Environmentalists urge FG to outlaw bush burning to save ecosystem

Some environment experts, on Thursday, urged the Federal Government to outlaw the practice of bush burning for any reason to save the nation’s ecosystem.

In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the experts condemned bush burning due to its harmful effect on the environment and danger to human beings.

Ms Omobola Eko, the Convener of the Urban Tree Revival Team (UTRT), said that the effort of government and civil society organizations to mitigate the negative effects of climate change was being made worse by bushing burning.

“The act of burning bush to make room for crop planting is old fashioned and kills soil nutrients while depleting the ozone layers that protect life from direct exposure to sunray.

“The climate is getting worse by the day in spite of global campaign for a sustainable approach to the environment; the world is constantly witnessing a preventable disaster,’’ she said.

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Also on climate change, the Technical Director, Nigeria Conservation Foundation (NCF), Dr Joseph Onoja, said that some states had outlawed bush burning in the books.

According to Onoja, the practice that is ongoing in most communities, especially during planting season should be stopped with good enforcement.

He said bush burning kills organic nutrients that would have assisted crops and contributes to the unpredictability of the climate.

“`Having the law in the books without enforcement does no one any good, but rather tended to cut life short and mortgage the future.’’

He said that the government and organizations concerned were working hard to meet the UN target on climate change reduction, especially as it concerned Greenhouse gas.

(NAN)