BY DRAXON MALOYA
Lilongwe, Malawi. (News of The South) – Barely a few days after the country started receiving rains, a number of accidents related to either heavy downfall associated with strong winds and runoffs on bare grounds are proving to be detrimental to many households.
The over flooding of Nathenje Bridge on the Lilongwe-Blantyre M1 Road, Lunyangwa River in Mzuzu City, the washed away of the China Railways 20′ (CR20)’s newly constructed Nsanje-Marka Road and houses in Chief Malemia’s area are just a few examples of the devastation this year rains have caused.
Several environmental commentators have mentioned a number of factors leading to the devastation that the rains are Wrecking on people.
Charles Bakolo who is the Honorary National Coordinator for the Renew Our World Malawi Campaign, a global movement of Christians who believe that they are truly image bearers of God and should consider prudential conservation of natural resources.
Bakolo said currently Malawi loses about 10 Million trees annually which translates into 33,000 hectares due to deforestation and is mainly attributed to agriculture expansion, tobacco growing, infrastructure development and excessive use of biomass.
He further said wanton cutting down of trees in both urban and rural areas of Malawi has made the soils exposed rain water and, in many places most of the top soil has been washed away into the rivers and eventually into Lake Malawi posing huge risk to aquaculture and hydro-electric power generation.
“This has led to the rising of rivers which is a causative agent of flooding in most parts of the country with every 10 percent increase in trees being cut down, the flood risk increases by up to 28 percent.
“Poor drainage system in our urban centres has also led to flooding, resulting in property loss, and people have been forced to move to escape floodwaters. This has also resulted into damage of water supply infrastructure and con-taminate domestic water sources,” stressed Bakolo.
He also highlighted that Malawi needs the forest conservation policy responses tailored at the subnational level and new methods for monitoring the deforestation over time, in addition, the country should use the Church to advocate and strongly condemn the evils of cutting down of trees and later instill a culture of planting and growing trees in the country to avoid the calamities we are experiencing as a result of deforestation
“All this is derailing country’s progress towards attaining vision 2063 and the SDGs as massive investment plan is leaned towards reducing deforestation. In addition, so many trees are planted and there is failure to look after them which is a wastage of resources as well. More finances are allocated on emergency relief of those affected by the floods which could be avoided if trees are not cut at this rate we are experiencing now,” the environmentalist warned.
Before the commencement of this year’s rainy season the Department of Meteorological Services warned of heavy rains that will be accompanied by damaging winds that may also cause floods.
The Director of the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services Joram Nkhokwe said the rains will be characterised by heavy winds and lightening hence warned masses to take precautionary measures during this period.
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