A perspective of indigenous forest management in the SADCC region
1993
Shaba, M. W. M
Indigenous forests in the SADCC region provide a wide range of goods and services that include edible fruits, sawlogs, medicines, honey, poles and fuelwood. About 80% of the population in the SADCC region depends on woodfuel for their cooking, heating and lighting requirements. The management of indigenous forests is, however, beset with a number of problems such as deforestation, inadequate information on the resource necessary for planning and management of it, inadequate trained staff and funds, lack of environmental educational programmes for different target groups, lack of consolidation and harmonisation of legislation, and effective measures for its enforcement. Deforestation, which is currently an immense problem, is a major concern to all the peoples of the region. It has led to various environmental problems such as siltation, soil erosion, desertification, flooding, general land degradation and fuelwood shortages. Every year, over 600 000 ha of forests are cleared giving way to other land-uses. The need for proper management and conservation of indigenous forests is an area of high priority in the SADCC Forestry Programme of Action. In this context, the SADCC Forestry Sector Technical Coordination Unit (FSTCU) has formulated a project on the management of indigenous forests in order to institute sound management and conservation of all forest ecozones throughout the SADCC region. Funding for this project is being sought. It is interesting to note that throughout the SADCC region there is growing interest in the need for sound management of indigenous forests, hence the future prospects for sound management of indigenous forest resources are bright.
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