NAIROBI, Kenya:June 20 (Xinhua) — Sustainable management and utilization of forest products is key to accelerating green growth in Africa and countries must enact legislation and policies to halt depletion of this natural asset, experts have said.
Africa has a forest cover of 670 million hectares and this resource underpins survival of rural communities and is as well critical to water, energy and food supply for burgeoning urban populations.
“Forest resources if used wisely can bring significant transformation in Africa. The resource can be harnessed to improve livelihood of local communities,” said Godwin Kowero, the Executive Secretary, African Forest Forum, a Nairobi based lobby.
The ongoing sustainable development summit in the Brazilian Capital, Rio de Jenairo, will devote significant attention to forests and their role in advancing inclusive social economic progress.
“The key issues for the forestry sector at Rio +20 summit will revolve around harnessing this resource to secure environmental protection within a broader context of climate change,” Kowero told Xinhua in an interview in Nairobi.
The Africa Forest Forum, a network of non-profit organizations involved in forest conservation, has sent a delegation to Rio +20 summit to press governments to focus on forests in advancing a new sustainable development regime.
“We are looking at the role of forests in supporting national economies, livelihoods, and attainment of green growth,” said Kowero. African governments should raise the profile of forests in climate change mitigation and adaptation programs, he said.
“There is an emerging consensus globally on the need to harness the capacity of trees to capture carbon, ensure clean water supply, improve landscapes and promote human health,” he said.
Kowero stressed forests are key to poverty alleviation and improvement of rural livelihoods, adding several African countries have made incremental progress in expanding their forest cover. “It is true that forest depletion is rife in some countries while others have contained the menace considerably,” he said.
“In east Africa, nations are working hard to expand forest cover through a mixture of incentives that include tree on farms and nationwide reforestation programs,” Kowero said. He reiterated sustainable forest management is dependent on social economic advancement of local communities.
Deputy Director General of the Nairobi based World Agro forestry Centre (ICRAF), August Temu, noted forests in Africa are critical to greening of landscapes, protection of watersheds and promotion of climate-resilient agriculture.
“Trees provide a buffer against climate change. Their genetic wealth should be valued to boost national economies,” Temu told Xinhua.
He revealed that globally, there would be a shortage of phosphates, a key ingredient in manufacture of synthetic fertilizers.
“The shift will be on inorganic phosphates that are largely derived from trees and shrubs. Protecting forests means that ever- green farming can be sustained in Africa,” said Temu.
Temu said market for forest products is growing and African countries can position themselves to grab a slice of the pie. “Foreign investors are eyeing Africa’s nascent market for forest products including medicinal herbs, wild honey, timber and fiber,” he said.
“This is an opportunity for countries to strengthen forest conservation at all levels in order to participate in the new trade,” Temu said. The Kenyan government has prioritized forestry sector to promote social economic development as outlined in the country’s vision 2030 blue print.
Gideon Gathaara, the Conservation Secretary of Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, noted strategic sectors of the country’s economy are wholly dependent on forests.
“Agriculture production wholly relies on forests to survive. Cultivation of tea and coffee, major sources of foreign exchange earnings are linked to forests,” said Gathaara. Kenya has fast-tracked development of policies and legislation to boost management of forests focusing on inclusive participation of communities and other users of forest products.
“We are in the process of formulating a national forest program that captures broad areas of governance, trading and community participation,” Gathaara said.
Temu noted Africa’s wealth lies in genetic resources, yet the products are not well harvested by the governments. He urged governments to develop policies that enable scientists to move science out of classrooms to actual practice.
“Lack of capacity in education and research is to blame for Africa’s underdevelopment of the forestry industry,” he said. (Xinhua)
