In this three-part development series on deforestation in Malawi, Dr Kenneth Wiyo, Associate Prfessor in Land and Water Management at Bunda Campus, Luanar, dissects the major issues surrounding deforestation in Malawi and the linkages among rapid population growth, poverty, growing demand for wood energy, wanton cutting down of trees and the resultant environmental degradation.
Introduction
Deforestation, habitat loss and forest degradation are the most critical issues facing Malawi today. Deforestation has a direct link to Escom blackouts and inadequate supply of water by water boards in both dry and wet seasons and environmental degradation. As a result, water and power utilities, private sector and communities are all severely affected by the impacts of deforestation. Deforestation in key catchments in Malawi is affecting livelihoods of local communities through loss of habitat, soil erosion, flooding and water shortages. Malawi communities are often accused of wanton cutting down of trees causing deforestation and forest degradation as a result of poverty and survival strategies. Deforestation is also affecting operations of water boards in ensuring sustainable water supplies at source catchments both in the dry and wet seasons. This is particularly the case in cities and small towns. In the dry season, there is the prolem of low flows in most source rivers while in the wet season there is a problem of flooding and siltation, affecting water intakes and pump operations. Further, floating vegetation, siltation and low flows in the Shire River are affecting hydro-electric power (Hep) production at Nkula, Tedzani and Kapichira power stations by Escom, leading to ectrensive load shedding in recent years. Malawi relies on Hep generation for 98 percent of its power production. This has been made worse because of climate change affecting onset, cessation, amounts and distribution of rainfall in any one year. As I write, Lake Malawi is at its lowest level in 10 years.
High population growth is a key driver
Extensive deforestation in catchment areas throughout Malawi is a result of a number of interlinked factors. The first one is the rapid population growth estimated at 2.8 percent annually as of the 2008 population census. Currently, the Malawi population is estimated at 18 million and growing. Rapid population growth should not necessarily result in deforestation. Bt Malawi has a unique set of problems as over 95% of the population relies on biomass as a source of energy. Wood energy (charcoal and firewood) is the number one source of energy for over 95% of the population principally for cooking and water heating. Rural areas rely more on firewood (98.52%) and less on charcoal (0.35%) while urban areas rely on both firewood (39.8%) and charcoal (45.8%). Thus in Malawi´s case, high population means more trees being cut to meet the high demestig energy demands of a growing population in both rural and urban areas.
Get more information on growing appetite for burnt bricks for houses, lack of economically viable domestic energy alternatives, forests lost to agriculture and human settlements, unsuccessfull efforts to control Malawi´s population, the impact of tobacco industry and failure of past Malawi afforestation in the article below.