23 Mar 2022

Continued deforestation caused by human activities such as indiscriminate cutting of live trees, harvesting of thatching grass accompanied by climate change poses a major challenge to sustainable development. 

Speaking on Tuesday at the 2022 commemoration of International Day of Forests in Mokungwane village in the central district, Department of Forestry and Range Resources district coordinator, Mr Desmond Serero said the immense pressure on the environment led to land degradation, which he said was almost impossible to reverse. 

“It is therefore on this basis that a call must be made to us all to introspect and consider sustainable utilisation of our renewable resources,” he said. 

He reminded the nation that forests provided food, water and shelter to animals and human beings. 

Mr Serero said sustainable forest management and resource use were critical in preventing climate change and contributing to present and future generations’ prosperity and well-being. 

Forests, he said, could reduce the impact of life threating misfortunes such as soil erosion leading to floods and further land degradation. He noted that when carefully planted, trees could act as wind and fire breakers, while keeping trees next to farmland could protect crops from erosion during heavy rains. Mr Serero said in the quest of promoting sustainable development and greater protection of forests, the central district had embarked on extensive outreach to enable local communities to take the lead in tree planting as well as conservation and management of forest resources. “It is believed that through such interventions, Central district communities will endure the benefits derived from renewable resources,” he said and urged all to remember that trees and forests were a big part of nature-based solutions to mitigate and adapt to climate change. 

For his part, councilor for Mokungwane, Mr Dikakanyo Mojaphiri commended the Department of Forestry and Range Resources for having seen it fit to commemorate the day in his village. 

He said the nation’s forbearers wisely preserved certain plant species that the current generation should equally conserve for progeny. He encouraged those who were

 given trees at the event to take proper care of them. 

The 2022 International Day of Forests was commemorated under the theme: forests and sustainable production and consumption. 

The day, set aside by the United Nations National General Assembly in 2012 is meant to honor and promote awareness about the value of all types of forests to economic, social, environmental and cultural well-being, as well as their vital role in poverty eradication and food security. BOPA