The area of forest felled in Mozambique in 2018 grew by 6.7% compared to the previous year, indicate the most recent data on deforestation in the country published by the National Statistics Institute (INE) and consulted this Monday by Lusa.
“In 2018, the data show that more than 93,000 hectares suffered deforestation, representing an increase in 6.7% compared to 2017,” reads the publication of Basic Indicators of Environment Statistics, made available last week on the INE portal.
The bulletin also indicates the impact of the loss of this green mass on greenhouse gas capture.
“Environmental data show that in 2018 more than 15 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent were emitted, arising from the deforestation of forests,” the publication states. The figure “represents an increase by 4.4% compared to 2017.”
“Chanato wood is the most sought-after species over the last three years of the series under analysis (2018-2020), after Umbila was predominant between 2016 and 2017,” the INE paper details.
In 2020, Chanato represented 29.2% of the total number of cut trees, followed by Umbila with 27%. Both species are the most produced in the provinces of Tete and Zambezia, center of the country.
The compilation of the indicators now disclosed by INE was based on the collection and processing of databases and administrative reports made available by different sectors that deal with issues related to the environment, explains the institution.
The disappearance of vegetation cover is also in focus in another study released this month, entitled “Assessment of Readiness for Green Growth in Africa”, by the African Development Bank (ADB) and the Global Institute for Green Growth (GGIV).
According to the document, Mozambique’s forests, which cover more than half of the territory, are disappearing at a rate of 220,000 hectares per year and deforestation accounts for 80% of the country’s gas emissions.
In 2020, the government announced the suspension of issuing licenses for logging for two years, as a way to reduce the “pressure” on Mozambican forests.
Several national and international reports have indicated that Mozambique is the scene of environmental crimes, mainly with regard to illegal logging.
Others warn about the consequences of high levels of deforestation on the atmospheric balance to which the country may be especially sensitive in the context of climate change.
According to the United Nations, between 2016 and 2021, the country faced two major droughts and eight tropical storms, including the major cyclones Idai and Kenneth, which in 2019 affected 2.5 million people in a six-week period.
According to the Inform disaster risk assessment tool, Mozambique ranks ninth out of 191 countries for vulnerability to hazards, exposure to risks, and lack of response capacity.
