By Pickson Chipeso

Lilongwe, September 18, Mana: Dyson Nthawanji, Communication Officer of DVV International, stated that the Integrated Adult Education Environmental Management project has been promoting sustainable community living.

In an interview with Malawi News Agency (Mana), he mentioned that, in addition to literacy, adults are learning critical skills such as environmental management which he said help communities understand how to manage the environment both at the community and household levels.

“We have been receiving positive feedback from communities because when we talk about adult education, we target individuals who did not attend school during their early years. They are pleased when they hear about environmental management because most Malawians depend on agriculture, which in turn relies on a healthy environment," Nthawanji said.

Nthawanji added that there are challenges the project faces, as some individuals or communities lack awareness or understanding of environmental issues.

"People rely on natural forests for their activities, such as charcoal burning and sales, which they view as a source of income. It takes significant effort to convince them about the importance of environmental management, but everyone has a responsibility to take care of the environment," he explained.

Environmental expert Maloto Chinkombero remarked that the project, which has been in place for over a year, focuses on encouraging tree planting and the care of existing trees. Despite the challenges, the initiative is seeing positive results.

"You can see that even though there are challenges, when you go to rural areas, people are growing tree seedlings and organizing community tree-planting activities. I must commend all stakeholders for implementing the project. We do face some difficulties, but we need to address these challenges," he said.

Chinkombero further emphasized that the environment is the backbone of every development project and that no human progress can occur without nature. He said Malawians must realize that achieving Vision 2063 is only possible if we take care of the environment, as everything relies on a healthy ecosystem.

"Whether we are aiming for progress in agriculture, technology, or infrastructure, we need a well-preserved environment. We must address the climate change crisis. Environmental conservation plays a key role in realizing Vision 2063 by promoting the availability of natural resources essential for achieving this vision," he said.

Chinkombero urged Malawians to find ways to control the nation's population as one approach to environmental conservation and the promotion of a sustainable future.

"As we approach 2063, the population may double or even triple compared to today. If we don't focus on population control, we will face more challenges because the growing population will continue to depend on the same environmental resources," he warned.

He encouraged Malawians to strike a balance between population growth and environmental resources to avoid further climate crises and achieve the goals of Vision 2063.