The African Star

An on-line publication for degree and certificate programs in journalism

Vol. 5 No. 1 2008

Hargeisa residents ready to participate in tree planting project        (Environmental Survey)

Hassan Hussien Abdi (Habdi) University of Hargeisa

University survey shows that, residents of Hargeisa are ready and willing to participate in Tree plating project, if Seeds are available.

In survey by journalism students at university of Hargeisa, nearly 85 percent of residents interviewed are willing to plant trees. 90 percent of the respondents said they were aware that cutting the Trees was destroying the Environment.

The survey was to asses how the residents are aware environmental of problems, and whether they are willing to replace trees if they cut. Where most of the house holds  use trees as firewood to cook their foods.

360 people, of different ages and different level of education, strongly showed that dumping waste or plastic in the Streets create problem to the environment.

However, the respondents revealed high level of people are willing to participate in planting project, and also willing to encourage others to plant trees, there are very low level of participation of planting trees.

Zahra Hassan, university student, who took part in plantation project, said “People want to use trees in every energy; cooking, firewood and Char coal, but they don’t want to plant”.

50 years old, Ibrahim Hussien Hirsi, who sells Water Mellon in Hargeisa said “he was angry that the country was being turned into a desert, because of cutting trees for Char coal “. He said government, must make it a law that if one cuts a tree he/she must plant another to replace it.”

According to the survey all the respondents, urged the government to make a policy to ban cutting trees, hence provide people with seeds, and also to look for other energy alternative, to replace cutting trees for energy.