08/06/2016
Press Statement By the Minister of Environment, Water and Climate Hon. O. C. Z. Muchinguri (MP) to mark World Environment Day 2016......
It is my pleasure and honour to be with you as I issue a press statement on World Environment Day. This day is commemorated on the 5th of June each year and was proclaimed in 1972 by the UN General Assembly to mark the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment. This is a global awareness raising day which is the “mother” of all commemorations and focuses on topical environmental issues.
Investing in a healthy environment is investing in the health and well-being of current and future generations; a key to achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Zimbabwe has made significant strides in instituting necessary environmental policies, legislation, and specific regulations to promote the sustainable utilization of its natural resources and protection of the environment. This year, we commemorate the day under the theme “Go Wild for Life – Conserve Biodiversity”. This theme encourages us to conserve all flora and fauna that is under threat and take action to help safeguard it for future generations.
Ladies and gentlemen, this World Environment Day, we are focusing on sensitizing the nation on the importance of trees, afforestation and reforestation initiatives in order to restore our vegetation cover and protect our biodiversity.
Forests and woodlands cover about 45 per cent of Zimbabwe’s land area, constituting the largest terrestrial ecosystem. Just under one-quarter (24 per cent) of the area under woodland and forest is situated in National Parks, Safari Areas, Sanctuaries and Botanical Reserves. Forty three (43) per cent is found in communal areas while the remainder occurs in commercial farming and resettlement areas. There are also small areas of moist forests and plantations of exotic commercial species covering about 89,000 hectares in the Eastern Highlands.
Trees are an important component of human life and ecosystems. People live within different types of ecosystems in which trees provide many services. These services can be put into different categories that include ecological and environmental functions, community and social functions, personal and spiritual functions, and economic and commercial functions.
Ladies and gentlemen, forest resources contribute about 3% - 4% to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and generally to the improvement of food security, domestic needs of rural communities, generation of rural income, agricultural productivity and ultimately to the protection of the environment.
Trees and forests provide timber for the construction industry, wood fuel for domestic cooking and to***co curing, non-wood forest products such as fibre, food in the form of caterpillars, honey, mushrooms, bush meat and medicines. Thus livelihoods, especially in rural areas, are shaped by the availability and quality of forest resources in many parts of Zimbabwe.
Trees improve soil generation, soil and water conservation, purification of air and water, nutrient recycling, maintenance of biological diversity in habitats, species and genetic resources. Trees mitigate climate change through carbon sequestration and the timber and forest industry provides employment and income, recreation and tourism, protection of natural and cultural heritage.
Despite the importance of trees I have just highlighted, we continue to experience high rates of deforestation in the country. It is estimated that Zimbabwe has a deforestation rate of 330 000 hectares per annum which is highly unsustainable and one of the highest in Southern Africa. Loss of forests is closely related to demographic growth and the conversion of forest land to other uses.
In Zimbabwe, the main causes of this deforestation has been the conversion of forest land to agricultural land which accounts for 80% [264 000 ha] of the deforestation rate. To***co curing using firewood accounts for 15% [15 000ha] of the total deforestation rate while the 5% remainder is due to use of firewood for household heating and cooking.
Other major direct causes of forest degradation due to human activities include overharvesting of industrial wood, veld fires and infrastructural development that is, dam construction, road construction, urban expansion, both legal and illegal mining operations and illegal settlements.
Underlying causes include poverty, population growth, markets and trade in forest products, and macroeconomic policies. Forests are also susceptible to natural factors such as insect pests, diseases, fire and extreme climatic events.
The effects of deforestation, forest degradation and forest fires represent a permanent loss of the potential capacity of forest resources to generate economic benefit. Deforestation also causes reduced protection for rivers and dams from siltation; formation of gullies and disappearance of forest products such as mushrooms.
Ladies and gentlemen, oxygen is a necessary gas for the human and animal respiratory systems, without which there would be no life on planet Earth. This oxygen in produced naturally by trees through the process of photosynthesis. It is estimated that every human being needs eight (8) trees every year to produce oxygen for breathing. Let us consider this, if you have not planted a tree in your lifetime, from whose tree are you getting your oxygen from? If you cut down trees without planting, are you committing murder by removing some else’s source of oxygen? Let us not be murderers buy cutting down trees but be givers of life by planting more trees.
In the same vein, trees and shrubs purify the air we breathe by removing dust and absorbing pollutants such as carbon monoxide, sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide produced by our vehicles and industrial processes. If we cut down trees we will end up having a lot of polluted air and these pollutants have undesirable effects on our health. As motorists how many trees have we planted to offset the carbon dioxide we would have emitted into the atmosphere? It is time each and every one of us to be aware of our carbon footprint and do something about it, by reducing our emissions and planting trees.
Ladies and gentlemen, it is high time for farmers in the to***co industry to adopt cleaner ways in curing their to***co. These systems include the use of biogas and solar as a heat sources. These systems have a huge potential to ease the pressure on indigenous forests and allow for regeneration to take place.
If we continuously cut down trees for to***co curing we expose the land to erosion which leads to siltation of rivers and dams. This will in turn reduce the carrying capacity of the water bodies and result in water shortages for agricultural use through irrigation systems.
Deforestation and forest degradation also results in reduced infiltration rates and ground water recharge. This affects the availability of drinking and irrigation water especially in drought years such as this one.
One of the thrusts of ZIMASSET is to promote the value addition of products. The forest sector is uniquely positioned to excel in achieving this objective as trees are used in construction, furniture manufacturing, tools making, sporting equipment, and thousands of household items. Value added products have the potential for exports and increasing revenue for the country. The paper making industry is also dependent on the forestry sector for raw materials as wood pulp is used to make paper. There is great scope to improve these industries in order to create employment for our citizens.
The forestry sector can also play a significant role in agro-forestry through the resuscitation of the fruit growing and manufacturing industry. Most of the fruit juices consumed in Zimbabwe are imported from neighboring countries causing Zimbabwe to lose significant amounts of revenue. I call upon companies and communities to engage in fruit tree growing to enhance the country’s food and nutrition security as well as improve livelihoods.
The health sector also benefits from trees and shrubs as they have medicinal properties and are a source of chemicals and medicines. In Zimbabwe, the bark of Munyii, Mutowa and Chikombegwa to mention a few are used to treat stomach pains. In Chipinge area, the roots of Mutsviru tree are used to treat Bilharzia and diarrhea. These are but a few of the medicinal uses of trees.
Ladies and gentlemen, my Ministry embarked on a five year National Tree Planting Programme in the year 2015. The main objective of this programme is to increase the country’s forest cover and reduce deforestation.
We are pleased that youth and women groups, individuals, church organisations and the to***co growing sector, have come forward to participate in the National Tree Planting Programme. This programme involves the planting of 75 million trees nationwide covering a total area of 45 740 hectares over the next five years. This translates to an annual tree planting rate of 15 million trees covering 9 148 hectares.
We have developed plans with these stakeholders to raise tree seedlings of both indigenous and exotic tree species, fruit and fodder trees and plant them in community woodlots, church woodlots, individual farm and homestead woodlots as well as primary and tertiary school’s woodlots.
Going forward, Zimbabwe should increase its participation in climate change mitigation frameworks such as the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programmes. These would allow the country to participate in the global carbon markets and generate revenue for conservation and communities.
All these issues will be considered in the Forest Policy which the Ministry is currently developing. We would like the nation to participate in the consultation processes and provide your input into the process so that the Forest Policy would reflect our aspirations going forward.
In conclusion, it is important that this World Environment Day, we reflect on the importance of trees to our existence and commit ourselves to planting trees in the coming rainy season. We are calling for a massive reafforestation programme through collaboration with youths, women groups, and civil society organisations. The target to plant 15 million trees in the 2016 – 2017 tree planting season should be surpassed. In this regard I call upon everyone to work closely with my Ministry in its endeavor to re-green our environment.
I Thank You All!
