President Lazarus Chakwera on Friday launched the 2021/22 Forestry Season with a call for concerted efforts in planting and protecting trees.

Chakwera also launched the 2021-2022 Forestry Calendar and the Malawi Green Corps project, which he said will create jobs for 2 000 youths through reforestation of 5 000 hectares of land across the country.

Chakwera planting a tree

Before addressing a launching rally at Dowa Secondary School ground, the President led the people in planting and weeding trees in Mpanda Hills about three kilometres from the school.

He said the responsibility over forest conservation goes beyond planting of trees and also includes ensuring their survival to achieve the purpose.

“We need to ensure that the trees we plant every year survive otherwise then we are doing nothing. Another point is that the job of conserving the forest is for everyone.”

Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Eisenhower Mkaka, who spoke before the President, said last season the country planted 50 million trees but the survival rate was at 60 percent.

He also revealed that this season which started on December 15 2021 to March 15 2022 government plans to plant 40 million trees and involve communities in taking care of them to achieve a high survival rate.

“This time around, we are using two approaches and these are promoting natural tree regeneration and planting new trees where there are completely no trees and encourage communities to take responsibility of caring for them,” he said.

Mkaka also said his Ministry is working with members of Parliament to plant trees in their constituencies and that most constituencies have already planted trees.

United Nations resident coordinator Rudolf Schewenk commended Malawi for its stance towards conservation of nature and its policies on environmental conservation.

Schewenk also said a number of natural disasters that have been happening recently are caused by environmental injustices such as careless cutting down of trees which have aggravated climate change.

United States Agency for International Development (Usaid) Malawi Mission director Catie Lott said to win the battle against deforestation, government needs to strengthen engagement with the private sector.

Traditional Authority Mponela, who has led his subjects into conserving 341 hectares of Mpanda Hills, said by-laws which he made with his chiefs have helped to protect the regenerating trees.

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