Emg Collins Nzovu with Florence Jedidiah Mulenga of STEM Foundation
By DERRICK SINJELA, Saeed Simon Banda and Henry Chunza
THE Centre for International Forestry Research (CIFR) in partnership with the Forestry Department and Forest Farm Facility (FDFFF) will this month end conclude the sustainable Woodfuel project dubbed Governening Multifunctional Landscape which was implemented in four districts namely Mufulira, Mushindamo, Nchelenge, and Choma.
This project which run from 2017 to 2022 funded by the European Union was aimed at analyzing and developing policy options for improving woodfuel value chains and their impacts on livelihoods with the main focus on addressing some of the key knowledge, technical and policy gaps related to forest, land governance, trade-in informal, ultimate sustainable forest land use management among others.
Speaking during the Project closure workshop in Lusaka today, CIFOR Senior Researcher Kaala Moomba highlighted some of the agreements with the targeted communities who want to see the development of proposals on community-based forest restoration, adoption of community forest management groups as well as benefiting from Constituency Development Fund as other alternatives to refrain from deforestation which are normally used for charcoal production.
Speaking area, a Zambian-based Scientist Dr. Davison Gumbo is hopeful that the project will further assist in upscaling the low levels of engagement with stakeholders in woodfuel sustainability issues to come up with appropriate decisions to enhance sustainable skills development and various empowerments among the community members mostly in rural areas.
Meanwhile, Ministry of Green Economy Forestry Department Acting Director Victor Chiiba has commended CIFOR for undertaking such an initiative saying more funding is required to extend it to the rest of the country.
ends
