The Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called for improved partnership and collaboration among stakeholders to restore and preserve forest reserves in the state, so as to reverse land degradation and desertification.
The governor gave the charge in commemoration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, marked yearly on June 17, by the United Nations and its sister organs.
Obaseki, who identified human activities and climatic variations as the lead cause of land degradation, urged for the support of all stakeholders to tackle the trend and prevent future exposure to new zoonotic infectious diseases like COVID-19.
“We all need to collaborate and work together to protect our lands and make it safe for the existence of mankind. We must become even more innovative and take decisive actions to reverse land degradation, bearing in mind that healthy land is the basis for our own health and survival,” he charged.
According to the governor, “an improved collaboration, as well as a carefully planned and sustained investment in land restoration will ensure food security, tackle poverty and reduce the risks of unwanted migration and insecurity.”