State, forest management groups sign deal

COMMUNITY Forest Management Groups (CFMGs) in three districts of Muchinga Province have signed an agreement with Government to promote communal control, use and management of forests.

The three districts that have signed the deal include selected community groups in Shiwang`andu, Chinsali and Nakonde districts, respectively.

Permanent Secretary Jobbicks Kalumba who graced the ceremony, expressed delight at the move adding that Community groups had now been given the obligation to control community forests and described it as the best form of decentralisation.

The Decentralised Forest and Other Natural Resources Management Project (DFNRMP) that has achieved Community forests control is an introductory project being undertaken in collaboration with the Government of Zambia and the Government of Finland.

The programme is meant to contribute to the reduction of poverty and to improvement of sustainable forests and other natural resources management.

Dr Kalumba said that the provincial administration looked forward to all sectors in the province to continue supporting the project activities as soon as support from the Government of Finland ends this June.

He urged the Department of Forest to ensure that the project was extended to all parts of the province.

The DFNRMP sustainability plan of working through the local level structures such as the council and the district development coordinating committee (DDCC) will facilitate the formation of more community forestry management Groups.

Dr. Kalumba has also appealed to the Finnish government to consider extending the programme to include other districts in Muchinga Province and also extend the programme duration to two more years.

And the Ambassador of Finland Timo Olkkonen said that the Government of Finland and Zambia had been cooperating partners for 50 years in development of forest management.

Mr Olkkonen said that the Government of Finland funded the project to offer pilot community management of forests under the statutory Instrument No. 11 of 2018.

In a speech read on his behalf by advisor to the Finland embassy Elizabeth Ndlovu, Mr Olkkonen said that the statutory instrument enables local communities to gain rights to control access and use their surrounding forests and benefit economically, adding that the fight of deforesta- tion is now in the hands of the community forest groups.

Meanwhile, acting director of forestry, Wiseman Sangulube has thanked traditional leaders for supporting the project by allocating land towards the development.

Traditional leaders from the three districts the Senior Chief Nkula, Chieftainess Waitwika , Chief Nkweto, and Chief Mumba, also witnessed the signing ceremony which was held at Chief Mukwikile`s palace on Friday. - ZANIS