* My government will continue to promote use of petroleum gas and other sustainable use of renewable energy
* Every Malawian home must make a switch to cleaner way of cooking
* Industries should also switch from wood burning to efficient and clean technologies
* People must accept responsibility over destruction and depletion of forests that leads to effects of climate change
By Evance Chisiano, MANA
President 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 as a result of climate change.
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He made the call Friday at Chipalamawamba Primary School in Mangochi when he inaugurated the 2022/2023 National Forestry Season under the theme: ‘Restore Degraded Forest Landscapes for Livelihood Security.’
Chakwera, the First Lady Madame Monica Chakwera, government officials, National Bank of Malawi officials and representatives from diplomatic missions in Malawi, among others, planted palm trees at Mangochi Palm Forest Reserve before the President addressed a rally at Chipalamawamba.
He called upon Malawians to accept responsibility over destruction and depletion of forests that leads to effects of climate change.
“Every Malawian home must make a switch to cleaner way of cooking and industries should also switch from wood burning to efficient and clean technologies,” he said, adding that 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” as he also commended National Bank of Malawi for contributing towards restoration of lost forest cover in Mangochi and other parts of the country.
Chief Financial Officer, Masauko Katsala said 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.
Katsala said National Bank feels duty bound to contribute towards restoration and conservation of the environment.
“National Bank is a green financial institution with a sustainability and portfolio anchored under the pillars: ‘our economy, our people, our community and our environment,” he said, while commended the Department of Forestry for its technical advice towards the adoption of Mangochi Palm Forest, Dedza Hills and a forest in Chitipa.
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He also commended communities around the adopted forests for being cooperative in the forestry restoration and regeneration drive.
Minister of Natural Resources & Climate Change, Eisenhower Mkaka said they 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.
Mkaka observed that degradation of forests — through human activities — has contributed to multiple environmental problems that have in turn contributed to climate change whose effects are unbearable to humans.
“My Ministry and other partners are undertaking various interventions to reverse forest degradation landscape restoration,” Mkaka said, adding that they will lead the planting of 50 million tree seedlings in the 2022/2023 Forestry Season.
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He added that the Ministry has a number of interventions under the Forestry Act meant to gain the lost ecosystems in most forests reserves.
On his part, Paramount Chief Kawinga bemoaned degradation of forests and landscapes at the Mangochi Palm Forest and other forests in the country, calling on collective responsibility in restoring the degraded forests.
“In this regard, let us plant more trees and care for them,” he said, describing human beings destructive despite knowing too well the benefits of forests.
Kawinga, therefore, called on local leaders to take a leading role in planting trees other than allowing their subjects to indulge in activities that contribute to destruction and degradation of forests and landscapes.
The forestry season runs from December 15 to April 15 every year.
