Life Is Better With Trees

By Rasak Musbau

As we commemorated this year’s tree planting day on Monday, July 14, with the theme: ‘Life is better with tree”, it’s imperative to again sensitise the public on the need to live with trees. The importance of the emergence of tree before the advent of man on earth is not lost on modern science, which recognizes that without tree manufacturing oxygen, life on earth would have been impossible.

Unquestionably, human and tree need each other for survival. Man  needs oxygen which is the waste product of tree, while tree needs carbon monoxide which is also waste from human being for survival. Public education and enlightenment on investing in tree planting to confront climate change cannot be too much as there is still disconnection between government efforts and investment and adaptive capacity of the citizenry. Lifestyles of our people in regard to our environment are still a pointer that we have a long way to go. Whereas governments are spending millions of naira to plant trees, people are moving to new sites and cutting every tree met at the sites including fruit trees that can serve as food supplement. When the trees are not cut, people opt for the worse; set the site on fire as an easier way of clearing it.

It is important to illustrate the usefulness of trees to us and the environment. Trees have been scientifically proven to be very useful as first line of defence in the fight against global warming as they absorb the carbon-dioxide in the atmosphere, replenish the air with oxygen and also contribute immensely to the aesthetics of the environment. They also check erosion and stem the tide of windstorm by serving as wind breakers.Trees are equally brilliant cleansers. They remove other pollutants through the stomates in the leaf surface. Trees act as what some call a Carbon Sink, storing the gas in its branches, trunk, leaves, etc., instead of leaving the gas to become free floating and further polluting the atmosphere. In this natural function alone, trees directly reduce the growth of the Greenhouse Effect and counteract Global Warming.

Trees also serve the purpose of overall air quality enhancer, and a much needed one at that. They provide natural habitats for many small creatures, and reduce the temperature by providing shade. In times of heavy rain, tree roots help solidify the soil.  All in all, a tree is not just a beautiful creature standing amongst the many phenomenal picturesque settings of this world, it is a powerful and vital tool that directly ensures our survival.

Although planting of trees has long been a suggestion to better the earth, there is a desperate need for sustained action at making it not just an annual ritual as it is being practiced in most states of the country but what everybody, especially land owners, must embrace if we are not to take the critical phenomenon of climate change for granted.

It is a common knowledge that tree planting is a very simple and less expensive universal approach to tackling the threat of climate change. But it is ironic that as simple as this seems, a greater percentage of people in the society pays little or no attention to it. Probably, the purpose is still not yet understood or as usual, with the Nigerian mentality, we are waiting for a time when we will have to take reactive action.

In Nigeria, we don’t appreciate preparedness and prevention of disaster but wait for problem before taking action despite our weak infrastructure. While it is possible to blame government for pathetic health facilities, pitiable educational condition and weak infrastructure, climate change challenge is a collective responsibility. Tackling it must therefore, involve every segment of the society. But the initiative to start and mobilize other stakeholders is that of a responsive and responsible government. It is in the light of this that one would have to give kudos to the Lagos state government. Lagos state is taking a leading role in its approach to the climate change phenomenon.

This has manifested in the greening and beautification of open spaces, decrepit loops, verges and medians across the state and creation of LASPARK. The Fashola administration is unrelenting in redeeming its promise to bring back as much greenery as possible to Lagos. For instance, on September 2nd 2008, over 250,000 trees were planted state wide. On that occasion, the governor set a mark of planting 1 million trees in four years and declared July 14 of every year as commemorative day for tree planting exercise. Gladly, by the first anniversary in July 2009, the state government had already planted 1 million trees and again raised the target to 5 million trees in another four years. As at today over 4.3 million trees had been planted. In addition, the state has over 170 parks and gardens across the state.

The state government has also been able to bring the corporate organizations and individuals into the project as partners. Private individuals were also encouraged to plant trees around their houses while it is now unlawful to fell trees in Lagos without written approval from the Ministry of the Environment.

In 2009, the State Government conducted a tree tagging, enumeration and identification exercise which included trees in Ikeja GRA, Apapa and Ikoyi.  At the end of the exercise, 3,558 trees were counted in the three zones and they were tagged with botanical and local names as well as usefulness which included aesthetics, medicinal purposes. The exercise has been extended to cover the entire state. This will also assist in determining areas that require replenishment and how many of such trees should be planted to stem degradation.

Another unique area where the state government is leading in the tree planting campaign is in the launching of climate change clubs in schools as part of actions taken to sensitise the younger generation on climate change and its impact on the society. Presence of conservation and climate change clubs in schools is aimed at making our pupils and students imbibe the love of the environment. This would also enhance the development of their intellectual/creative ability toward the development of environmentally friendly products from the food we eat to the materials we fabricate, and the development of other protective measures of preserving the environment. Result from schools show that this initiative is effective as the popularity of the climate change theme song in the state’s public schools is soaring high across the state.

  Since every tree makes a difference, every person that plants a tree also makes a difference. For us to achieve the friendly environment that we desire, it is a tradition that everyone must embrace. Individuals, corporate organisations, religious bodies and all well meaning Nigerians must key into the tree planting project. Considering the simple and inexpensive nature of tree planting as well as its numerous advantages, the time to embrace the culture is now. Promote life. Plant a tree. Start now!

•Musbau is of the Features Unit, Lagos state Ministry of Information and Strategy.