Natural Resources minister Vincent Biruta appears before the senatorial Committee on Economic Development and Finance, today, to explain the state of environment with specific reference to the policy governing forests in the country.

The minister will highlight issues relating to the status of the 2010 policy on forestry and other areas ranging from desertification and continuous encroachment on national forest reserves.

According to various reports, parts of natural forests are still destroyed by encroachers looking for wood fuel and those seeking settlement.

Speaking to The New Times, Senator Jacqueline Muhongayire, the chairperson of the committee, said Biruta will be explaining the latest implementation of a seven-year strategic plan on the national forestry policy implementation.

"This is part of oversight exercise and we will be looking at what transpired over the last six years, as far as the strategic plan is concerned,” she said.

Latest reports point to the fact that the country’s forest cover today stands at 23 per cent with a target to increase it to 30 per cent before the end of 2020.

The 2010 national forestry policy prioritises efforts to contribute to biodiversity conservation such as the establishment, rehabilitation and conservation of watershed protection forests and wise use of forest biodiversity and farm forestry enhancement.

Despite cases of encroachment of forests, degradation and deforestation, Senator Muhongayire said identified challenges will be discussed in today’s session to set a clear roadmap.

Of late, government has been battling forest encroachers, especially in the western parts of the country where national forests such as Nyungwe and Gishwati face degradation.

Major deforestation in the last five years have affected the three main forests of Nyungwe, Volcanoes and Akagera through illegal tree felling as well as harvesting precious tree species which led to deterioration of the forests.

Reports from the forestry department indicate that a loss of approximately 64 per cent of forests was registered between 1960 and 2007, an average of more than 1.3 per cent per year, which needs to be handled with care if the country is to meet the 2020 targets.