Zambia will today, March 21, join the rest of the world in commemorating the annual event of international day of forests.
In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) proclaimed 21st March of every year as the international day of forests to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forests.
Since then, the Forestry Department in Zambia has been organising activities involving forests and trees such as tree-planting, radio, television and community awareness campaigns.
The 2021 celebrations will take place at Yotam Muleya Secondary School in Lusaka and will be graced by the Acting Minister of Green Economy and Environment, Elijah Muchima.
Other senior government officials will also attend the celebrations.
According to the Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFOR) of 2014, approximately 300,000 hectares of forest cover are lost every year in Zambia.
These significant deforestation and forest degradation rates in Zambia are largely attributed to wood extraction, agricultural expansion, infrastructure development and fires.
Charcoal production is considered one of the primary causes of forest degradation in Zambia and the main cause of carbon stock loss from forests in the country.
I expected massive mobilization of the country where every citizen plants some trees on this day.
Zambia only celebrates the international day of BURNING forests – turning them into CHARCOAL.
SO SO TRUE
Zambia only celebrates the international day of BURNING forests – turning them into CHARCOAL.
How can you celebrate such occassions when you have failed to cancel out construction in Forest 27 and you are stalling in Mining in Lower Zambezi …we need more action and less talking
No corruption Zambia, you are right. Charcoal burning continues to deplete our forests and subsequent govts do nothing about it. Seems to me to be hypocritical to observe something we have failed to protect.
Please close down forest 27 give them alternative land…please stop mining in lower Zambesi you can give the infester alternative concessions….let as not be that word said by one EcL ……
The more i think about it the more angry i get. UPND has no balls. Its true they’re indecisive. They are a ruling party and failed to repossess forest 27 from crooks and greedy fools. Also, I was at kingsland city a few weeks ago and noticed the Chinese are also beginning to cut trees which should be preserved. Government must stop further development in that piece of land. I saw some water bodies next to their park. Its part of the Chalimbana catchment and looks like it’s part of Forest 27