By Fostina Mkandawire
Salima, August 29, Mana: Environmental experts from Thursday convened in Salima district to develop actionable strategies to address critical issues in landscape management and agricultural productivity.
The three-day multi-stakeholder meeting has been organized by the Ministry of Agriculture in partnership with the Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI).
Principal Secretary of Irrigation Services, Engineer Geoffrey Mamba has called for integrated approaches to restore the country's degraded landscape.
He said the country is currently struggling with land degradation hence developing actionable strategies for managing and restoring the environment is vital.
"We need to build a shared understanding of landscape restorative approaches by identifying key priority areas," he said.
Mamba emphasized that the solutions that will emanate from the meeting are a proactive step towards mitigating adverse weather conditions like El Niño, as well as combating recurring threats such as Army Worm infestations, which have plagued the nation in recent agricultural seasons.
He noted that effective landscape management is essential for ensuring food security, clean water, and reduced carbon emissions.
Global Director for Invasive Species at CABI, Hariet Hinz reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting Malawi’s environmental and agricultural reforms.
Hinz underscored the need for countries to come up with integrated approaches to address the challenge of low yields posed by climate change.
She observed that the country has huge bare land that needs interventions such as climate-smart agricultural methods and land restorative methods such as natural tree regeneration.
The meeting has drawn international experts in environmental management to share experience, lessons and develop actionable strategies.
CABI is actively involved in several key projects in the country, including the PlantwisePlus initiative and the Malawi Digital Plant Health Service (MaDiPHS), all aimed at strengthening the nation’s agricultural resilience.
