Mozambique losing 267,000 hectares of forest a year

Maputo, 27 Jul (AIM) – Every year Mozambique loses about 267,000 hectare of forest – which is 0.79 per cent of its total forested area.

According to the Minister of Land and Environment, Ivete Maibaze, this deforestation leads to the emission of 40 million tonnes of greenhouse gases.

Maibaze said that 86 per cent of the deforestation results from itinerant, slash-and-burn agriculture. Cutting down trees for firewood and charcoal accounts for a further 13 per cent.

Speaking in Maputo on Friday during a national meeting held to present proposed regulations of the forestry law, Maibaze said that, over the past year, 31,896 cubic metres of various types of wood logged illicitly had been seized. This included wood fuel and building materials, but also unprocessed logs and some sawn timber.

Then Ministry of Land and Environment has been making efforts to reduce acts that threaten the sustainability of the country’s forests. Since 2020, said Maibaze, there had been 8,902 inspections of forestry areas which culminated with 4,970 fines against operators working illegally.

Maibaze said the fines totaled the equivalent of 8.9 million dollars, but to date only 4.9 million dollars has been paid.

She added that the authorities had recovered 69 of the 76 containers full of timber that were being exported illegally to China, from the northern Mozambican port of Pemba.

Data announced on Friday indicate that the authorities have aborted a further attempt to export 12 containers of illegal timber. Four of the containers are in the northern port of Nacala and eight in the central port of Quelimane.

(AIM)

MR/sg/pf (267)