Afforestation bears fruit

MORE than 22 million trees have been planted countrywide so far this year under an initiative geared towards combating deforestation and mitigating the effects of climate change.

The Zimbabwe Forestry Commission (ZFC), which is spearheading the nationwide tree planting campaign, had set a target of 25 million trees this year.

Zimbabwe recently observed the National Tree Planting Day. It is commemorated on the first Saturday of December each year to raise awareness on the importance of trees and encourage Zimbabweans to participate in reforestation efforts.

This year’s commemorations ran under the theme “Trees and Forests for Ecosystem Restoration and Improved Livelihoods”.

In an interview, ZFC spokesperson Ms Violet Makoto said: “For the 2022/2023 season, we set a target of planting 25 million trees and we also want this to be the target for the coming season.

“This season, we did not quite manage to reach 25 million, but we are at 22,8 million trees planted.”

Ms Makoto said several tree planting events were held in different provinces ahead of this year’s commemorations of the National Tree Planting Day.

“These pre-National Tree Planting Day initiatives have been driven mostly by our patron for the environment and tourism, the First Lady, Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa,” she said.

“We have done various activities in Bulawayo,

Matabeleland South, Matabeleland North, Masvingo and Mashonaland East.

“Recently, we just did Manicaland province, where we were in Wengezi, at Mandarumi High School.”

Ms Makoto said following the declaration of 2020 to 2030 as the decade for ecosystem restoration by the United Nations, the commission has been working towards the revival of barren areas.

She said ZFC intends to facilitate the greening up of barren areas by deploying seed ball technology.

“This involves sowing seeds coated with a mixture of clay, compost and other organic materials, by randomly scattering them on land,” she continued.

“When it rains, the clay coating dissolves, allowing the seed to germinate.”

She said they had successfully used the technique to reclaim a mining dump in the Ruchanyu area, Shurugwi.

“The area was a chrome mine that had been lying there lifeless,” she added.

“We managed to broadcast some seed and complemented this by planting other tree species.

“Right now, there is a little forest that is coming up in that area.”

She said the initiative will be implemented at other degraded sites to facilitate natural forest regeneration.

“This is an initiative that communities can easily participate in because even little children can help broadcast the seed balls as they go about their day-to-day work, like herding cattle.”