NEWSLINE

It is estimated that "60 percent of the country's total land area which is equivalent to 752 000 kilometre square is covered with natural forests.  Of these forests, about 7.2 million hectares are under government control in the form of forest reserves, which are 432 in number. In addition, there are 6.4 million hectares of national parks and 15.6 million hectares of game management areas." But efforts to protect and safeguard these natural resources by authorities seem to be literally in vain mainly due to continued deforestation which is one of the major causes of enhanced greenhouse effects. Deforestation in Zambia mainly occurs through the cutting down of trees for charcoal burning, agriculture production or firewood purposes. Loads of logs awaiting transportation Forests are rapidly vanishing as research shows that, "Zambia’s deforestation rate is the highest in Africa and fifth globally, with an average loss of between 250,000.and 300,