ZANIS COPY – Importance of tree planting realized in Chipata

Importance of tree planting realized in Chipata

Chipata, February 9, ZANIS —–A total of 300,000 tree seedlings will be raised for the 2013/14 season at Msipazi nursery in Chipata district in Eastern Province.

Luangeni Member of Parliament Charles Zulu disclosed during the tree planting exercise held at Chikando Basic School in Chipata yesterday that the tree planting exercise will raise 11000 seedlings through 256 registered private tree nurseries in Eastern Province.

Mr Zulu who is also Energy and Water Development Deputy Minister said government will have to buy all the tree seedlings from the registered nurseries as a way of putting more money into peoples’ pockets.

He stated that the exercise had already employed 70 local people who were doing the work.

The parliamentarian said that Chipata district had been assigned to plant 1000 trees in each constituency.

Mr Zulu stated that he was aware that trees played a pivotal role in people’s daily lives economically and socially in the wellbeing of the people in the district through the provision of food, timber, protection of watershed and sound productive ecosystems.

He said the forestry department sector had the potential to contribute positively in poverty reduction through the creation of employments in various sectors such as wood processing industries, carpentry, honey and bee wax industries.

He stated that forests were also providing habitats to wildlife which was a major factor in tourism.

“The only key factor is the active participation of all stakeholders in the management and utilization of forest in order to turn our trees and forests into ‘green gold’ apart from poverty alleviation,” Mr Zulu said.

Mr Zulu also said trees were providing a safe net of climate change adoption through their genetic resources and eco-system services.

He said the global carbon cycle and mitigation of climate change has an increase to resilience of ecosystems and landscapes to climate change.

Mr Zulu who also noted that Chipata district has already started experiencing the effects of climate change as a real phenomenon has urged all stakeholders to join hands in the tree planting exercise.