NGOs target to plant one million trees

An alliance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) implementing the Enhancing Community Resilience Project (ECPR) to restore vegetation has planned to plant one million trees this rainy season.

ECRP head of programme from Christian Aid Sophie Makoloma told journalists during a press briefing in Lilongwe that the trees will be planted in seven districts where the Alliance is implementing the project.

“Our target is to plant a minimum of one million trees in the next three months. Apart from that, we will engage the department of forestry to come up with a lessons-learnt document which will have dos and don’ts for successful tree planting and survival,” she said.

ECPR is being implemented by 11 partners and three members, namely CARE, Action Aid and Christian Aid.

Makoloma said the number of trees planted yearly does not match the number of trees cut down and, as a result, Malawi has become one of the countries badly affected by climate change.

She said there is hope that the exercise will help protect natural resources such as soils and water and help to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The exercise started on February 3 when Act Alliance staff members planted trees at a site identified by Lilongwe City Council which also provided 1 000 trees towards the cause.

Government has set a target of 60 million trees to be planted during this year.