CENTRE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (CECD)

EARTH DAY 2009 REPORT

CECD/FAN EARTH DAY 2009 IN RIVERS STATE

CECD collaborates with Rivers State Government’s Forestry Department in the Ministry of Agriculture and forestry Association of Nigeria (FAN) to mark the earth day 2009 in Port Harcourt, Nigeria on 18th of June 2009, as Part of our contribution to the Earth Day Network international worldwide climate change campaign and global forestry actions plan for climate change mitigation in Nigeria.

This year conference was focused on tropical forestry and climate change. The main objective of CECD/FAN Earth Day 2009 is to strengthen the capacity of the concerned institutions such as forestry departments and the Rivers State Ministry of Environment to brace up for sustainable forestry as mitigation measure against climate change.

The conference was attended by over 300 participants
The occasion was chaired by Chief Dr, Azu Ihejirika who representing National Chairman of CECD Prof. Adebisi Balogun and other dignitaries in attendance include Mrs. J. Adamu who is the permanent secretary and representing the Rivers State commissioner for Agriculture, Barrister Everest Nwankwo the Executive Director Anpex Centre for Environment and Development, he is also a member of National Council CECD. The River State Ministry of Environment was also represented

Opening Section:
Opening Remark was presented by the Chairman of Occasion; Chief Dr. Azu Hejirika. In his remark Dr. Azu said in ‘’view of the environmental threat facing our country, especially we in the Niger Delta. It has become necessary to put resources together to instill sound environmental ethic in the mind of our people’’.

The representative of Commissioner and the permanent secretary Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture Mrs. Adamu in her welcome address emphasized on the reason why Rivers State Government is taking forestry measure as adaptation to climate change seriously.

John Akinnuba (CEO) CECD in his message shed more light on the importance of REDD in the UN climate change negotiation conference coming up in Copenhagen in the next 5 months as it hold the future potential for forestry development in our tropical region.

LECTURES:
The two Guest lecturers at the occasion Dr. Ben Ekeke, the Head of Forestry and Environment Department Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt; in his lecture topic: “Forestry Options for Climate Change” He said forestry management actions can alter the climate and the green house gas balance between the forest ecosystems and atmosphere and these balance are the major elements of a climate plan for sustainable forestry.

Dr Akuro Gobo delivered the second lecture on “Brace up for climate change” In his lecture, Dr. Akuro speaks extensively on local adaptation measures especially in the ministry of agriculture and Environment.

OUR OBSERVATION
From the lecture to interactive section we see that there are needs for both federal and state actors on environment to work together for a single focus on urgent measures for climate change. Economic development and sustainable environment should be seen as mutually compatible and not as independent component. Though it was agreed that carbon emission in this part of the world is still very low, but deforestation and land degradation is a major issue; Africa has the fastest rate of deforestation in the world according to UNEP report 2003 unsustainable use of landscapes and uncontrolled tree felling has put Africa into serious environmental disadvantage position.

OUR RECOMENDATIONS
More National parks should be created out of the remaining forest reserves
Federal Government should as matter of urgency establish NATIONAL HERITAGE CONSERVATION COMMISSION and place Forestry Department under this commission and State Governments should establish similar commission to work with the federal commission to effectively mobilize fund and resources to create more parks and manage the existing ones effectively.

Forest Law Enforcement Governance and Trade Action Plan: Federal Government should establish this action plan and set out arrayed
of measure to tackle illegal logging by improving forest Governance, strengthening local peoples tenure right and developing a licensing scheme that ensure the timbers that are produced from community land holdings are identity from illegal reserve exploitation and creating a system for independent monitoring of the harvesting process.

For successful forest agreements, it is essential to start a political dialogue with focused on forest sector reform, increasing transparency, strengthening land tenure and access rights, and reducing corruption, strengthening networks of local and regional NGOs to allow them to take part in the negotiations of forest-climate agreements.

Other necessary policy changes are:

• The policy of mixed land use should be reviewed. Forest reserve should be created for extractive researches and recreational purposes only.
• Intensive management of community land holding through community participatory forestry scheme should be intensity.
• There should be National forestry policy in Nigeria. For example Brazil land owners must not destroy more than 25% of its forests. China has four sided tree planting policy. Ethiopia; clearing of Riverbanks is life imprisonment.
• Environmental awareness at rural communities should be intensity.
• Finally, plantation Agriculture is not and cannot be called rainforest. Effort should be made to protect remaining old growth rainforest, when forest is converted to agro plantation the true diversity of the forest is lost thereby alter the value of its tropical rainforest ecosystems.

Achievement of CECD/FAN Earth Day 2009:
• This event creates for the first time mutual relationship between Rivers State ministry of Environment and Forestry Department of Rivers State ministry of Agriculture.
• This event creates opportunities for other stake holders such as National Environmental Standard Regulation and Enforcement Agency, Federal ministry of Environment, Rivers State ministry of Agriculture forestry programmes to know they share common value.
• If climate change mitigation measures and Nigeria participation in clean Development Mechanism must be effective all this government agencies must put their resources together to work toward common goals.

For detail, please contact;
Centre for Environmental and Community Development.
67, Victoria Street, P.O Box 8310. Port Harcourt 500001, Nigeria
Tel; +234 8064365843, +234 8029854572, +234 8085048972
e-mail cecdrainforestnig@yaoo.com
www.cecdrainforestnig.8m.net

Forestry Association of Nigeria, Rivers State chapter
c/o Office of the Director,/Head of Forestry,
Rivers State Ministry of Agriculture,
Rivers State Government Secretariat Complex,
Port Harcourt
Tel: +234 8033405545