The Preservation of ‘Wanted Trees’ and Felling of the ‘Unprotected Ones’ by Residents in States Most Threatened by Climate Change

Abstract

The mere mention of the words ‘tree’ and ‘climate change’ might sound to some as ‘here we go again’. However, as scholars, we shall continue to remind ourselves that these trees have been in existence long before mankind sets his foot on earth and will continue to be there long after our very existence. This paper, like most probably thousands of others written before it is mostly concerned with the act of specifically taking out of nature certain trees and not replacing them in multitudes, or at least, allowing them to regenerate by themselves. While it is seen as an act of survival by some, it is perceived as an act that leads to environmental degradation, which also exacerbate the effects of climate change by many others. The identification of the ‘wanted’ and ‘unprotected’ trees has been made by the authors, through mixed research methods, surveys and interviews over the years. The States most threatened by extreme weather occurrences due to their proximity to the Sahara Desert are aware of activities that leads to environmental degradation. Why then do the residents still prefer to cut down certain trees and preserve others? Consistent and sustainable regeneration of degraded lands which has been adopted by many regions with a new vigour can be achieved at the study area. This paper can also rekindle the interest of so many people towards sustainable restoration practices. The authors have highlighted the importance of adopting clean cooking methods, Land Degradation Surveillance Framework (LDSF) model and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) technique as solutions for reducing, controlling and managing environmental degradation.