Plant Trees To Prevent Flooding, Land Degradation – UNICEF

Ajiya Ayuba

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday called on the people of Bauchi state to ensure that they plant more trees in order to prevent flooding and other negative impacts of climate change.

The Fund’s WASH officer, Bauchi state, Mrs. Nanbam Michael, made this call while speaking at an event to commemorate this year’s World Environment Day held at the College of Agriculture, Bauchi state, on Friday.

According to her, planting more trees can stop flooding occasioned by heavy storms and rainfall, which usually destroy houses and farmlands.

Michael, who was addressing stakeholders, including traditional leaders at the event with the theme: Generation of Restoration, said it’s only by planting more trees that the negative impact of flooding can be prevented in Bauchi State and Nigeria at large.

She encouraged people not to be cutting trees anyhow without planting, adding that if someone must fill a tree should make sure to replace it with five trees.

According to the UNICEF WASH Officer,  Nandam said that “Today we are celebrating World Environmental Day just to remind us of the importance of keeping our environment safe for ourselves, youth, and children.”

She said that UNICEF recognizes the importance of World Environment Day. “That’s why we have gathered here to remind our stakeholders and traditional leaders to ensure that we mobilize people not to cut trees but to plant.”

Adding that “If we have more trees in our environment and if over flooding and heavy storms come, the flood that is supposed to destroy our houses will not because the trees we planted will sustain it”

The UNICEF Wash officer, Mrs Nandam Michael, urged traditional leaders and stakeholders to raise awareness among people in the communities that they should not cut trees but plant them to prevent floods and heavy storms from destroying houses.