Second Vice-President Enock Chihana says Malawi’s forests are under unprecedented threat from deforestation, degradation and climate change, urging collective action to prevent worsening environmental and economic consequences.
Speaking on Friday at the launch of the 2025/2026 National Forestry Season in Phalombe District, commemorated under the theme: “Trees and Forests for Community Resilience”, he said continued forest loss is fuelling extreme weather events such as droughts, floods and cyclones, which are increasingly disrupting livelihoods.
“This burden of climate change has not spared the State,” Chihana said, noting that water systems and roads have been repeatedly destroyed, forcing government to divert huge portions of the national budget to repairs instead of development.
He noted that Malawi has experienced prolonged droughts, floods, storms and cyclones, which have damaged infrastructure, disrupted services and destroyed crops and property.
Chihana further said the country is committed to restoring 4.5 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.
He urged traditional leaders to enforce local governance, district councils to support communities and the Department of Forestry to ensure adequate staffing and equipment to reclaim degraded areas.
Chihana highlighted the promotion of alternative energy sources such as biogas, liquefied petroleum gas, sustainable charcoal and briquettes to reduce reliance on wood fuel.
Minister of Natural Resources Alfred Gangata raised concern over illegal activities in Michesi and Mulanje mountain forest reserves, which have lost over 70 percent of forest cover, warning of appropriate action to stop the malpractice.
“The success of the effort in the restoration of trees and forests depends on active participation of every person in Malawi,” he said, urging Malawians to plant trees around homes and in unproductive land.
Gangata highlighted Mulanje Mountain, recently inscribed as a Unesco World Heritage site, for its biodiversity and cultural importance, noting that it supplies water for domestic use and irrigation.
Phalombe South Member of Parliament Tiaone Hendry highlighted that mountains and trees are gone, with over 1 400 people having encroached on the mountains.
“They are cutting trees. It’s a big problem because this area is prone to cyclones,” she said.
