CURE, IKI initiative marks progress amid fire management hurdles
Blantyre, Malawi – Communities involved in the restoration of the Chiradzulu Forest Reserve, an initiative aimed at building resilience to climate change, attended a participatory planning session and learning exchange visit on Thursday. The event, held at the Coordination Union for the Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE) premises in Blantyre, focused on assessing the progress, successes, and challenges faced by the landscape restoration initiative one year after its commencement.
During the session, various activities related to the project, including nurseries, beekeeping, by-laws, and proposed eco-tourism development, were reviewed to gauge the effectiveness of the implementation process the year gone by.
Charles Mkoka, CURE’s Executive Director, highlighted that the session provided an opportunity for all stakeholders to explore strategies to address fire, identified as a major challenge to the landscape restoration efforts in the mountainous ecosystem. He urged local leaders, including Group Village Headmen Dakotala and Nkupu from Traditional Authorities Mpama and Kadewere, to ensure that communities engage in early burning as a fire management tool to prevent more severe fires.
Kingsley Amon, from Group Village Head Dakotala, raised concerns about the origins of the fires, noting that they often start from a former plantation site managed by the forestry department, and questioned who might be responsible for setting these destructive fires.
In response, Andrew Basikolo, District Forest Assistant, attributed the fires to arsonists, particularly hunters targeting wildlife species like antelopes. He emphasized that the forestry department is currently understaffed and lacks the capacity to effectively monitor and prevent illegal activities which span a very large area.
Despite these challenges, the project has seen significant successes, including the construction of check dams. These structures have not only helped reclaim deep gullies caused by soil erosion but are also being utilized by residents as bridges, improving connectivity between villages.
CURE is implementing this two-year program with support from the International Climate Initiative based in Germany. The project aims to build resilience among communities around the mountain, particularly following the devastation caused by Cyclone Freddy.
