Pulse.ng : World Environment Day: CWED distributes tree seedlings to 400 residents in Zaria

By Sani Idris

An NGO, Centre for Water and Environmental Development (CWED), has distributed economic tree seedlings to no fewer than 400 residents of Palladan community in Zaria LGA of Kaduna State.

The gesture was in commemoration of the 2024 World Environment Day, with the theme ‘World Environment Day is ‘A Journey to a Greener Future’.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the trees distributed were guava, mango, moringa, soursop, sweet apple, Brazilian cashew, paw paw, orange and mango.

Speaking to newsmen at the sideline of the event on Wednesday in Kaduna, the CWED’s Programme Officer, Mrs Lydia Saleh, said they had kept to the tradition of carrying out their ‘green project’ every year in different communities.

Lydia said CWED had successfully carried out such activities in 10 different communities in the state, with Palladan making it the eleventh.

The programme officer explained that the green project, which was community-driven, was aimed at enhancing, and sensitising communities on climate change, and also to have mitigating mechanisms to protect the environment from climate change.

She, therefore, said one of such ways was tree planting, which they had carried out in various communities over the years.

The programme officer explained that their choice of distributing economic trees was for the health, economic and food security benefits embedded in them.

Saleh explained that the people of Palladan in the past had many economic trees in their environment, which had ceased to exist due to the human factor of urbanisation and cutting down the trees for fuel purposes.

“When they cut down the trees, they don’t replace them; this is why we want to restore the communities in Palladan which were known for giant trees in the past.

“Doing this, we hope to build resilience against climate change and drought,” she said.

Saleh urged the beneficiaries to nurture the plants to maturity for their benefit.

Engr. David Roven from the state Ministry of Works and Infrastructure, Department of Water Resources, said climate change has affected the seasons in which some crops were grown.

He added that, in the past, such periods were filled with sustained rainfalls, but the case had changed due to climate change.

Roven urged the beneficiaries to nurture the trees to maturity for their benefit and community.

Addressing the beneficiaries, an expert, Aminu Salihu, the Branch Manager of Teku Farms in Kaduna, said apart from the benefit of fruits, all the trees have medicinal value.

Speaking on behalf of the communities, Malam Ismail Dalhatu, the Ward Head of Palladan, said the Government had in previous years made efforts to revive the community with the trees they lost to various human activities.

He said to deter human activities especially those who cut down trees, forest guards were involved to help keep watch, sensitise and create awareness of the effects of deforestation.

“The forest guards sometimes ensure stiff sanctions on those found wanting,” Dalhatu said.

NAN also reports that in ensuring feedback on the trees, CWED opened a Whatsapp group as a mechanism for the beneficiaries to ask questions or seek assistance regarding the well-being and sustenance of their trees. (NAN)