Traditional leaders urged to protect natural resources

TRADITIONAL leaders in Mwinilunga and Ikeleng'i have been advised to set aside significant portions of their land to be used as carbon sinks.

District Commissioner Harrison Kamuna says this is important in view of the increasing effects of global warming and climate change.

Mr. Kamuna said traditional leaders were well placed to take a lead in preserving natural forests since they were custodians of the land at community level.

He was speaking during an engagement meeting with five traditional leaders from Mwinilunga and Ikeleng'i on carbon trading organised by Bio Carbon Partners (BCP).

"You have the land and the forests, you could use them to help address climate change effects while attracting finance for the chiefdom. Government is cognisant of the fact that the forests form the bedrock for survival of human beings hence stands ready to support any efforts aimed at protecting the country's natural environment,” Mr Kamuna said

And the Community Forest Management Groups formulation and declaration of community conservation forests was a straight forward process which any chiefdom could easily follow through.

District Assistant Forestry officer Josephine Kashanga explained that so far about 24 communities in Ntambu and Sailunga chiefdoms in Mwinilunga are already in the process of establishing community forests.

BCP Kafue-Zambezi Community Forest Project head of operations Igno Botha said BCP had so far helped to create community forest in Luangwa district and was already benefiting about 225, 000 people from the sale of their carbon offsets.

Mr. Botha explained that the project intended to extend its programme to cover the Kavango-Zambezi conservation corridor targeting 11 million hectares under forest conservation.

"We are already recording massive success since we began the project, and the communities are benefitting," Mr Botha said.

And the traditional leadership in the two districts have called for an honest engagement between partners and their subjects before the initiative can be implemented.

Chief Nyakaseya of Ikeleng'i said the issue of carbon trade and rights should benefit host communities more than any other partner since they have taken care of the forests for years.

– ZANIS.