THE CAMPAIGN OF CONSERVING THE LUNGS OF DAR ES SALAAM WILL RESCUE KAZIMZUMBWI AND PUGU FOREST RESERVE

Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve is a big resource which is available at Ilala district in Dar es Salaam and Kisarawe in coastal region. Different environmental expert claims that, those reserves have resources including different animals and plants. These forests reserves are a source of Kizinga river which are the one of river which preserves water downwards in Dar es Salaam region

Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve are the bigger forests along Dar es Salaam region which are used as the lungs of carbon emission and providing clean air to those peoples who are residing at Dar es Salaam and Kisarawe region. The campaign on conserving Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve are conducted under the REDD project (Reduced Emission from deforestation and forest Degradation) or in Swahili known as HIMADA project that means Hifadhi Mapafu ya Dar es Salaam.

The aim of HIMADA project is to ensure that Pugu and Kazimzumbwi are well managed and protected in order to improve the communities which are adjacent the forests. That reserves’ are very important to help those people adjacent the forest to against and confront the climate change which are recently affecting worldwide including Tanzania.

Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve are highly degraded associated with human activities including cutting down trees for charcoal and wood, lumbering and sand extraction. Big areas along that reserves are remaining very bare and soil erosion are taking place. If the immediate measure won’t be taken people living adjacent to forests and those who are residing at Dar es Salaam and Kisarawe will be highly affected.

Different partners including EMNet, LEAT, WCST, UDBS, SUA and FBD have different outputs which are delegated to them in order to implement that project very successful. Basing on EMNet should ensure that they are doing advocacy and create awareness on those communities living adjacent forest reserve about the importance of conserving Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve.

EMNet should prepare different information to ensure that they deliver different messages to the different groups of people. Those groups of people including, villagers around the forests reserve, foresters, NGO’S, different media and the entire community. The aim was to sharpen the stakeholder’s understanding and motivation in order to enable the sustainable management of Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve.

Activities which have been conducted including preparation of popular version which enable the entire community to get the message concerning of protecting these forest reserves so EMNet already producing popular version from English to Swahili language which explain about the HIMADA project. EMNet also using different media to deliver the message on conserving the lungs of Dar es Salaam.

EMNet should prepare some motivational campaigns which are together with short seminars and workshops on different groups for the aim of providing important comprehension which enable them to participate full on Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve conservation and management.

Training tour around Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest reserve should be considered which aiming on providing an opportunity to different stakeholders to observe the real situation of the forests. Basing on that training tour participant should seat together and ponder what had been observed, the main activities and the challenges they are facing. They will participate well and providing their stand about the Pugu and Kazimzumbwi forest management. Stakeholders who are participating on that training tour should be District commissioners, Ilala and Kisarawe district executive directors and officers as well as FBD (Forest and Bee-keeping Division) executive directors and assistant directors.

So if each partner shall fulfil their activities for the basis of implement HIMADA project, it will prove that the campaign on conserving the lungs of Dar es Salaam will rescue Kazimzumbwi and Pugu forest reserve.

Written by Lina James-YET 2011