BuaNews (Tshwane)
Edwin Tshivhidzo
29 August 2005
Government has planned several greening and tree planting activities to celebrate Arbor Week which starts this Thursday.
The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry says the theme - Plant a tree - Grow our future - focuses on the contribution that the forestry sector and trees are making in creating a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it.
Arbor Week - from 1-7 September - comes at a time when the forestry sector is poised for growth and where the opportunity within the sector to contribute to black economic empowerment is being tackled in the form of the development of a forestry charter.
The department says the charter process must be seen as an opportunity for the sector to grow, expand, transform and open up to previously disadvantaged individuals and communities.
"The time is ripe for the forestry sector to embrace the values and vision of a South Africa that truly belongs to all who live in it.
"The forestry charter process has now reached a crucial stage, with consultative workshops to be held in Mpumalanga, Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal from 12-16 September," says the department.
It says this is an opportunity for all those in the forestry sector or those who are impacted by it to contribute to the charter process.
The week also takes stock of the forest sectors' contribution to the economy and its involvement in alleviating poverty and unemployment, especially in rural areas.
"We are driven by a vision of forests being managed for people and that we need to create an enabling environment for economic and social development through sustainable forestry, especially at community level," says the department.
A recent study has shown that the forestry sector employs more than 170 000 people and contributes about two percent to the country's GDP.
"We also need to acknowledge that much more work needs to be done in the management of our precious indigenous forests, especially their protection which forms part of our rich heritage."
The department says there is also a need to continue the greening initiatives in the townships and rural areas.
The week will also see the launch of the National Forest Programme (NFP) Review as well as the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS).
The NFP will seek to chart the direction of forestry within the country for the next five to ten years, and will involve broad consultation with forest sector stakeholders.
One of the major activities is the launch of the Greening of Kliptown Project, in Soweto today.
Other activities include the launch of the Afforestation Programme for the Eastern Cape in Idutywa on 1 September, the Ekurhuleni Greening and Fruit Tree Project on 2 September, the celebration of the Small Growers Programme, in Kwambonambi, KwaZulu-Natal on 5 September, Trees for Homes Project in Jan Kemp Dorp, in the Northern Cape on 6 September and the launch of the Fire Danger Rating System in the Western Cape on 7 September.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2005 BuaNews. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
