Sustainable Tree Planting- The ACEARD Approach

By Ekemini Simon

From the oxygen they graciously emit for our breath to the breeze they let-out when their leaves clap, trees have played a very significant role in mankind's survival. In fact, their existence is sine qua non to human life.

Yet, their function goes beyond the provision of air to humans. Experts report that trees help to combat global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide, removing and storing carbon while releasing oxygen back into the air.

They also reduce wind speeds and cool the air as they lose moisture and reflect heat upwards from their leaves. It’s estimated that trees can reduce the temperature in a city by up to 7°C.

Other environmental benefits include the fact they help to prevent flooding and soil erosion, by absorbing thousands of litres of storm-water.

Trees also help to improve air quality by intercepting and trapping dust and other pollutants from the air. The shade of trees also provides a useful barrier to harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun.

But it’s not just our physical health that benefits, our mental health does too. When surrounded by trees or taking part in nature-based activities, stress and depression levels can be significantly reduced.

Humans are not the only beneficiaries. Wildlife are also recipients of the glad tidings trees give. From birds and insects, to bats and squirrels, trees provide a canopy and a habitat for many species of wildlife. But they don’t just act as a home for wildlife; the fruits from trees provide food for them too.

Threat on Trees

Over the last decades, there has been an alarming rise in illegal exploitation of trees by loggers.  Nigeria’s timber resource has been in trouble, thereby causing unprecedented deforestation of mangrove forests. The country is reported to hold the number one title in destroying primary forests in the world. Nigeria is joined by Indonesia and North Korea.

Environmental experts note that deforestation is one of the major contributors to climate change exposing the country to global warming and its adverse effects. According to a United Nations Development Programmes (UNDP) report, In Nigeria, each year, 13 million hectares of forest are lost while 3.6 billion hectares suffer from desertification affecting mainly poor communities.

The Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), in its message on World Environment Day 2021, said that from 1960 to date, the country has lost 95% of its forest due to deforestation and habitat degradation activities such as clearing of agricultural land.

The Challenge in Akwa Ibom State

Akwa Ibom State is among the key states blessed with dense mangrove forests. Sadly, this fast developing State has been among the key states in Nigeria experiencing deforestation. The impact of this has been negatively glaring in climate change. Akwa Ibom State, being one of Nigeria’s coastal states, has experienced severe hydrogeological, marine and ecosystem changes. The primary impacts are already witnessed with rising intensity including flooding, erosion, and saline intrusion due to sea level rise, flood-related surface water contamination, and massive failure in crop productivity, biodiversity loss, and pest proliferation following ecological changes. Sadly, these have implications on the socio-economic development of the state and by extension the country, including threats to huge investments in cross-sectoral infrastructure development, environmental safety and security, livelihoods and social system stability.

Commendably, concerned about the climate situation in the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, at the 2019 Climate Action Summit in New York, said that 25 million trees would be planted each year in Nigeria to improve the carbon sink and fight against climate change. To achieve this goal, the federal government called on national and international organizations including non-governmental organizations to join in this very important task.

ACEARD Answers clarion call

A Non-governmental Organization, The African Centre for Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development (ACEARD) in partnership with Sport4future and  Zenaga has responded to the clarion call of the Federal Government of Nigeria by initiating and implementing the Green School Project in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria. 

The project targets the planting of economic trees in schools with full participation of the students and teachers across the State.

According to the Executive Director of ACEARD, Unyime Robinson, the objective of the project is to raise awareness for environmental conservation and development of deeper understanding on climate protection and mitigation through specific actions.

The Executive Director notes that by targeting schools, the project plans to build personal and societal commitment to conservation through a catch them young programme. He envisages that the project will facilitate changes in behaviour and actions that promote sustainable development as a new way of living and the establishment of conservation gardens In schools.

He added “This project will enhance resilience to soil erosion, support watershed management and water quality, ensure our forests’ ability to continue to supply water to millions, sustain land value and associated climate variability while raising capacities to promote and conserve long term environmental sustainability."

To demonstrate its zeal in the project, ACEARD has already planted about 20,000 economic trees across over 28 schools in Akwa Ibom State thus guaranteeing sustainability of trees to help biodiversity and tackle climate change.

Interestingly, beyond tree planting, Robinson offers insight to the fact that the project will host sporting activities with specific targets on team work to improve physical health of the students, teachers and communities.

ACEARD Poised to Sustain Tree Planting

Plausibly, ACEARD is determined to sustain the project hence its unique strategy at implementation of Green School Project.

The Executive Director of the organization notes that the project targets students due to the fact that they are change agents.

He explains that when students are informed and reoriented on the advantages of environmental sustainability and the need to take responsibility thereby increasing awareness on the need to protect and conserve the environment, they will certainly grow with the ideology.

What is more, the school and community-based approach is the cutting edge strategy. "The long-term sustainability of the project is assured because of the adoption of a school and community-based approach that is all participatory. Students and teachers are involved in every phase of implementation," Robinson notes.

Yet, it goes beyond participation. Beneficiaries are adequately trained on environmental best practices thus possibly providing a baseline for further research on environmental education, conservation and impacts.

Intriguingly, the project continues to grow from strength to strength. The Project partners, Zenaga Foundation gGmbH and Sports for Future e.V will kick start the third edition of the Green Schools implementation in Nigeria on September, 21, 2022 with a training of Schools Coordinators and Stakeholders in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria while flag off ceremony will hold on September 28, 2022.

On the backdrop of this noble stride, it is only a course of wisdom for individuals, corporate bodies, community leaders, religious bodies, NGOs and all tiers of governments to learn from ACEARD and give the organization the necessary support it deserves to implement effectively the Green School Project thus help the society wriggle itself out of the many avoidable environmental havocs prevalent today. Will you take that action today?