adminPost Correspondent
PERMANENT secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Water and Climate Mr Prince Mupazviriho has bemoaned the increasing rate of deforestation fuelling the countries climate change woes.
Mr Mupazviriho said this at the recently held Forest Industries Training Centre and Zimbabwe College of Forestry 21st joint graduation where he was the guest of honour.
Running under the theme: ‘Forestry training for adaptation to climate change’, Mr Mupazviriho said the country’s climate change woes would increase if deforestation was not controlled.
“Forests absorb carbon dioxide which is a major greenhouse gas responsible for global warming, subsequently causing climate change.
“The more the trees are destroyed, the more the effects of global warming…
“Large areas under forests make significant contributions to carbon sequestration. It is imperative that the forest belts are protected or utilized sustainably to mitigate global warming,” said the permanent secretary.
Mr Mupazviriho said climate change was real which is why seasons were changing globally.
He said Zimbabwe was now experiencing less cold days and more hot days, shorter rainy seasons and late onset rains. He added that extreme weather patterns in the country such as more frequent droughts and floods particularly in the Zambezi Valley was a result of the climatic change.
It was revealed that in 1990 the forest cover in Zimbabwe was 57 percent of the total land area, but by 2010 the forest cover had reduced to 38 percent.
Mr Mupazviriho said on average, the country’s rate of forest loss was about 330 000 hectares per annum, which was too much, threatening to turn Zimbabwe into a desert within 35-years if no far-reaching action was taken.
He added that it was important for forestry training institutions to adequately educate students on climate change and how forests mitigate against it.
“As forestry graduates you will come face to face with today’s challenges of deforestation, uncontrolled veld fires, climate change and expanding populations. “I hope you have also been equipped with negotiation and conflict resolution skills to deal with such challenges as the future leaders,” said Mr Mupazviriho.
He said Government’s ongoing reforestation and afforestation projects showed Zimbabwe’s commitment to mitigate climate change as a voluntary climate market and also in the mandatory carbon markets such as the Clean Development Mechanism under the Kyto Protocol signed in 1997.
FITC and ZCF principal, Mrs Joyce Gombe, said the underperformance of forestry companies and the liquidity crisis in the country in general was affecting their enrolment with several students being behind on schools fees payment.
She said the high tariffs of utility bills were also increasing their operational overheads which were making it difficult to remain viable.
On a positive note, Mrs Gombe revealed that the college was making milestone achievements on the continent as it was selected to be a pilot institution under the SASACID programme sponsored by the African Network for Education in Agroforestry and Natural Resources.
A total of 41 students comprising seven females and 34 men graduated from FITC and ZCF completing their studies in Certificate in Forestry, Diploma in Forestry, Diploma in Wood Technology and National Certificate in Sawdoctoring.
Online Reporter