TZ losing 300,000 hectares of forest annually
Tanzania is losing one per cent of its forestland every year
What you need to know:
Finish ambassador Simo-Pekka Parviainen said the loss is attributed to the unsustainable utilisation of forests to meet increasing demand for raw material.
Dar es Salaam. A report by Finish-funded National Forest Resources Monitoring and Assessment group (Naforma), shows that Tanzania is losing more than 300,000 hectares of forest annually.
The amount equals to one per cent of Tanzania’s forest area.
The report was unveiled yesterday during the launch of the Mama Misitu TV campaign.
Finish ambassador Simo-Pekka Parviainen said the loss is attributed to the unsustainable utilisation of forests to meet increasing demand for raw material.
“Forests are an incredibly rich source of natural resources, but millions of hectares are destroyed every year to meet the increasing demand for paper, wood and other products,” said Mr Parviainen.
He added that if the trend is not reversed, Tanzania and the earth at large is likely to lose its forests for good, which will have adverse effects on a global economic scale.
In a bid to address the matter, Switzerland is now supporting government’s efforts in fighting against unsustainable use of charcoal, by preparing the next phase of transforming Tanzania’s charcoal sector project.
The representative of Switzerland at the event, Ueli Mauderli said: “We are working at home with stakeholders from Tanzania to ensure sustainable forest management methods will soon be in place.”
