Grassroots Reforestation Efforts Bear Fruit in Malawi City Ward
But with forest cover disappearing, floods and storms battered the communities cropping up along the wooded slopes.
ZOMBA, Malawi— After years of environmental destruction from rapid, unplanned settlement, residents of Likangala Ward in Zomba’s northern outskirts have launched an ambitious reforestation campaign that is steadily reviving degraded woodlands, writes Thabit Mussa.
Spurred by local councilwoman Munira Abdullah Bakali, families across Likangala’s three neighbourhoods have formed grassroots forestry clubs devoted to replanting trees across the hilly ward sandwiched between waterways.
“In the recent past, the population of Likangala Ward has doubled with people seeking employment in the city. Being an unplanned settlement, people have been cutting down trees at an alarming rate to pave the way for the construction of houses,” explained Bakali.
But with forest cover disappearing, floods and storms battered the communities cropping up along the wooded slopes.
Bakali decided collective action was needed and mobilised the ward's new residents in 2019.
"The loss of forest cover has made our ward more prone to floods and cyclones as it is surrounded by rivers and mountains. This prompted me to initiate a project that will see the environment restored through planting trees,” she said.
Now dozens participate in the local clubs in Chikanda, Kazembe and Chilupsya neighbourhoods, trading indigenous tree seedlings raised in nurseries for income while promoting wider planting efforts.
Their advocacy is paying dividends.
Resident and club member Fateemah Mdala has watched barren plots transform as the citizen forestry push progressed. She has also seen a decrease in flooding linked to past deforestation.
“In the past, we were constantly receiving heavy winds, leaving many houses damaged, and floods left crops, soils, and bridges washed away. But we are now singing a new song because, with the initiative, many bare lands have been covered," Mdala remarked.
Yet challenges remain. Chairperson Euwert Mlanga said they require a more steady supply of diverse seedlings, along with access to protective equipment and reliable markets to sell saplings.
Still, with training and hands-on experience, the clubs are building local capacity for sustainable forest stewardship.
Councilwoman Bakali said engaging youth has been crucial as inheritors of the climate fight.
The groups also donate saplings to local institutions like schools and churches. By instilling tree care values across Likangala Ward, residents are cultivating for the future in more ways than one.