World Bank country manager for Malawi Firas Raad has expressed satisfaction with land management interventions in Traditional Authority Kunthembwe in Blantyre District.
He said this on Friday when he inspected sustainable land management practices under Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (Mwasip) at Twaya and Mkwana villages in the area.
“We hope what is done here in Blantyre could be replicated elsewhere in the country because protecting land to ensure that it is protected and sustained for farming and other uses is essential for promoting livelihoods of community members,” said Raad.
One of the beneficiaries, Alfred Mkwanda from Twaya Village said they formed a group which is involved in beekeeping and environmental conservation after receiving financial and technical support from Mwasip, including knowledge on good farming practices.
According to Mkwanda, in 2023 the group harvested 60 kilogrammes of honey.
On his part, Mwasip technical team lead Joseph Kanyangalazi thanked Raad for the tour, saying the technical and financial support from the World Bank has led to significant progress in land restoration and reforestation.
Mwasip is being implemented in the upper and middle Shire River Basin areas which include parts of Mangochi, Balaka, Machinga, Zomba, Ntcheu and Neno districts.
The project seeks to increase the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices and improve watershed services in targeted watersheds.
Last week, the programme disbursed grants amounting to K285 million to communities implementing sustainable land management activities in Zomba District where farmers have restored 7 000 hectares.
