Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
THE Forestry Commission in Matabeleland South province has joined hands with development partners to train villagers to produce firewood saving stoves as part of efforts to protect forests.
A training programme is underway in Gwanda, which is targeting people from 12 wards and will run for a month.
In an interview, Forestry Commission Matabeleland South provincial manager, Mr Bekezela Tshuma said the response was very impressive and the target is to reach out to as many people as possible.
According to the Forestry Commission, a staggering 90 percent of rural households and 67 percent of urban households rely on firewood as their primary cooking fuel.
While complete elimination of using firewood might be a long-term goal, transitioning to sustainable practices that work within existing realities is crucial. This is where the eco-friendly firewood saving stoves come in handy.
The rate of deforestation in Matabeleland South is more than 6 000 hectares per year with the main drivers linked to agricultural expansion, mining and firewood.
“As the Forestry Commission, we work with various partners to promote the adoption of forest preservation practices and one way of doing this is through promoting use of firewood saving stoves,” said Mr Tshuma.
He said families in Gwanda District were therefore being trained to mould firewood saving stoves.
“It is our hope that those who are trained will assist other community members to also mould their own stoves so that as many people as possible adopt the use of firewood saving stoves,” said Mr Tshuma.
He said there was also a need for people in cities and towns to also use firewood saving stoves given the increasing number of residents who rely on firewood.
Firewood saving stoves reduce the amount of firewood needed for cooking. One of the major contributors to deforestation is the unsustainable use of firewood.
The destruction of forests disrupts the delicate balance of the ecosystem leading to soil erosion, reduced rainfall and increased evaporation.
Without tree cover, soil moisture evaporates quickly and the land becomes dry and vulnerable to desertification. This in turn exacerbates drought conditions as the land is no longer able to retain water and support vegetation growth.
“Collecting firewood can be a time-consuming and laborious task especially for women and children.
“Firewood-saving stoves require less frequent wood collection thereby freeing up valuable time and energy for other activities such as education and income generation,” said Mr Tshuma. —@DubeMatutu
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