LILONGWE, Malawi 15th March, 2022 (AEJ) - The Office of the President and Cabinet last Friday spearheaded catchment restoration efforts for the sixth time running at Dzalanyama Forest Reserve to ensure sustained watershed that supplies water to Lilongwe residents.
Secretary to the President and Cabinet, ZangaZanga Chikhosi led the exercise in line with the 2021 - 2022 National Forestry Season whose theme is healthy trees, forests, economy and people.
Scores of other top controlling officers in government including officers of the Malawi Defence Force and Malawi Police Service and surrounding villagers took part as show of commitment towards landscape and fragile ecosystem restoration efforts.
However, of particular interest was the presence of board members of the Dzalanyama Catchment Conservation Trust (DCCT). Government of Malawi through the Department of Forestry and Government of Japan through JICA-funded COSMA-DFR project, found it necessary to establish DCCT to assist the management of DFR and its watershed area. DCCT will work with the community to ensure co-management of the reserve is done collectively in a sustainable manner.
Local leader Traditional Authority Masumbankhunda extended thanks to govt for ensuring the watershed of the reserve is restored. This he said meant sustained availability of water at both Malingunde Dam 1 and 2 that supplies Lilongwe residents with potable water.
“We are encouraging people to switch to use alternative sources of energy, so that they reduce reliance on biomass hence preventing unsustainable use of natural resources trees in particular,” Masambunkhunda explained.
Lilongwe Water Board Chair, George Kajanga explained that the board conserve the reserve to to ensure water conservation that in turn is used domestically and industrially.
“Good tree cover is ideal for sustained water conservation,” Kajanga explained to media.
Lilongwe Water Board and the Japan International Cooperation Agency - Project for Conservation and Management of Dzalanyama Forest Reserve has been doing this activity as part of landscape restoration in Dzalanyama for over five years now.
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