Malawi to host conference on forestry management in December

Malawi will host a four-day International Conference on Forest Governance Learning Group (FGLG) starting from 2 December to share the findings of an innovative project that puts social justice and equity at the heart of forest management.

Speaking during a media briefing in Lilongwe on Wednesday, Malawi’s Deputy Forestry Director, Wellings Simwela, said FGLG was a groundbreaking initiative of the International Institute for Environment and Development and will bring together policy makers, researchers, nongovernmental organisations and representatives from communities to identify how to manage forests for social and economic benefit in a sustainable way.

"Malawi’s FGLG team will share its many success stories with teams from other countries," he said.

Malawi’s FGLG team, he said, has been instrumental in showing that charcoal production has a major role to play in development.

Their landmark report published this year showed that this is Malawi’s most valuable sector after tea and tobacco.

Director for Centre for Development Management, Bright Sibale, said Malawi recognises the role forestry plays in the country’s social economic development, yet it faces governance challenges and injustices that often originate from beyond the sector which include poor funding, high rates of deforestation, farming practices and limited community rights of access and control among others.

"It would be important for Malawi to address these issues before we can achieve sustainable economic and social development," he said.

The conference will have participants from Cameroon, Mozambique, South Africa, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Uganda, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and hosts Malawi.