call by the North West Regional Delegation of Environment, Protection of
the Nature and Sustainable Development has highlighted the various challenges
faced by the population. Speaking at the Round Table discussion, North West
Regional Delegate Tansi Laban Bambo expressed worries that all the seven
divisions are being affected by desertification. In his paper, the regional
delegate also disclosed that this year’s theme: Ecosystem-based Adaptation
highlights the benefits of mainstreaming sustainable land management policies
and practices into everyone’s collective response to climate change. Harping on
the negative of impact in the region, Mr. Laban revealed that close to 2
million people are being affected by the phenomenon of desertification. The
effects he said ranges from water scarcity to poor crop yield. He also lamented
that in areas such as Nkambe, Ndu and Kumbo, water is becoming a very scarce
community. According to the delegate, the abusive cultivation of eucalyptus
trees have contributed enormously to water problems in the region.
He called on the population
to adapt and change their attitude towards land use and management of natural
resources. According to the regional delegate, with the right interventions,
“we can turn the vicious cycle of climate change and desertification into a
virtuous cycle of productive land and reduction in greenhouse gas emission. He
called on the population to protect wetlands and watersheds by planting water
friendly trees, practice sustainable agricultural activities, stop acclamation
of wetlands, avoid bushfire, Ankara burning, and stop the planting of
eucalyptus trees in water catchments, maintain soil cover by planting cover
crops, etc. To the regional delegate, land degradation is a serious threat to
human existence. “Desertification and land degradation doesn’t have to threaten
our future. Let us mitigate the effects of desertification and land degradation
by saying a Big No to unsustainable practices that accelerate land degradation
and causes drought.
It should be noted that the
day was also commemorated with various stakeholders exhibiting their
savoir-faire. The delegation also donated trees to some beneficiaries. To draw
the cotton on this year’s world desertification day, over 2000 trees were planted
at the Bamendakwe water catchment. The Bambui water authority also benefited
from the tree planting exercise organized by the delegate of Environment,
Protection of Nature and Sustainable Development.
When News Breaks Out, We Break In. (The 2014 Bloggies Finalist)
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