In the southernmost region of Nigeria, Cross River State is home to over 50% of the remaining forest of the country, comprising vast areas of tropical high forest, montane forest, savannas, and saltwater swamps. Nigeria has the largest mangrove ecosystem in Africa. The Cross River Forest is recognized as one of the world’s 25 biodiversity hotspots, where three quarters of the state population (4.5 million) is largely dependent on the forest for every-day life. Despite this, the region has faced one of the globe’s highest deforestation rates, increasing at 2.7% between 1990-2000, rising to 2.95% between 2007-2014. This is mainly due to illegal logging, expansive agriculture, both smallholder and commercial agriculture, unsustainable fuelwood harvesting, oil and mineral exploration, as well as infrastructure development. As a result, climate change mitigation and adaptation are mainstreamed in the state’s sustainable forest management plans and development strategies, and form an essential part of Cross River State’s Climate Action Plan.
Cross River State has been reporting climate and environmental data through the CDP States and Regions Questionnaire since 2016, making it one of the first reporting states in Africa. From 2022 disclosure data, and conversations with Edu Effiom, the Director of Forestry in the Cross River State Forestry Commission, Climate Programs, we explore how the State collaborates with national and local government, forest communities, the private sector and development partners in climate action projects. The collaboration focuses on sustainable forest management, agroforestry training, reforestation, enhancing carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, sustainable food production, and watershed protection.
How Cross River State is Tackling Deforestation
In partnership with sub-regional climate organizations such as Regions4, Under2 Coalition, Governors’ Climate and Forest Task Force, the State has gained insight towards the formulation of new strategies to build climate resilience, mitigation, sustainable forest management and participatory forest governance thus contributing towards the sustainable production, utilization of products, and safeguarding the forest and the livelihoods of the local communities.
Some of the main projects the state is undertaking in collaboration with other stakeholders include the planning and implementation of the Sustainable Fuelwood Management (SFM) programme, community-based forest management (CBM) programs, the REDD+ programme, and the Green Carnival.
Under the Sustainable Fuelwood Management programme (SFM), Cross River State has partnered with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as well as farmer groups and local communities, to develop capacities in agroforestry, land-use management, planting of fast-growing trees specific for fuelwood, and crop production. Establishing these fast-growing trees in degraded forest areas, mixed with native crop species (for food and profit) produces various socio-environmental and economic benefits. It allows for the sustainable production of fuelwood, timber, medicine, food, and tree seedlings as well as other non-timber forest products. It supports the community to cultivate traditional crops, such as cow pea, which increases nutrients and builds back soil fertility for enhanced agricultural productivity. Through the SFM programme the capacity of degraded land is enhanced to conserve biodiversity, sequester carbon, protect watershed, and enrich degraded soil. The SFM program also provides safe sources of energy for local communities’ everyday lives.
Major achievements from the introduction of sustainable fuelwood management include:
- Reduction in outbreaks of wildfires and reduction in desertification.
- Over 60 hectares have been planted with over 80,000 seedlings of fast-growing tree species (Tectona grandis and Gmelina arborea) and indigenous trees (Brachystegia eurycoma and Afzelia africana) via agroforestry land-use systems have been established in less than three years.
- Enhanced capacities of the local community in the fabrication and selling of fuel-efficient (clean) cook-stoves, where energy is better used with associated ecological, health and financial benefits.
- Out of the 18 local government areas (LGAs) in Cross River State, plantations have been established in 9. For more inclusiveness and equity among communities in the state, the programme management solicited funding to scale up the programme to other communities within the remaining 9 LGAs.
Carbonization (conversion of plant waste such as coconut shavings, palm kernel shells, rice husk into biofuel (briquette) at Ochon, Obubra LGA, CRS. Briquette is a great substitute for charcoal which is environmentally unfriendly.
Under community-based forest management (CBFM) programmes, the State partnered with the FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation) and the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) in providing agricultural and forest-based livelihood support to Cameroonian refugees and vulnerable host communities within 8 local government areas. The program aimed to build resilience of beneficiary communities to climate change effects such as droughts, causing food and water shortages, lack of income, and poor health and hygiene. Beneficiaries were trained through livelihood options such as the raising of homestead gardens, agroforestry, bee-keeping, snail farming and cultivation of edible vegetables such as spinach. Other major programs of the CBFM include forest land-use mapping for proper management of the forest land and resources. This plan delineates areas for different land-use type, for example highly deforested areas for building houses, roads and farming. Critically endangered habitats are reserved exclusively for watershed management. Also, this plan specifies appropriate times and methods for the harvesting of specific forest resources to ensure sustainable utilization. Lastly CBFM encourages participatory resource management between key stakeholders and end-users.
Since 2010, Cross River State has hosted a community-based REDD+ Program aimed at easing pressure on forest degradation and deforestation, reducing poverty, supporting mangrove restoration, enhancing community management efforts and agroforestry techniques. Mangroves are vital resources to the community as they serve as an energy source, as well as natural protection barriers from coastal flooding. As part of the REDD+ Mangrove Restoration programme, communities have planted over 10,000 mangrove seedlings, and implemented management programs which prevent deforestation of mangroves outside of controlled areas. The community-based REDD+ programme has also introduced agroforestry training systems and tools to cultivate cocoa and cassava in a sustainable way. The programme works collaboratively with national parks to reactivate forest management groups, and train forest rangers to enforce community by-laws and protect the forest.
Beyond these projects, Cross River State organizes a yearly tree planting carnival, the ‘Green Carnival’ which has now been turned into a state holiday. The Carnival encourages all citizens to get involved in tree planting and reduce emissions from deforestation. This program has been embraced nationally and some states have adopted this program to boost tree planting campaigns in their area.
The State Governor leading the road walk, holding a tree seedling for planting during the Green Carnival
Barriers to Climate Action
Despite these increasing efforts at the subnational level, a lack of financial resources and legal enforcement measures remain key barriers to implementing mitigation and adaptation measures in Cross River State.
In 2008, the Cross River State government placed a two-year ban on logging with the aim of preserving and increasing forest stock, which has since been prolonged indefinitely. 'Unfortunately, evidence suggests that despite the ban, illegal activity has continued to increase. The increasing loss of the forest diminishes local communities’ overall access to ecosystem services and products, such as non-timber forest products, thus affecting the income of both people and businesses. As a result, there are increasing pressures on the new government to lift the ban on logging.
Within the annual budgetary allocation across the different sectors in Cross River State, local funding for climate actions and planning only receives 10% of the budget (the remainder is distributed across the health, education, and transport sectors, amongst others). This restricts access to quality data, as well as monitoring and evaluation to track the progress and results of the projects in place. The region seeks to attract more funding for its climate action plans in the next couple of years.
In addition to the lack of funding, there is a gap in tracking activities within the industrial sector and ensuring businesses respect specified environmental safeguards. Under REDD+ readiness, 9 safeguards were introduced to ensure the mainstreaming of principles of corporate governance and duties in the industrial sector policies and programs. However, there are still grey areas in companies addressing and respecting these safeguards in many instances.
Leading climate reporting through disclosure to CDP
Although faced with many barriers, Cross River State has made significant progress in its climate action through its forest protection and management projects. It has also demonstrated its commitment to tracking climate progress and transparency by reporting to CDP for 7 years (since 2016) and by being a leader in environmental reporting in Africa, as one of the first states from the continent to report to CDP.
CDP provides a platform for companies and sub-national governments to track and report environmental data as well as longer-term trends on land use and deforestation. The process of reporting helps regions identify potential gaps and opportunities within their government’s climate and biodiversity strategy, providing a baseline of their current conditions and the areas to pursue for further improvement. Subnational governments play a vital role in driving climate action and delivering sustainable economies. Reporting is a crucial step in showcasing transparency, ambition, and accountability, and learning about actions being undertaken in other regions.
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