World Environment Day: Shika Dam Community Awareness Engagement and Tree Planting

Shika Dam village is near a river and dam located in Sabon Gari LGA of Kaduna State, where more than 90% of people living there, including women, are farmers. Nearly 20 years ago, this community was among the few in the LGA with the greatest number of trees; but, as a result of deforestation, desertification, and drought, it has become increasingly susceptible to disease outbreaks, floods, and other climate-related effects. The members of the community also lament that their farm yields are consistently and significantly decreasing each year.

This inspired the community engagement program to raise awareness, plant trees, and discuss sustainable solutions to help restore their forest cover and reduce vulnerability. The goal is to increase agricultural productivity by improving soil fertility and increasing land cover. ‘One Household, One Tree’ for Sustainable Land Restoration.’ Under this initiative, each household received a tree and pledged to nurture it and plant more in the community, fostering a sense of shared responsibility for environmental well-being. Over 100 participants were engaged, and about 55% were women. We distributed and planted 80 seedlings.

The first facilitators explained the causes and effects of desertification and drought on human health, agriculture, biodiversity, water scarcity, migration, and conflict. The second facilitator shared insights on the importance of land restoration, highlighted sustainable land management practices, and emphasized the benefits of reforestation and efficient water use.

We will visit the community in the next six months to assess and track the development of the trees, the degree of awareness in the area, the degree to which community members are caring for the trees, and the overall impact of the trees.

Facilitators: Muhammad Shamsuddin Ibrahim and Abdulbasit Salahudeen Mikil.

Partners: Transparency and Accountability in Totality (TnT)-Followtaxes, Climate and Sustainable Development Network (CSDevNet), Climate Alaramma Sustainable Development Initiative (CASDI), and YandyTechCommunity.