Environment have decried alarming rate of deforestation in Cross River State through illegal logging, saying the state government and other stakeholders must intervene.
At a one-day conference with the theme, ‘Multi-Stakeholders’ Conference on Deforestation in Cross River State’, organised by ‘We The People (WTP), in partnership with ‘Panacea for Development and Infrastructural Challenges for Africa Initiative (PADIC-AFRICA)’, also known as Development Concern (DEVCON), stakeholders brainstormed on illegal logging in the state.
The conference was the second since inception, with participants drawn from communities, traditional rulers, concerned groups, civil society organisations, the media, as well as relevant ministries, departments and agencies.
At the end of the conference in Calabar, yesterday, a communiqué highlighted challenges facing maintenance of forests in the state, including illegal activities of loggers, which pose a serious threat to climate change mitigation and income generating opportunities for forest-dependent communities.
The 37-point communiqué also noted that illegal logging has introduced a new phase of security challenge, as perpetrators now ply their trade fully armed to resist state or non-state gatekeepers.
The stakeholders noted that a significant area of the Cross River rain and mangrove forest has been depleted due to illicit or uncontrolled logging. They disclosed that existing legal instruments on forest management are neither strong nor adequate to protect and conserve the forest, thereby exposing it to persistent degradation.
They added: “Forest communities have been marginalised and excluded from decision-making processes due to government policies, thus, exacerbating challenges faced in forest protection.
“Besides, communal armed conflicts in some areas have further hampered conservation efforts. There is an urgent need to develop and implement a comprehensive plan to effectively manage the forest and eliminate deforestation.”
The conference also identified lack of political will, on the part of authorities, to address the situation. It alleged that government officials aid and abet illegal logging. The conference said the extent of deforestation and loss of forest cover in the state raises doubts about its current classification as the home of West Africa’s largest bristle rainforest.
