By Petro Mkandawire

Blantyre, July 3, Mana: National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC) Cluster Coordinator for the South, Henry Hunga, has expressed gratitude over communities’ active participation in various interventions under Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Programme (CS-EPWP) sub catchments of Blantyre.

He expressed the appreciation during a tour of Linjemesi catchment in Traditional Authority (TA) Makata and Chilambalare catchment in TA Kapeni in Blantyre.

He said structures which communities are constructing under the programme in most micro catchments will reduce risks of natural disaster, improve water conservation thereby improving food security.

He was hopeful that communities will continue adopting best practices in catchment conservation for improved livelihood as CS-EPWP was meant to create visible, durable and quality assets within micro catchments that should improve household food security.

The monitoring team visited the micro catchments to assess quality of assets and number of sub projects being implemented in the current circle, assessing implementation of works in line with the programmme calendar.

The team toured Linjemesi and Chilambalare micro catchments to assess number of participants and see programme achievements that can help improve CS-EPWP implementation.

“We have witnessed what communities are doing and this is an assurance that there will be sustainability beyond the programmme support. We have seen durable and high quality assets. l can confirm that all sub projects under CS-PWP in Blantyre are being implemented in line with agricultural guidelines as well as project plains,” Hunga said.

He said chances of extending the programmme are very high as CS-EPWP is there to build community capacity to respond to effects of climate change.

Chilambalare Catchment Management Committee Secretary, Bernard Banda, said CS-EPWP has helped most farming households to realize good harvest after constructing check dams and digging swales which slow run-off and in turn protecting crops from being washed away.

“We have benefited a lot since the introduction of CS-EPWP. We are now growing crops and harvesting more because we are able to retain and harvest water for irrigation. This was not the case before the introduction of this programme,” he said.

Chilambalare catchment, which has some areas under natural tree regeneration, gully reclamation, contour maker construction and river bank, is comprised of 1,010 participants with 257 hectares of land that covers Manjombe, Jamusoni and Mchere villages in TA Kapeni whereas Linjemesi catchment has 568 participants with 377.5 hectare under natural tree regeneration, gully reclamation, contour maker construction and river bank protection.

CS-EPWP is being implemented by NLGFC in all districts of the country with funding from World Bank.