It's that season of the year when clearing of debris and bush by fire is prevalent. Of course, it could be the cheapest means but with unfathomable and deadly consequences on man and the environment.

While we feel our surroundings ought to be free of presumed unwanted plants, it's not sufficient to create health, social, economic and environmental hazards with long lasting implications for ourselves.

For our understanding, bush burning aggravates the problem of plants and trees (including species that are at the brim of extinction). Loss of vegetation is a factor that exacerbate land degradation, pollution, climate change crisis, desertification, fewer crop yield, soil erosion, flooding, increased greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and a host of problems for indigenous people.

In addition to these, critical infrastructures and people's livelihoods can be affected causing a huge economic loss with untold social implications.

Aside these perennial and accumulated challenges, the pollution it causes the environment and inhabitants per time is limitless. While this may not show symptoms on non asthmatic and related patients when ongoing, it piles up to trigger unexpected health issues in the future.

Unarguably, our usual wishes is that our society is free of diseases and ailments, we are required to match our prayers with actions. Remember, God will not do for man what man ought to do for himself.

Respect for fellow human and the environment is key to save our society from disasters.

I'm Adebukola Margaret  for Whole Planet Initiative (WPI)

Merry Christmas from all of us at WPI.

For more visit: www.wholeplanetinitiative.org

Tel: 07083020330