The vegetation cover of the Gulf Division in southern Togo has just been enriched by 200 new tree seedlings. This initiative, which is part of the reforestation and forest landscape restoration project, will cover 10 hectares. The Togolese Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Nature Protection intends to restore 1.4 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes throughout the country by 2030.
The Khaya senegalensis, a tree species whose roots and bark are widely used in traditional medicine in West Africa, was featured on September 17th, 2020 in Sagbado, a locality in the Gulf 7 council in southern Togo. More than 200 seedlings of this tree locally called Mahugen were planted in the administrative reserve of the council in Yokoè, both by volunteers and agents of the Ministry of Environment, Sustainable Development and Nature Protection.
In addition to Khaya senegalensis, other adapted plant species such as Acacia auriculiformis, Gmelina arborera, Cog gigantea, and Cola gigantea will be planted in the Gulf prefecture. These trees will be planted on a total area of 10 hectares before the end of 2020, at a rate of 3 hectares in the municipality of Gulf 7 and Gulf 2 and 4 hectares in Gulf 5. This reforestation operation is part of Togo’s reforestation and forest landscape restoration project, which plans to reforest 900 hectares of land in all the country’s prefectures in the course of 2020.
Reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 11%.
As part of the African initiative to restore one billion hectares of forest landscapes (AFR100), Togo aims to restore 1.4 million hectares of deforested and degraded landscapes by 2030. This could enable it to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 11%. It was to achieve this objective that the Togolese Minister for the Environment, Sustainable Development and Nature Protection, David Wonou Oladokoun, launched the reforestation and forest landscape restoration project on 24 July 2020. “This project foresees for this year 2020, to restore 35 000 hectares of forests including 10 000 hectares of new planted area, 5 000 hectares of agro forests and 20 000 hectares of enriched forests,” said David Wonou Oladokoun, in his message to the nation, on the occasion of the celebration of the fortieth national tree day, June 1st, 2020.
This vast reforestation project is all the more important for Togo as it is not limited to climate benefits. In this West African country, the forestry sector guarantees food security, contributes to the feeding of livestock, primary health care, as well as to the domestic energy supply of the populations.
Boris Ngounou
