Mr. Nwafo
BY CHIMA NWAFO
Again, last Monday, 132 member states of The World Biodiversity Council gathered in Paris, France, to deliberate on the first Global Report on State of Nature since 2005. According to the organisers, “the aim is to create a shared common understanding of the state of nature, problems and possible solutions.” The report will be published on Monday, May 6.
Given the low-level of awareness on environmental issues in our country, one must continue to harp on the significance of these global ecological events and their relevance to the terribly abused and officially neglected local environment. It should be of interest to the Nigerian intellectual community and literati that for three years, “scientists from all over the world have been working on the foundations for the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services” (IPBES), while about 450 authors from more than 50 countries came together to jointly develop a global level of knowledge on: “How have biodiversity and ecosystem services changed globally over the past 50 years? What are the main causes of the changes?” among other issues. To highlight the importance of the subject, while the text of the council’s report would be presented on May 6 in Paris, the G7 Environment Ministers are meeting in Metz, France. Agenda: To focus on species’ extinction and biodiversity conservation this year.
In the words of Apostle Paul in Hebrews 12 verse 1: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of (global) witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders (our perspective on the environment) and the sin (of indifference and corruption) that so easily entangles.”
As mentioned severally in past discussions, all of Nigeria’secological challenges – from the menace of oil pollution in the Niger Delta through the flood and gully erosion threats in the South-east, South-west and North-central to desert encroachment in North-east and North-west – are captured in the global discussions on biodiversity, and recent protests against climate change. We are, indeed, surrounded by a cloud of evidences. While key environmental issues in the oil producing region is traceable to the activities of petroleum companies, the problems of flood/soil erosion and desert encroachment are majorly attributable to ignorance and greed on the part of individual land speculators, and unconscionable corruption and indifference on the part of government officials, and even monarchs.
What exactly do we mean by biodiversity and environmental ecosystems?
James Bolger identified four types of diversity, namely: Species, Genetic, Ecosystem and Functional. He defined biodiversity as a key measure of the health of any ecosystem, and of our entire planet, adding that every organism in an ecosystem, or biome, relies on other organisms and the physical environment. For example, plant and animal species need each other for food, and depend on the environment for water and shelter. “Biodiversity describes how much variety an ecosystem has, in terms of resources and species and, also, genetically within species. A more diverse ecosystem will have more resources to help it recover from famine, drought, disease or even the extinction of species.”
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play. For example, a larger number of plant species means a greater variety of crops. Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms. This is better illustrated with the Anam, Ogbaru and Aguleri belt of Anambra River Basin ecosystem, which in addition to fishing sustains a rich farming community that supplies a variety of agricultural products, including robust tubers yams. The Omuma Local Government and entire Ahoada zone of Rivers State is blessed with rich arable land watered by creeks and streams that facilitate all-season farming and fishing in the wetlands. To an extent, the damaging impact of gas flaring and oil spill has not affected the Omuma area.
| The definition of biodiversity which also refers to the amount of difference between plants, animals and other species in a given habitat at a particular time, also include manifold varieties and types of animals and plants that live in the ocean. |
On her part, Amy Harris identified fivemajor types of ecosystems: Forests, Grasslands, Deserts, Tundra, Freshwater and Marine, noting that an ecosystem consists of all the living and non-living things in a specific natural setting, such as plants, animals, insects, microorganisms, rocks, soil, water and sunlight are major components of many ecosystems. All types of ecosystems fall into one of two categories: Terrestrial or Aquatic. Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based, while aquatic are water-based.
Forest ecosystems – which sustain agriculture, the mainstay of Nigeria’s economy – are classified as tropical, temperate or boreal. In Southern and North-central states of Nigeria, rainforest ecosystems contain enormously diverse flora and fauna. In these warm, moisture-laden environments, trees grow tall and foliage is lush and dense, with different types inhabiting the forest floor all the way up to the canopy. Today, due to ignorance and official neglect, we have almost lost the foregoing rich source of agriculture.
The delta region covers about 70,000 square kilometers of wetlands, formed primarily by sediment deposition. It is the largest wetland and maintains the third-largest drainage basin in Africa, according to Wikipedia. The Niger delta environment which flows – in addition to the nine oil-bearing states – through Anambra and Kogi states can be broken down into four ecological zones: Coastal barrier islands, Mangrove swamp forests, Freshwater swamps, and Lowland rainforests. On the other hand, the White Throated Monkey is one of several rare species of tropical forest animals domiciled in Edo, which together with Cross River State, boats the richest forestry reserve in the country. Next to Edo is Ondo State, arguably one of the most reliable sources of woods: A wasted natural resource which Dr Akweke Nwafor-Orizu lamented during his nation-wide campaign to inspire Nigerians with his pet idea of “American Education for Africans” in 1946. Seventy-three years after, have we understood the value of woods? The answer is not just No, but regrettably so, because the resource has been exploited and depleted into near extinction. If in doubt, ask officials of what remains of UAC of Nigeria: What happened to the Sapele Plywood Industry?
The incredibly well-endowed ecosystem used to boast one of the highest concentrations of wetlands, in addition to supporting abundant flora and fauna, arable terrain that sustained a wide variety of crops, lumber or agricultural trees and more species of fresh water fish than any ecosystem in West Africa, as has been robustly substantiated earlier. That was up to 1970, perhaps.
Ironically, findings of a Federal Government enquiry in 1983 ruefully stated: “We witnessed the slow poisoning of the waters of this country and the destruction of vegetation and agricultural land by oil spills which occur during petroleum operations. But since the inception of the oil industry in Nigeria, more than 25 years ago, there has been no concerned and effective effort on the part of the government, let alone the oil operators, to control environmental problems associated with the industry.”
Fellow Nigerians, civil society/environmental activists, writers, the academia, and most importantly practising journalists and students, as well as relevant government agencies, we owe the society a duty to show concern over the state of our environment. There is enough evidence in Africa for all to join the Western nations in seeking ways to checkmate the predictable devastations of climate change, and creating a shared common understanding of the state of nature, problems and possible solutions to the unavoidable extinction of species and biodiversity conservation.
*Nwafo, Environmental/Public Affairs Analyst, can be reached on: [email protected]; +234802933 4754.
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