Zambia: The Forest Department in Muchinga will plant 150,000 trees across the province. The aim of the tree planting exercise is to mitigate climate change, enhance food security and business opportunities.
The initiative is expected to be most beneficial for the local communities. The planting programme is part of the 2023/2024 national tree planting season launched in Lusaka in December last year.
The tree planting season typically runs for a month in Zambia. The theme for this year was “Plant a tree to enhance food security and business opportunities under a changing climate.”
Muchinga Province Minister Henry Sikazwe, who was represented by the Acting Provincial Permanent Secretary Matthews Chilekwa, launched the tree planting exercise at Chibansa Secondary School in Mpika district yesterday.
Sikazwe underscored the important role trees play in regulating the carbon cycle and mitigating climate change. Further, the Minister added that planting more trees is one of the ways of mitigating climate change.
He warned that if the situation is not addressed, climate change poses a great danger to the existence of the global human population.
“Trees help to prevent land degradation and desertification and reduce the risks of natural disasters such as droughts, floods and landslides,” the Minister said.
Minister Sikazwe said constant forest loss continues to threaten the livelihood of millions of people globally. Additionally, it also poses major challenges to sustainable development.
He bemoaned that human activities in Muchinga continue to contribute to degenerating levels of the environment. These activities include wanton charcoal burning and timber logging.
Meanwhile, Minister Sikazwe also cited harvesting of caterpillars especially in Kanchibiya, Lavushimanda, Chinsali and Shiwang’andu as a factor contributing to the rapid loss of forest cover in Muchinga because collectors cut trees to gather the natural delicacy.
The Minister stated that the theme has been deliberately coined to make it very clear that planting trees this year should also focus on the social and economic benefits of local people.
“This annual tree planting programme is not only meant to tackle the problems of climate change and forest degradation but it is also meant to improve the livelihoods of the local people by exploiting the nutritional and business opportunities that come along with the programme,” Mr Sikazwe said.
Further speaking at the same occasion Muchinga Provincial Forestry Officer Martin Musaba said his department has received adequate support to meet the target of planting the 150,000 trees during the 2023/2024 tree planting season.
Forestry officer Musaba also emphasised the need for proper management of trees to reverse the effects of climate change.
Action for Nature Executive Director Chilekwa Kangwa said the goal of halting deforestation and restoring forests, as set in the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, is an attainable objective.
The Executive Director further urged for unwavering efforts of partnership that continuously reminds everyone to do everything they can to plant more trees for human dignity and to safeguard a healthy planet.
Muchinga Environment Pioneers Executive Director Jerome Kasongo pledged his organisation’s focus on school tree planting programmes as this will inculcate the responsibility of restoring the environment at an early age.
Meanwhile, We Forest Project Manager Nyambe Kalaluka pledged to support initiatives that promote forest restoration in Muchinga while curbing unsustainable acts of cutting down trees.