Restoration of Chiradzulo Forest Reserve while building resilience of local communities against climate change

The surroundings of the Chiradzulo Mountain Forest Reserve in the southern region of Malawi are densely populated, with more than two thirds of its population classified as poor. As a result of population pressure, high poverty levels, weak border community participation, and weak law enforcement, the forest reserve has been degraded losing its forest cover by 56 per cent from 950 to 441 hectares. This project promoted the restoration and protection of the Chiradzulo Forest Reserve. About 400 hectares of the forest were restored by 2025. To achieve this, the project strengthened the capacity of border communities by setting up Natural Resource Management Committees and training them in forest management and forest-based enterprises. Furthermore, the root causes for forest degradation were tackled, by providing communities with alternative livelihoods such as honey production, agroforestry, and ecotourism.