The Sunday News
Fortunes Matutu, Forest Conservationist
IN the forest conservation world it has often been said that until you dig a hole, plant a tree, water it, and make it live, you have not understood the true meaning of life.
The phrase has inspired the annual National Tree Planting Day (NTPD) which is commemorated every first Saturday of December and yesterday was the day. In honour of the day, the nation has been encouraged to plant a tree and spread the message of tree planting and tree conservation, which enhances our biodiversity and mitigates climatic change.
In these times of climate change and challenging livelihood situations, tree planting is one essential alternative livelihood option. Trees provide a variety of products, services, and goods that are crucial to human survival and climate regulation.
Besides timber and wood products, forests provide various non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that support livelihoods.
Unfortunately, due to exploitation, Zimbabwe is losing 262 349 ha of forest land to deforestation each year. Throughout Zimbabwe; deforestation and subsequent land degradation threaten livelihoods, happiness, food security, water security, and energy security for millions of people.
This rate of deforestation demands massive tree planting by everyone across all sectors. Zimbabwe has set a target of planting 25 million trees this planting season. The target will be met by a variety of sectors, individuals, communities, and institutions participating in tree-planting initiatives.
This year’s theme for NTPD is ‘Trees and Forests for Ecosystem Restoration and Improved Livelihoods.’ The theme is in line with the United Nations Declaration on the Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. It also addresses the National Development Strategy NDS1, which aims to put in place mechanisms for environmental protection, climate resilience, and natural resources management as the nation develops towards an upper-middle economy by 2030.
It is only through everyone’s participation that we can achieve 25 million trees planted and an ecosystem restored. If every person in Zimbabwe plants at least two trees on national tree planting day we will be able to reverse deforestation and continue enjoying the intrinsic benefits of trees. This year sector-specific targets have been set for tree planting. Sectors such as agriculture, energy, forestry, local government and mines have been targeted and encouraged to plant trees.
The Government has initiated a green initiative programme for the beautification of towns and cities in Zimbabwe through urban reafforestation. The initiative dubbed ‘Beautification of Cities and Towns — Green Movement Initiative’ will support the country’s efforts to plant trees and the creation of smart cities.
Planting trees in urban areas is generally governed by the “3-30-300” rule, which identifies the minimum requirement for tree planting. The rule stipulates that in an urban environment, each resident should be able to see at least three trees from their homes; each neighbourhood should have 30 percent tree canopy coverage, and the distance from a high-quality public green space should not exceed 300 metres.
Along with the beautification of towns and cities, the Renewed Rural Reforestation Programme is also planting trees in communal areas. Zimbabwe’s rural forest resources are under deforestation pressure impacted by additional economic activities, including, but not limited to, artisanal small-scale mining, rural infrastructure development, and the commodification of fuelwood for urban settlements as a result of the national energy crisis.
The renewed rural afforestation program targets rural households, rural-based institutions such as schools, health centres, growth points, rural service centres and roadsides with ornamental tree planting or conservation of remnants of native forest patches to increase vegetation cover.
Farmers are also being encouraged to integrate tree systems into their agriculture activities such as adopting agroforestry practices, establishing orchards and woodlots, fodder production, and restoration of degraded lands and grazing areas. All these activities, promote tree planting and tree conservation.
Trees are being planted by rural farmers along with crops to enhance their yield and provide fruit and timber as well. This form of integration increases soil organic matter, and soil filtration and improves fertility.
This is because trees in agroforestry increase the soil’s ability to absorb and retain water, produce nutrients for plants, maintain high levels of organic matter in the soil, and moderate soil temperatures.
For successful agroforestry, farmers need to consult and ensure they select the right species that will bring positive symbiotic relations with their crops or livestock.
Another tree-planting initiative is the Tobacco Wood Energy Programme. Tobacco farming is one of the leading drivers of deforestation in Zimbabwe. It requires vast amounts of wood for curing, poles and sticks for barn construction, and in some cases clearing land for cultivation.
As a solution, the Government introduced the (TWEP) to fund forestation activities in tobacco-growing areas. Under TWEP, tobacco growers can now obtain tree seedlings from the Forestry Commission district offices free of charge.
The mining sector also needs to partake in tree planting. Deforestation occurs directly in the mining sector due to the establishment of or expansion of extraction sites, tailing storage facilities, waste rock dumps, on-site processing facilities, roads, and timber for supporting shafts. It is common for artisanal miners to start veld fires to clear land for metal detectors to find gold.
As part of the national tree planting day commemorations, one tree is designated Tree of the Year and promoted for planting nationwide. A number of factors came into play in selecting this tree: it is indigenous to Zimbabwe, it has important food and/or medicinal properties, and it has the potential for social-economic development.
The tree of the year this year is Waterberry also known as Syzygium cordatum, Umdoni or Mukute.
This is a water-loving evergreen medium-sized tree growing up to 15m and is usually found in swampy areas and river banks. The tree has multiple uses in the ecosystem. The bitter-tasting fruits are eaten raw or used to make an alcoholic beverage while some use the ripe fruit to cook jam. The leaves are browsed by all kinds of browsers, the fruits are loved by birds, and the flowers produce lots of nectar for bees making it a choice species for beekeepers.
The reddish brown to greyish wood is used to make high-end market furnishers, and construction materials for houses and boats while the off-cuts offer high calory firewood.
Waterberry is used as a medicinal plant to treat a variety of illnesses. The extracts of the tree are used as a remedy for stomach aches, diarrhoea, respiratory ailments, mild diabetes mellitus and glucose intolerance. Roots and bark are boiled and the decoction is used as a remedy for indigestion and giddiness.
As part of the commemorations, the Tree of The Year will be promoted for planting nationwide alongside other tree species. Commemorations are being done across all districts and provinces by state and private sectors.
Fortunes Matutu is a forester with the Forestry Commission and has a special interest in social forestry
