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Cameroon: SW MINFOF to Plant About 500 Trees to Combat Climate Change

May 12, 2023

By Sonita Ngunyi Nwohtazie

Officials of the South West Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF, say they intend to plant about 500 trees across the region as the Region celebrated the International Forest Day

BUEA, May 12, 2023 – Trees are majestic and mighty things. Not only are they impressive to look at, but they also provide timber to build, oxygen to breathe and habitats for wildlife. And in celebration of the 2023 edition of the International Forest Day, officials of the South West Delegation of Forestry and Wildlife, MINFOF, say they intend to plant about 500 trees across the region.

Ikome Delphine, South West Delegate of Forestry and Wildlife, says this activity is based on some environmental hazards plaguing the region for some time. She said: "We must plant trees around our community. We have decided to create awareness by planting fruit trees, which will go a long way in absorbing water, providing food and others for medications, and also serve as shade from the sun."

Trees are the unsung heroes in the fight against climate change. Not only do they pull carbon out of the atmosphere, but they also help communities and ecosystems adapt to extreme weather events and a hotter planet. They slow flood waters, reduce temperatures in urban areas, and make people healthier and happier.

Measures will be implemented and reinforced for this exercise to be effective in the region. "We will follow up with all the various departments or institutions to carry out this planting exercise as frequent checkups will be done by a committee. This exercise will be effectively carried out, as it doesn't always suffice to plant trees but control their growth,” Ikome Delphine added.

Bernard Okalia Bilai, Governor of the South West enjoined the population to support this exercise for a safe environment for all. He said: “It is no secret that forest is like germs which are seen all over the globe through which the earth breeds. Trees and plants take in carbon and give us oxygen and thereby, cleaning our air," He reiterated the importance of trees."

Humans emit on average just under 40 billion metric tons of CO2 each year from burning fossil fuels and land use change. Research has estimated that planting new forests and restoring existing ones could absorb between 40 and 100 billion tons of CO2. But that is only when the new trees reach maturity, which could take decades.

Another estimate, from the UK's Royal Society, said reforestation could remove 3 to 18 billion tons of CO2 from the air per year, while improved forest management could save 1 to 2 billion tons.

Another estimate, from the UK's Royal Society, said reforestation could remove 3 to 18 billion tons of CO2 from the air per year

With the frequent deforestation in the municipality of Buea, Ikome Delphine, condemned such acts while requesting the population to follow legal procedures of tree cutting.

"These trees help in regulating our climate conditions and high temperatures, especially with the geographical location we find ourselves. Falling down these trees will only increase the number of runoffs from the mountain, causing more harm than good to the population," she warned.

The tree planting exercise that started at the Government Technical High School in Molyko, is expected to continue in the days ahead, as it would serve as a measure to curb the negative effects of the downpour that Buea has observed in the past weeks.

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