North to plant 8 million trees
The Northern Region is expected to plant about eight million trees during this year’s national tree planting season.
Up to 60 million trees are expected to be planted countrywide during this year’s tree planting season.
Speaking at the Northern Region tree planting launch at Bula, Nkhata Bay, on Thursday, assistant regional forestry officer responsible for communication and advisory services, Evans Nyirongo, urged communities to care for the trees that are being planted.
“Late planting and little care have been negatively affecting the survival rate of these trees, thus we are asking communities to be responsible and take part in nurturing the trees,” he said.
Senior Chief M’bwana of the area said deforestation has affected rivers that feed the lake as most of them dry up during the dry season.
He said his area has a land conservation and demarcation committee that looks into issues of land.
M’bwana said he has since released a circular which discourages chiefs in his area from selling land.
“Every chief that sold land is being asked to return the money and reclaim the land in a bid to save our land. Otherwise, we will pass on a desert to the next generation,” he said.
Guest of honour at the event Nkhata Bay District Council chairperson Hastings Mkandawire said the district is one of the local authorities with rampant deforestation leading to land degradation.
Mkandawire said the council has since developed bylaws to govern the way people cut down trees to safeguard the environment.
President Peter Mutharika launched the 2016 National Forestry Season in Ntcheu on January 18 as part of efforts to raise awareness on the importance of managing the country’s forests.
