Staff Reporter
President Emmerson Mnangagwa has urged the nation to prioritize tree planting, highlighting that the survival of the forest determines the nation`s desired progress in the development of a nation.
The President said this yesterday speaking at the ZANU PF 7th National People’s Congress tree planting event.
“The importance of tree planting as one of the means to restore our forests and bio-diversity cannot be overemphasized. It is the survival of our forest resources that determines our desired progress in our development endeavors as a nation,” said President Mnangagwa.
The President stated that at the global level, hectares of forest land continue to be lost through the conversion of land to various uses adding that in Zimbabwe it has resulted in deforestation. He reiterated that communities must be urged to implement measures to protect the forest.
“We must, therefore, urge our communities to continue implementing measures to protect our natural forest resources. This is more important as forests provide physical products and ecosystem services. These include among others, a habitat for land-based species, climate change mitigation, buffering storms and floods, provision of shelter and jobs as well as security for forest-dependent communities,” said President Mnangagwa.
President Mnangagwa emphasized that the nation must reverse negative trends associated with over-exploitation of trees and forest destruction by wild land fires. He further directed stakeholders in the environment sub-sector to implement the National Environmental Action Plan and other strategies towards scaling up afforestation programmes.
Meanwhile President Mnangagwa has challenged delegates to the 7th National People`s Congress and all other Zimbabweans countrywide to take tree planting seriously and also do it at their respective homes and farms.
Tree planting in Zimbabwe remains top priority in the country. The nation commemorates tree planting day every year on the first Saturday of December. The day is set aside to motivate the nation to plant and conserve trees, enlighten the nation on the importance of forests, enhance biodiversity and household food security.
