By Dalitso Kampira
Thyolo District Commissioner, Hudson Kuphanga has urged communities to uplift forest conservation inorder to restore degraded environment in the district.
Conserve forests to control degradation- Kuphanga PIC Dalitso Kampira
This has been revealed at the Launch of Forest Season held on Thursday at Nankhulumbo Primary School, under Group Village Headman (GVH) Mpando, Traditional Authority (T/A) Nchilamwela under the theme "Restore Forest and Land to Secure Food Production."
Speaking after the event, Thyolo District Commissioner Hudson Kuphanga, said the initiative is crucial in as far as conserving forest and bringing back nature as it will improve their lives in long run.
"Trees are lives as it brings water, without water a lot is damaged but with the restoration of the forest will help to have enough capacity of water to secure everyone in the communities," he pointed out
He then urged chiefs and local leaders to advice communities to avoid uprooting trees planted by district council as the trees will uplift their wellbeing.
Thyolo District Acting Director Of Environment and Natural Resources, Mirriam Yona, said as a district they realise the challenges faced by communities due to environmental degradation hence embarking on the initiative.
"These challenges are influenced largely by activities such as cutting down of trees, charcoal production which are initiating climate change action in the district hence loss of properties even claiming lives of communities due Natural disasters as floods.
We are mobilising communities through Village Natural Resources Committee, engaging with Area Development Committees (ADCs), Schools and other institutions to ensure that trees are planted in bare lands, in farmlands and household level to ensure that green cover is restored," she said
She said as a council they have planned to plant 1 million tree seedlings of which 4 hundred thousand have already planted in different locations.
She then thanked the partners for the tireless effort in providing tree seedlings to the council and urging other stakeholders to emulate on the same and different projects.
Senior Chief Nchilamwela expressed gratitude with the initiative saying will restore the environment.
"Let me thank the council officials for the initiative. This will bring back the lost nature in the long run hence climate change caused by environmental degradation issues to be solved.
He then commended partners like Eastern Produce Malawi Limited and Nchima Lujeri Estate for the collaborative effort saying tree planting will help the communities to restore forest and Land to secure food production
The event attracted Nankhulumbo Primary School learners and Teachers, communities members, chiefs, T/A, council officials from different departments, sponsored by Tea Estates, Self Help Africa, Foundation For Community and Capacity Development (FOCCAD), Mphunzitsi Saving And Credit Cooperative (SACCO), Transforming Agriculture Through Diversification and Entrepreneurship (TRADE) and Climate Smart Programme.
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