OVER 2000 trees had been planted at Lumea Primary School in Buchosa District Council in Mwanza Region as part of efforts to combat climate change, including drought and rising temperatures.

Speaking at the tree planting event, Stephen Oyugi, a forest officer from the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS) in Sengerema District, emphasised the need for the community to increase their efforts in both planting and conserving trees to protect Tanzania’s environment.

He explained that, in response to the growing drought and heat conditions in the district, TFS has distributed over 37,000 free tree seedlings in the last quarter of the year and will continue to provide additional seedlings at no cost.

Oyugi further stressed that planting trees is not enough; it is equally important to protect and maintain them to ensure they thrive.

“Trees need to be watered, and pruning should be done only once a year, rather than frequently as many people tend to do, as excessive pruning depletes the tree’s resources,” Oyugi said.

The head teacher of the school, Msaghaa Hango, stated that the trees planted are part of their goal to plant 6,000 trees. He pledged to continue planting more and to educate students on how to properly take care of them.

Cuthbert Mdala, Sengerema District Administrative Secretary added that tree planting is a priority for the district, which had successfully met the national target of planting 1.5 million trees annually.