The Swaziland Environment Action Plan (SEAP)

Contents | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8

3.1 The Economy | 3.2 People | 3.3 Land | 3.4 Water Sector | 3.5 Biodiversity | 3.6 Agriculture | 3.7 Forestry | 3.8 Manufacturing | 3.9 Tourism | 3.10 Mining | 3.11 Fuel and Energy

3.0 SOCIO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE ENVIRONMENT

3.7 Forestry

The 1989/90 forest inventory (Hesse et al, 1990) identified a total forest area of 624,000 ha (36% of the total land area), of which 135,000 ha (8%) are commercial forest plantations, 25,000 ha (2%) wattle forests and 464,000 ha (26%) indigenous forests and woodlands. (See Map ?) The indigenous forests are classified as: Montane and Highveld forests covering 11,930 ha (1.9%), Riparian 2,344 ha (0.4%), Moister Savanna 112,720 ha (18.0%), Acacia Savanna 150,590 (24.1%), Drier Acacia Savanna 34,024 ha (5.4%) and Bushveld 151,890 ha (24.2%).

There is a considerable lack of management of indigenous forests, resulting in depletion, especially in the Lowveld and Middleveld, due to heavy exploitation for fuel wood, wood carving, furniture, etc. by local people. In rural areas, over 75% of the population uses firewood for cooking and warming houses (Lasschuit puts it at 90%). The wattle forests now exist as jungles which are not properly managed. They are being heavily exploited for bark tannin extraction, mining timber, building poles, fuelwood and charcoal production (over 380 tonnes per year of wattle bark is presently being exported to South Africa.)

As a result of the 1989/90 inventory, four proposals for forestry projects were advanced, covering the management and conservation of indigenous forests, the utilisation and rehabilitation of wattle forests, the establishment of community forestry on Swazi Nation Land and the conservation of the forest vegetation of the Lubombo escarpment region, However only a community woodlot project is now in place.

The forest industry in Swaziland is composed of privately-owned exotic plantations of mainly pines and Eucalyptus. Table 11 shows that in 1998, man-made forests covered over 101 000 hectares (roughly 6% of total land area). In 1991, forestry activities in the country accounted for 10% of the GDP, 11% of formal sector employment and 18% of total value of exports. It is presently estimated that the forestry sector accounts for 16-18% of Swaziland's formal work force.

Table 11: Man-made forests in Swaziland

Source: GOS Country Report to UNCED, 1991

Expansion of commercial forests has not been based on the principles that guided the classification of the country into distinct physiographic units, i.e. greatest production.

3.7.1 Environmental Issues Related to Forestry

Deforestation: Indigenous forests are being depleted. Nationwide, it is estimated that the total annual wood consumption exceeds the total sustainable wood supply by about 30% (Lasschuit, 1994)

Inadequate management: This is particularly the case with wattle and indigenous forests, especially in the urban and peri-urban areas.

Habitat destruction and alien species encroachment: One of the greatest threats of exotic tree plantations is the removal and replacement of indigenous veld plants with alien species which reproduce rapidly and take over available nutrients and energy from indigenous plants. A number of exotic woody species are rapidly encroaching into endemic ecosystems and habitats. Habitat destruction results in consequent loss of animal species.

Loss of water resources: High evapotranspiration rates of trees in large commercial forestry plantations of eucalyptus and pine may exceed the rate of replenishment of ground water, causing drying up of some surface water sources in adjoining communities.

Bush fires: Indiscriminate burning exacerbates deforestation.

Legislation: Existing legislation is outdated and fragmented, and there is a lack of resources to enforce it.

3.7.2 Policy

Policy Status

There is presently no Forestry Policy.

Policy Objectives

The policy should focus on forestry issues, but also be guided both spatially, and in principle, by the NLEP and the RLEP. Its objectives are:

• To achieve efficient, profitable and sustainable exploitation of forest resources;
• To increase the role of forestry in environmental protection, conservation of plant and animal genetic resources and rehabilitation of degraded land.

3.7.3 Priority Actions