President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has called upon Malawians to adopt sustainable fuel efficiency technologies in order to minimize over dependency on forests most of which have lost capacity and ability to sustain livelihoods.
He made the call Friday at Chipalamawamba Primary School Ground in Mangochi when he inaugurated the 2022/2023 National Tree Planting Season under the theme: ‘Restore Degraded Forest Landscapes for Livelihood Security.’
Chakwera, the First Lady Madame Monica Chakwera, government officials, National Bank of Malawi (NBM) officials and representatives of foreign missions in Malawi, among others, planted palm trees at Mangochi Palm Forest Reserve before the President addressed a rally at Chipalamawamba primary school ground.
He called upon Malawians to accept responsibility over destruction and depletion of forests that leads to effects of climate change.
President Chakwera said the current government has political will to implement various ways and means to facilitate interventions towards restoration of degraded forests and landscapes.
“My government will continue to promote use of petroleum gas and other sustainable use of renewable energy,” he said.
He, therefore, commended NBM for contributing towards restoration of lost forest cover in Mangochi and other parts of the country.
NBM Chief Financial Officer, Masauko Katsala disclosed that the bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Department of Forestry to contribute to Malawi’s environmental restoration through a one year K100 million Adopt a Forest Project in the three regions of the country.
Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Eisenhower Mkaka said his ministry will take the lead in forest restoration drive, citing the Mangochi Forest Reserve which has suffered encroachment, deforestation, dumping of waste and removal of soils.
“My ministry and other partners are undertaking various interventions to reverse forest degradation landscape restoration,” Mkaka said, adding that the ministry will lead the planting of 50 million tree seedlings in the 2022/2023 Forestry Season.
The forestry season runs from December 15 to April 15 every year.
