Naruseb urges Namibians to plant trees

OMARURU – Minister of agriculture Alpheus !Naruseb has urged Namibians to rededicate themselves to planting, protecting and conserving trees to avoid deforestation.

Speaking at the national Arbour Day celebration at Omaruru on Friday, !Naruseb said it must be a collective and individual commitment in Namibia to reduce deforestation, while promoting sustainable livelihoods for all forest dependent communities.

Globally, Arbour Day provides a platform to raise awareness on the importance of forests and trees. Namibia has been celebrating this day on every second Friday in October for the past 27 years where citizens are encouraged to plant trees. !Naruseb said it is important for people to note that deforestation is mostly caused by the unsustainable conversion of forest land to agriculture and livestock areas, and this threatens not only the livelihoods of foresters, forest communities and indigenous peoples, but also the variety of life on the planet.

“The livelihoods and food security of many of the world’s rural poor depend on vibrant forests and trees, where around 250 million people live in forest and savannah areas. Access to forest products, goods and services is vital for the livelihoods and resilience of the poorest households, acting as safety nets in difficult times,” he noted. He further noted that this year’s Arbour Day is celebrated under the theme ‘Forests Enhance Resilience to Drought: Plant Trees to Mitigate Climate Change Risks’ with the tree of the year being Baikiaea plurijuga (Zambezi teak).

“The Namibian government has declared Baikiaea plurijuga (Zambezi teak) as the tree of the year for 2019 due to its importance for environmental stability and socio-economic importance.

!Naruseb added that the government has a very important role of protecting and managing forests through vigilantly patrolling them for illegal loggers, as well as the issuing of permits to ensure regulated and sustainable utilisation of forest resources.

Meanwhile, all forestry office employees in the ministry of agriculture at Katima Mulilo gathered at the town council building on Friday to celebrate national Arbour Day, where !Naruseb’s speech was delivered to them

Speaking at the event, Katima Mulilo mayor Georgina Mwiya Simataa said it does not mean trees should only be planted on this day; people should make sure they plant trees every day if possible, for the benefit of the existing and future generations.

– Nampa