Addressing degraded environment in Mchinji

Droughts and floods have been considered to be a norm appearing almost every year taking the country a few steps back in its economic and developmental growth.

In an era where climate change has brought great mischief among communities in Malawi, different views and actions have been explored to capitulate and resolve such problems.

Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CSEPWP), a component under Social Support for Resilient Livelihood Programme (SSRLP), has been one benchmark in the process of addressing climate change.

Andsen Mvula, chairperson for the Nathyola Catchment Area in Chamveka Village under Traditional Authority (TA) Mlonyeni in Mchinji has hailed CSEPWP for its ability to help communities reclaim the land they lost due to surface run-off.

Through gully reclamation by creating check dams, people in Nathyola have managed to restore degraded land and are able to cultivate on some parts of the land they thought they will never use again.

“Some parts of the land had eroded due to heavy rainfall and since the land was bare as a result of cutting trees to make charcoal, we had problems in cultivating crops on such areas,” explained Mvula.

The focus of CSEPWP is to enhance land resource conservation, afforestation, natural regeneration, and sustainable livelihoods in order to bring resilience to communities’ prone to climate-related shocks and stresses, such as floods, droughts, and extreme weather events.

This is why communities are introduced to ways that can help deal with these climates related shocks.

According to Mvula, Nathyola Catchment Area has not only reclaimed land through check dams in the gullies and planting of bananas in the gullies but the beneficiaries have also been able to dig more than 300 infiltration pits around the Kalenga Matenda Hill to stop water runoff.

This is to help in holding water and preventing it from running down the hill into people’s houses and farms with much force.

Concurring with Mvula, foreman for Kachinga natural regeneration under Luzare Catchment Area in TA Nyoka, Joseph Frederick Phiri stated that afforestation is one major key to bringing back the nature the communities lost.

He explained that not only has the catchment area been able to plant more trees in Kachinga Mountain but they have also made half-moons bunds and planted vetiver grass to control water runoff from the mountain down to the community and the streams.

“People living in this area especially those at the foot of the mountain had challenges during the rainy season because sometimes the water would run down the hill into their houses. Making half-moons or semi secular bunds in the mountain has helped in addressing such problems” said Phiri.

Under CSEPWP, Mchinji district has 20 catchment areas where the climate smart beneficiaries are working on various water and soil conservation initiatives.

Some of the initiatives include caring for natural regeneration, tree planting, gully reclamation, river banks protection, and making contour marker ridges, which in a way brings about a sense of ownership to them since they are working in their own localities.

“The idea of CSEPWP is to equip people with the knowledge of taking care of the environment. We are encouraging ownership and durable and quality structures,” explained Land Resource Conservation Officer Rhoda Njikho.

Njikho highlighted that CSEPWP has helped communities such as Chamveka in reducing natural degradation by increasing infiltration rate and reducing surface run off but at the same time bringing the communities together to work with one mind and one goal.

Climate smart technologies and practices have presented opportunities for addressing climate change challenges as well as for economic growth and development of the agriculture sector.

Recognizing that the economy is tight in this era, the participants of are given an amount of K28 800 as wages at the end of the 24 days’ cycle that they complete the work.

The beneficiaries of CSEPWP were linked to Community Savings and Investments Cooperative Promotion (COMSIP) to instill the culture of savings and investment among the project participants and to increase household incomes and productive assets through diversified investments.

Michael Ziyalula, chairperson for Tikondane COMSIP club in Chamveka Village said being part of the club has aided him become more efficient when it comes to earning money to sustain his family.

“Joining the club has made it easier for me to access loans which I use to buy fertilizer and other needed farm inputs in order to grow my farming business. I have also been able to sustain my household with important stocks and other needs,” said Ziyalula.

Ziyalula said that before the project, it was not an easy task to fend for himself or to be able to buy farm inputs which was frustrating because farming is the only means he uses to sustain himself and his family.

“With the rise in the prices of fertilizer and other farm inputs, it was hard for me to buy the needed inputs. Sometimes I would manage to buy half of what was needed and sometimes I would just let it go because there was no money and no means to earn as much and be able to acquire the needed inputs,” explained Ziyalula.

Alice Joseph Lazaro from Kachinga Village under TA Nyoka is also another participant of CSEPWP working in Luzale Catchment Area and like many beneficiaries she was facing financial challenges to sustain her household and buy needed inputs for her farm.

After working in various projects under the programme, she was able to buy a goat which has now multiplied and is making it easier to access manure for her farm produce.

“The programme has opened doors for me to be able to provide for myself and my family. Working on various projects under the programme I managed to save up some money and later on bought a goat which is now making it easier for me to access manure,” Alice explained.

She further appreciated government for introducing the project to vulnerable communities saying this is not just keeping nature intact and safe but it is also enhancing lives of people in those communities.

In Mchinji there are 20 catchment areas with 19,362 beneficiaries and in the next cycle an additional 3,783 beneficiaries will be added.

CSEPWP will also contribute 140,000 trees to this year’s district target of trees planted which is 3 million trees.

The programme is being implemented through the National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) and funded by the World Bank and the Social Protection Multi-Donor Trust Fund.