NaijaAgroNet
Bamboo, a fast growing woody plant has been
discovered to offer a veritable solution to the menace of deforestation in
Africa, reports NaijaAgroNet.
Some environmentalists including Chief executive officer
(CEO) of Eco Planet, Troy Wiseman and Nigerian head of Health of Mother Earth
Foundation, Nnimmo Bassey gave these indications.
According to Environmental News Network, Africa
yearly loses about 41,000 square kilometers of land, which equals the landmass
of Switzerland, to deforestation
NaijaAgroNet
also learnt that United Nations’ Environmental Program has also made such
revelation that Africa is fast losing its arable land to
deforestation to an alarming rate of 4 million hectares annually. It maintained
that this amounts twice the world average deforestation rate, and deforestation
makes up one/fifth of carbon emission globally.
According to the CEO of Eco Planet, Troy Wiseman in
his interaction with IPS said, bamboo "If grown in the right way on land
that has little value for other uses, and if managed under the right
sustainable management system, bamboo can play a role in restoring highly
degraded ecosystems and connecting remnant forest patches, while reducing
pressure on remaining natural forests."
The ability of bamboo plants to fight climate
change, NaijaAgroNet learnt,
is because it has a high capacity to absorb carbon dioxide and to act as carbon
sink and still the wood is equally of benefit to man in the area of wood
energy, construction of tents and other makeshift houses while still saving
large chunk of highly degraded environment.
Renowned African environmentalist and head of Health
of Mother Earth Foundation based in Nigeria, Nnimmo Bassey, said no one can
seriously present bamboo plantation as a cure for deforestation.
Cyriacus
Nnaji/GEE
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