06/10/2026
CESCo WELCOMES ONE-MILLION-HECTARE FORESTRY INITIATIVE, CALLS FOR ECOLOGICAL SAFEGUARDS
The Citizens Environmental and Social Concern (CESCo) welcomes Government's proposed investment in at least one million hectares of forestry plantations along the TAZARA Corridor. At a time when Zambia is losing an estimated 276,021 hectares of forest annually, ambitious investment in forestry is necessary to reverse forest loss, strengthen climate resilience, create green jobs and provide a sustainable source of timber that can reduce pressure on our remaining natural forests.
However, CESCo urges Government to ensure that the programme is implemented as responsible forest restoration and sustainable forestry development, rather than simply a large-scale tree-planting exercise. Planting trees is important, but what we plant, where we plant it and how the plantations interact with existing ecosystems are equally important. Zambia's forests perform functions far beyond timber production: they support biodiversity, regulate water systems, protect soils, store carbon and sustain rural livelihoods. Government's own Forestry Department is mandated to conserve forest ecosystems and biological diversity alongside developing plantations.
We therefore encourage Government and prospective investors to prioritise indigenous tree species wherever ecologically appropriate, particularly species naturally occurring within the landscapes being restored. Introduction of exotic or fast-growing species should be guided by rigorous ecological and scientific assessment to avoid unintended consequences for biodiversity, soil conditions, water resources and surrounding natural forests. Zambia's restoration frameworks already recognise the importance of indigenous species, including assisted natural regeneration and enrichment planting to conserve forest biodiversity.
CESCo further recommends that the initiative should not replace or convert existing natural forests, wetlands, wildlife habitats or other ecologically important landscapes into commercial plantations. Plantation development should concentrate on suitable degraded land identified through proper environmental and land-use assessments. Restoration should also incorporate natural regeneration, agroforestry and mixed-species approaches where appropriate rather than relying exclusively on monoculture plantations.
Most importantly, communities living along the TAZARA Corridor must not merely watch large investors establish plantations around them. CESCo welcomes the proposed out-grower model, but it must provide genuine community participation, secure livelihood opportunities, skills development, fair market access and meaningful benefit sharing. Zambia's forestry policy framework recognises local communities as key actors in forest planning and management.
CESCo therefore supports the Government's forestry ambition, but our message is simple: Zambia must not measure success merely by the number of hectares planted or trees put into the ground. We must measure how many trees survive, how much degraded land is restored, how much biodiversity is protected, how many communities benefit and how much pressure is removed from our natural forests.
Forestry investment must grow the economy while restoring nature not replace one environmental problem with another.
Issued by:
Conwell Hakapya
Founder & Executive Director
Citizens Environmental and Social Concern (CESCo)
