President Lungu saddened with rising levels of deforestation
President Edgar Lungu has called for a change of mindset among Zambians in order to curb rising levels of deforestation in the country.
President Lungu says there is need for the country to abandon established traditional practices of uncontrolled cutting down of trees for charcoal.
ZANIS reports that President Lungu said this when he launched the Zambia Plant a million trees initiative at Kapasa Makasa University in Chinsali District , Muchinga Province.
President Lungu said it is prudent for the country to plant trees in order to create a tree based economy to help address rising climate change in line with the 7NDP which is premised on economic diversification.
Mr Lungu said the initiative which seeks to plant a minimum one million trees will contribute to reducing deforestation and enhance the country’s afforestation programme.
The Head of State praised the Ministry of Lands and Natural resources for implementing the initiative with the private sector.
He said continued cutting down of trees threatens the environment and national security.
President Lungu has since directed Lands and Natural resources minister Jean Kapata to employ an integrated and participatory approach of working with other line ministries and the traditional leadership to scale up and accelerate the planting of a million trees initiative across the country.
The President said learners at schools, colleges and universities and community members must be involved in planting trees in order to protect the environment as well as earn income through backyard orchards.
Mr Lungu pointed out that despite Zambia being one of the most heavily forested countries in the world, it has environmental challenges that are affecting the national economy.
He said his government will ensure that the tree planning on the country is prioritised by all citizens in line with the PF manifesto of supporting sustainable use and management of natural resources.
And Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Jean Kapaya said her ministry will work with schools, colleges, universities and communities to ensure that 100 million trees are planted by 2021.
Ms. Kapata said the initiative will help contribute to food security and improved livelihoods of Zambians.
The minister said Zambia is on course in arresting deforestation following the implementation of several land and environmental management interventions.
Speaking at the same function Higher Education Minister directed that all students at colleges and universities in the country will plant 100 trees per day for three days this year to help achieve the goal of planting a million trees.
Provincial Minister Malozo Sichone said his administration has put in place measures to plant 700,000 trees in the province.
Mr Sichone said the initiative has potential to improve the economic wellbeing of people in rural areas.
Chief Executive Officer of Zambia Plant a million trees Emmanuel Chibesakunda said he was inspired to develop the initiative because of his desire to leave a green legacy for the future generation.
Mr Chibesakunda appealed to government to ensure that Zambians explore the potential of setting up industries from planting trees of economic worth through value addition.
He disclosed that Zambia’s first President Dr Kenneth Kaunda had agreed to the goodwill ambassador of the initiative.
And giving a vote of thanks, Copperbelt University Vice Chancellor Professor Naison Ngoma said there is need for concerted efforts to halt Zambia’s rising deforestation rate of Bout 300, 000 hectares annually.
President Lungu was accompanied by Presidential Affairs Minister Freedom Sikazwe, Eastern Province Minister Makebi Zulu and his Press Aide Amos Chanda.
In attendance at the launch was Senior Chief Nkula, Chiefs Nkweto and ChibesaKunda, senior government and party oficials
Is this to replace the Mukula trees you are looting.
Meanwhile HH is waiting on South African intervention….
Thank you ECL for standing tall in the face of lunatic opposition.
The 1m Trees Project is very noble objective. It’s very painful to see trees being felled at will around country without consideration. We indiscriminately consume what God called us to MANAGE as opposed to exterminating like we have no children who need these trees. These trees & grasslands define our land as captured on our flag. We need continued & sustainable leadership in these areas. Thank you Mr President for finally coming through on this. God Bless Zambia
ECL has no clue what rural life is. Villagers and even town dwellers these days cut those trees for survival. They make charcoal for sale out of the logs. It’s not just a matter of saying “please let’s change our mindset, I am your president you know”. It won’t work. We need to sit down and work out how to progressively wean villagers and the urban poor out of dependency on charcoal burning by switching to alternative means of survival.
What about Mmembe and Kabimba, are they still swiping each other?
I WISH HE WOULD LIVE UP TO WHAT HE SAYS. HE KNOWS HE HAS ALLOWED HIS CHINESE FRIENDS TO LOOT THE COUNTRY OF TREES AND NOW HE IS TRYING TO COVER UP HIS THEFT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
TWO FACED PEOPLE NEVER WIN !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Deforestation does not just happen. The most important need for every human being is heat aka energy.
Sort out the energy situation in the country and the trees will be saved.
No sooner than that tree you are just planting gets 6 feet taller that the charcoal burner’s eye gazes at it lustfully. Chain reaction at play. Hike electricity tariffs and people will resort to deforestation. It’s not personal but objective. Mindset change can not be favoured at the expense of people’s lack of their most important need, Energy.
What happened to the mukula allegations?
So tabakalandepo? Ba Zambia tulifipuba sana
Lungu busy working..keep up the good work…no chance for opposition in 2021
Normal tree planting is reccomended from Nov to December, not end of rain season. what kind of planning is this?
Shambolic planning as usual …just to run away from the office and dance on the tarmac
“President Lungu saddened with rising levels of deforestation”
Really laughable …this petty thief has never commented on Mukula smuggling by his juniors in State House and please someone tell the workshy fooooool that its pointless planting trees in April.
“I wish it was spoken by Childish, then the same narrative would be right!” HaGayGay.
This is great Mr. President. When I come home, I will be spearheading this movement. I will also “burry” the children.
No, this is replace Childish and all childish behaviors!
What do you do in the states your vocabulary is terrible,
Keep it up ECL on this score. This is a laudable initiative! Another strategy is use school children! Each child to plant a tree. This has worked wonders in many places. Rwanda is using the same strategy. When I see the mango trees I had planted when I was in primary school, I feel so good.
Yes I intend to use school children too. Thanks, #8.
I am laughing at a person with a laughing disease!
So if you are laughing at someone with a disease what does that make you?
LEADING BY EXAMPLE.
IN ZIMBABWE A FUNERAL COMPANY IS PLANTING A TREE FOR EACH PERSON BURIED TO HELP COMBAT DEFORESTATION AND DROUGHT IN THE COUNTRY. LILIAN HARONI, THE FUNERAL ASSURANCE COMPANY PLANST A TREE IN GWESHE VILLAGE, IN ZIMBABWE’S MASHONALAND CENTRAL PROVINCE.
ONE WIDOW SAYS SHE PLANTED THE FIRST TREE IN 2010 AFTER THE DEATH OF HER OLDEST CHILD. THE OTHERS WERE PLANTED TOGETHER LATER, AFTER SHE LOST HER THREE REMAINING CHILDREN IN A CAR ACCIDENT. THE 66-YEAR-OLD WIDOW SAID ON EACH OCCASION SHE WAS GIVEN THE AVOCADO SEEDLINGS BY THE FUNERAL ASSURANCE COMPANY, THE COUNTRY’S LARGEST FUNERAL HOME BUSINESS, WITH WHICH SHE HAD TAKEN OUT A POLICY.
It won’t stop until you raise living standards so that Zambians can quit charcoal and building road side shacks & stalls.
Keep it up your exelance mr President ECL ,this is part of job creation
The richest countries in the world maintain forests. In addition to providing ecosystem services, trees generate great wealth. The next to forestry is maintaining grasslands for livestock production. Although having high trade offs on environmental conditions, livestock production is second to forestry. The third wealth creator is fisheries. The least is crop production. Crops can only capture less than 10% of the land and water productivity potential. In conclusion, cutting down trees for charcoal or crop production alone is accelerating poverty for the current and future generations. Tree planting especially locally adapted species, like Mukula is a wealth creation effort. Bravo to the government for the effort. However, unless under irrigation, best to plant at onset of rains.
Keep it up Mr President.
January 2018 china launched plant a billion trees initiative… i wonder who our advisers are.
They also deployed 60000troops for the programme.
Good cause Mr. President! Stay focused and never listen to tribes!
It makes me laughable!
Delusions! Fails to see the petty thief of privatization and sees it in the innocent! Now he is stealing land in Namwala using his Namwalan puppet chiefs whom he is paying to get the land! You don’t see this Mr. Delusional?