IN USING NIGERIA AS A CASE STUDY EXPLAIN THE APPROACHES IN MANAGING FOREST AND WILD LIFE RESOURCES

 

INTRODUCTION

“F-O-R-E-S-T”. This six-letter word means different things to different people. To some it is an impediment to development and must be destroyed. Some believe it to be the abode of the dead, evil spirits and anything diabolic. Others take its presence as an index of primitivity, underdevelopment and backwardness. Still others link forests with poisonous snakes, lethal scorpions and deadly spiders. To others, the mere mention of forest or the sight it conjures resentment and hate while also invoking fear, awe and mystery. Only very few ordinary persons-in-the street know of the positive aspects, the indispensability and the intrinsic linkages of the forest to human existence world-wide. 

From the above classification of natural resources, it could be seen that forest is grouped under exhaustible, but renewable natural resources. This means that forest resources are biologically renewable, they can grow and regrow after harvesting on the same site.

Therefore, forest is a renewable natural resource which provides timber and other products for home and industry; food and cover for wild and domestic animals, protection of soil and water values and facilities for recreation.

The earth’s total land area is about 144.8 million square km, or about 29% of the surface of the globe. Forest makes up one of the major landscape features of the world.

These natural forests form one of the great natural resources of the world which through the ages have contributed much to man’s comfort and enjoyment as well as to his economic progress. Before large-scale human disturbances of the world began many thousands of years ago, forests and woodlands covered nearly 6 billion hectares. Since then, about 16% of that area has been converted to cropland, pasture, settlements or unproductive wastelands.

As earlier mentioned, forest belongs to renewable natural resources. All the same, it should be noted that renewability is a socio-economic concept. What is renewable may be non-renewable if there is no proper management. Hence, there is the need to manage the forest scientifically; because it is a scarce resource. To work effectively, forest resources management must be biologically as well as economically sound. Management of forest resources refers to the application of business methods and technical forestry principles and techniques to the management of forest properties. This is concerned with efficient planning so that a forest is made to provide the greatest benefits that are possible to obtain. Like the management of any enterprise it clearly includes the organization and conducts of all operations that are needed to fulfill the purposes for which it was established. Management must ensure that the forest is maintained so that overcutting and undercutting do not occur. Management also ensures that correct records of operations are kept.

 

PROBLEMS OF WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT IN NIGERIA

The problems facing wildlife and wildlife management in Nigeria are as a result of inter related factors. These factors are social, cultural or ecological in nature. A few of these are as follows:

·        The greatest and probably the most serious problem of wildlife management in Nigeria is the high rate of illegal hunting in degenerated resources coupled with the misuse of fire in open range land by hunters and farmers.

·        As a result of land hunger in most of the moist rain forest areas and the rangelands. Illegal settlements inside game reserve, and the parks had robbed the nation of her wildlife resources

·        In both the rain forest and the savannah zones of Nigeria, the pressure due to logging operations, charcoal and fuel wood production had led to the destruction of our natural vegetation.

·        Nomadic herdsman had over the years constituted menace the herds graze within and outside the parks causing havoc.

 

SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS OR APPROACHES TO MANAGE WILDLIFE IN NIGERIA  

The numerous constraints facing wildlife management in Nigeria call for a national

strategy that address the various courses involved. It is very essential that some

fundamental institutional reforms are established to sharpen the focus of effort in

wildlife management and conservation in the developing countries. Some suggested solutions Include:

·        Education: perhaps the first step towards effective wildlife management and conservation is a carefully organized public education programme that is targeted on both decisions makers and the public.

·        Effective legislation: Legislation as a conservation tools is a means. But experience has shown that its by no means and end. It is therefore suggested that effective legislation that will involve state and Federal staff in cooperation with the local masses in and around reserves/parks should be carefully formulated.

·        Funding: It is suggested that adequate funding should be available to train personnels, purchase wildlife equipments, such as patrol vehicles, communication gadgets etc. monitoring of our conservation areas should be adequately and timely funded while parks should be elevated from their current rate of neglect to enviable tourist , delight like their counterparts in East Africa.

 

·        Research: there is still need for more research efforts towards the provision of necessary data for the formulation of up-to-date management plan for our parks, reserves and sanctuaries.

 

Currently, most of our zoos and museums are in a state of neglect, the development of the zoos should receive government attention.

In an attempt to carry everyday along in crusade of wildlife management, local participation by wilderness and non-governmental organization should be evolved and well funded

 

CONCLUSION

Forest resources play a vital role as source of raw materials for wood based industries, food for man, and as a buffer against ecological hazards. For these reasons their conservation is inevitable to ensure that even with infrastructural developments, the resulting environment is satisfactory to the people, self sustaining or capable of being sustained, is healthful, challenging and offers opportunities for future change (Dasmann et al, 1979). This requires judicious management and utilization of the resources, which cannot be isolated from ecological factors. Therefore, in view of the ignorance of the general public, policy makers and politicians about conservation objectives and principles, mass education through forestry extension with the participation of wood based firms in conservation programs must be vigorously pursued.

 

REFERENCES:

Allison,L (1975). Environmental planning: London, George Allen and UNWIN.

Arvill, R. (1973). Man and Environment, Pelican Books, Third Edition.

Kio, P.R.O.and B.A. Ola-Adams (1989) Successional patterns in the disturbed/worked Nigeria Tropical Rainforest. In forest resources development and the sourcing of local raw materials in Nigeria. J. A. Okirie and P.C. Obiaga (eds) PPI-10 Forestry Association of Nigeria.

Dasman R. F., J.P. Milton and P. H. Freeman (1979) Ecological principles for Economic Development. John Wiley and Sons Ltd.

Ayoola, O. B. (1989) Socio-Economic factors of Ecological Disaster Management in Nigeria, Nigeria Journal forestry 19 (194) 35-39.