May 4, 2021
By Aruna Kamara in Bo
The Kailahun District Forestry Officer, Alex Saffa Vandi, has expressed dissatisfaction over massive deforestation in Kailahun District without any effort towards reforestation.
According to him, shifting cultivation is among the drivers of massive deforestation. He added that the people in the district will not allow the forest to fallow for complete five years.
Mr. Vandi said that the population in the district has increased, which according to him, is also responsible for the deforestation.
He noted that the entire bush that was meant for secret societies has been cut down for either settlement or to farm.
“The cocoa plantation that we think should be properly taken care of, has been given to the those with power saws for logging purposes.’’
He adding that ‘’ I am always educating people in the district about the dangers of deforestation and it appears as if the words are falling on deaf ears.’’
This, according to him, is worrisome, considering the kind of disasters that Kailahun district has recorded of late.
Mr. Vandi said that they are now doing the worst ,pointing out that even the wind breakers around Kailahun, is been logged for timber and charcoal purposes.
“We have witnessed heavy wind blowing into Luawa Chiefdom in Kailahun district and there has been huge impact of destruction on the houses as result of the cutting down of the windbreakers and this should be stopped,’’ he cautioned.
He maintained that when the people cut without planting there is a problem and they have educated them to see the need to plant as they have thousands of trees being nursed that should be planted.
‘’ We are expect farmers or tree growers to come to us so that we can provide them land to reforest, but it is rather unfortunate that people are not coming up for them, Mr Vandi lamented.
He however said that when the Ministry of Environment in collaboration with Forestry has started implementing tree planting , this is time now we are seeing some service providers about twenty 27 groups coming in to embark on the tree planting.
Mr. Vandi said there is a mutual benefit for planting trees, pointing out that ‘’ without trees we cannot live as it provides oxygen for human existence and the tree absorbs the carbon dioxide that being exhaled by human.
‘If we don’t maintain that it will be disastrous because we can experience global warming as a result of climate change,’’ he said.