By MAIMBOLWA MULIKELELA –
THE Save Environment and Peoples Agency (SEPA) has planted about 8,000 fruit trees in North-Western Province as part of  the International Waters-Zambezi-River Project.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) under the small grant programme has released a total of US$50,000 for the implementation of the project.
SEPA chief executive officer, Mailes Muke said SEPA has commenced the implementation of the International Waters-Zambezi River Project and had so far planted 8,000 fruit trees along the Zambezi River.
Ms Muke said the project was aimed at protecting the Zambezi River international waters from negative human activities along the river banks.
“We planted 4,000 fruit trees along the Zambezi River in March this year and we have planted another 4,000 bringing the total  number of fruit trees  to 8,000,” Ms Muke said.
She said that the funding for the project was provided by GEF under the small grant programme implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Recently, Ms Muke said the project would cost about $51,000 saying that $1,000 would be a contribution from the community and $50,000 was being provided by GEF.
She said the agency plans to plant about five million fruit trees along the Zambezi River, adding that the Zambezi was an important water body in Southern Africa as it was the main source of electricity and tourism.
Ms Muke said any disturbance on the eco system could impact negatively on people’s lives.
She observed that there was siltation on certain portions of the river, making it dry much earlier in the year than it used to be before.
About 1,000 people are expected to benefit from the project.