Training workshop and tree-planting session to establish a framework for the implementation of a Pay Rent to Plant a Tree scheme that will create an off-site carbon sequestration scheme to reduce the carbon footprint of urban dwellers
Malawi is a Least Developed Country in Southern Africa that faces a myriad of challenges in its efforts to initiate reforms that can lead to improvements in sound environmental governance, sustainable lifestyles and resource efficiency. For example, the World Bank has alluded that Malawi currently faces an environmental cycle of decline and degradation as renewable natural resources in the country face severe pressure whereby over the last 40 years, more than half of Malawi's forests and woodlands have vanished. Similarly, despite Malawi having annual National Tree Planting Season programmes for which the government and private sector participate in, it is noted that the country has very low survival rates of trees due to factors such as the inadequate provisions for tree management and monitoring in the communities. Consequently, Malawi has one of the world's highest deforestation rates of between 1.6 - 2.8% of forest cover a year. The objective of this activity was to develop the capacity of various stakeholders to enable them to be active participants in a new financing framework for forestry activities using rent from social houses.
The main participants of this activity included members of Foundation for Rural Development (a local Community Based Organisation), a representative of the Forestry Department and community members (Community members in Traditional Authority Kuntaja in Blantyre District). Through this meeting, it was elaborated to all the participants how there will be a link between the planting of trees in various communities to the payment of rent in social houses built under the project's framework to augment afforestation activities and improve tree survival rates. The planting of trees in the community was also initiated. One of the main challenges for the activity was finding a partner/community based organisation that had existing links and programmes with rural communities within the Blantyre Rural area. Through our existing networks, we asked other Non-Governmental Organisations to nominate Community Based Organisations that has the attributes that we desired. Up to three organisations were identified and these will be integrated into the project. A concern that was raised through this activity was that fruit trees should also be integrated in the project rather than just a focus of non-fruit tree.
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