Fact:    Zimbabwe has lost 15% of its tree cover in the last 15 years
Fact:    At the current rate of loss Zimbabwe will be a desert within 35 years.
Deforestation is the “permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands”
In 1990 forest cover as a percentage of total land area in Zimbabwe was 57%
By 2010 this percentage had reduced to 38% *



A loss of over 7,500,000 hectares – over 3 ½ times the size of Wales.

Tree cover is of vital importance.  Trees stabilize the soil, absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), collect and recycle water, regulate the climate and overall help maintain the very important balance in the natural world.

However, wood is also of vital importance and is a necessity in the daily lives of many Zimbabweans.

Trees, shrubs and plants are used for a wide variety of reasons:

Shelter: Providing the framework for homes, giving shelter from both sun and storms

Cooking: Everyday meals are cooked over open fires

Warmth: During the cool winter months temperatures plummet during the night

Food: Fruits, seeds, roots can all be used

Medicine: Trees shrubs and plants  have, for generations, been used to make medicines (muti)

Protection: Rural villages surround their livestock with fences (kraals) for protection from wildlife

Carving: Curios are a frequent sight and the sides of roads and in craft markets.

In recent years severe electricity rationing has resulted in deforestation in areas adjacent to urban areas as people used the wood for fuel. This also made way for the land to be used for farming and agriculture.

Illegal commercial logging is also a problem, with timber exported to neighboring countries often being sold at less than market value.  The Zimbabwean Timber Producers Federation (TPF) estimated that in 2005 over $1,5 trillion was lost through illegal fires and harvesting.  In fact Zimbabwe was one of the top ten countries for deforestation between 2000 – 2006 (TPF).

It is of vital importance that we try to find some sustainable answers to the problem of continued deforestation.  Should an answer not be found, there will be severe consequences:

• Without tree coverage a daytime shade temperature of 98 degrees will soar to 130 degrees
• Lack of trees means lack of tree roots. With no roots to hold the soil together heavy rainfall will result in increased surface runoff and may result in localized flooding.
• Flooding and erosion washes away any minerals and insects present in the topsoil.
• Flooding will result in the degradation of local rivers and streams. The water temperature will be raised closer to the banks, there may be more flash floods and less oxygen in the water will affect the aquatic habitat.
• Soil exposed to harsh sunshine ‘bakes’. Any moisture evaporates straight back into the atmosphere leading to desert conditions.
• Less tree cover means less CO2 absorption – more carbon dioxide means more heat trapped, adding to the greenhouse effect.
• Lack of fertile soil will result in a loss of vegetation. Habitat will reduce or disappear for a large number of species resulting in a decrease in diversity, making room for invasive non-native plants (lantana).

Overall we have to find sustainable solutions and alternatives to the illegal felling and poaching of trees. It is not feasible to ‘tell’ people they cannot use wood for their basic requirements.  What we can do is help shift the emphasis away from destroying the hardwood forests by providing sustainable alternatives:

Plant quick growing trees for building / cooking

Consider fruit trees for food and income

Plant nitrogen fixers to improve soil quality

Encourage the use of fuel efficient stoves – these can save up to 65% timber use

Educate – Teach the children and explain what will happen if these trees continue to be poached. Involve them in their own nursery programmes at school – involving the establishment of small plots, planting and caring for the trees and shrubs.

It is not to late to take action  – but we need to act now.
*U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation  (FAO)