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This is the day when the Government encourages communities to preserve and plant trees across the country.
The Forestry Commission says, every year the country loses more than 330 000 hectares of forest due to deforestation, more prevalent in rural communities.
Environmentalist, Mr Partson Nhete said that tree planting campaigns should be intensified in the rural communities, where there is rampant deforestation. He said farmers in rural areas cut down trees when clearing land for agricultural purposes and also cut down trees for firewood.
“Most of the rural communities use firewood as a source of energy and I believe tree planting campaigns and commemorations are not doing much to enlighten the rural communities about the importance of trees as indiscriminate cutting down of trees is still rampant in rural areas. These campaigns should be intensified in rural areas,” said Mr Nhete.
National Tree Planting Day seeks to educate people on the importance of preserving the environment through ensuring that a person plants at least one tree every year.
Mr Kheyi Masuku from Mzilikazi suburb in Bulawayo, said most rural communities experience higher rate of deforestation than urban areas. He said rural communities tend to lack knowledge about the importance of tree planting compared to their urban counterparts.
“Most people in rural areas wantonly cut down trees for firewood and when clearing land for agricultural purposes but they don’t replace the trees due to ignorance.
There is therefore need for them to be educated on importance of planting trees,” said Mr Masuku.
This past few weeks saw a number of people, including President Mugabe, planting trees across the nation in an effort to reverse the damage that has been done to the environment as a result of deforestation.
President Mugabe planted the tree of the year 2012, an indigenous red mahogany tree at Lupane State University recently. Every year a specific tree is declared a tree of the year.
In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources Management, Cde Francis Nhema in Nyamandlovu where the National Tree Planting Day was commemorated, President Mugabe said children should embrace tree planting as a culture. He urged chiefs and headmen to spearhead the tree planting programmes in their rural communities.
“As we launch the 2012 planting season, I want to urge the communities and their leadership, chiefs, councillors and all political as well as civic leaders to make sure that their areas have been reforested and the trees looked after and protected from unsustainable utilisation. Let us give our children this message of tree planting and conservation so that they embrace the culture as they grow,” said the President.
This year’s theme is “Grow and Conserve Trees-Sustain Livelihoods.”
In most instances, forests are lost due to uncontrolled veld fires as a result of people’s negligence. Vast stretches of forests and woodlots in rural areas are also lost to wood poachers. In areas adjoining towns and cities, cutting down of trees is also rampant as residents use firewood as alternative source of energy because of excessive electricity load shedding.
Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority said the main cause of deforestation in rural areas and farms was the demand for firewood for cooking and lighting. The demand for firewood is lesser in areas covered by the rural electrification programme.
Firewood accounts for more than 50 percent of the country’s total energy consumption.
All provinces and some districts commemorated the day this year, with leaders urging communities to plant trees not only on the day but throughout the year.
Matabeleland South Governor, Angeline Masuku, urged communities to prioritise forestry programmes and to plant more trees particularly in rural communities this rainy season.
“Tree planting and reforestation campaigns should reach the rural communities where vast tracts of forests are destroyed by human activities due to lack of knowledge about the importance and the value of preserving trees. We need the tree planting and preservation campaigns to reach and be spelt out clearly to the rural folk that trees are life and need to be protected and planted every time to curb environmental degradation. People in rural areas should plant more trees and prioritise forestry programmes to reduce the effects of climate change,” said Governor Masuku.
About 172 000 trees are expected to be planted in Matabeleland South province this year, where more than 100 000 hectares of forests and woodlots have been destroyed by veld fires over the past few years. Many provinces are expected to double their tree planting target from last year’s figures.
Forestry Commission spokesperson, Ms Violet Makoto recently said that they were working together with Environment Africa, a non-governmental organisation, in encouraging communities to plant and protect trees to curb environmental degradation and mitigate the effects of climate change.
“In the crisis of global warming, trees and forests become the immediate response in mitigating against the effects of climate change,” said Ms Makoto.
The Forestry Commission and Environment Africa have launched a 10 million tree planting project campaign running under the theme “For Every Child A Tree.”
Last year about 10 million trees were planted.
This year the reforestation and afforestation initiative has a national target of planting over 20 million trees.
Online Reporter