Salima to plant 1.5 million trees

Salima district forestry officer Adam Jason says the district plans to plant over 1.5 million trees during the 2019-2020 tree planting season.

He said this in an interview yesterday. Jason said the exercise will mitigate climate change effects such as floods that the district experiences.

He said: “Careless cutting down of trees leads to many challenges that affect people such as reduced crop production, strong winds and floods.

“So, the planting of trees seeks to curb such challenges.”

Jason also said the council has engaged communities in tree planting exercises as one way of ensuring their survival.

“Community engagement in the exercise will enhance care of the trees as people pay little attention to trees and forests thinking they belong to government,” he said.

Salima district disaster risk management officer Humphreys Magalasi said they are working with the forestry office to ensure climate change challenges are dealt with.

He said: “We have planned to start planting trees in areas that are mostly hit by floods and other disasters.

“We have also intensified sensitisation campaign for people to move from lowland areas to upland areas.”

Group village head Phaka pledged  support towards the tree planting exercise and asked communities to be proactive.