Salima farmers building resilience

Malawi Lake Basin Programme (MLBP) natural resources management field officer, Charles Kaone, says communities have contributed to the effects of climate change due to their careless cutting down of trees. He says the lack of trees has not only left the land bare, but also fuelled run off.

“Trees act as wind barriers, meaning, in a situation where there is too much wind, the impact is minimised by the presence of trees. In addition, trees will help control the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Generally, trees will trap carbon dioxide and provide oxygen,” he explains.

He adds that where there are no trees, this process is compromised, which leads to changes in the weather patterns.

“In response to this, we are encouraging people to plant trees to help restore the environment,” he says.

Last year, many farmers across the country had to plant their crops more than once due to erratic rainfalls. This year, Salima-based 37-year-old Jefter Nkhoma, together with other farmers in the district, decided to replant trees in the district. Currently, the group has a 15-acre woodlot.

While the process of planting trees and waiting for them to grow takes long, Nkhoma is marching on. So far, the woodlot has over 100 species of both indigenous and exotic trees.

“In the past, it was never a problem. We had trees and food was readily available. There were no surprises in weather changes. But now, things have taken a sudden turn, leaving many communities at a crossroads,” he says.

Nkhoma says as smallholder farmers, they know the importance of having a woodlot.

“We sell the firewood and sometimes we use it at home. It is a good venture,” he says.

Experts have said the greatest barriers to an effective response to climate change are lack of awareness of solutions, capacity and the leadership to actualise them. Because most smallholder farmers do not understand much about climate change, experts have classified them as the least prepared to deal with the changes.

But what Nkhoma and other farmers in his area are doing is set to change this perception.