25 Mar 2025

There is urgent need for protection and sustainable management of forests given the vital role of forests for survival. 

This makes protecting forests not an option but a necessity.

Tsabong District Council chairperson, Mr Elias Motlhanke said recently in Kisa during the commemoration of the International Day of Forests themed: Forests and Food. 

He said from purifying the air they breathed and regulating climate, to providing food, medicine and basis for livelihoods activities, forests were essential for survival.

Mr Motlhanke emphasised that forests were essential to the planet’s ecological balance and human well-being.

“Forests are the lungs of our planet, the home of countless species and the sources of livelihood for millions worldwide,” he said.

He highlighted the alarming rate of global forests loss, including in Botswana where forests covered 27 per cent land, due to deforestation, climate change and industrial activities, which posed economic, social and humanitarian crises.

“Forests provide as much more than just shade, they are nature’s pantry offering nuts, fruits, seeds and others,” Mr Motlhanke explained.

He highlighted examples of Botswana’s diverse plant life providing food and medicine such as Tswii, morula fruits, motlopi roots, and delele plant leaves and Sengaparile, a plant used for arthritis medication found in Kgalagadi region.

Mr Motlhanke further outlined key strategies emphasising the promotion of sustainable land use, supporting community-led conservation, and encouraging agroforestry, combating deforestation, particularly on livestock farmers.

He said the commemoration was not only a celebration but also a call for action and called for the promotion of sustainable land use, balancing agriculture with forests conservation.

Mr Motlhanke further called for education and raising awareness, emphasising to the youth that Botswana’s flora was a lifeline.

“Let us not be the generation that witness the loss of these natural wonders, let us be the generation that saves them,” Mr Motlhanke declared.

He emphasised collective responsibility in protecting forests, saying governments must enforce strict policies against deforestation.

“We as individuals can contribute by planting trees, reducing paper waste and spreading awareness about forest conservation,” he said.

For her part, Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Representative in Botswana Ms Carla Mucavi acknowledged the collaboration between FAO and Botswana in promoting sustainable environment and natural resource management.

Ms Mucavi saidt forests offered a cost effective solution to climate and biodiversity crises and crucial for sustainable agrifood systems.

She also stressed the potential negative impact of continued deforestation and land degradation, particularly in livestock farmers.

FAO is supporting Botswana’s sustainable development through initiatives like technical support for land degradation assessment, the Botswana Sustainable Miombo-Mopane Landscape Management Project and GItres Green Cities Initiatives.

These efforts, she said, aimed to enhance agricultural productivity, promote sustainable land and forest management and build climate resilience.

Ms Mucavi emphasised the need for collective responsibility in protecting forests for future generations. ENDS