By Emma Una, CALABAR

THE Cross River State Government has restated its commitment to the United Nations programme, Reducing Emissions and Deforestation Declaration project to protect forests which started in the state fifteen years ago.

The Chairman of the State Forestry Commission, Mr George O’ben Etchi who restated the
government position on Thursday in Calabar during a Research Project Dissemination and stakeholders workshop organised by Resource and Environmental Research Centre domiciled in the University of Nigeria Nsuka , stated that the long gestation period of the project notwithstanding, the state is hopeful of harvesting the REDD+ plus benefits soon.

“We are in a sector where there is a lot of gossips, bad blood and blackmail ; where those who are opening the floodgates of logging are those at the forefront of saying all manner of things but we as a government is committed to making REDD+ happen”

He said though some of those who were in charge of the Commission before him did not believe in the programme but with the renewed efforts, there is hope that the expected benefits would be harvested not just by the government but also by the forests landlord communities .

“Except REDD+ happens, which I believe we are at the threshold of, we will continue to face the kind of misinformation we are getting now where some people think the programme is a fluke but I know all these would soon be over and our people should be a little more patient”.

O”Ben Etchi stated further that the policy operational in the state with regard to the forest resources is sustainable exploitation where two trees are planted in the place of one that is cut down and in the recent past, over fifty seven thousand trees have been planted to rejuvenate the state forests.

Dr Moses Ama, Director and Cordinator of REDD+ Policy said the programme started in Calabar in 2009 and has extended to six other states in the country.

He said Nigeria has one of the fastest deforestation rates in the world where 90% of its original forests have been lost and many strategies have been initiated to conserve forests to mitigate against natural disasters such as flooding, excessive heat and others.

“We can neither isolate or quarantine ourselves from the impacts of climate crisis which is the reason we need to get new verve to revalidate and reinvigorate the REDD+ programme which we are doing with the aid of Swedish International Development Agency”.

He said specific implementable action is being put in place to enhance the actualisation of the benefits that should accrue to the communities and also produce global climate rewards.

“When the.adverse effects of climate change are addressed, issues like maize, grain and wheat low production as presently witnessed occasioned by low or excess rainfall would be a thing of the past”.

Professor Nnaemeka Chukwuone, Director Environmental Policy Research said from the research carried out in communities where REDD+ is captured, the programme is accepted by the people and there is a lot of improvement in conservation. and biodiversity enhancement practices.

“Real time data, carried out with GIS shows that there is functional fight against deforestation by forest management committees in those communities. The programme provides income generating projects and alternative sources of livelihood to enhance welfare of households”

He said the programme provides incentives which makes it acceptable and findings indicates that incomes to households from alternatives sources of livelihood in REDD+ communities are slightly higher than those where REDD+ is not in practice.
“REDD+ is community based and offers incentives and financial rewards to communities to facilitate biodiversity conservation and sustainability”. He concluded