Zambia is losing 300,000 hectares of land annually due to deforestation, making it the biggest loser on the African continent.
Green Economy and Environment Minister COLLINS NZOVU says Zambia is now ranked third worldwide in forest degradation because of the rate it is losing its land to deforestation.
Speaking during the launch of the Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Climate Change Strategic Plan and the Kavango Zambezi Transboundary Conservation Area -KAZA Regional Meeting, Mr. NZOVU called on Members of Parliament to help in the fight against deforestation.
And Second Deputy Speaker MOSES MOYO disclosed that Parliament will soon embark on a project to plant one thousand plants at each parliamentary constituency countrywide.
Meanwhile, Tourism Minister RODNEY SIKUMBA said the launch of the Zambian Parliamentary Caucus on Environment and Climate Change Strategic Plan comes at a time when Zambia recently assumed the chairmanship of the KAZA Ministers’ Committee for two years.
Mr. SIKUMBA said the vision of the KAZA is to establish a world class transfrontier conservation area and tourism destination in the Okavango and Zambezi river basin regions.
Members of Parliament from Angola, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana are attending the meeting in Lusaka.
And Parliamentary Caucus Chairperson TWAAMBO MUTINTA said the caucus has made a lot of strides since its formation in 2012.
Mr. MUTINTA said the caucus has been involved in many policy formulation issues on the environment in the country.
