Thursday, March 28, 2024

Zambia has continued to lose millions of forest hectors due to heavy deforestation

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Zambia has continued to lose millions of forest hectors due to heavy deforestation being carried out in various places in the country and Limulunga district in Western Province is not an exception.

To help resolve this problem, Keepers Zambia Foundation ( KZF ) has embarked on stronger community involvement on the conservation of forests, through its project dubbed “harnessing the potential of forestry in Limulunga”.

KZF Field Facilitator Lungowe Nyambe said most forest reservoirs in the district are encroached by the locals and unsustainable timber harvests for charcoal production is rife.

“When you look at Limulunga now the picture is not pleasing that is why we have come up with this project to change the picture in collaboration with other government departments and the Barotse Royal Establishment”, he said.

The project which is being implemented at a cost of over two hundred thousand with financial support from people in need (PIN) aims to enlighten women and youths on the need to own and protect their forest.

PIN Capacity Building Officer Gift Nyambe has commended KZF for prioritizing the protection forests in the district.

“We want to thank KZF for this project because our forests have diminished in the outskirts hence the need to come up with stronger regulation,” she noted

She also observed that collaboration with the BRE and Forestry Department, Department of Agriculture, the local Council and the community is key in the project.

Meanwhile, Forestry Department Senior Extension Officer Jennifer Mate applauded KZF for joining the crusade against deforestation.

“Most of our forests have depleted due to many encroachments taking place in our area. It is great that the community is being involved fully,” she said.

Joseph Mutumba a farmer in Nang’oko called for stronger partnership between the Barotse Royal Establishment (BRE) and government in the management of nature.

He said the BRE should also work with village Indunas to ensure compliance from the locals in protecting natural resources adding there is currently a gap.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Charcoal burning is the number one cause of large scale deforestation. Government must seriously look at regulation or even banning illegal charcoal production. Technologies exist to mitigate the wasteful production methods now employed. Kenya did it and their forests have regenerated. In the process they have created massive employment for women and the youth through making of charcoal briquettes. We can do it as well.

  2. What do you expect when we dont have manpower to stop the rampant deforestation being witnessed in recent times?
    Ever since we did away with the game Rangers in late nineties on advise from IMF, our forests have been vulnerable. The skeleton staff in there are poorly equipped and are literally non existent. Contrast that in Countries like America and Canada, Forests are manned by well oiled Forestry departments to ensure that no one destroys it.Even our neighbors Botswana and Namibia they are serious about protecting their forests.Nambia infact has Zambian Forestry personnel helping them to run their operations.
    Man by nature should be controlled and once you remove Controls, anything can happen.
    Why do you think guns were invented? It’s to tame man who is the most dangerous species in the World.

  3. It is not charcoal that is the problem. It is the lack of access to sustainable energy to the urban poor. What alternative would people use if charcoal is banned? We must avoid knee jerk reactions. We need to tackle the root cause. Load shedding caused millions of forest ha to disappear. But people blame charcoal users or burners. Sort out the access issue and we will only need charcoal for that coveted braai meat. Keepers Zambia, continue your good work but all your efforts will come to nothing if issue of access is not addressed.

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