SAVE FORESTS

AS the country joins the rest of the world in marking the International Day of Forests, it is important that measures are put in place to protect the forests.

The country needs to adopt a more pragmatic approach to deal with the threat of deforestation and ensure that sanity is restored in the manner that forests are being depleted under the guise of development.

The dangers of indiscriminate exploitation of the natural resources can no longer be ignored because of their impact on climate change.

Thus the statement by the Minister of Green Economy and Environment Mr Collins Nzovu should be a wake-up call that the country’s forest reserves are under pressure from the local councils because of their propensity to get forests and convert them for infrastructure development is on the rise.

This is the more reason why development programmes especially that to do with infrastructure ought to be coordinated to safeguard the environment.

Mr Nzovu, speaking at the commemoration of International Day of Forests and the launch of the African Forest Landscape Restoration Initiative (AFI100) highlighted the impact of deforestation over climate change.

Zambians do not need to be reminded about the adverse effects of deforestation for they have experienced firsthand the abnormal rainfall pattern and the effects of drought and floods.

As Mr Nzovu noted, the country’s climate has been changing over the decades and has been coupled with extreme temperatures, floods and droughts.

He said this was because of use of unsustainable agricultural practices, charcoal burning and unsuitable harvesting of forest products.

No region has been spared from indiscriminate deforestation thus making the country vulnerable to adverse weather patterns.

That the rate of deforestation currently was estimated to be between 250, 000 to 300, 000 hectares per year as reported by the forest policy of 2014, which makes it one of the highest deforestation rates in the world should worry every Zambian.

It should not be business as usual when for example it is reported that the North-Western Province is reportedly losing three percent of forest annually.

According to the provincial Principal Forestry Officer, Mr Maxwell Phiri, the region has an estimated forest cover of 12, 058, 657 with about 8, 833, 712 being a protected area.

Mr Phiri disclosed that the most affected district is Mushindamo followed by Solwezi and Kalumbila which he attributed to its proximity to the Copperbelt.

“At the moment the province is under pressure and we are losing approximately three percent of forest annually,” said Mr Phiri during the International Forest Day commemoration in Solwezi.

The major driver of deforestation is charcoal burning, agriculture and construction among others. This is being replicated in other provinces.

The onus thus in on the Ministry of Green Economy and Environment to guide the country into adopting climate-smart policies embracing not only agriculture but mining, infrastructure development as well as energy.

Zambia and the world can only ignore forests at their own peril.