By Patience Lunda:
The Department of Forestry has said dry spells that are being experienced in some parts of the country can result in low survival rate of trees that are being planted.
Malawi anticipates to plant 34 million tree seedlings in the 2023-24 season.
The Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services (DCCMS) has warned that the dry spells will continue between February and April as the country continues to experience El Nino weather conditions.
Chief Forestry Officer Titus Zulu said in an interview that trees require adequate moisture during the first months and that lack of it subjects them to wilting, diseases and pests.
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Zulu advised people to consider providing water to trees that have been planted, observe rainfall harvesting techniques and plant trees along river lines to avert the situation.
“The dry spells have an effect as well on the reason the trees were planted in the first place. It is not a good situation because the national tree survival rate is already low,” he said.
Malawi has an annual tree survival rate that hovers between 62 and 67 percent.
Environmentalist Maloto Chimkombero said the dry spells are a wake-up call for all stakeholders to explore other strategies that can be used in tree-planting exercises to ensure high survival rates.
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For instance, Chimkombero said, there is a need to encourage agroforestry where farmers can be planting trees along with other crops during the first rains.
“Citizens should also be encouraged to plant trees in their homes throughout the year. Fruits and industrial trees should be targeted so that many households should see monetary benefits and value in tree planting,” he said.
President Lazarus Chakwera launched the tree-planting season in Phalombe District on January 18, 2024, with a call to communities to work together with the government in restoring the environment to combat climate change and curb its impact.
