Post by Ismail AbdulAzeez on Jan 13, 2020 18:40:21 GMT 1
The National President of the Soil Science Society of Nigeria (SSSN), Professor Bashir Raji has said that soil erosion is a big threat to food security, poverty eradication and environmental health in the country.
He noted that, soil erosion and desertification are known to be the causes of land degradation in the country, while also adding that every community in Nigeria suffers from different forms of soil erosion.
He said, “Soil erosion, though a natural phenomenon, is accelerated through anthropogenic causes like overstocking or overgrazing, removal of vegetation cover due to farming activities or deforestation due to logging and construction activities”.
Further stressing his point, he said that soil erosion affects food security due to the general decrease in soil fertility which is caused by the action of sheet and/or wind erosion, and diminution of cultivable land as a result of the occurrence and expansion of gullies.
In a bid to curb soil erosion and food insecurity, the SSSN Head proffered solutions and urged the Federal Government to stick to their action plans under the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme.
“The government should also consider establishing a Soil Remediation Fund to which at least 30 percent of the Ecological Funds should be allocated,”
“Existing regulatory policies like the National Erosion and Flood Control Policy, Nigeria’s Agricultural Promotion Policy 2016-2020, Great Green Wall and National Economic Recovery Growth Plan 2017-2020 should be leveraged upon to accelerate restoration of degraded lands and prevent future occurrence,” he concluded.
He noted that, soil erosion and desertification are known to be the causes of land degradation in the country, while also adding that every community in Nigeria suffers from different forms of soil erosion.
He said, “Soil erosion, though a natural phenomenon, is accelerated through anthropogenic causes like overstocking or overgrazing, removal of vegetation cover due to farming activities or deforestation due to logging and construction activities”.
Further stressing his point, he said that soil erosion affects food security due to the general decrease in soil fertility which is caused by the action of sheet and/or wind erosion, and diminution of cultivable land as a result of the occurrence and expansion of gullies.
In a bid to curb soil erosion and food insecurity, the SSSN Head proffered solutions and urged the Federal Government to stick to their action plans under the Land Degradation Neutrality Target Setting Programme.
“The government should also consider establishing a Soil Remediation Fund to which at least 30 percent of the Ecological Funds should be allocated,”
“Existing regulatory policies like the National Erosion and Flood Control Policy, Nigeria’s Agricultural Promotion Policy 2016-2020, Great Green Wall and National Economic Recovery Growth Plan 2017-2020 should be leveraged upon to accelerate restoration of degraded lands and prevent future occurrence,” he concluded.
