By Abbas Nazil
The Yobe State Government has announced plans to distribute cooking gas cylinders to 3,000 households this year as part of efforts to reduce dependence on firewood, curb deforestation and mitigate the effects of climate change.
The Commissioner for Environment, Sidi Yakubu Karasuwa, disclosed this during the launch of the Yobe State Climate Sector Working Group in Damaturu.
Karasuwa, who was represented by the Director of Forestry and Wildlife Services in the ministry, Ahmed Mohamed Abubakar, said the initiative was aimed at reducing the pressure on forests caused by the widespread use of firewood for domestic cooking.
He said the state government distributed about 2,500 gas cylinders to households last year and increased the target to 3,000 beneficiaries this year.
Abubakar said the government had introduced several climate change interventions, but desertification and drought remained major priorities because of their impact on communities and livelihoods across the state.
He noted that most residents depended on rain-fed agriculture, which had been severely affected by changing weather patterns.
“Because of climate change, the rainy season has become erratic, as we witnessed this year, resulting in massive crop failure,” he said.
He said increased attention to desertification and drought would help address some of the environmental and livelihood challenges confronting communities across Yobe.
Abubakar also explained that the Climate Sector Working Group was established to strengthen coordination on climate change issues and provide a platform for stakeholders to identify challenges and develop practical solutions at the state level.
The State Project Coordinator of the Sahara Restoration Drive Project, Muhammad Musa, said the working group would strengthen coordination, resource mobilisation and stakeholder engagement towards building climate resilience in the state.
Musa identified desertification, aridity and human activities contributing to environmental degradation among the critical challenges facing Yobe.
He said addressing the challenges required collective responsibility from government agencies, civil society organisations, communities and development partners.
According to him, the group would develop strategies for community engagement, secure the support of local communities and hold monthly meetings to coordinate climate-related activities.
Musa added that the group would engage development partners to mobilise resources and address gaps in climate change interventions across the state.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Yobe State House of Assembly Standing Committee on Environment, Ahmed Musa Tumbol, said the legislature was working with the Ministry of Environment and civil society organisations to review the state’s environmental laws.
Tumbol said some existing environmental laws had become obsolete and were no longer adequate to address the challenges confronting the state.
He said the proposed legislation would provide a legal framework for tackling indiscriminate tree felling and other activities contributing to environmental degradation.
He, however, said enforcement would only commence after the bill had been passed by the House of Assembly and assented to by the governor.
The lawmaker expressed concern over continued tree felling for commercial purposes, particularly in northern parts of the state where desertification is more pronounced.
He identified Yunusari, Yusufari, Karasuwa and Machina among areas facing serious desertification challenges.
Tumbol said economic hardship had forced many residents to cut down trees for firewood and other commercial purposes.
He therefore urged the government to provide alternative sources of livelihood, saying increased employment and economic opportunities would help discourage communities from depending on tree felling for survival.
