On our way we were reminded of the Easter story. There is a tradition that churches arrange big processions to commemorate Jesus' last walk to Calvary along main roads. In almost every urban area we passed through we caught up with processions, showing the suffering Jesus and the crowd following him.
While many people in our own countries, including Norway would not be able to narrate the Easter story, this remains part and parcel of the culture in the Malawian society.
The one night outing brought us to Ntchisi Forest Reserve, 2 1/2 half hours drive north-east of the city. This is one of the forest areas that has survived deforestation - so far.
Deforestation is given a main responsibility for climate change consequences in Malawi. The tree cover in the country has been reduced drastically over the last 30 - 40 years. When I travel with colleagues throughout the country they frequently point to barren hills and valleys and say: "This whole area used to be covered with forest. The climate was different, and the crops more predictable."
We stayed at Ntchisi Forest Lodge, a place that had been built by the British colonial District Commissioner one hundred years ago. It was a idyllic and quiet place, surrounded by the rain forest. (See www.ntchisiforestlodge.com)
The only sounds to be heard were those of birds and insects, and the evening was crisp and chilly. The full moon was shining and illuminating the surface of Lake Malawi in the distance.
We enjoyed the environment, and used the opportunity to go hiking in the rain forest. A rather heavy climb brought us to the top of the summit, which is in the centre of the reserve. A combination of planted treees, partly pines, and natural rain forest created a humid micro climate that seemed to be conducive to a rich under-forest. Old trees had fallen and become nutrients for new life, and birds and animals had plenty of food. The soft cover of the ground kept humidity as a sponge.
All was not that well, however. Eston, an elderly athletic man from the nearest village could tell us that the forest was threatened. Charcoal burning, forest fires and grassing by big herds of cows created major challenges to the future of the forest. He was a dynamic campaigner for the preservation of the forest. Local chiefs had been invited to approve bylaws that controlled life in the forest, and volunteers were organized to systematically patrol it. While there are conflicting interests related to the forest reserve, the local communities around the forest make great efforts to rescue the natural diamond they have at their doorstep. Eston wished for the country that many community groups would come together and preserve and increase the tree cover of Malawi.
We were greatly encouraged by this local initiative, which hopefully in the long run can inspire other communities and lead to a proper reforestation of Malawi. This could be an important counter measure to the threats due to climate change.
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