WED 2024: Gombe community creates waste recycling, preservation system

As the 2024 World Environment Day (WED) was commemorated on Wednesday, members of the Urshalima community in Filiya of Shongom Local Government Area in Gombe State have created a system where no waste leaves the community in order to keep a clean and habitable environment.

The waste is piled at a locally fenced tree orchard that was recently developed for the purpose of addressing climate change as well as generate income for the community through the economic and other types of trees planted.

The waste, comprising dry and green leaves, ash, cow dung, pit waste and any waste from their houses, serve as manure for the orchard.

The community therefore mobilised the limited resources at its disposal including wastes to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

The World Environment Day which is celebrated on the 5th of June annually, has as theme for 2024: Accelerating Land Restoration, Drought Resilience and Desertification.

Chairman of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Club of the community, Nikano Edward, said that they are putting in their best to protect themselves and, especially, the future generations from the negative effects of climate change occasioned by desertification and drought.

Urshalima community and many others around, solely depend on firewood for cooking following exorbitant price of cooking gas and kerosene which has resulted in the felling or cutting down of trees with no replacement.

The Urshalima community is, however determined to change the tide as Milano Edward said that they started the project eight months ago and that the support they are enjoying from stakeholders has been great and exemplary which has also spurred them to be determined in the project.

During a sponsored visit to the rural community by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Bauchi Field Office, Urshalima residents expressed determination to fight climate change in their little way through massive tree planting.

UNICEF Consultant, Bala Adams, who gave a highlight of the community-initiated project, told Journalists that the community was well-sensitised about climate change which spur them to action.

He also said that the club got support from the Ministry of Environment, community leaders and other agencies such as RUWASA among others whose support is still being expected.

Speaking on the sustainability of the project, Bala Adams’ response was corroborated by the Secretary of the WASH Community project, Mr Micah Garba, who added that they are planning to acquire a bigger land for the orchard.

He also revealed that they have a plan to continuously plant trees in the community for the next ten years as they already have seedlings in the orchard and plan to get more varieties.

To buttress the determination and importance the community attached to the project, a 14-year-old SS2 student in the community, Grace Garba, explained in an interview how she and her widowed mother experienced the negative impact of climate change when heavy winds took off the roof of their hut.

Based on that experience and what she learnt about climate change in school, she vowed to personally plant and nurture trees for the good of the community.

Gurbol Kamibin Madaki, Mobilization and Communication Officer of RUWASA said the agency is extremely happy with the efforts of the community which is the reason why it supported them with a borehole so as to enable them to water the orchard.

She assured that more support is coming the way of the community which has shown commitment to preserve the environment.

Many hectares of land are being degraded across the world and communities in Gombe are no exception which is affecting the people negatively and threatening global GDP.

Rural communities such as Urshalima, smallholder farmers and the extremely poor people are hit the hardest, however, land restoration can reverse the creeping tide of land degradation, drought and desertification.

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