Botswana's Kweneng District recently experienced a fire incident, highlighting the ongoing environmental challenges the country faces. Despite Botswana's vast area of over 57 million hectares, the tree cover extent is just over 20,000 hectares. Over the years, the country has seen a fluctuating trend in tree cover loss, primarily due to shifting agriculture. From 2001 to 2022, the total tree cover loss amounted to approximately 14,571 hectares, with a net change in tree cover showing a loss of 1,268 hectares. This represents a decrease of approximately 0.71% in tree cover. Shifting agriculture has been a significant driver, contributing to both tree cover loss and CO2 emissions. The latest incident in the Kweneng District serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between land use and environmental preservation in Botswana.
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