Big no to bushfire farming
Big no to bushfire farming
22 October 2010
published by thecitizen.co.tz
Tanzania — Setting bushfires as a method of clearing land for farming is common in some parts of the country, but most disturbing, given the alarming rate of deforestation.
A recent survey by the Washington-based Conservation International, indicates that 2,300 square kilometres of land is destroyed yearly. At that rate, Tanzanias entire forest cover could disappear in less than 20 decades!
This situation calls for measures to check backward land use practices such the one said to be common in Mtwara Region, entailing the lighting of bushfires.
Wanton tree cutting has been doing enough damage to forestland, whose size is put at 385,000 square kilometres. Now, an increase in bushfires by cultivators, livestock keepers eyeing grass for their animals and hunters, will result in worse destruction since it kills essential microorganisms in its wake.
We have all the necessary environment protection laws, but these are not good enough, for they are most difficult to implement.
What we need are more campaigns aimed at educating the people on the adverse effects of destroying natural vegetation, a practice that is, by extension, equivalent to destroying ourselves.
