Environment Africa seeks to regenerate Southern Africa's environment

Zimbabwe was once a green and beautiful country. Lush, thick forests the colour of emeralds dominated the landscape.

Today, that picture is history. The need for firewood, aggravated by the high cost of paraffin, has left huge scars of barren and heavily deforested land in communal areas. To make matters worse, new farmers under the government's controversial fast-track resettlement programme have plundered the forests that were under the protection of commercial farms.

But an environmental organisation has taken it upon itself to revive this once beautiful image that reigned not only in Zimbabwe but also in most southern African countries.

Environment Africa, formerly Environment 2000, has come up with a big plan to reclaim the losses. The organisation has devised a continental, plant-a-tree campaign called "Tree Africa," which will concentrate on the southern African region, with the expectation that it will spread across the continent.

The campaign, launched in Zimbabwe on March 26, 2002, will be corporate and community-driven, and is intended to generate the planting of one million indigenous tree-seeds over the next 12 months in an effort to regenerate Zimbabwe's environment.

It is an effort to "help tree" deforested lands in southern Africa and will be called by each country's name, whenever it starts in that particular country. In Zimbabwe, the initiative is dubbed the "Help Tree Zimbabwe" campaign. When it moves to the two other countries that are next in line, it will be "Help Tree Mozambique" and "Help Tree Zambia."

"The programme will involve more than just trees and get people involved in real and live action programmes," says Charlene Hewat, Director of Environment Africa. "We need trees for air because without them we can't have enough air to breathe."

The aim is to get as many people as possible involved in tree planting, both in the country and in the region.

"The support of the corporate world and individuals to sponsor trees for communal areas is vital," says Hewat. "We want as many corporate bodies, associations, schools, and individuals to participate in this exciting and action-oriented campaign. Get up and do something to make a difference. Imagine, for every child, a tree.

"Every $200 (US$3.06) that is donated plants a tree. We'll plant your trees where they are most needed and send you a beautiful certificate as a gift. Trees also make a great gift. Give trees today for any occasion."

The overall Tree Africa campaign aims to involve many people in Africa and the world to grow or sponsor trees for southern Africa. Becoming part of the campaign will help the environment for generations to come, she says.

"Trees are life, they are the very thing that provides us, humans, with the air we breathe and with shelter, medicine, fuel, food," Hewat says. "Trees give us wood for furniture, art and crafts and musical instruments. Trees contribute to rainfall and water storage, to wildlife habitat and bio-diversity. Trees clean the air and reduce global warming. Yes, without trees there is no way we would survive."

The campaign also seeks to raise awareness about the importance of trees and the environment as a whole for human survival, she says.

Zimbabwe's Forestry Commission, a government parastatal, has welcomed Environment Africa's blueprint to re-green the whole country, and says it is a partner in development whose efforts complement those of the commission.

The commission does not give financial support, but provides technical know-how through its officers who are geographically placed throughout the country. "As a parastatal mandated by government to look after national forestry resources, we assist with technical knowledge and mobilise communities whenever required," says Lloyd Mubaiwa, the Forestry Commission's operations manager responsible for forestry extension and conservation.

"We definitely support the Help Tree Zimbabwe campaign as it assists us in our efforts as well," he says.

In Africa, trees provide many of life's day-to-day necessities. Their disappearance has resulted in greatly reduced food production and is a contributing cause of recurring drought and famine. Trees prevent soil erosion, help the soil retain moisture and nutrients, and add moisture to the air, resulting in increased rainfall.

Reliable rainfall, in turn, combats the severe droughts that lead to widespread famine in Africa. Environmentalists say planting trees in Africa is an important step towards achieving a secure, self-sufficient food supply, improved health and prosperity for the African people. It is also good for the whole world, as trees contribute to the fight against global warming.

"The trees will be planted in areas appropriate for the tree species and people within the area," says Mubaiwa. "One of the key issues we are keen to get right is that these trees will not be destroyed in the process of being planted."