Chongwe traditional leaders call for ban on charcoal production following worsening deforestation

Rampant deforestation in Chongwe has worried traditional leaders, warning that the area risks turning into a desert if no urgent action is taken,

Prince Kabwata Nkomeshya of Chieftainess Nkomeshya Mukamambo II’s Busoli Royal Establishment says the widespread cutting down of trees is worsening the environmental crisis in the chiefdom.

Prince Kabwata Nkomeshya was speaking during a meeting between the royal establishment and the Forestry Department, facilitated by the Keepers Zambia Foundation on Saturday.

“We have lost a lot of forest in our chiefdom, and the land is turning into a desert,” he said.

The meeting aimed to push for the formation of Natural Resource Management Units in all wards of the district to curb deforestation.

The growing concerns over deforestation prompted some traditional leaders to propose banning charcoal production in the district.

“Can we write a letter to the Director of Forestry to ban the production of charcoal in Chongwe?” one headwoman asked.

Responding to the proposal, Chongwe District Forestry Technician, Doreen Mungomba, said such a measure could be considered if local leaders strongly felt it was necessary to protect forests.

“We can go that direction if you feel that the forest is depleting,” she said.

Mungomba, however, emphasised that the focus should not only be on restrictions but also on community-led solutions such as tree planting and regulated forest use.

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