Nankhumwa launches ‘Village Forest’ project in Mulanje

Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Kondwani Nankhumwa  on Saturday officially launched a ‘Village Forest Project’ in his Mulanje Central constituency.

Under the project, Nankhumwa and his constituents envisage to have a sizeable forest in each village as a way of averting the negative effects of deforestation.

He planted two trees at Nankhumwa and Waluma villages to launch the initiative. The initial 3000 seedlings have been donated by Southern Region Water Board, to which Nankhumwa paid gratitude.

Addressing his Mulanje Central constituents in Group Villages Nankhumwa and Waluma in Senior Chief Chikumbu’s area in Mulanje on Saturday, February 22, 2020, the legislator, who also serves as Leader of Government Business in Parliament, said trees are extremely critical for sustainability of the environment because they make the world a better place through their ability to clean the air and release oxygen into the atmosphere.

He said right now the world is grappling with the issue of climate change, which brings about such things as flooding and extreme dry spells with resultant negative effects to the environment.

“In terms of polluting the environment, Malawi’s contribution to greenhouse emission is negligible but we are one of the countries in the world that are suffering from the adverse effects of climate change. It is for that reason that we need to take a leading role in the fight against climate change and its ripple effects in this country.

“It is also for that reason that I want this constituency to become a model of this climate change fight by planting as many trees as we can,” said the minister.

Nankhumwa also said he is emulating the example set by President Mutharika when he led the nation on December 18 by planting a Mulanje Cedar tree at Nkando in Mulanje to mark the official launch of the annual national tree planting campaign.

He said the President made it clear that he was doing it in order to encourage Malawians to do the same in their respective areas in order to restore the country’s forests lost throughout the years due to illegal hacking of huge hectares of woodlands.

The afforestation project in Mulanje Central constituency will kick-start with 3000 seedlings for the two villages and thereafter roll-out to other villages in the constituency. Each village will be tasked with identifying land to plant and care for the trees.

Among the people who graced the launching ceremony were Senior Chief Chikumbu, DPP Constituency Governor for Mulanje Central, Smart Ngalande, Ward Councillor, Thokozani Namoyo and Forest Officer a Mr. Mangalusa.

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