By Vincent Khonje:
Communities in Sub Traditional Authorities (STAs) Chitanthamapiri and Mdunga in Kasungu have committed themselves to implement initiatives that will reduce households’ exposure to risks associated with climate change and other disasters.
Visits to the areas on Monday show degraded soils, huge gullies, silted rivers and bare land due to deforestation.
The situation has resulted into soils and rivers failing to hold water and households not harvesting enough for food.
One of the community members from Mdunga, Grace Jonifasi, said part of her farming field was washed away by rain water because there are no trees to control rushing water.
“When the rains come, the water comes with force and washes away top soils into the streams.
“The result is we do not harvest enough and we have nowhere to fetch water as rivers cannot hold water due to siltation,” said Jonifasi.
Chitanthamapiri Area Development Committee (ADC) Chairperson, Austin Nkhoma, said there is need to do something about the situation in the area.
“There is need to fill the gullies, plant trees and prepare our fields so that running water should not wash away our fields,” said Nkhoma.
Through Climate Smart Public Works Programme (CSPWP), communities have the chance to reverse the current situation.
Land Resource Officer at Kasungu Agriculture Office, Madalitso Uledi, said CSPWP will help communities restore degraded land as well as improve soil fertility.
“The restored land will mean more yield and the money the communities will be getting for working in the public works sub projects will help them withstand some shocks being experienced,” said Uledi.
The programme will benefit 435,000 households in 28 district councils.
CSPWP is a government programme supported by the World Bank and implemented through National Local Government Finance Committee (NLGFC).
