TANZANIA Forest Services Agency (TFS), will extend its public education programme to another 150 villages near forest reserves, a move that aims at improving preservation of natural resources.
Managing Director of TFS, Prof Dos Santos Silayo, made the disclosure during a recent press conference, pointing out that so far, TFS’s public education programme has covered 90 villages which are near forest reserves.
“We have registered massive achievements in 90 villages which have received our public education in a bid to improve forest conservation,” said the TFS’s boss.
Prof Silayo explained that the main goal of the programme is to curb tree cutting and burning of charcoal in order to improve conservation of the forests.
“Communities living near the forest reserves who have received education have stopped tilling or running agricultural activities near the forest reserves,” he said.
Prof Silayo said TFS came up with the idea to offer public education to communities living near the forest reserves after environment pollution became serious, saying the programme will help to improve forest conservation.
As for security of forest reserves, Prof Silayo said TFS had deployed five boats to patrol in deep seas to control criminal activities, saying the boats patrols in the sea are in Lindi, Mtwara, Rufiji and Nkinga in Tanga region.
“We have deployed two boats to Lake Victoria to beef up security for natural resources and species in waters,” he observed.
