A collective initiative in Group Village Headman (GVH) Malemya under Traditional Authority Kaphuka in Dedza is weighing in on the appeal to plant 60 million trees target planned within the National Forestry Season by government. So far community members have mobilized themselves to plant 8,000 tree seedlings in the area.
GVH Malemya who is leading the initiative has highlighted a need for community ownership in such re-afforestation efforts so that his villagers commit to conserve the environment through ensuring the trees planted have survived. The members will plant seedlings around their villages including Ntchewu and Kapirimutu hills where they plan to have committee to oversee the growth and development of the species planted.
"With tree seedlings from our village nursery, each and every household is expected to plant seedlings in their respective homes and surrounding areas. So far, we have planted close to 1,000 tree seedlings. We aim to plant the rest before the forestry season is over, " explained Malemya in an interview.
According to Malemya, they have put in place measures at community level to ensure that the newly planted trees do not dry up. This means going to water them during the dry period when moisture in low.
"Each and every community member is being advised to take a role of caring the newly planted trees so that they should survive. Those that will not comply to the order will be subjected to fines based on the level of misconduct,” Malemya warned his subjects.
"Each and every community member is being advised to take a role of caring the newly planted trees so that they should survive. Those that will not comply to the order will be subjected to fines based on the level of misconduct,” Malemya warned his subjects.
One of the country's environmental activist’s Mathews Malata has so far commended the communities for the step taken.
"What the communities are doing is very commendable because that's what we want in conserving the environment. We need to encourage fellow Malawians to embrace this spirit so that governments' efforts to restore degraded areas should be successful," Malata a strong advocate of environment conservation advised.
"The communities should be able to work hand in hand with forestry officials at the district level so that they can provide them extension advisory services on how the seedlings should be properly managed," he summed added. The Food and Agriculture and Organization estimated in 2010 that Malawi’s deforestation rate is around 2.7 percent.
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