Sustainability and Challenges of Climate Change Mitigation through Urban Reforestation: A Review

In attempts to subdue the negative implications of climate change scenario globally, several drastic measures need to be put in place. One of such measures is urban reforestation especially in the developing nations where forest resources have extremely and uncontrollably exploited. Apart from some administrative centres which are provided with trees that are maintained passionately by the government through their relevant agencies, most of other cities in Africa are devoid of trees for whatever purpose. Lands are cleared to be replaced with either buildings or open spaces without any attempt of providing trees. Thus, the enormous roles which urban trees perform are lacked in these cities. In order to subdue excessive heat in these cities arising from exposure of urban land areas, which has consequential effects on the prevailing global warming, urban reforestation exercise needs to be embarked upon. This paper reviewed literatures to examine what it entails to have a sustainable reforestation programme in our cities. The work examined the characteristics of our cities, the required tree types due to poor planning characterized by most of the ancient cities and other prerequisites for a viable and productive urban reforestation programme. The implication of the exercise is the enhancement of oxygenated urban environment while the environment is decarbonized for the sustenance of ozone components of the atmosphere.