President Lazarus Chakwera has expressed concern over the levels of deforestation in the country as statistics show that 10 million trees are felled annually in the country.
The Malawi leader launched the national forest season at Tukombo full primary school in Nkhata Bay district today.
He noted that overpopulation is one of the reasons for the loss of trees as people clear land for cultivation and settlement.
Chakwera urged communities to protect existing trees and the ones which will be planted during the tree planting season with the aim of bringing back the lost forest cover.
The Malawi leader said trees are crucial to the sustainability of the environment from which the country draws its natural resources.
“There should be cooperation in tree planting and protection of trees, as a country we are losing over 10 million trees every year,” the president said.
Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources Nancy Tembo asked the president to engage companies to join in the conservation efforts using their resources.
During the launch, the state president together with the First Lady Monica Chakwera planted Khaya Anthotheca (M’bawa) and Mangifera Indica (Mango) tree species.
Throughout the 2020-2021 National Forestry Season which runs from the 15th of December to 15th April, government plans to plant and manage 60 million trees in line with the National Forest Landscape Restoration Strategy of 2016.
