LUSAKA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Thursday joined the rest of the world in commemorating the International Day of Forests with the government expressing concern on the increasing levels of deforestation.

Jean Kapata, Minister of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, said the country was facing challenges in protecting its forests because of unsustainable practices, adding that there was need to educate citizens on the importance of protecting the forests.

Among the challenges include unplanned land use changes, forest fires, poor agriculture practices and indiscriminate cutting of trees for production of charcoal, she said.

She said protecting the forests was vital because forests play a pivotal role in the country's development, adding that failure to manage the forests properly was being done at a great cost to the country.

According to her, Zambia loses about 276,000 hectares of forests each year due to poor management.

The theme for this year's commemoration is "Forests and Education", and has been chosen to raise awareness on how sustainably managed forests provide a wide array of contributions to countries.

The Zambian minister said the theme was timely and urged all stakeholders to get involved in raising awareness on the protection of the country's forests.

Janet Rogan, United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator in Zambia, said although Zambia was among few countries with above average forest cover of 66 percent of totaled land cover, the country was experiencing a high rate of deforestation.

According to her, the country risks having no forests by 2199 if the current rate of cutting down tress continues with no change.

"The general population needs to be taught why conserving forests is essential for future generation as well as for the necessities of the current population, especially for water," she said.

She further said people needed to be educated so that they can understand the importance of preserving forests and the dreadful consequences of unregulated cutting of trees.

She however commended the government for coming up with a national investment plan to reduce deforestation and forest degradation, saying it was a commendable step towards changing the dynamic in forest conservation through investing in the needs of local communities.

The UN, she said, will continue to be a strong partner in the work to preserve forests in Zambia and to promote the sustainable management and use of natural resources, including fragile ecosystems. Enditem

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