Communities move to restore degraded land

Dedza District Council land resource officer Franklin Gomani has commended communities in Traditional Authority Kaphuka in the district for working hard to restore degraded landscapes.

He said this on Wednesday when he inspected land restoration initiatives under the Enhanced Climate Smart Public Works Programme in Kakalo catchment area.

“We visited some of the check dams community members constructed across rivers and we are satisfied because they are of high standards and they will prevent floods that erode top soil in the area,” he said.

Kaphuka Extension Planning Area agricultural extensive development coordinator Lyson Akiremu said they were implementing two activities under the programme, namely gully reclamation and control and afforestation.

“In 2016, the area experienced floods that eroded most of the fertile soil leaving many farmers with little arable land. When this programme was introduced to the area, people became excited because they wanted to restore the degraded landscapes,” he said.

One of the participants, Wilson Medson from Kakolo catchment area hailed government for the initiative, saying the Gully Reclamation Project was important for farmers.

He said he was optimistic that he will get a bumper harvest next year because there will be no soil erosion as the check dams slow water speed in streams.

The World Bank-funded programme is targeting 18 685 beneficiaries in 20 catchment areas in the district.