Innovations Enhancing Sustainable Land Management

Abstract

The in depth analysis of the root causes of land degradation in Malawi and the magnitude of the problem demanded that the solutions had to be innovative and creative. By and large the most significant driver to land degradation in the Shire River Basin has been the demand for an energy source especially for the fast growing urban areas. Hence the million dollar question was how to reduce the degradation while the energy demand is still growing unabated by the day. Green charcoal/sustainable charcoal production replacing the evil charcoal that has destroyed our forests was seen as one entry point. This was through the introducing and domesticating the efficient charcoal kilns couple with innovative wood harvesting techniques to suit the required charcoal sizes in the market . Getting the green charcoal acceptable and establishing a governance structure and marketing systems that is conducive to the farmer might be a bigger hurdle to jump. Introducing the green water credit scheme became a challenge both to the seller and the buyer of this God given resource. Using this Payment for Ecosystem Services (PES) approach to mitigate for environmental degradation and disasters has changed the perception that natural resources are a free gift from god to be abused anyhow. Weather index based crop insurance applied as a measure of securing the food production system through the shifting of the weather risk factor from the farmer to an insurer became another key entry point.  This would help sustain livelihoods, increasing food security reduces the amount and types of coping mechanisms that impinge on the sustainable utilization and management of the land. The bottom line will be how innovative do we need to be to make the farmer live a more comfortable life in a more friendlier way to the environment. The SLM project continues to promote innovations in different ways because it believes this will ensure the present and the future for this country.