Forestry Department (Zambia)

Summary

The Forestry Department of the Ministry of Lands, Natural Resources and Environmental Protection (MLNREP) is responsible for the management of forest resources in Zambia. The Forestry Department was formerly a part of the Ministry of Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources which was restructured in early 2012, and divided into the Ministry of Tourism and Arts and the MLNREP.

The Forestry Department's mandate includes management of state forest reserves and the enforcement of national regulations related to the use and harvesting of forest resources on state and customary lands. Other functions include: providing guidelines and supervision for the management, restoration and establishment of forests, as well as facilitating and regulating forest industries, providing extension services and research.

The Forestry Department is the main implementing body of REDD+ activities in Zambia, at the national and sub-national levels, and it has representatives in each of the country's 10 districts.