2023-06-01 14:03:54
National Tree Day, celebrated every June 1 in Benin since 1985, was established with the aim of supporting the reconstitution of forest cover. In the short, medium and long term, individual and collective reforestation should help sustain life on planet earth. For many physicians and scientists, trees have always been intimately linked to human evolution.
The links between vegetation and good health are undeniable and close. The oxygen that we breathe is the first food we get from trees. They are the ones who, through photosynthesis, capture carbon dioxide from the air to then release the oxygen that we breathe. This means that without the forest cover of planet earth, life as we know it would not have been possible. In urban areas, trees help depollute according to Dr Jean-Paul Dossou. “They have the power to filter the air in urban areas. By trapping toxic particles released by exhaust gases and human activities in general, trees help improve air quality in cities. says the public health doctor.
Moreover, it is no coincidence that pharmacies use the color green extensively. All over the world, therapeutic offers have borrowed heavily from the plant kingdom. From roots to leaves, plants are full of many molecules and nutrients that nourish and beautify the human body while curing disease.
Physical, psychic and mental well-being, the tree therefore provides everything to Man and protects him against various pathologies. For pediatrician Daniel Noé Akondé, “the sun is beneficial for humans, but can be dangerous for their skin. But having greenery in your living environment helps to fight against these skin diseases caused by the sun’s rays”.
And that’s not all, trees would also be an interesting link in the production chain of hormones that prevent cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Dr Jean-Paul Dossou insists on the benefits of a richly wooded environment. “Stress hormones are then produced on a large scale in the body, heart rate drops and blood pressure, especially in hypertensive patients, tends towards normal”.
Despite reforestation efforts, Benin, according to recent studies, records an annual loss of about 70,000 hectares of forest out of a forest cover of 2,650,000 hectares. The consequences of this deforestation are already reflected not only in increasingly low agricultural yields, but also in the loss of biological diversity.
The saying goes that the tree is the source of life. Efforts must therefore be redoubled to reduce malnutrition and poverty rates directly linked to deforestation in rural and urban areas of the country.
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