“I was attacked by people who were illegally cutting down trees just because I asked them to stop,” says Chongwe Zone 2 leader Jericho Chongo during a recent meeting in Chongwe organized by Keepers Zambia Foundation and Hivos Southern Africa.
Keepers Zambia and Hivos organized a meeting in Chieftnainess Nkomeshya’s chiefdom to discuss the establishment of a Natural Resource Management Unit to combat practices that are worsening climate change in the area.
Sharing his personal experiences in his environmental conservation journey in Chongwe during the meeting, Mr Chongo explained that his strong stance against illegal tree cutting attracted an attack on him.
“I was attacked by people who were illegally cutting down trees just because I asked them to stop,” he informed the meeting attended by Princess Choolwe Nkomeshya of the Soli people, community leaders and members, and officials from Hivos and Keepers Zambia.
He said stopping the cutting down of trees is a dangerous task, although it has to be done to save the environment.
“It’s risky but someone has to do it and this is why we need your royal highness’ help in combating this vice,” said Nondo.
Princess Choolwe acknowledged the rise in deforestation and the encroachment into forest reserves, saying she is ready to work with other traditional leaders to stop the vice.
“We need to take action to protect our environment and our people. I am committed to working with KZF and Hivos to establish a Natural Resource Management unit and promote climate-resilient practices in our chiefdom, also I’d like for the Forest department to be part of this initiative because they play a very big role in the fight against climate change,” said Princess Choolwe.
The team’s visit to Chongwe was under the Voices for Just Climate Action (VCA) project supported by Hivos and being implemented by Keepers Zambia, Free Press Initiative, Zambia Governance Foundation and other organisations.
This project focuses on community-led action for climate resilience and has already achieved significant milestones, including the adoption of traditional cook stoves by over 400 households.
To date, the team has trained approximately 335 people on climate action and change in Kampekete and about 250 people in Chitentabunga in Chongwe district.
During the meeting, traditional leaders, who are part of the KZF and Hivos climate action teams, made presentations, spoke about the devastating effects of deforestation, leading to negative consequences such as soil erosion, loss of biodiversity, and increased greenhouse gas emissions.
They highlightied the importance of using traditional cook stoves and discouraging deforestation.
Hivos Southern Africa representative, Mr Micheelo Simweete, stressed the importance of preserving trees and promoting sustainable land use practices as well as conservation farming.
“We need to work together to protect our forests and natural resources. It’s not just about the environment but it’s about the livelihoods of our people so we’re encouraging the adaptation of conservation farming methods,” said Simweete.
And KZF’s head of programmes and planning, Mr James Simwinga, thanked the royal highness for giving the team the opportunity to lobby for a Natural Resource Management Unit.
“We believe that by working together, we can make a significant impact in mitigating the effects of climate change,” said Simwinga.