Zambia loses between 250,000 to 300,000 hectares of forest every year – Kaziya

Lloyd Kaziya

Minister of Water Development, Environment and Sanitation Lloyd Kaziya has disclosed that Zambia loses between 250,000 to 300,000 hectares of forest every year due to indiscriminate cutting down of trees.

Speaking at Bole International Airport on arrival from Gabon, Mr Kaziya says charcoal burning has been listed as the major cause of deforestation in Zambia.

He says there is need to fight this scourge as it has negative effects on the environment and climate change.

Mr Kaziya says the country would need to find impactful ways of educating the citizenry about smart sources of energy unlike the use of charcoal.

He has suggested that the Ministry of Education would also need to package specific educational messages into the school curriculum so that young people grow up with the culture of not wanting to cut down trees indiscriminately.

He says some of the challenges the country was facing, including persistent droughts, where as a result of effects of climate change.

The minister, who was transiting from Gabon to Zambia through Ethiopia, was welcomed by Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Susan Sikaneta.

This is contained in a statement issued to QTV News by Zambian Embassy in Ethiopia First Secretary Press and Tourism Inutu Mwanza.