CLIMATE CHANGE SENSITIZATION AND TREE PLANTING INITIATIVE IN AFRIKE II COMMUNITY, BEKWARRA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA OF CROSS RIVER STATE
Today’s climate reports are alarming, showing a steady rise in global temperatures each day. The consequences are stark: increased droughts, heat waves, wildfires, floods, and the extinction of numerous plant and animal species. These changes are largely driven by human activities, posing a critical question: what can we do to save our planet?
Addressing this urgent issue, ActionAid Nigeria (AAN) partnered with Basic Rights Counsel Initiative (BRCI) to organize a Climate Change Sensitization activity on April 29, 2024, in Afrike II community, Bekwarra. The event gathered community stakeholders including the Clan Head, Women’s leader, Men’s leader, Youth leader, school teachers, and children to raise awareness about local activities affecting climate and their broader impacts.
A key component of the initiative was encouraging community members to take proactive steps to mitigate climate change. Participants were urged to plant trees, with 30 children receiving economic tree seedlings to plant within their community. To support this effort, they were equipped with tree planting journals to monitor and ensure the growth of their trees, with special incentives promised to those whose trees thrive.
Beyond environmental conservation, the initiative aimed to foster community development through the cultivation of economic trees that will benefit Afrike II in the future.
Hon. John Oti Olah, former Councillor of the ward, and Fidelis Agbor, the Community Youth Leader, expressed appreciation to the AAN/BRCI team for initiating the awareness campaign and facilitating the tree planting exercise. They pledged to discourage harmful practices like bush burning and deforestation, underscoring their commitment to sustainable environmental stewardship.
This collaborative effort underscores Basic Rights Counsel Initiative and its Partner; AcgtionAid Nigeria’s commitment to empowering communities to combat climate change and build a sustainable future.
