Dr. Dorothy Bassey is the president of, Nigerian Environmental Society (NES). She spoke with VICTOR GBONEGUN on depletion of the ecosystem, the menace of plastic pollution, and the Ogoni cleanup exercise.

Environmental activists have expressed worries over the increase in depletion of the earth’s ecosystem and resources. What actions are needed to promote and enhance conservation?
The depletion of the earth’s ecosystem is a global challenge that must be tackled with a national strategy. Ecosystem inventory and tracking is the first step. I personally believe that policies that can safeguard our ecosystem must be based on data and not arbitrary because it is trending. Environmental degradation comprises air, soil, and water pollution, wildlife destruction, forestry management, and natural resources that are unsustainably extracted.