LET US NOT RELENT ON CONSERVATION EFFORTS
If anybody were in doubt, the writing is on the wall – adverse effects of climate change are being felt around the world, with devastating consequences that have led to acute food shortages in various places.
It is encouraging to note, however, that one of the remedies that have been suggested is beginning to have the desired impact. It is the promotion of carbon trade as a means to boost reforestation.
This provides incentives for individuals, communities, organisations, companies or even government institutions to undertake projects to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that are mainly responsible for global warming. Through the carbon trade, individuals and organisations that undertake reforestation projects get paid for every tree they plant.
The trade has gained speed globally and could go a long way to help local communities, such as those residing in many rural areas of Tanzania, to conserve the fast dwindling forests and also earn a decent living. If there was ever a win-win situation, this is it.
But it is sad note that there is no clear-cut strategy or coordinating mechanism to encourage the people to pursue and benefit from the potentially lucrative carbon trade while also contributing to environmental conservation. We seem to lack the experts we need to help communities undertake the complex trading procedures that are required to make the best of this potential.
Efforts to facilitate carbon trading by conserving forests through the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) strategy are commendable, but need to be speeded up. The government and other stakeholders should lead a massive awareness campaign to get as many people as possible to grab the beckoning opportunities in carbon trade.
Long-term and large-scale tree planting should be revived countrywide to help conserve forests and mitigate the consequences of extreme weather such as floods and drought.
WANTED: EDUCATION ON TURTLES
On November 25 this year, 9 people died from eating poisonous turtle meat in Pemba, Zanzibar, while another 22 people were hospitalised – virtually for the same reason. A little less than a month later (on December 24 the same year, to be exact), four persons – including three children aged 6, 4 and 1.5 years – also died from eating turtle meat in the Kaskazini Unguja Region of Zanzibar, while 47 other persons were hospitalised, including 31 children.
Apparently, deaths and hospitalisation resulting from eating turtle meat did not start this year. It were such tragic incidents which “persuaded” the Zanzibar government to officially legislate on fishing in 2010.
That was also when the government took the opportunity to ban the catching of sea turtles as a human activity – be it for commercial purposes, or for home consumption.
But that ban seems to be ineffective on the ground, and some folk continue to eat turtle meat, claiming it is both safe and sweet. Indeed, some turtles are poison-free, while others are not.
But, the most practical solution here is to strictly enforce the ban on sea turtles – which are on the endangered species list – and also bolster mass education against catching them for any commercial or domestic use.
