MDF in afforestation drive in Southern Region
The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) has partnered schools and communities in the Southern Region to address issues of climate change through planting and protecting trees.
Speaking in an interview after launching a tree-planting exercise at Cobbe Barracks in Zomba on Sunday, 93rd infantry brigade commander responsible for the Southern Region Colonel John Chaika said the country is continuously facing challenges due to deforestation.
He said: “MDF has been called upon by various stakeholders to assist in patrolling forest areas in the country because of human activities which are leading to deforestation resulting into climate change.
“Instead of just patrolling, we think it is also necessary to get involved in the actual exercise and we aim to plant over 10 million trees,” he said.
Chaika said MDF is losing training areas every year due to deforestation, which is negatively affecting their operations.
MDF plans to plant trees in all forest areas in the Southern Region districts.
The launch was conducted with support from National Bank of Malawi (NBM).
NBM chief executive officer Mcfussy Michael Kawawa commended MDF for joining Malawians in environmental conservation through tree-planting and protection.
He said environmental degradation results in low water tables. n
