Chimaliro Forest Reserve
Malawi
Chimaliro Forest Reserve was designated and gazette as a forest reserve by the Malawi Government in 1926. It is a beautiful forest reserve covered with indigenous brachystegia woodland and grassland in some parts. Currently the project is managed professionally by the Kasungu District Forestry Office under the supervision of the Department of Forestry in the Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining.
Local people in the surrounding villages participate in managing the forest reserve by not cutting down trees from the forest. They also report to the nearby police stations and forest office when they notice any illegal activity. The campaign against bushfires by the Forestry Department has also been well received by the local people such that the frequency of bushfires has also reduced at Chimaliro Forest Reserve. The Forestry Department has inculcated in the local people the philosophy of assimilation which encourages collective ownership of the reserve. The local people inhabiting around the reserve feel that they own the reserve therefore they have the duty to protect it.
The job to clear fire breaks around the reserve rests in the hands of the local people. The duty to plant more trees also rests in their hands while the Government only provides technical expertise.
