Authorities for Blantyre district say the soon-to-be-launched Climate Smart Enhanced Public Works Program-CS EPWP will play a vital role in mitigating the impacts of climate change as well as improve livelihoods for the ultra-poor in the district.
The sentiments come as the project is set to launch on 4th October 2022 targeting 435,000 ultra-poor households in all the 28 districts of the country.
Speaking to MIJ Online, Director of Planning and Development for Blantyre District Council Tamanya Harawa-said the district has been facing challenges such as food insecurity and high poverty levels, with vulnerable communities struggling to generate income.
Harawa therefore said the interventions put in place under the program will assist in addressing food insecurity, deforestation as well as land degradation through set activities that include tree planting, soil conservation and overall land resource conservation.
“Deforestation is a number three key challenge in Blantyre district; therefore, the catchment conservation approach is going to play heavily in addressing these issues of deforestation and environmental degradation in general, “said Harawa.
For Group Village Head Mtotela from the area of T/A Makata in Blantyre Rural East Constituency, the past rainy season had brought with it destruction of properties and crop fields due to flooded rivers.
Now the CS EPWP project which is targeting two villages of Chizola and Msukwa under his jurisdiction, will among other things see beneficiaries working to conserve Lilangwi and Namwanje rivers which have contributed to massive flooding in the area for lack of vegetative cover along the river banks, according to GVH Mtotela.
“We are very ready to participate in the program, more especiary the tree planting exercise along our river banks to conserve the rivers as well as protect our crop fields from being washed away by flooded rivers, “said GHV Mtotela.
CS-EPWP is a subcomponent of the World Bank funded Social Support for Resilient Livelihoods Project (SSRLP) which is being implemented by the local authorities and being facilitated by the National Local Government Finance Committee-NLGFC.
Meanwhile, Aina Thombozi, Social Protection Officer for NLGFC has told MIJ Online that all is set for the official launch of the program which will take place on 4th October in Chiradzulu district.
Thombozi said all beneficiaries were already selected and currently councils are doing preparatory works for the roll out in order to commence implementation.
The program will see participants working 12 days a month with added 5 days as community contribution.
“This is a very important program because we are going to focus on micro catchment in each of the councils where the participants are going to concentrate on improving water and soil in these areas.
So, we hope that at the end of the day the areas that the interventions are going to be carried out will have land and soil that is well conserved for the people of Malawi to be able to harvest adequate food and have easy access to water for improved livelihoods.” Thombozi explained.