Harare — FORESTRY Company of Zimbabwe has embarked on programme to revive forest plantations in the country's urban areas as it moves to re-green the cities and mitigate the effects of climate change that comes with deforestation.

FORESTRY Company of Zimbabwe has embarked on programme to revive forest plantations in the country's urban areas as it moves to re-green the cities and mitigate the effects of climate change that comes with deforestation.

The programme is expected to see an estimated total of 300 000 hectares put under exotic and indigenous trees for this summer season.

Forestry Conservation and Extension officer for Harare Mr Kudzanai Gwande yesterday said there was a need to replace the trees that have been chopped over the years to minimise the effects of deforestation.

He said his company was disturbed by the rate of deforestation in the country.

"A pilot project of 90 hectares has already been launched in Dzivarasekwa while ten hectares have already been planted with eucalyptus grandis and the rest with indigenous trees.

"Negotiations with the city of Harare are underway for more land to establish such plantations. Discussions are also underway with other local authorities while seed lots are being established for the purpose," Mr Gwande said.

He said forests bordering towns and cities were being seriously affected by indiscriminate cutting down of trees for firewood and agriculture purposes.

FCZ is currently working with environmental organisations like Environmental Management Agency, Environment Africa and Zimbabwe Environmental Lawyers Association to curb the rampant abuse of forests in the country.

Environment Africa Regional Manager Mr Barnabas Mawire said forests were considered as a biological climate regulator and hence should be protected.

" Urban forests help in regulating urban climates, the generation of precipitation and in the process prevent excessive warming of the atmosphere through absorbing excessive energy. It should be everyone's responsibility to promote the growth of trees," Mr Mawire said.

He bemoaned the current state of Cleveland catchment area in Harare urging the local authority to regulate activities in the area.

Recurrent power outages and general lack of monitoring have resulted in a 100 percent increase in deforestation from between 200 000 hectares and 312 000 hectares within a year, a situation that has been blamed on general lack of effective monitoring by the respective authorities.

Zimbabwe is loosing an estimated 300 000 hectares of forests annually due to illegal tree felling in peri-urban farming strengthening the need for intensified environmental conservation campaigns.