WHERE IS THE COMMUNITY TO CONSERVE OUR NATURAL FORESTRY?

Natural forest that are found in different places in our country has been destroyed while they are the main source of important services that we depend much in our well being such as the source of water, fresh air, rainfall and climate regulation in general.
Chimala village is one of the villages that is adjacent to Chimala natural forest reserve that has been destroyed due to livestock keepers tend to burn forest so as new pasture generate to feed their animals in the coming season, they also send their animals to the water sources while others are cultivating close to the water sources, others are harvesting trees for timber, fire wood, charcoal and building materials. This has lead to some of these services to decrease, as the evidence water sources and five rivers have been dried.
The communities which are living around Chimala Natural Forest Reserve engage mainly in small scale agriculture. Majority owns less than one acre of rice farm and spend most of their time in farming activities. At the same time communities from near by villages which practices overgrazing moves from one area to another searching for pasture and water to feed their animals this resulted from drought in their areas.
When I was discussing with them on the benefits of protecting natural forest some of them admitted to know while others said did’t know and that they cannot protect forest that does not give them any benefits, To mention the few those who knew the benefits they claimed to depend on the forest for their well being like fire wood and charcoal since they don’t have any other alternative source of energy and income.
They admitted to face water scarcity problem, After Agro forestry discussion they noticed the important of conserving forest and accepted positively the concept of agro forestry practices as one of environmental conservation especially forest, they promised to practice agro forestry so that they can no longer depends on the natural forest for their needs hence to allow the forest to regenerate and give them the important resources like water.

Written by TULIZO MALAVANU-YET 2011