The first meeting of the National Project Steering Committee (NPSC) of the “Alliance for Restoration of Forest Ecosystems in Africa (AREECA)” project took place on 20 October 2021. The project is funded by the International Climate Initiative of the German Ministry of Environment and is being coordinated by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Activities in Malawi will be implemented under the overall coordination of the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources and FAO’s technical lead, with the support of various consortium partners, such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature and the World Resources Institute. The project was approved in January 2021 with a financial contribution of approximately EUR 5 million, and its implementation period runs up to December 2024.

The initiative is coordinated by the Department of Forestry and aims to catalyse efforts for increasing the socio-economic, ecological and climate-related benefits generated from large-scale forest and landscape restoration (FLR). The main expected outcome is to increase ecosystem and socio-economic functionality across 25 000 hectares of degraded landscapes in the Ntcheu district. The project will roll out direct FLR interventions on 5 000 hectares in the Mpira dam catchment area, which is expected to generate positive impacts through a multiplier effect in an expanded area of around 20 000 hectares.

After the project launch in June 2021, partners initiated the required preparations to kick-start activities on the ground. FAO and the Department of Forestry, with contributions from AREECA partners in the country, drafted terms of reference (ToRs) for the NPSC and invited relevant stakeholders to become members.

The NPSC brings together stakeholders with an interest in agriculture and forestry at national and district level, including representatives of government, civil society, the private sector and communities, who steer and provide implementation guidance for the project activities. In total, 18 delegates are permanent members of the NPSC, with GIZ as an observer. Other government entities may be considered depending on the need for strategic or technical support.

The objective of the first NPSC meeting was to complete coordination and steering arrangements for the implementation of the project. The NPSC members learned about the main scope of the initiative, the ToRs and strategic alignment with national, regional and global commitments on ecosystem restoration. The partners shared a consolidated consortium work plan with NPSC members, and discussed, reviewed and endorsed the ToRs for the committee.

The project is currently finalizing inception activities at national and district level, including the launch of the project by the minister of forestry and natural resources, and by conducting meetings to raise awareness among the communities and various decentralized district governance structures on the importance of their full involvement in project implementation. Another critical activity is the finalization of a baseline through the collection of socio-economic and geospatial data on the current degradation status in the target landscapes. This will inform the revised results framework and will support the development of appropriate FLR objectives and tailoring of FLR interventions.

During the meeting, NPSC members raised pertinent questions on advocacy and the implementation of project activities, highlighting the need to engage with i) all traditional leadership structures to make sure communities better understand land degradation and climate change issues and want to get involved, ii) all decentralized district structures to foster ownership of the project, and iii) all community members and local organizations to increase benefits for communities, especially those living near the Mpira dam. Efforts should be made to change people’s perception of downstream communities, and increase investments in sustainable alternative livelihoods. The members also stressed how vital it was to build synergies with other projects in the district.

With the work plan endorsed by the NPSC and the ongoing progress in data collection for the baseline, activities on the ground will continue to take shape. FAO and all AREECA partners in Malawi will carefully consider all comments and suggestions received in order to achieve project objectives and improve local livelihoods through FLR activities.

For more information contact us at: [email protected].

Priscah Munthali and Luis Amaya Ortiz (FAO Malawi)