Umunsi Mpuzamahanga w’Amashyamba, watangijwe bwa mbere n’Ikigo cy’Umuryango w’Abibumbye gishinzwe ibiribwa n’ubuhinzi, Food and Agriculture Organization, mu mpera z’imyaka ya 1970, nyuma uza kwemezwa ku mugaragaro n’Inteko Rusange y’Umuryango w’Abibumbye (United Nations General Assembly) muri 2012.
Nubwo buri mwaka hakorwa ibikorwa bitandukanye nko gutera ibiti no gukangurira abantu kubungabunga amashyamba, haracyari ikibazo gikomeye kuko yangirika ku kigero cyo hejuru kurusha kuyabungabunga. Raporo ya 2018 yakozwe na Convention on Biological Diversity igaragaza ko abantu barenga miliyari 1.6 batunzwe n’umusaruro ukomoka ku mashyamba, harimo ibiribwa, ubuvuzi ndetse n’akazi.
Amashyamba afatwa nk’inkingi ikomeye mu kurengera ibidukikije ku isi, kuko agira uruhare mu kugenzura ikirere, kubungabunga ibinyabuzima no kurinda ubutaka, aho afite hafi 30% by’ubuso bw’isi kandi akabamo ibinyabuzima bigiye bitandukanye.
Muri 2023, mu Rwanda, Ikigo cy’Igihugu gishinzwe Amashyamba, Rwanda Forestry Authority, cyagaragaje ko amashyamba atwikiriye hegitari zisaga 724,695 zingana na 30.4% by’ubuso bw’igihugu. Muri ayo amashyamba, harimo ayatewe n’abantu, hakiyongeraho ay’imisozi, savane n’ahari ibihuru.
Nko mu Ishamba rya Nyungwe, hagaragara ubwoko bwinshi bw’inyamaswa n’inyoni, bigaragaza agaciro k’amashyamba mu kubungabunga urusobe rw’ibinyabuzima.
Ku mugabane wa Afurika, amashyamba ni ingenzi cyane mu mibereho y’abaturage cyane cyane abatuye icyaro, dore ko bakuramo inkwi, ibiribwa, imiti n’amafaranga. Nanone arinda amasoko y’amazi ndetse agafasha ubutaka gukomera no gukomeza kuba bwiza.
Nubwo bimeze bityo, amashyamba akomeje guhura n’ibibazo bikomeye biterwa n’ikorwa ry’ubuhinzi, kwagura imijyi n’ibikorwaremezo. Ibi bikorwa akenshi bigashyirwa imbere mu rwego rw’iterambere, ariko bikaba bigira ingaruka zikomeye ku kirekire.
Ihungabana ry’amashyamba rituma ikirere gihindagurika, imvura igabanuka cyangwa ibihe igwiraho bigahindagurika, ndetse n’ubutaka bugatakaza uburumbuke. Ibi byose bishyira mu kaga ubuzima bw’abaturage, cyane cyane abatunzwe n’ubuhinzi.
Ku rwego rwa politiki, ikibazo gikomeye ni uko hari aho amategeko arengera ibidukikije adashyirwa mu bikorwa uko bikwiye. Gukata amashyamba mu buryo bunyuranyije n’amategeko no gukoresha nabi ubutaka bikomeje kugaragara ahantu henshi.
Guteza imbere ubuhinzi, gukoresha ingufu zisimbura inkwi no gufasha abaturage kugira uruhare mu kubungabunga amashyamba ni zimwe mu nzira zafasha kurengera uyu mutungo kamere.
Abatuye isi bose bakaba basabwa kugira uruhare mu kurengera amashyamba, bakoresha neza umutungo kamere no gukomeza kwita ku bidukikije, bitari iby’igihe gito gusa ahubwo no mu buzima bwa buri munsi.
Uyu munsi mpuzamahanga uba n’umwanya wo gusuzuma niba ibikorwa biri gukorwa bihagije, ndetse no gushaka ibisubizo birambye bizatuma amashyamba arindwa kandi agakomeza gutanga umusaruro ku buzima bw’abantu n’ibidukikije.
