The Challenge of Optimizing Use of Wood in Tackling Climate Change in Nigeria

Abstract

The effects of climate change are fast becoming a reality globally.  The greenhouse effect caused by increasing atmospheric CO₂ is expected to lead to increase in mean temperature at a rate of 0.1 to 0.4^oC per decade during the half of the century.  Forests are part of the global efforts being deployed to address climate change in terms of mitigation through reforestation, afforestation and by reduction in the rate of deforestation and forest degradation.  The global forests currently store approximately 286GT of carbon.   Wood is a major product of atmospheric carbon harnessed by the tree through photosynthesis. A growing tree on an average absorbs an equivalent of 1, ton of CO₂ for every m³ of its growth while producing an equivalent of 0,7 ton of O₂.  After the trees are harvested, they provide wood products which continue to store the carbon in service.  In addition, wood provides a very good alternative to other building raw materials as a result of its low embodied energy.   When wood is used to produce energy through combustion, the energy produced is effectively stored solar energy and the amount of energy emitted is not more than those previously stored, making the process carbon neutral.  Despite the very important role of forests and wood in climate change mitigation, the process is not very effective in Nigeria in view of high rate of deforestation and low capacity utilization in the nation’s forest industry. For the Nigerian forest industry to be able to contribute effectively to climate change mitigation, there is need for massive reforestation, afforestation, plantation establishment and retooling in the industry.

Keywords: climate change, Afforestation, embodied energy, carbon, mitigation