Lagos to audit forest estates
By Lagos State government says it is working on audit of forest estates to mitigate the effects of climate change and secure them against intruders who may be using the forests as hideout to carry out criminal activities in the state.
Commissioner for agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, stated this at a press conference to commemorate the Y2021 International Day of Forests, explaining that the audit would also enable the government to ascertain what is left of its forest and biological biodiversity.
Olusanya noted that climate change has negatively impacted the water bodies, food supply, desertification, as well as increased global temperature, putting thousands of communities at risk, hence the need to factor it into forest-food-water equation.
“As a means of mitigating climate change, the state government intends to carry out an audit of the forest estates in Lagos to enable us to ascertain what is left of our forest and biological biodiversity with a view to properly securing them against intruders who may be using the forests as cover to perpetrate nefarious and criminal activities,” she stated.
Olusanya added that there exists a close link between forests, water management, agriculture and food security which is a mandate of the state government, hence enough reason to ensure forest preservation and arrest the menace of deforestation and forest degradation.
She noted that deforestation remained a matter of deep global concern leading to global climate change and loss of biodiversity.
“In order to address sustainable water issues, many international processes identified the restoration of degraded forests and other lands as one of the key solutions. And more countries, including Nigeria are making commitments to support that approach. Hundreds of billions of dollars per year will be needed for the restoration of this degraded lands, while governments are facing increasing constraints on public funding.
The commissioner described the theme of this year’s celebration, “Forest restoration: A path to recovery and well-being” as apt, reiterating the commitment of the government to promoting sustainable food production in a healthy environment through efficient service delivery.
According to Olusanya, this objective is in line with the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) mandate of attaining a world without hunger in line with UNICEF’s Sustainable Development Goal 2 of zero hunger.