‘Embrace reforestation’

Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Michael Usi has urged communities to adopt reforestation initiatives as a solution to combat deforestation in hills and forests across the country.

Speaking on Sunday during a meeting with two volunteer groups involved in the conservation of Ndirande Hill in Blantyre, he highlighted that the government is working towards ensuring cost-effective alternative energy options are accessible to a majority of Malawians.

Said Usi: “Our country is dealing with a serious problem of cutting down trees for charcoal for energy and we need to find alternatives so that we should curb this malpractice.

 “My ministry has a partnership with Raiply Malawi Limited to address this objective, and we are pleased to acknowledge their significant contribution of K5 million to support the groups and facilitate the operations involved in this effort.”

Usi said the initiative will play a crucial role in restoring the forest cover which said Ndirande Hill has lost over the years.

Raiply Malawi general manager Swastick Shetty said his company remains committed to supporting the government in its efforts to preserve and protect the environment.

He said: “Our company is no exception, as we recognise the economic value that trees bring as we use them as our raw material but the difference is we make reforestation and manage plantations and make sure that whatever has been cut down is planted back.

“We have devised a concept to integrate individuals involved in tree-cutting into the mainstream, offering them seed funding to support reforestation efforts and providing them with briquettes to establish businesses focused on the preservation of existing trees.”

Chairperson of Njanja Group Wezi Mwase appealed to the residents of Ndirande to stop the practice of tree cutting and encroaching the hill.

“We hope that this partnership will contribute significantly to the restoration of the forest to its former glory,” he expressed.