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UNICEF young reporters call for nationwide afforestation

Author: Moyo Jacob Felix | Published: June 6, 2024

UNICEF Child Reporters speak on Eye Radio's Sundown Show. (-)

The UN children agency’s young reporters and climate change advocates have called on South Sudanese to cease deforestation and instead plant more trees to avert the harmful effects of climate change in the country.

Scientific evidence has it that, the loss of trees and other vegetation can cause climate change, desertification, soil erosion, fewer crops, flooding and long period of dry spells.

These factors, to a larger extent, pose risks to the lives of inhabitants including humans and animals.

Speaking on Eye Radio’s Sundown Show, UNICEF’s young reporters said creating a safer environment entirely depends on the willingness of the people to practice environmentally friendly activities such as replantation of lost forest.

Ihuro Joseph, one of the UNICEF’s young reporters and climate change advocates points out that deforestation is a major contributor to an environmental crisis in South Sudan.

She encourages the public to plant more trees to reduce the amount of carbon emission into the atmosphere.

“Deforestation is causing desertification and drought. Children die of famine because of shortage of foods and pollution that is always taking place,” said Ihuro.

“When we talk of the floods, it causes displacement of children. They might migrate to a place and the place might not be able to hold all those number of people.”

“We can protect it by planting more trees because trees actually use carbon dioxide for photosynthesis and in turn give us oxygen. So, if we plant more trees and we reduce the amount of carbon we release into the atmosphere, we will be in great favor with the nature.”

Trees reduce the amount of storm water runoff, which reduces erosion and pollution in the waterways and may reduce the effects of flooding.

Many species of wildlife depend on trees for habitat since they provide food, protection, and homes for many birds and mammals.

UNICEF supports a Child Reporter program based on a child’s rights of expression and rights of participation as enshrined in the convention on the rights of children.

Another child reporter and climate change advocate, Amoko Ronnie Amoko calls for what he calls replantation to mitigate the severe effects of climate change including floods, droughts and heat waves.

“Basically, if you don’t practice the replantation, then we will be experiencing the impact of climate change such as flooding, droughts and heat waves,” Ronnie stated.

“So, if we do not practice replantation right now, basically in the future, it’s going to impact on us much. And you know, there is a saying that goes that the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago.”

“So, what we are telling people is, better they should invest now so that they will reap the fruits of their labor in the future. My advice to all people out there is that, if you are planting something, look at the future.”

Child Reporter Naome Momone day has echoed her colleagues’ remarks, adding that without planting trees there will be no future generation.

“If we really don’t plant trees, what’s the future we are imagining? You know all this life we are living is due to the people who have planted trees long time ago.”

“And if we now resist to plant, this means that we are now not going to keep a future for those who are coming because 100% of the oxygen is got from trees and the carbon dioxide we exhale.”

“So, if we don’t do that kind of thing, then we find that there will be no oxygen in the planet, so, there won’t be life.”

This week, some parts of Juba residential areas were hit by flashfloods after heavy rains.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Albino Atak already warned of looming flooding in the coming months.

Atak said the level of water at Lake Victoria has risen to a record 13.6 meters, prompting Ugandan authorities to release 2,600 cubic meters per second downstream into South Sudan.

The release of the water is expected to have serious negative impacts on South Sudan and that 2.5 million people will be affected, with one million to be in need of evacuation across more than four states, prompting the quest for 50 million US Dollars to respond to the anticipated crisis.

 

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