ORGANIZED FOREST MANAGEMENT IN ZAMBIA
In Zambia formal forest management started as early as 1900. During that time, the Litunga Lewanika of the Lozi realized the value of Baikiaea plurijuga (Mukusi) and Pterocarpus angolensis forests, hence created a number of forest reserves which he declared as royal forests for the supply of building materials, canoes, wood fuel, and fruits and also for the future generation. Furthermore, the first major sawmill in the country was started in the province as early as 1900.
This led to the construction of a private railway line from the supply source (Mulobezi) to Livingstone in Southern province to provide a link with the market. With the coming of colonialism, some forests were set aside as forest reserves, national parks and restrictive forest regulations set up. This alienated local communities from participating in forest resource management.
Alienation and marginalization of local communities were further confirmed by large scale convention of natural forests into plantations. This gave rise to a profound dislocation of communities. The local communities were also angered when they could see forest resources that had once belonged to them being exploited by outsiders from whom they received nothing. In defiance of the colonial rule and laws, the communities resorted to exploiting forests indiscriminately. The Department of Agriculture was responsible for forest conservation and activities related to the management of the forest estate up to 1948.
The Forest Division under Department of Agriculture was initiated in 1928 after the arrival of a Forestry Officer in the then Northern Rhodesia whose tasks were Þ Find out botanical names of indigenous tree Þ To start the creation of forest reserves Þ To supervise forest exploitation The Division turned into a full forestry Department in 1947 and immediately embarked on forestry policy formulation.
In 1948 a draft policy was made and was approved the following year, 1949. Under this policy a number of activities were carried out: Þ Establishment of a forest regeneration fund, based on the principles that revenue from the forest exploitation should be used only for works of regeneration. Þ Abolition of free timber licenses to government department, and from then they had to pay for forest produce i.e. contribute to forest regeneration on the same basis as others. Þ Opening of forest offices in provinces. Þ Started full scale tree planting scheme on a commercial scale at Chichele, near Ndola. Þ Started two development schemes, (1) A training school (Zambia Forestry College today) for African forest staff and; (2) A timber survey in the country. Þ Supplying of wood fuel and other wood products to the mines. Due to coal shortage about 980,000 tons of fuel wood was supplied to the mines which lead to felling of about 10,000ha of forests.
The policy adopted in 1948 was based on Þ The importance of trees to human Þ The inter-relationship between trees and land on which they grow Þ The long gestation period of trees and the need to apply scientific forest management. Broadly, the policy statement covered land protection, wood supplies, timber produce conservation of forest resources, financial returns, research, education, extension and land use.
This policy gave central government to shoulder much of the activities (i.e. protection and management), while at the same time encouraging local authorities to have responsibility over local and communal forests. BRIEF HISTORY BY ABEL M. SIAMPALE - FMGT