Editorial

It is not unusual for trucks to be seen carrying huge amout of timber along our streets and highways. It is important for those involved in such a business to overlook profit and consider the repercussions of deforestation on the society. Forests have a huge impact on the environment. They contribute in regulating temperature, and the distribution of rainfall. The trees help in balancing the oxygen-carbon dioxide concentration by absorbing carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen and also impeding the velocity of run-off on the soil surface, thwarting soil erosion and landslides, thereby reducing possibilities of flooding.

The leaves that fall on the forest ground act as nutrient sources that increase soil fertility. In addition, the forests offer shelter against adverse environmental conditions and for diversed forms of wildlife. Moreover, forests are significant not just ecologically but also economically. Firewood, commercial timber, gums, raisins, medicine, and other products for industrial use are obtained from the forest. It is hard to believe that despite The Gambia being a Sahelian country, many strategic locations of our streets have become centers for log selling. When one take a walk around the Greater Banjul Area, apart from the mango trees, one hardly sees trees that are being planted. The situation is worst in the countryside. In the North Bank Region for instance, there exist only vast areas of bare land, in some few cases covered by palm trees. The Department of Forestry and the National  Environment Agency should act quicky to abort this  in the country.

Those who are in the trade must recognize these facts in their struggle to maximize the business. Indiscriminate felling of trees is detrimental to sustainable development. The reality is that many species of plants and animals are already extinct. Others are also fading away due to the loss of habitat. There is also the loss of essential medicinal herbs. Other major impacts include soil erosion, flooding, and desertification. Furthermore and very importantly, the degradation of the forest results to the decrease in the amount of rainfall we receive. Rainfall is the only way of replenishing our natural water resources, and trees determine the rainfall in a particular region. If they no longer exist, drought sets in, bringing with it its own set of problems. In fact, we should pay greater attention to this reality as our country is agriculture-dependent and lies in the Sahel region.

The Forestry Department should acknowledge these facts and take active steps to ensure that those who are legally accredited to be engaged in the timber trade to do so with caution and those who are illegally felling the trees just for their individual selfish interest are apprehended and brought to justice. In as much as we struggle for development, we owe a great debt to our environment. Responding to the call of the country's leadership to plant more trees is crucial to tackling our deforestation crises.