BY NELILE NXUMALO
HHUKWINI– The Eswatini Environment Authority recently joined the Hhukwini community for the official ministerial handover of the “Planting for the Future” project, a youth-led initiative aimed at promoting environmental sustainability and climate resilience in the country.
Funded through the Eswatini Environment Fund (EEF) with an allocation of E200 000, the project seeks to combat land degradation by establishing community tree nurseries and encouraging sustainable land management practices among young people.
The handover ceremony, held shortly after the project’s launch, highlighted early progress as two tree nurseries have already been successfully established in Lamgabhi and Dlangeni. The nurseries are expected to provide young people with practical opportunities to participate in environmental conservation while developing skills in tree propagation and sustainable farming practices.
The project is being implemented in partnership with BoMake Rural Projects, a community-based non-profit organisation founded in 2006. The organisation works to empower rural communities, particularly women, through development programmes that promote equity and sustainability. Through its collaboration with local youth, BoMake Rural Projects is helping to build capacity in climate resilience while creating livelihood opportunities linked to environmental conservation.
The Eswatini Environment Fund, established under the Environment Management Act of 2002, supports grassroots environmental initiatives across the country. The fund pools resources to finance projects that promote biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and community participation in environmental protection.
During the handover event, the Chairperson of the EEF Board of Trustees emphasised the importance of community ownership, stating that sustainable environmental management requires communities to take the lead in protecting their natural resources for future generations.
The initiative also supports national environmental targets, including the country’s plan to plant 15 million trees by 2030. Eswatini continues to face serious environmental challenges such as drought, soil erosion, deforestation and water scarcity, many of which have been worsened by climate change.
Declining rainfall patterns and frequent extreme weather events have contributed to reduced crop yields, livestock losses and rising food insecurity, affecting a large proportion of the population that depends on agriculture for survival.
Through initiatives such as “Planting for the Future,” young people in Hhukwini are playing a critical role in restoring degraded land while helping to build resilient and environmentally conscious communities.
#ClimateAction #YouthEmpowerment #TreePlanting #SustainableEswatini
(Courtesy Pic)
