By Vincent Nhlema

In recent years, climate change has become a global issue. At global level, world leaders have agreed to take necessary steps to reduce greenhouse gases which has become a major issue in dealing with factors that greatly contribute to global temperature increase. During the recent conference of partners (CoP26), climate campaigners pushed world leaders to implement policies that will limit the global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

While climate change is a global issue, it becomes personal for people living in communities that depend on forests and agriculture, more so in least developed countries like Malawi. They feel the impact more because it has direct effects on their day-to-day life.

With the majority of people in Malawi depending on forests for energy, housing, and other agricultural activities (especially tobacco), preserving forests has become a farfetched dream. It takes one to appreciate the effects of deforestation on human life for them to pay necessary attention to forests.

Forests are land covers that provide ecosystem services which are essential for human wellbeing and development. Forests regulate ecosystems, protect biodiversity, and help mitigate climate change through Carbon sequestration (removal of carbon gases from the atmosphere). They help stabilise the climate.

A group of community members in rural Kasungu, Chulu area, saw the need to preserve forests after experiencing what they called “effects of climate change” for a considerable period after losing most of the forests in the area to charcoal production, and other forest depleting activities. 

“We are currently managing eight community forests under Chulu Farmers’ Association, with support from the National Smallholder Farmers’ Association of Malawi (NASFAM). 

“We noted that forests were being depleted at an alarming rate, and we immediately felt experienced the consequences, delayed rains, and high temperatures. That pushed us to organise ourselves and manage the shrubs until the forests are restored,” said Lackson Moyo, chairperson for Chulu Smallholder Farmers’ Association.

Agnes Shaba, a famer and a mother of 4 from Kapopo Village says she could tell that something has changed in rainfall cycle when Chinga Forest, which is close to her home, had lost its glory. She claims it affected her farming due to delayed rains and increased land degradation resulting from increased runoff water, with so many bare lands in the area.

“I have heard that forests play a role in how rainfall patterns work. For me I noted that the area suddenly experienced poor rains. This resulted in low crop production, and that put so much pressure on me as a woman because I am responsible to ensure the family is fed well. So, if I do not produce enough, it is a burden throughout that particular year.

 “In addition, we depend on firewood for energy to prepare food for the family. Without proper management of forests, it meant walking long distances to fetch firewood,” said Shaba.

John Baza Mwandira, an Association Field Officer for Chulu agrees with Shaba’s sentiments, saying before they embarked on the forests restoration efforts, the area experienced some inconsistent rainfall pattern, resulting in poor yields for most households, piling pressure on already struggling households who depend on agriculture for their livelihood.

Shaba, who also serves as a Treasurer for Chinga Forest (3.2 hectares in size), says restoring the forest to its former glory is an act that has brought hope to a community that experienced the negative effects of deforestation. 

“When we noted the problem, in consultation with community leaders, we agreed to act. NASFAM Helped us with tools and training on how to restore the forest by simply caring for the shoots and putting in place by-laws that restrict people from destroying trees. The forest you see today was almost bare, but here it is, after almost 5 years of community action. None of the trees you see here has been planted. They have regenerated by themselves,” added Shaba.

Since communities in the rural area depend on forests for firewood and other chores, Moyo said they have established some exotic woodlots from which they harvest wood needed for use, following procedures agreed upon by the community, led by the chiefs and the committee. This he said is aimed to preserve the natural forests.

According to Gloria Kasongo, NASFAM Farm Services Coordinator, responsible for Natural Resources Management, NASFAM members are managing about 600 hectares of forest cover across the country.

Kasongo says they encourage communities to own the initiatives to ensure sustainability.

“NASFAM mainly creates awareness, builds capacity, supports communities with trees seedlings, provides some forest management tools, as well as helping them establish some by-laws that will facilitate sustainability. We always want the communities to own the initiative with guidance from local committees that they elect.

“Where communities showed interest to practice apiculture, NASFAM supported them with start-up beehives for them to gain additional value from forests or woodlots. These are some of the interventions that contribute towards sustainable forestry management,” said Kasongo.

Natural resources management programmes being promoted by NASFAM are made possible with financial support from the governments of Ireland and Norway.