Bush burning is an age-long practice among local farmers. It involves the setting ablaze of weeds, shrubs, tree trunks and other unwanted materials on a piece of land after the said land has been cleared for the purpose of cultivation. In the course of land preparation for farming, the farmers rake the debris into heaps and burn them.
Bush burning certainly has its advantages. It helps in weed control by removing unwanted vegetation from the land and reducing competition between plants and weeds for soil nutrients. It also helps in eliminating insects, rodents and other pests. Bush burning facilitates cycling of nutrients as the ashes act as fertilizer to enrich the soil.
Good as bush burning may seem to the local farmers, the risks associated with it by far outweigh the benefits. The risks can be environmental, economic and health. Some of the environmental risks that come with bush burning include soil degradation. The intense heat from the burning damages the soil structure and causes soil nutrient depletion, and these reduces soil fertility. It also causes loss of organic matter such as soil carbon. It causes disruption of the ecosystem by altering food chain and population dynamics. The billowing smoke from the fire causes air pollution which can be harmful to both humans and wildlife just as the ash run-off can contaminate water sources. It also destroys soil cover, thus exposing the land to erosion. It destroys insects and animals' habitats.
Some of the economic disadvantages of bush burning include reduction in land value. The burning degrades the land and this affects productivity and by extension the value of the land. In some areas, particularly in the Northern part of Nigeria, there will be heavy reliance on fertilizer to replenish depleted nutrients and fertilizers do not come cheap. There is also the risk of loss of non-timber forest products such as medicinal plants and fruits.
Some health issues that bush burning can trigger include respiratory issues occasioned by long-term exposure to smoke particles as well as increased risk of cardiovascular diseases due to poor air quality.
Agricultural disadvantages of bush burning include nutrients depletion and reduced crop yield due to reduced soil infertility. Bush burning can also result in reduction in soil moisture. Soil moisture is reduced because the exposure of the burnt land results in increased evaporation. Bush burning is harmful to beneficial insects and micro-organisms. There is also the problem of increased pest attack because studies have shown that burnt areas of land attract pests.
There are also long-term consequences of bush burning. It contributes to global warming due to increased greenhouse gas emissions. It can result to irreversible ecosystem damage due to biodiversity loss. Constant bush burning can lead to salt salinization, which is the increase in the salt content of the soil. Soil salinity affects productivity of crops
Sometimes, the fire can become uncontrollable and spread beyond intended areas and this may cause havoc. Bush burning may indirectly increase cases of lassa fever. According to the Chairman of the Rivers State Veterinary Doctors Association of Nigeria, Dr. Nathaniel Bakura, "continuous bush burning during the farming season may displace the virus causing Lassa fever from their natural habitat and precipitate the rodents to run into residential abodes. Such rats running away from burning bush may find their way to houses and have contact with humans and increase the possibility of the rats infecting humans with Lassa fever, hence the need to reduce bush burning".
Bush burning can be dangerous during the dry season, particularly during harmattan, when the grasses and weeds are dry and flammable.
Because of the inherent danger bush burning poses to the environment, the ecosystem and human health, the Bayelsa State Government has initiated measures to curb the unwholesome act. Speaking at the 146th session of the State Executive Council in Government House, Yenagoa, the state Deputy Governor, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo emphasized on the dangers of bush burning and warned those perpetrating the act to stop forthwith or face the wrath of the law.
Senator Ewhrudjakpo directed the Ministry of Environment to activate the taskforce on bush burning, with a view to identifying and apprehending individuals or groups indulging in the unwholesome practice in the state.
In the words of the Deputy Governor: "We want to use this opportunity to alert the public about the dangers of bush burning. The hazards are quite known by everybody. Nobody should for the sake of their farms which they want to keep clean and cultivate, jeopardize the health of other citizens. And so, the Ministry of Environment is hereby directed to activate the taskforce on anti-bush burning.
"The ministry must make sure that all those who are involved in bush burning are discouraged, and where they fail to comply, they should either be brought to justice or justice taken to them".
To ensure compliance with the directive, the state government should enact a legislation banning bush burning in the state with clear sanctions to be meted out to offenders. Government should also carry out vigorous sensitization on the dangers of bush burning using the apparatus of the Ministry of Information, Orientation and Strategy. In addition to producing jingles in English and the various local languages, the ministry can organize discussion programmes on radio and television as well as organizing road shows to drum support for the legislation.
