Govt recognises economic value of forests, seek sustainability

HELEN ZULU writes@SunZambianGOVERNMENT recognises the importance of forests as a source of income and wealth generation for individual households and the country in general and will endeavour to manage the resource sustainably, Minister of Land and Natural Resources Jean Kapata has said.And Higher Education minister Brian Mushimba is concerned that land account findings show that […]

Govt recognises economic value of forests, seek sustainability
HELEN ZULU writes@SunZambianGOVERNMENT recognises the importance of forests as a source of income and wealth generation for individual households and the country in general and will endeavour to manage the resource sustainably, Minister of Land and Natural Resources Jean Kapata has said.And Higher Education minister Brian Mushimba is concerned that land account findings show that forest cover and wetlands have reduced overtime due to agriculture and urbanisation.Last week, three technical reports aimed at promoting sustainable development by ensuring that natural resources were mainstreamed in development planning were launched.This is in line with a World Bank-led Wealth Accounting and Valuation of Ecosystem Services (WAVES) initiative that was formed to enhance sustainable utilisation of natural resources for development, planning and national economic accounts.Zambia joined the WAVES partnership in 2017 and embarked on developing six accounts, namely forestry, land, water, tourism, energy and minerals and had so far developed three accounts.Ms Kapata disclosed that forest natural capital account report has shown how economic activities may be affecting natural resources.“Forests occupy a large area of our country and provide much of the Zambian population with various products for their livelihoods. Therefore, forests and woodlands are significant to Zambia’s social economic and cultural development. They have several ecological functions including providing habitat for wildlife, organic matter to fertilize and nurture the soil, protecting the soil from erosion and cleaning the air of greenhouse gases,” Ms Kapata said.“Unfortunately, assessments of the state of our forests indicate that there is a decline in forest resources due to degradation and deforestation which consequently worsen soil erosion and siltation to water bodies,” she said.She adds that the economic value of forests is also achieved through eco-tourism, timber and various wood-based products including source of fuel, medicines, fruits, honey and mushroom.And Dr. Mushimba said the land natural resource account is key to national development and commended the team for putting up a rich technical report.He expressed concern that land account findings show that forest cover and wetlands have reduced over time.Dr. Mushimba called for close collaboration in understanding relationship between natural and human induced change of land use and other natural capital.Natural capital forms a large share of Zambia’s wealth and is integral to its national development. The sustainable management of these natural resources is vital and keeping track of changes over time is imperative. The Sun