Q FM Africa's Modern Radio
Government is in the process of amending the Forests Act to provide for stiffer penalties against those indiscriminately cutting down trees and strengthening enforcement mechanisms against the vice and deforestation.
And ABSA Bank Zambia in partnership with Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) and Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has today launched the Plant and Grow a Million Trees Campaign worth 1.5 million kwacha to be implemented in Chongwe and Mumbwa districts aimed at promoting reforestation.
Officiating at the launch of the project in Chongwe today, Minister of Green Economy and Environment Collins Nzovu says the current Forest Act is weak on penalties leading to unabated illegal activities in the forests.
Mr. Nzovu has however, stated that tree planting or reforestation is one of the easiest and most accessible avenues for the country to start reversing the damages caused by deforestation.
He has since called for concerted efforts from all stakeholders in combating deforestation which results in Zambia losing close to 250,000 hectares of forest a year.
Speaking earlier, ABSA Bank Managing Director, Mizinga Melu says it important that climate change interventions are put into effect as soon as possible to limit and start to reverse the adverse effects of climate change.
Mrs. Melu is confident that the bank’s gesture of planting trees will help in implementing long-term sustainable solutions for climate change in Zambia.