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Electricity rationing causing massive deforestation in urban areas
Tichaona Sibanda, SW Radio Africa
May 10, 2007

The country is losing an area of green belt equal to two football fields a day in the wake of massive electricity shortages, Newsreel learned on Thursday.

Since the beginning of the year the country's urban areas have experienced rampant deforestation as a result of persistent power cuts by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.

Harare resident and environmentalist Brian Ndlovu said the unavailability of paraffin has also seen a rise in deforestation in areas adjacent to urban centres as people resort to firewood for cooking. Deforestation is the permanent destruction of indigenous forests and woodlands. 'The government last year laid down laws that helped curb the wanton cutting down of tress but I believe they have been forced to look the other way because firewood is the only fuel left for millions of Zimbabweans to use for cooking,' Ndlovu said.

Ndlovu added; 'I remember quite well Environment and Tourism Minister Francis Nhema launching an awareness campaign last year to educate people about the dangers of deforestation, including its impact on the climate. But what can he do now. There's no electricity and there's no paraffin and this would have a negative impact on the country's environment.'

The country's economic woes have also resulted in the over-exploitation of forests by humans and this has continued unabated in the last six years. Increased urbanisation is also responsible for the deforestation. Indiscriminate felling of trees for converting forestlands into agricultural fields and for building houses in undesignated areas have all contributed to the loss of this exhaustible natural resource.

The government on Wednesday introduced strict electricity rationing to cope with the ongoing power crisis caused by the inefficiencies of the regime.

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