Let’s conserve our trees

nothing has diminished from this elementary truth. Today, with the threat of climate change and global warming, this truth has become more relevant than ever before.
Clearly, our lives are dependent on trees, much more than on fragile promises from Europe and America for emissions reduction and funding.
Now, as hopes for a concrete outcome on climate financing disappear into the distance, Africa should re-focus, vigorously start looking inwards for solutions to weaken the effects of climate change.
Trees can play this role, effectively and efficiently, at minimum cost.
Trees are useful in many ways, providing oxygen, food, cover from the sun, beauty, etc.
Zimbabwe has its work cut out. Its ecological balance is severely under threat from rapid human-led forest loss.
The state of the country’s forests is scary. At least 330 000 hectares of forest is lost every year, equal to the size of Zaka in Masvingo, mainly to agriculture preparations and tobacco curing.
Forestry Commission deputy general manager, conservation and extension, Mr Abedinigo Marufu summed it all up: ” . . . It is alarming indeed . . . in Zimbabwe, about 45 percent is left of forest cover. If we do not do anything in terms of tree planting and conservation, there might not be any forests to talk of in the next 50 years.”
The message is loud and clear: Stop deforestation and plant more trees.
Fifty years is not a very long time before the country turns into a semi-desert or worse, giving climate change free reign.
It is important that unsanctioned land clearing for agriculture purposes and reckless tree cutting for tobacco curing in small-scale farming communities is tightly controlled and kept under check.
These two activities have been the biggest drivers of deforestation in the country, contributing 55 percent of all tree-felling shenanigans.
“The impact of small-scale farmers on deforestation is quite significant as most of them cannot afford coal for tobacco curing,” Mr Marufu said.
Not that coal is a better substitute, environment wise. Coal is a dirty energy source, which increases the country’s carbon footprint.
So, in a way, it is more a case of replacing one evil with another, a lesser evil. Solar driers may be experimented with for curing tobacco.
But if there are sufficient trees, the impact of carbons from coal could be minimised.
Trees act as carbon sinks, sucking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere before exhaling oxygen, critical in human survival.
Worldwide, tropical forests remove 4,8 billion of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The United Nations says that at least 15 hectares of forests were being lost per minute between 1990 and 2005.
That’s why small-scale tobacco farmers must be educated on the importance of sustainable forest management – stop cutting trees, and if they do, which they shouldn’t, replace those they cut, perhaps in the ratio 1:10, for every tree cut to those planted.
This is very important because of the following: A farmer needs 30 tonnes of wood to cure only two tonnes of tobacco, says the Forestry Commission.
One million kilogrammes of tobacco would require some 45 000 tonnes for curing.
Now imagine what it means for Zimbabwe’s forests, a country producing an average 100 million kg of tobacco yearly, 40 percent from small-scale farmers who are more likely to use wood for curing.
In fact, 65 percent of all national tobacco production is cured using firewood, said Tobacco Industry and Marketing Board chief executive Dr Andrew Matibiri.
However, the tobacco farmers’ laissez faire might soon be over. Those that cut trees without replacement may remain stuck with their produce.
Mr Marufu said: “As an organisation, we are putting together a statutory instrument to force tobacco farmers to plant trees for future use failing which a farmer cannot sell their tobacco at any auction floor in the country.”
However, Dr Matibiri said small-scale tobacco farmers directly contributed only 5 percent of all deforestation in the country, citing statistics from a recent industry-related workshop.
He acknowledges the impact of tobacco curing on forests, especially indigenous trees, saying there was urgent need to halt the destruction.
“The TIMB together with other stakeholders including the Forestry Commission and the Tobacco Research Board and tobacco contract growing companies have agreed to act together to curb deforestation and promote the use of more fuel-efficient energy sources, specifically coal. We will also establish a robust industry-wide afforestation programme,” Dr Matibiri said.
He said tobacco contractors had already started to establish gum tree seedling nurseries in their growing areas and distributing seedlings for free to growers.
The TRB was also distributing gum tree seedlings for every packet of tobacco seed sold, and has started research on the use of fast growing bamboo for tobacco curing.
Tobacco curing is just one of a general problem of deforestation in Zimbabwe.
The Forestry Commission says general development such as construction of urban settlements, roads, dams, mines, etc, caused 20 percent of deforestation while 15 percent came from the use of firewood for heating and cooking purposes, worsened by the shortage of electricity as well as from brick moulding and related activities.
Veld fires contributed 5 percent with poor harvesting practices by timber companies and wood poaching for artifacts causing the remainder.
These circumstances call for home-grown strategies, cost-effective ways of minimising climate change-induced damage on lives, livelihoods and ecosystems.
Several strategies could be employed, especially those centred on small communities, given as it is, climate change inflicts more harm at household than at national level.
The National Tree Planting Day held last Saturday in Mutare represents one such endeavour.
Zimbabwe is this year hoping to plant 10 million trees, twice as much from last year.
This yearly event has been recognised over the last 31 years and has gone a long way in replenishing the local forest sector.
But the restoration of forests needs to be taken several steps higher while preservation and conservation should be aggressively pursued in order to limit the impact of climate change.
Environmental Management Authority spokesperson Mr Steady Kangata said there are instances where people are allowed to cut down trees, if they are clearing out designated land for farming purposes.
“This is allowed only if the wood will be used on the same farm,” he said.
“Unless one is licensed, cutting down of trees and moving the wood from one point to another for commercial purposes is prohibited. Such action is punishable at law by fines or imprisonment or both.”
Although the preservation of forests and vegetation fell under the jurisdiction of the Forestry Commission, Mr Kangata said EMA was concerned about the rampant loss of tree life in both communal and small-scale farming areas, adding that they were buckling up to stop the menace.
“We come in where the Forestry Commission stops because we have arresting powers, drawn from some sections of the Forestry Act, otherwise the Commission is responsible for maintaining the integrity of forests and vegetation in the country,” he said.
God is faithful.