LCC, Beam in new tree approach

Lilongwe City Council (LCC) alongside the First Lady’s Beautify Malawi Trust (Beam) have taken a new approach in managing trees which it plants every year after observing that the majority of trees planted do not survive.

The council plants about 10 000 trees every year the survival rate of less than 50 percent with the remaining trees being cut by communities thereby worsening the situation.

The council’s director of Parks, Recreation and Environment, Allan Kwanjana, said they have now decided to partner with communities in the areas the trees are being planted in order to ensure high survival rate.

Said Kwanjana: “We have discovered that most people don’t appreciate the importance of the trees even in the city, therefore, trees are destroyed because, amongst other reasons people think that the trees take up land for gardening.”

He said this on the sidelines of a tree planting exercise in Lilongwe on Tuesday which was initiated by Beam but LCC supplied the tree seedlings and is also expected to take part in taking care of the trees.

Beam chairperson said that the trust is going to plant over 4 500 seedlings along Lilongwe River banks and more than 500 seedlings in primary schools such as Shire LEA, Mtsiliza, Kalambo and Kauma.

Kawale senior block leader said that he is going to make sure that the trees survive by engaging the people who cultivate crops on the land where the trees have been planted.

He further called for his subjects to make sure that they plant new trees and also take good care of the existing ones.

Also present during the tree planting exercise were Mayor for Lilongwe City, Councillor Willie Chapondera and block leaders for the communities along Lilongwe River.