Nkhata Bay district forestry officer Catherine Msuku has bemoaned communal detachment from forests which has resulted in massive deforestation and charcoal production in the district.
The district along Lake Malawi is slowly losing its green cover due to wanton felling of trees.
Recently, government deployed Malawi Defence Force soldiers from Moyale Barracks to evict encroachers from Chisasira and Kalwe forest reserves.
In an interview, Msuku said efforts to sensitise communities to the importance of conserving trees are flopping because most citizens and traditional leaders “leave everything to the forestry officials”.
“Lack of ownership is affecting ongoing efforts to bring back the lost green cover. In the 2016/2017 rainy season, we planted 400 000 trees on almost 160 hectares of degraded forests and allowed 100 hectares to regenerate naturally,” she said.
According to Msuku, people in Nkhata Bay have planted 149 300 trees this year.
Msuku cited charcoal and timber making as major challenges to conservation efforts.
Recently, the Department of Forestry sensitised communities in Traditional Authority Malanda and Timbiri to the importance of regeneration and tree-planting. n
