Lilongwe City Council has embarked on a tree-planting campaign along the banks of Lingadzi River which burst its banks in 2018 and destroyed residential areas.

Through the Lilongwe Greening Campaign, which started in November last year, the council on Saturday launched the Restoration of Lingadzi Riverline initiative.

Sagawa prepares a hole
before planting a tree

It bids to advance best practices in riverline restoration, building community leadership and inspiring the youth to conserve the environment.

Speaking during the exercise in Area 47, Lilongwe City Council deputy mayor Esther Sagawa said in the past the area experienced floods which never happened before.

“Through this project, we want to make the river banks green,” she said.

Lilongwe Greening Campaign coordinator Steve Makungwa asked people to take care of the trees.

“We don’t treat a tree as a living thing. That’s why after planting the trees, we leave them without care. This is why we see some trees failing to survive,” he said.

The Lilongwe Greening Campaign seeks to cover 300 hectares with trees by 2025, targeting cemeteries, schools, riverine buffer zones and roadsides.

Meanwhile, Lilongwe Chapter of the Global Landscapes Forum, which is part of the campaign, said it is promoting care for trees to ensure their survival.

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