By Simion Shumba
The Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) has engaged communities of Zomba, Blantyre, Machinga, Neno and Ntcheu districts for the smooth implementation of the World Bank funded Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP).
Among other things, the project will develop the capacity of institutions in the management of watersheds to help maximize benefits which communities obtain from well managed watersheds.
LUANAR Director of Research and Outreach Sam Katengeza said the purpose of the meetings was to discuss and appreciate previous project of Shire River Basin Management program challenges and successes to help inform future interventions.
“We understand there was the Shire River Basin Management Program and MWASIP is its successor project. So we wanted to understand what worked and that which did not work during the implementation of the initial project,” Said Katengeza
Katengeza explained that as the new project is rolling out, there is need for farmers, implementing agencies and government to move together.
“As a successor project, we need to collectively map the way forward, what should be done, what was happening and what MWASIP intends to do,” he added.
According to Katengeza, it was therefore imperative to engage the beneficiaries on their expectations and what ought to be done in order to achieve expected outcomes.
On his part Group Village Headman Chibwana of Zomba commended LUANAR and the Project Management team for getting their views before actual implementation of MWASIP.
“Let me commend these officials for coming here. Some projects just come and tell us what their projects intend to do without hearing from us, “he said.
During the interface meeting, the communities and catchment management committees shared their experiences for the previous project and their expectations from MWASIP.
According to LUANAR, after getting views from the beneficiaries, a design baseline study will be developed before coming up with indicators that will be used for monitoring the impact of the project. Among other things, MWASIP seeks to help people generate and earn increased incomes while restoring identified degraded watersheds (catchments).