The groundwork for an Environment and Natural Resource Management Action Plan (ENRMAP) was launched in Lilongwe on 21st July, 2010. The action plan will identify and prioritise specific interventions that could be funded and implemented to promote more sustainable land use practices in Malombe East and West catchments in the Upper Shire Basin.

The Action Plan will be drawn based on an assessment of environmental, social-economic, land use and management conditions upstream of the Kamuzu Barrage in Malombe East and Malombe West, which contribute considerably to the siltation and weed infestation problems in the Shire River.

The Shire River is currently faced with a number of problems including increasing land degradation, deforestation, erosion and explosion of invasive weeds among others. These problems have considerably affected power generation and supply and this has affected the manufacturing industry and private sector growth, as well as the well being of Malawians.

Speaking during the inception workshop, Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security Erica Maganga said government is committed to addressing the challenges and would collaborate with the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) to address the challenges.

“It is clear that appropriate environment and natural resources management is critical to the sustainability of the power infrastructure investments, improved livelihoods of the communities around the investments and also protection of ecosystems services,” said Maganga.

Project tasks under the development of the ENRMAP include conducting a baseline assessment, developing criteria for interventions, conducting an economic, social and policy analysis and the development of a prioritised set of interventions that will make the ENRMAP.

The workshop was attended by stakeholders from all sectors involved in Environment and Natural resources management in the country, including those at district level. The stakeholders outlined potential interventions to address ENRMAP priorities and specific actions that could be `implemented to address environment and natural resource management problems.

The workshop also provided a forum for the stakeholders to network and share ideas on collective responsibilities to address environmental problems cutting across the sector  including gender and social issues, economics and the role of stakeholders at district level. Some of the actions identified to be taken under gender and social issues include promoting labour saving technologies, civil rights education of women and the establishment of woodlots and trees around homesteads.

Speaking at the close of the inception workshop Millennium Challenge Account – Malawi Public Outreach Coordinator Susan Banda, said the Action Plan would help in coming up with an innovative solutions to problems affecting power generation in the country. ”The investments in the power sector to be supported by the MCC would come to nothing if ENRM issues are not addressed’’, said Banda.

The development of the Action Plan is being undertaken by Land and Timber Services (LTS) International in conjunction with MCC and the Malawi Government and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.