By Arkangel Tembo, New York, USA

New York, 25 September 2024, Mana: President Dr Lazarus Chakwera has commended the efforts of the World Conservation Society, the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, and the Rain Forest Trust as partners in promoting the sustainable management and conservation of the Miombo Forests.

The president made the remarks on Wednesday during the high-level dialogue on the Miombo forest held at The River Club conference centre in New York, USA.

President Chakwera stated that The Miombo Forest is not just a natural wonder but is a vital ecosystem that defines the landscape of our beautiful continent and sustains the livelihoods of millions within the Southern African region.

“Stretching across more than 2.7 million square kilometers and spanning several countries, including Malawi, the Miombo woodlands are a bastion and central bank of natural treasures for our planet,” said President Chakwera

The president highlighted that the biodiversity of flora and fauna in Miombo forest is simply extraordinary, serving as an immune system of sorts that regulates the health and quality of the food, medicine, and materials that our communities depend on.

President Chakwera stressed that due to a lack of knowledge about the Miombo forest among people among most individuals, the forest has turned into perfect conditions of obscurity to allow criminal activities to place in the forest which has led to the loss of biodiversity.

“As I speak, there is lawless logging in Miombo Forests. There is dangerous deforestation in the Miombo Forests. There is careless charcoal production in the Miombo Forests.

“The net effect of all of this is the decimation of Miombo’s biodiversity, much to the detriment of the millions of people whose livelihood depends on it, and without which they have no natural defense against the blows of climate impacts,” said President Chakwera.

President Chakwera has reaffirmed Malawi’s commitment to work collaboratively with Mozambique to reforest the parts that have been destroyed, creating programs to empower local communities to take ownership of its stewardship.

He also stressed that his administration would work closely with the President of Mozambique Filipe Nyusi to implement and comply with the Maputo Declaration on Sustainable Management of Miombo Forests that was signed in 2022 and mobilize resources to be invested in research for the development of sustainable practices that enhance the resilience of our forests against climate change