An article on a treeless Malawi

An article I wrote recently...

At this time of year, Malawi’s landscape is dominated by cultivated fields of maize and tobacco – the maize stalks tall and a brilliant shade of green, the tobacco plants with their many layers of large broad leaves. The fields stretch as far as the eye can see, across plains and hillsides, dotted by the occasional tree. Nearly every available patch of arable land in the country has been cleared of trees for use as agricultural land.

Photo 1: Field of maize

Photo 2: Field of tobacco and maize

Yet, every so often one comes across a dense patch of indigenous tress. These patches of forest serve as a reminder of what the countryside once looked like, and survive now only because of what they contain: cemeteries. These trees are only protected by the belief that if one cuts them down, they will be haunted by spirits.

Photo 3: A cemetery as viewed from above

Malawi’s dwindling forests are heavily relied upon in both the cities and rural areas to satisfy energy and building needs. In the rural areas women emerge from every direction, some coming from great distances, carrying massive bundles of firewood on their heads. On the roadways, countless trucks and bicycle vendors transport loads of logs and firewood into the towns and cities – most often from poorly-policed forest reserves. In the towns, large depots sell firewood, and in every market, vendors sell charcoal.

The majority of wood consumed in Malawi is used to generate energy for homes, mostly as fuel for cooking. The production of tobacco, Malawi’s largest export crop, is also a considerable culprit, consuming vast quantities of wood to cure the leaves.

Photo 4 : A pile of wood ready to be used for curing tobacco leaves

The demand for wood is largely met by the many rural Malawians who rely on the sale of firewood and charcoal to support their families; trees are regarded as a free resource for all, and the sale of firewood is one of the few non-farming related income generating activities available to Malawi’s rural poor.

The mass deforestation of Malawi’s forests has important implications for agriculture, affecting the vast majority of the national population who are farmers. Forests play an important role to improve soil fertility, maintain effective soil hydrology, moderate stream flow, and provide soil erosion control - all of which contribute to the long-term productivity of the land. And as wood supplies are depleted, women and girls must spend more time fetching firewood at the expense of more productive activities such as farming, child care, and education.

As an EWB volunteer, I am working in partnership with a Malawi based non-governmental organisation called Total Landcare (TLC). TLC implements agro-forestry and natural resources management programs in rural communities throughout the country. Our primary focus is to help groups of farmers set up nurseries to raise tree seedlings to be planted as community woodlots and on their own properties. A variety of species are targeted for different uses including firewood, building material, timber, fruit production, shade, medicines, oils, and animal fodder. On a smaller scale, we also promote bamboo planting to replace wood for certain building uses.

Photo 5: Tree seedling nursery

Photo 6: Community woodlot

However, the benefits of planting trees and bamboo--promoting a decrease in deforestation and improving lives of the farmers--are not immediately realized. In response, TLC also takes action that has more immediate and dramatic effects, such as supporting farmers in the use of improved kitchen stoves and tobacco barns and the improved management and use of natural forests and trees.

My specific role at TLC is within the Monitoring and Evaluation team. To determine if we are achieving our goals as an organisation, we need an understanding of our impact on communities. My role is to make sure that information is gathered and used to help TLC reduce poverty more effectively.

When visiting rural communities, I can tell when we’re approaching a TLC site. Unlike their barren, treeless neighbours, these villages are green and lush. Wood can be harvested in a sustainable manner from village woodlots and beautiful stands of maize are grown amongst trees that enhance soil in the fields. Interest is often sparked in neighbouring villages, and farmers are approaching TLC, wanting to be involved, having seen the positive impacts experienced by their neighbours.

It is TLC’s hope that rural communities throughout the country will develop the capacity to sustainably use and manage their forest resources, leading to reduced environmental degradation, and increased long-term agricultural productivity. Perhaps some day, it won’t just be the spirits that are able to enjoy the shade of Malawi’s trees.