The Nigerian Minister of State for Environment has described the impacts of SDS as “devastating to our economy, human health and the society at large”.
He said it is a major cause for degraded air quality which contributes to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases as well as, reduce visibility.
“It is on record that indiscriminate land expansion for agriculture has paved way for deforestation and desert encroachment which is the major cause of Sand and Dust Storms in our fertile lands, Dr Izaq Adekunle Salako said during the International Day of Combating Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) on Tuesday 12th July, 2024.
“To combat SDS, we must encourage massive afforestation and reforestation across our lands. We must try as much as possible to strike a balance between food security and sustainable forest management”, he added.
The Minister said Sand and Dust Storms (SDS) are atmospheric phenomena that occur mostly in the dry lands but its impacts are witnessed beyond dry lands due to long-range transportation of sand and dust mostly originating from arid, semi-arid and dry sub humid areas.
“This phenomenon occurs when strong turbulent winds blow over unconsolidated dry grained sand transporting it to where vegetation covers are sparse or absent”, he stated.
Dr. Salako further said SDS results in the removal of fertile topsoil which is a major cause of loss of farmland and crops thereby threatening the sustainability of food production.
He said globally, afforestation and reforestation is seen as the easiest and cheapest methods to restore the ecosystem, protect biodiversity, as well as, reduce the impact of climate change. The absence of forests/trees, he said leads to loss of vegetation cover and extreme weather conditions such as heatwaves and droughts, “it is also a major factor that allows movement of sand particles across areas with less or no vegetation cover otherwise known as SDS”, he said.
“To combat SDS, I must emphatically state the importance of planting and nurturing tress that will provide vegetation cover and protect farmlands from the encroachment of desert especially in the northeastern part of Nigeria. The existence of forests across the country is very crucial to the campaign against SDS”, Dr. Salako enumerated .
He said that Nigeria joined the rest of the world in commemorating the Day and ensuring that the message goes out across all sectors. “One of our flagship initiative is the National Great Green Wall (NGGW) project which is aimed at restoration of degraded lands across the Sahel Region including the Northern Nigeria”, he disclosed.
“By planting trees and improving soil health, we are not only combating SDS but also providing livelihoods and fostering community resilience. This project is a testament to our dedication to environmental sustainability and our recognition of the interconnectedness of ecosystems.
“Other Projects such as the ACReSAL have been helpful in ensuring climate resilience in Semi-Arid Region though its massive tree planting projects in the country”, the Minister stated.