Press release - March 21, 2017
Yaoundé, 21st March 2017. Greenpeace Africa has today organised activities with youths to commemorate World forest day. This year’s festivities celebrated under the theme“Forest & Energy” underscores the importance of the forest with regards to energy. It’s for this reason that Greeenpeace and several young people in the Congo Basin region coined the social media slogan my forest my life , to emphasize the importance of forest in sustaining human life on the planet.
Activities carried out by Greenpeace volunteers in Cameroon, under the umbrella of Green Ambassadors of Cameroon, involved a quiz competition by primary pupils, sketches and poetry competition by Secondary school students and environmental and forest debate by University students. The approach to sensitising communities on forest matters is an interactive awareness campaign by Greenpeace’s volunteers to educate young Cameroonians about the pivotal role of the forest in people’s everyday life.
“These activities by our volunteers sends an important message to Cameroon’s environmental officials and illegal agriculturalists that the youths are aware of threats pose to our forest by illegal logging and deforestation.” Said Greenpeace Africa Forest Campaigner, Eric Ini. “It is also an opportunity to build a solid foundation for the youth to start appreciating the values of sustainable forest management.” Added Eric Ini.
In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly established the International Day of the Forest to highlight the importance and challenges face by the forest, especially degradation and deforestation.
World Forest day is an opportunity to reflect on the usefulness of our forest and the urgent need to address deforestation and irresponsible industrial agriculture in the Congo Basin Forest. The forest plays an important role in regulating the global climate and halting runaway climate change, for the benefit of the entire biosphere. But the forest is under threat from accelerating deforestation and unless the trend is effectively address, our forest could face the same destruction as that seen in West Africa and South East Asia.
“By its sheer size,, the Congo Basin Forest serves as a large carbon reservoir of global importance for the regulation of greenhouse gas and carbon dioxide.”Said Eric Ini. “Greenpeace hopes Environment and Forest officials in Cameroon who control 11% of the vast forest, will enact and implement regulations that safeguards this precious lungs of Africa.”Concluded Eric Ini.
Media contacts
- Greenpeace Africa Forest Campaigner; (+237) 655 304 948
- Greenpeace Africa Forest Communications Officer; (+237) 677 345 612