By Lesnat Kenan

Lilongwe March 19, Mana: Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Michael Usi has emphasized the importance of strategic plans in protecting and conserving natural resources saying it will help Malawi to heal from social- economic problems the country is facing.

He made the remarks in Lilongwe when he presided over the launch of the Malawi Environment Protection Authority(MEPA) strategic plan (2023-2028) aimed at protecting and managing the environment and sustainable utilization of natural resources in Malawi.

Usi appealed to MEPA's authorities to be confident and stand on their decisions for this strategic plan to be effective.

"As MEPA they should make sure that their communication strategy is effective for people to know what MEPA is all about and when recruiting staff members, they should recruit staff members that are qualified to do the job and that will help more in contributing to the Malawi vision 63 pillar of environmental sustainability". Added Usi.

In his remarks Board chairperson for MEPA Robert Kafakoma said the authority will develop a vibrant human resource capacity, ensure accountability and strengthen resilience to effects of climate change.

"The strategic plan will help to transform Malawi into a clean, secure and sustainable environment as the overall vision of MEPA is a clean and healthy environment for all Malawians" added Kafakoma.

Kafakoma also added that MEPA with the cooperation of its stakeholders will implement this strategic plan successfully.