Kachali urges citizenry to take care of trees

Vice-President Khumbo Kachali has said trees are important to people’s lives, hence the need to take care of them.

Kachali said this at Chimoto Village in Traditional Authority Katunga’s area in Chikhwawa on Wednesday during the launch of the 2013/ 14 National Forestry Season.

The Vice-President said it is sad that most trees Malawians planted did not survive.

The forestry season was commemorated under the theme of My Forest, My Life, which Kachali said shows that humanity cannot do without trees.

“My Forest, My Life means that we must equate trees with our lives where one cannot be alive without them. Without our forests, we would be placing our lives at risk here in Malawi and even the world over,” he said.

Earlier, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management Halima Daud bemoaned the rampant cutting down of trees and charcoal burning in the country.

“My ministry has been facing the biggest challenge in management of forests in the country as we are experiencing an alarming rate of charcoal burning, wanton cutting down of trees. At times, people even burn forests recklessly. This is our country, let us be patriotic,” she said.

The forestry season is observed from December to April where Malawians are encouraged to plant and take care of trees.