…..As MWASIP hands over seven vehicles to the district councils
Lilongwe: The former Minister of Forestry and Natural Resources, Honourable Nancy Tembo, MP has implored the district councils to take care of the project resources such as the seven vehicles that the Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) handed over to the seven districts councils.
Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project (MWASIP) in July handed over seven vehicles to the seven district councils to support the implementation of the project as a way of easing transport problems that councils face.
“Through the project, we expect to put in place 38 multi-purpose water sources, ensure that 2,400 hectares of cropland are developed for irrigation apart from ensuring that feeder roads, covering a total of 100 kilometres, are rehabilitated, among other things,” said the honourable minister.
While acknowledging that for the success of the project, district councils are crucial, honourable Minister pleaded with the councils to take care of the vehicles and use them for the intended purpose.
The MWASIP is the first in a ‘Series of Projects’ (SoP) aimed at supporting the implementation of the National Forest Landscape Restoration Strategy (NFLRS).
The NFLRS target is to restore 4.5 million ha of the degraded landscape by 2030.
MWASIP Program Coordinator Peter Kadewere said the project is an opportunity to reverse landscape degradation while at the same time improving and protecting watersheds.
The project is focusing on increasing the adoption of sustainable landscape management practices and improve watershed services in targeted watersheds.
The District Commissioner for Machinga district, Mary Nawasha assured the Minister and the project that the vehicles will be put into their proper use while at the same time contributing to the project development goal for MWASIP.
MWASIP is being implemented in seven districts of Mangochi, Machinga, Balaka, Ntcheu, Zomba, Neno and Blantyre with the funding from the World Bank.