Ondjiva - Promoting education and raising awareness among rural communities regarding the preservation of the Omufiaty (Mupame) tree are, among others, priorities for the countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
The information was provided to ANGOP on Wednesday, by the head of the Environment Department in southern Cunene Province, Tchingungo Contreiras, noting that the protection of this species is part of the land degradation neutrality project, developed by SADC since 2017.
Omufiaty is an abundant tree in the southern provinces of Angola.
According to the official, Omufiaty are ecological indicators and a regional and cultural symbol of the people of the SADC region.
Therefore, he reiterated the reinforcement of awareness-raising actions among local communities, to avoid indiscriminate slaughter practices of this species.
Currently, he highlighted, the species that most predominates in the region is the omufiaty, which is harvested not only for the manufacture of charcoal, but also for the construction of houses, the enclosure of large areas of land and other artifacts used by the community.
He mentioned that the exploitation of this tree is constant and, gradually, it is being put at risk.
He said that they are working hard, involving traditional authorities, communal and municipal administrations, to make sustainable use of this tree.
As part of World Environment Day, celebrated on Wednesday (June 5), the Cunene Office of the Environment, Solid Waste Management and Community Services raises awareness among the communities of Oipembe and Oifidi.
Omufiaty is deemed a Sacred Tree by the Ovawambo people, which is why it is often used as an identity symbol. The plant is found, in addition to Angola, in Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, among other countries with a mosaic of dry forest and savanna.
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