Name: Omobolanle Oluyemisi Abiola
Age: 24
Country: Nigeria
CAN WE BRING BACK THE GOOD OLD COOL DAYS?
Vehicular emissions, improper waste disposal, high-rise buildings and unorganized market systems are the prevalent issues in my environment. Green spaces are a rarity. Okay. I exaggerate. There are pockets of green spaces here and there; however, they are far in between and inaccessible by the common man. Over the years, there have been negative changes in my immediate environment. In my childhood, the environment appeared healthier; the air - cleaner, fresher and cooler. Travelling many miles before encountering a tree or some other form of greenery was unprecedented but now, things are different. I cannot help but wonder if trees will become extinct due to the constant deforestation taking place in the name of urban development. I cannot help but wonder if the only lasting form of cool air, after we have worsened the state of the ozone layer with our activities, will be that which pours from the vents of an air conditioning unit. I hope not.
Apart from travelling with my family to our hometown in Ekiti State, Nigeria, one of the unforgettable highlights of my childhood is my frequent excursion to the stream with my older brothers. After all, it was only a few metres away from our house. We would swim and play in its cool waters for hours and hours, before filling our buckets with water and heading home. The path leading to the stream was covered with fallen leaves from the high trees above and the atmosphere; cool and inviting. These trees housed different species of birds. I would come to learn that their presence represented a rich concentration of biodiversity in the area. Sometimes, flicks of sunlight would shine through the canopy of trees as if to remind us of the presence of the sun. No one hated the sun in those days. Around the stream grew some species of green leaves our local people use for packaging a local meal called moimoi (beans balls) and eko (corn meal). My mother always says the meal tastes better when wrapped in these leaves than in nylon packages. I can assure you of the truthfulness of this opinion because I have had a taste of both versions. This beloved childhood stream of mine (or its remnant) is located in Olambe, Ogun State, Nigeria.
Of course, trips to the stream was not without its dangers as there were occasional snake scares around its surrounding areas but these occurrences never served as a deterrent to our visits. I remember the spankings received whenever I venture out there unattended by an adult. Looking back, I count my sufferings all joy because I lived to partake in the joys such a natural habitat offered unashamedly. Lamentably, I write about it in past tense because the stream has become a shadow of itself. Over the years, the customary land owners took advantage of the increasing population in the area and bit by bit, they began to sell off the land surrounding it to enthusiastic buyers. The stream also suffered the effect of the population surge. It witnessed a continual desecration of its waters whenever the builders wash their building implements in it. By this time, we and most of our neighbours had dug a well or borehole in our houses so we could care less about the state of things.
For years, I was unaware of the changes that had occurred in the area until I paid a visit to the stream after one afternoon of nostalgic reminiscence. Imagine my surprise when I could not locate the once familiar path to the stream. Short of trespassing on another’s territory, I succeeded at locating the stream but came face to face with a shocker. The once abundant stream had reduced to a tiny flow, as if to recoil from the onslaught of the teeming dwellings along its bank. Mouth agape, I realised the stream of my childhood was gone forever with its surrounding tall trees and moimoi leaves. Till this day, I shudder at the changes that occurred in the area. Shoulders slumped and sweat rolling down back from the blazing sun, I returned home as I wondered if there was a way that wonderful piece of nature could have been saved from the scourge of progress. Perhaps not, I thought to myself.
I know better now. Having taken an elective course in environmental law at the university, I am aware that the legislature can enact laws mandating the preservation of biodiversity. The government can create green spaces and plant trees in urban areas through the implementation of environmentally sustainable town planning laws. Real estate development laws can impose the creation and conservation of green spaces around residential and work areas on developers. As of now, there are about seven national parks in my country but not enough municipal parks, coastal parks or conservatories, especially in the metropolitan cities. Most of the parks in the cities like Lagos mainland, for example, have more sculptures, playgrounds and paved paths than natural environments and landscapes in them. And they are quite scarce at that. How can sequestration of carbon occur if there are no trees to absorb them from the atmosphere? How can we balance the preservation of the environment with the increasing need for infrastructural development? I would love to see more shocking stretch of green spaces like Shodex Gardens, a mini-park situated right in the centre of the Lagos mainland, around the states. Maybe our cities will less hot. Without sounding overly critical, I applaud the Federal Government for the establishment of the Freedom Parks and Jabi Lakes of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. However, an imitation of this nature in other state of the nation is highly welcomed. Our future generation need to hear the chirps of birds and glory in the beauty of nature in every area of the country. They need to benefit from the interplay of biodiversity and the improved quality of life such spaces offer.
Apart from implementation of laws, the citizenry ought to be sensitized about the benefits of green spaces to muster in them an appreciation for the environment and its natural endowment. We should be taught to interact with the environment in such a way that the future generation will benefit from it for years to come. Perhaps, our climate change issues would have been non-existent if we had learnt to preserve our environment rather than strip it bare in the name of urbanisation. If had we all planted trees or gardens in our residential homes, schools, markets, community centres, and workplaces to mention a few, maybe the ozone layer will be intact till this day.
The above ideas flow from study, experience and observation gathered from volunteering for a climate change organisation known as International Climate Change Development Initiative, Africa (ICCDI, Africa). During our sensitization programs, we come in contact with people who are ignorant of the consequences of their climate actions and how to mitigate them. Some are aware but do not care because they believe they have other pressing matters to attend to like earning a living, for example. After giving them viable solutions to their climate issues, they ask, “How does this put food on my table?” We sigh and tell them that they would not even be alive to worry about such issues if they do not have an environment to live in. Besides planting a tree does not cost much, so why not come on board? Sometimes, we are able to convert them to the green side, other times we are unsuccessful. Regardless, we continue to canvass for more conscious climate actions like tree planting exercises in our cities, homes and workplaces. One step at a time, eco-system restoration and climate mitigation actions can be stimulated in our communities.
At the moment, I live in Lagos State, Nigeria. Anyone who has lived in Lagos, even for a short visit, can testify of its teeming population. There is hardly a stretch of land uncovered with one kind of building or another coupled with the presence of ever honking vehicles. Sometimes, it is hard to hear one think above the din of everyday life and the scorching sun beating down on our necks. Maybe that’s why many Lagos city dwellers are always on the edge; ready to snap at an unsuspecting newcomer. How refreshing it will be if there are more spaces for us to unwind. Such a place for me is the University of Lagos Campus located in Akoka, Yaba. Its parks, trees and Lagoon Front area often remind me of the stream at Olambe, Ogun state. How wonderful it will be if the other parts of the state and country replicates this sort of green spaces in choice locations. I suppose this is possible if we begin to recognise the need to take deliberate steps in preserving our natural environment. We can bring back the cool old days with the above nature-based actions. I believe.