Environmental policy and administrative management

Borgu New Bussa community is a grass root community with a population of 10,000 people who are mainly farmers and fishermen. The community members, especially the women make huge revenue from cutting down trees to cook and sell. This has led to deforestation, land degradation and a threat to other habitat. The community also suffers from water shortage and only has access to drinking water from River Niger which poses a threat to the health of the community: the people drink water directly from the river without knowing the health implication of contacting diseases from untreated water sources thereby risking cholera and other pathogenical deseases associated with such practices. Project activities involve organizing environmental education and training of men and women, especially youths in the community (numbering fifty at the first instance) on alternative wood stove; training of women on solar cookers production; this activity will continue even after the project tenure elapses. This will lead to job creation and income generation for the people on a sustainable basis in the community, thereby reducing the pressure on wood usage which will eventually lead to the preservation of the trees that will be planted. Reforestation activities through local planting of trees of approximately 5,000 trees by the community will be carried out. These are drought resistant species of:Detarium microcarpum,Vitellaria paradoxa, Manila and fruit plants such as Cashew, Orange and guava etc.will be planted by the community to replace the already cut-down trees while the community members are educated and encouraged to imbibe the culture of tree planting and desist from free cutting practices.

Nigeria