People in Traditional Authority (T/A) Symon in Neno District have pledged to protect forests from further depletion.

Speaking on Friday during a meeting that Neno District Council organised for community members to review forestry management plans for Neno Eastern Escarpment, Symon Area Development Committee (ADC) chairperson Dorothy Chalu said they will work with forestry officials to fight deforestation.

“We will sensitise our fellow community members to guard against illegal cutting of trees and charcoal production in our forests,” she said.

Chalu also said they will mobilise community members to embark on reforestation during the rainy season.

T/A Symon said it was sad that Neno is among heavily deforested districts.

He said he will work with the ADC to formulate by-laws to protect forests.

Community members listen to a presentation
during the meeting

Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change chief forestry officer Sabina Manda encouraged the communities to take advantage of the second phase of the Shire ValleyTransformation Programme to plant more trees to replenish the lost vegetative cover in the district.

She said the programme, to be implemented as a performance-based grant scheme, seeks to help the communities manage individual woodlots, village forests and protected forests as business.

“In Neno, the programme will target areas around Lisungwi River which feeds into the Shire River to protect Neno Eastern Escarpment and Tsamba Forest Reserve which has been highly deforested,” saidManda.

Neno district forestry officer Eric Mbingwane said most forests in the district, especially Neno Eastern Escarpment and Tsamba Forest are under threat to deforestation, due to charcoal and timber production.

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