The Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) project Coordinator in Gombe State, says efforts are being intensified towards reclaiming land lost to desert encroachment and desertification in the state.
Jauro communicated this while inaugurating a tree planting campaign in collaboration with Jewel Bikers Motorcycle Club (JMBC) at the Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo in Kaltungo Local Government Area of the state.
The ACReSAL is a World Bank assisted Project aimed at addressing the challenges of land degradation and climate change in Northern Nigeria on a multi-dimensional scale.
He said within the year under review, his team had been “aggressively” involved in tree planting across the state in line with the mission of ACReSAL towards addressing environmental challenges arising from climate change and poor land-use practices.
According to him, through the support from the state government, several erosion control projects have been executed while others are ongoing towards restoring the environment.
“So far, in our two years under review, we have planted nearly 100, 000 hectares of land with assorted trees.
“This year, we have written to all the chairmen of the 11 LGAs of the state and they have all donated not less than 140 hectares of land and we are still asking for more.
“Gov. Inuwa Yahaya, you will recall, set up a committee to reclaim numerous reserves that were encroached by individuals and groups and those reserves reclaimed will be given to ACReSAL so that we can put in our own green investment.’’
Jauro said 6, 000 trees would be planted at the Polytechnic, adding that the institution would assist when it got courses related to environmental science.
“We will establish orchard plantation that will serve as demonstration plots for students, to make them better educated,” he said.
The ACReSAL project coordinator said the state government, under the leadership of the governor, had been proactive in the implementation of the World-Bank-assisted project.
He said that Gombe had clinched the index of the best implementing state in the country.
On his part, the Rector of the institution, Dr Suleiman Lame, commended ACReSAL and Bikers Association of Nigeria for coming to plant trees to help combat environmental challenges at the institution.
Lame said the impact of climate change had made it timely for all hands to be on deck towards addressing the challenge.
Mr Mustapha Ibrahim, Chairman Board of Trustees, JBMC of Gombe said tree planting is an annual event of his association.
Ibrahim said partnering with ACReSAL became imperative in view of the impact of climate change on the environment and Agriculture sector.
The ACReSAL project which covers environment, agriculture and water was designed by the Federal Government to combat desertification, restore degraded lands, and special ecosystems for agriculture and biodiversity conservation.
