The Least Developed Countries Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience (Life AR) programme has been touted as key to boost the country’s carbon credit market through reforestation projects.
The observation, a month after Malawi Carbon Market Framework launch, also comes at a time Life AR programme which seeks to build communities’ climate change resilience, is taking Shape in Mangochi, Salima and Rumphi districts.
Among others, the $6.5 million (K11.3 billion) Life AR programme whose projects include reforestation, boosting agriculture, among others, could enable the communities to benefit from their forests through carbon credit trading following the launch of the framework, according to experts.
Speaking after touring the projects in Monkey Bay, Mangochi, Khombedza in Salima and Chitimba in Rumphi, Mangochi District forestry officer Takondwa Ganeti said through the project, a forest will be established in Group Village Sumbi to deal with floods that affect agricultural activities at Ng’ona Scheme.
“Through this project, farmers have started planting trees while preserving the already existing trees to ensure a forest is established to act as a barrier for flooding water which affect their agricultural activities.
“Most importantly, with the coming of the carbon market framework, we are optimistic that the communities could also benefit from carbon credit reading in the future from such forest reserves,” Ganeti said.
In a separate interview, Salima District Council director of planning and development Eric Kenamu said apart from reforestation, some of Life AR projects in the district include irrigation, fish farming and Bee-keeping which target both commercial agriculture and building climate resilience.
In Rumphi District, the focal person of Life AR programme Gift Nyirenda said several interventions will be implemented by the communities to mitigate adverse effects of climate change including tree and vetiver grass planting and construction of a 300-metre dyke along Kahewe-Bogolo River to protect people’s fields and homes.
“The project will also provide fruit tree seedlings including bananas and oranges. It also comes with a goat pass-on the programme. People in this area depend on fishing, but the catch is no longer the same.
“They are catching less and less fish. We hope the goat passes on the programme, bee-keeping and fruit tree seedlings will give them an alternative to fishing,” said Nyirenda.
In an interview, Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change public relations officer Tikondane Vega said the Life AR programme, which is still being piloted in the country, could play a key role in climate financing and build strong resilience to communities whose social and economic status is threatened by climate change effects.
“Life AR programme started two years ago but the main project activities just started recently and we have already witnessed huge impacts as farmer groups grow various crops three times in a year and sell to designated markets,” Vega said.
Two weeks ago the ministry signed a carbon market trade agreement with Green Economic Partnership (GEP), a firm that promotes renewable energy and sustainability.
The United Arab Emirates-based firm is expected to undertake a carbon emission reduction projects at Namizimu Forest Reserve in Mangochi District, among others.
Ministry of Natural Resources and Climate Change Principal Secretary Yusuf Nkungula has since said the coming in of the firm means that Malawi has started making strides in carbon trade.
