Thousands of households in many parts of the country use charcoal as a cheap source of energy although they are connected to the national power grid.

“I use charcoal for cooking because electricity tariffs are too expensive for my family,’’ says Janet Mwape who lives in one of the informal settlements in Zambia’s capital city, Lusaka.

Principal Information and Communications Officer of Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA),Friday Phiri said his organization is working together with the Forestry Department in curbing deforestation by sensitizing communities across the country.

Phiri said some of the consequences of deforestation are floods and droughts which have wreaked havoc in some parts of Zambia.

--ChannelAfrica--