By Kondanani Chilimunthaka
Landscape degradation and deforestation has worried President Chakwera, saying it is detrimental to the livelihood and environment.
He was speaking on Friday, December 23,2022 during the official launch of 2022-2023 National Forestry Season at Mangochi Palm Forest Reserve which is estimating Malawi to plant at least 50 million trees from December this year to April 2023.
Launching the season, President Chakwera said as a nation, Malawi has to accept responsibility for the degradation of landscapes that provide the citizenry with various daily needs.
“As a nation, we must accept responsibility for the degradation of the landscapes that gave us food, oxygen, good weather, and environmental protection. We must acknowledge that the way we have been treating the landscapes has been detrimental to ourselves and to our environment for decades, and most importantly we must take multiple a d sustained actions to reverse the destructive course we have been on, and over collective pursuit of the aspirations of the Malawi 2063 vision, the Malawi national Forest landscape strategy, the charcoal strategy, the UN strategy, and other policies.” Said President Chakwera.
He added that restoration of the degraded landscapes is non negotiable, hence committed to the restoration of 4.5 million hectares of degraded landscapes by 2030 in all degraded forest areas across the country.
President Chakwera has since commended partners in the restoration of the forest including National Bank of Malawi, FDH Bank, Politicians, politicians, and other stakeholders for their commitment towards restoration of the landscapes.
During his speech, President Chakwera also led Malawians in observing a minute of silence in honor of a Malawian artist, Walycris Wanyengo who has died on the road accident in Zimbabwe on his way back to Malawi from the Republic of South Africa where he went for performance.
In his speech, Minister of Natural Resources and Forest, Eisenhower Mkaka commended President Chakwera for his commitment and interest in the restoration drive of degraded forest areas and landscapes in the country.
Mkaka added that Malawi is blessed with abundant and unique forest resources which if properly managed can drive socio-economic development of the country.
“However the country has witnessed a lot of deforestation. Your Excellency, you might wish to be informed that the country’s forest cover is currently at 24% down from 28% some two decades ago, this is a worrisome statistics as it shows that we are not properly protecting, and managing our trees and forest resources.” Said Mkaka while assuring the nation that under Chakwera leadership, his ministry and other stakeholders are undertaking various landscape restoration initiatives to reserve forest degradation, citing 54 million trees the country planted last year in the similar season.
Taking his turn, National Bank’s Chief Financial Officer, Masauko Katsala whose company has adopted three forests of Mangochi Palm Forest Reserve in Mangochi, Seven Hills Forest in Dedza, and Jembia Forest in Chitipa district.
Said Katsala; “As the bank of the nation, we feel duty bound to contribute towards the preservation and restoration of Malawi’s environment under ‘Adopt and restore a forest campaign initiative which is covering 1,510 hectares, and as we continue managing 1.7 million hectares. National Bank is the green financial institution and committed to building this nation within which it operates.”
The 2022-2023 National Forestry Season is being observed under the theme “Restore degraded landscapes for livelihood security,” And President Chakwera has since planted Coconut and Palm trees during the launch.
