“Malawi’s deforestation rate is ranked fourth (4th) in the world second (2nd) in Africa and first in SADC”. Projects are initiated all over Malawi in order to bring back the forestry cover Malawi had in 1980’s. One of the project was implemented by World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and World Vision Malawi in Mzimba, Karonga, Dedza, Ntchisi, Machinga and Chikwawa from 2015 to 2017.
The project was intended to have an impact on commercialisation of small scale timber out grower schemes and sustainable utilization of natural forests, establishing and developing market linkages for forest products and developing, documenting as well as utilising sustainable management practices for natural forests among others.
All the projects being implemented are working towards reducing the impact of energy poverty among households. Access to sustainable energy depends largely on affordability and is based on household income levels. As such, is becoming another issue where stakeholders are designing different interventions aimed at protecting the environment whilst sustaining it.
It is no hidden secret that forests play an important role in people’s lives. Since time immemorial forests have been a source of our livelihoods including; food, firewood, fodder, building materials, agriculture and medicinal amongst others. However, in Malawi, the scarcity of firewood due to the depletion of trees is hindering many household activities. As a result, women and girls are walking long distances in search for firewood; facing numerous challenges such as sexual exploitation along the way. There are numerous efforts being trialled to curb the serious deforestation that is devastating the country. One of such efforts is the promotion of cleaner cookstoves. The Nation Steering Committee through MBAULA network are implementing a count to reach the target of 2 million cleaner Cook stove by 2020 that aims to reduce firewood consumption to allow the regrowth of trees. .
Data Management & Monitoring Officer for MBAULA, Ntchindi Msuku said, so far 700, 372 improved Cleaner Cook stoves have been disseminated in different districts in Malawi. We are working with all stakeholders ranging from financers, producers, transporters and marketers to realise the target by 2020. “This will help us to know how many cook stoves have been produced and disseminated,” Msuku explained.
Msuku also acknowledge that, regardless of positive progress being made so far, some challenges are also encountered in the management and monitoring of the progress. “Some producers have not yet been reached, and it is our hopes that interventions promoting the use of cleaner cook stoves will be enhanced by all stakeholders so that Cleaner cook stoves are adopted by every Malawian to realise our target”.