SPECIAL REPORT

How demand for charcoal depletes forests in Taraba state
~ACReSAL plans to plant 10m trees accross Taraba State to increase Afforestation
 

 _In 2010, Taraba had 1.64 Mha of natural forest, extending over 27% of its land area. In 2023, it lost 20.7 kha of natural forest, equivalent to 6.91 Mt of CO₂ emissions. according to Global Forest Watch, a forest-tracking platform. 

In January 2024 alone, at least 453 deforestation alerts were reported within the state._ 

Taraba State is one among the eight states in the country, which accounts for 50% of Nigeria's forest cover, with Kurmi being one of the most forested Local Government areas in the state follow by Mambila plateau. The rainfall distribution and topography are the major factors influencing the pattern of vegetation in Kurmi and Gwmbu LGA . It has much vegetation during the wet season and its foliage wilt during the dry season. 

Taraba state lost 15.2 Kha of humid primary forest between 2002 and 2020, accounting for 17% of the overall tree cover reduction in the same period. During this time, the total area of Taraba's humid primary forest shrank by 6.4 per cent. From 2001 to 2020, Taraba state lost 91.1kha of tree cover, equivalent to a 5.9% decrease in tree cover since 2000, and 28.1Mt of CO₂ emissions. In Taraba state, tree cover loss in Kurmi LGA is 36.3 Kha, in Gashaka is 23.2 Kha, in Sardauna is 14.5, in Bali is 8.31 Kha and in Donga is 5.78 Kha (FAO, 2020). 

The top two local government areas, Kurimi and Gashaka, were responsible for 65% of all tree cover loss between 2001 and 2020. Kurmi LGA had the most tree cover loss at 36.3kha compared to 5.70kha.

 A common trend

Taraba State is covers an area of about 54,400 square kilometres, the third largest in the country with 56% arable land. 

Yet Taraba State is hardly an isolated case. Between 2001 and 2022, Nigeria lost 1.25 million hectares of its biodiverse forests. Across the world, 15 billion trees are cut down each year. This increasing felling of trees means that the carbon contained in trees is released back into the atmosphere, resulting in a loss of biodiversity and further aggravating the global climate crisis.

The effects of this indiscriminate deforestation can be seen in extreme weather conditions causing flooding and erosion, now posing a threat to Taraba communities.

But changes in the climate did not happen so abruptly years ago, as Suleiman Mohammed, a climatologist and professor of Applied Geography and Meteorology at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, reckoned. Mounting levels of carbon dioxide in the air have triggered a resultant rise in global temperature.

“Even if no new addition is made to the carbon dioxide level we have in the atmosphere, it will take 50 years for it to dissipate or get off,” Mr Mohammed explained

As more Nigerian households depend on wood for domestic energy, due to poverty and the relatively higher cost of electricity and cooking gas, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the air can be an uphill struggle. Further complicating this are people like the labourers at the Kurmi Forest who depend on deforestation to fend for themselves.

Producing charcoal has been Hassan Nako’s daily loop for 18 years. “I need this work because I need to pay bills. I can’t stay idle,” he said. Mr Hassan’s maize farming can hardly cater for his wife and eight children. “This [charcoal business] is my side work which I use to take care of my family. I can’t depend on crops alone.”

For fifteen years, Madam  Saratu has traded at least 300 bags of charcoal each week in Jalingo town. “We buy one bag N5,500 ($3.24) and sell N7,000 ($4.12). We use the gain we get to buy another set and continue.” Other times, Saratu would measure the charcoal in smaller quantities in black or yellow nylon and display them by the road for people to buy. “I use the [proceeds] to support my children in school,” the mother of six said.

 ACReSAL Plans 10 Million Trees for the Afforestation of Taraba State. 

Dr. Giwa Clement, the Project Coordinator of the Agro-Climatic Resilience in Semi-Arid Landscapes (ACReSAL) initiative, has revealed plans to plant over 10 million trees across Taraba State over the next four years.

The endeavor aims to counter desertification, mitigate climate change effects, and foster agro-climatic resilience in the region.

Dr. Giwa, speaking in a recent interview with a SUMTV, outlined a meticulous strategy to plant 2.5 million trees annually, commencing this year. Collaborating with Civil Society Organizations and other agencies, the initiative aims to ensure a comprehensive and inclusive approach to afforestation, covering diverse geographical areas, including major metropolitan roads.

The project envisions these trees not only as a means to combat climate change but also as contributors to improved air quality, enhanced soil fertility, and reduced evapotranspiration rates. Dr. Giwa stressed the commitment of all stakeholders to overcome past challenges and achieve the set targets.