Ministry of Industrialisation, Business, Trade and Tourism says Malawi is seeking to make community-based conservation more economically rewarding to ensure greater grassroots participation in protecting the country’s natural resources.
Line Minister Simoni Itaye, speaking during the launch of the Community-based Natural Resource Management Forum in Lilongwe on Thursday, said communities’ involvement in conservation should not only be expected to protect the environment, but also be given opportunities to turn their natural resource-based products into income and foreign exchange.
“If we are serious about winning the battle against climate change, then we must invest in the grassroots,” he said.
Itaye, a former corporate executve, said said products made by community cooperatives have the potential to generate more income and foreign exchange if cooperatives are supported to access export markets.
He said that stronger links between conservation and economic opportunities can encourage communities to take greater ownership of environmental protection.
The forum brings together government, non-governmental organisations, development partners and communities to coordinate efforts aimed at promoting sustainable management of natural resources.
The forum’s board chairperson Benedicto Malunga said the launch will strengthen efforts to tackle environmental threats, mobilise funding for community conservation initiatives and involve traditional leaders in spearheading conservation programmes.
“The launch of the programme is a signal that we will aggressively look for supporters who will help us do a fantastic job of promoting coexistence between the communities surrounding these national parks and the personnel that are working with them,” he said.
Malunga said the inclusion of traditional leaders in the forum’s executive was important because they possess local knowledge that can strengthen conservation interventions.
Lilongwe-based Masalepa Cooperative chairperson Lucy Pelera said the support the group received has helped to improve livelihoods while enabling members to contribute to environmental protection.
