M’mbelwa District Council director of administration Viston Mulungu has asked communities of Traditional Authority (T/A) Mzikubola to protect the 9 770-hectare Mtangatanga Forest in Mzimba District.
He said this on Friday at Chasato Primary School when the council and communities signed a co-management agreement on the protection of the forest reserve.
Mulungu said the co-management agreement is one way of telling the communities that the forest reserve is protected from illegal charcoal production and firewood collection.
He said: “This is a great milestone in as far as the protection and management of Mtangatanga Forest Reserve is concerned because as council, we are worried with the rate of deforestation taking place in the district.
“Therefore, we are going to monitor the adherence to the agreement and provide communities with necessary equipment that can enhance protection of the forest reserve.”
On his part, Plan Malawi area programme manager (North) Atusaye Nyondo said they supported the initiative to ensure six communities that live around the forest are part of the solution to ensure the reserve is protected.
“Everyone is affected by challenges that come about due to climate change; hence, the need to involve communities to protect environment,” he said.
Group village head Mgubani Wanda hailed the initiative.
“We will safeguard the forest from charcoal producers, and also ensure we replant trees where they were cut down,” he said.
With funding from Jersey Overseas Aid, Plan Malawi International and Total Land Care are implementing the Conservation Livelihoods in Malawi’s Biosphere Project.
