Lack of funds impedes border demarcation of Zambia, Malawi

LUSAKA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- The demarcation of the boundary between Zambia and Malawi has been delayed because of financial constraints and it is important for the governments to increase budgetary allocation to the exercise, Times of Zambia reported Wednesday.

This was revealed in a statement by the council of ministers meeting of the Zambia-Malawi international boundary demarcation exercise held in Mzuzu, Malawi.

The Zambian delegation to meeting includes Lands Minister Bradford Machila and Attorney General Mumba Malila.

"The problems being experienced by the two countries in demarcating the boundary are mainly due to limited financial resources," the statement said.

The joint council meeting also considered the progress made on the acquisition of aerial images and the determination of the watershed on the remaining 604 km stretch of the common boundary.

The meeting noted with concern that despite the sensitization strategy being put in place, the delay in physically demarcating the boundary might have been overtaken by the dynamism of human settlement and deforestation activities along the common border.

The meeting agreed on the need to closely monitor the situation along border areas in order to ensure that new developments take place along the watershed line.