MINUTES OF THE NATIONAL FOREST POLICY VALDATION WORKSHOP HELD AT PRESIDENTIAL HOTEL, LILONGWE, ON 4TH JULY, 2013.
1. ATTENDANCE
Members Present
NAME / ORGANIZATION / PHONE No. / e-mailProf. E. Sambo / Forestry Management Board FMB / 0888 824513 /
C. Chilima PhD / Forestry Research Institute of Malawi FRIM / 0999 510743 /
M. Mmangisa / PEI/MDPC / 0999 917753 /
H. Sibanda PhD / UNDP / 0888 646137
Hon. David Luka / Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources / 0999 913199 /
B. Mandere / District Commissioner Mangochi / 0995 624677 /
M. Chimbalanga / District Commissioner Chitipa / 0999 943642 /
Rev. Chimphepo / District Commissioner Mzimba / 0999 917578 /
Y. Chitete / District Commissioner Ntchisi / 0999 324906 /
M. Lende / District Commissioner Kasungu /
H. Phiri / District Commissioner Zomba / 0999 911503 / Harryphiri2gmail.com
C. Munthali / District Commissioner Mulanje / 0992134583 /
C. Makanga / District Commissioner Phalombe / 088673900 /
Chief Mwene Misuku / Traditional Authority Chitipa / 0999542174
Chief Mpherembe / Traditional Authority Mzimba / 0887457819
Chief Kaomba / Traditional Authority Kasungu / 0886327041 /
Chief Kasakula / Traditional Authority Ntchisi / 0888864834
Chief Chowe / Traditional Authority Mangochi / 0888613855 /
Chief Chikowi / Traditional Authority Zomba / 0888947631
Chief Chikumbu / Traditional Authority Mulanje / 0992435647
Chief Chiwalo / Traditional Authority Phalombe / 0886900342
M. Shaba / DFO Chitipa / 0888756429 /
W. Nyirongo / DFO Mzimba / 0995534352 /
E. Gondwe Mrs. / DFO Kasungu / 0999362613 /
T. Mboma / DFO Ntchisi / 0999134022 /
C. Bruessow / MMCT / 0999965231 /
L. Mlaviwa / DFO Mangochi / 0888638277 /
Prof. S. Chiotha / LEAD / 0999423666 /
H. Magagula / DFO Zomba / 0999353121 /
P. Ndadzela / Africa Parks and Wildlife / 0888324569
D. Masonje / DFO Mulanje / 0999191498 /
R.Mumba / CURE / 0994784215 / Curesdnp.org.mw
R. Chibwe / Livingstonia University / 0999567307 /
B. Mataya / Mzuzu University / 0888453612 /
D. Mtambo / DFO Phalombe / 0999457296
J. Kamoto / LUANAR / 0995567000 /
Y. Mmangisa / LANDNET
R. Kafakoma / TSP / 0888842875 /
Sheikh Omar Salmin / Muslim Association of Malawi MAM / 0999674397 /
C. Mulume / Episcopal Conference of Malawi ECM / 0999934521
J. Mbewe / Malawi Council of Churches MCC / 0885463278 /
R. Chokazinga / World Vision of Malawi / 0999564218
W. Chadza / CADECOM / 0887520783
G. Williams / Concern Universal / 0999885400
J. Kinkering / USAID / 0999456320 /
T. Kamoto / Forestry Dept / 0999943635 /
S. Gama / Forestry Dept / 0999441766 /
M. Kaunde / Forestry Dept / 0999917578 /
C. Gondwe / Forestry Dept / 0999943642 /
C. Nyirenda / Forestry Dept / 0999259772 /
H. Chisale / Forestry Dept / 0999137965 /
L. Jamali Chirambo / Forestry Dept / 0997685925 /
E. Missanjo / MCF&W / 0999259167 /
C. M. Chauluka / RFO South / 0999 954754 /
T. Mvula / RFO Centre / 0999 561912 /
W. Nkana / RFO North / O999221593 /
2.0 WELCOME REMARKS
i. The UNDP representative Henry Sibanda PhD delivered a key note address to the meeting by expressing his gratitude to the Department of Forestry for coming up with a revised National Forest Policy. Dr. Sibanda said that the financial support rendered towards the revising of the policy is in tandem with the core objectives of Poverty – Environment Initiatives such as:-
ii.
· Sustainable management of the environment is a core objective in development planning & implementation.
· Ensure poverty reduction & other economic development objectives are not undermined by the unsustainable use of natural resources.
· Build capacity to assist decision-makers on how environment contributes towards growth & development.
The UNDP representative then reiterated that as a cooperating partner his organization is satisfied with the Progress of the work done and urged the Drafting Team to consolidate the comments emanating from the workshop.
iii. In his welcome remarks, Clement Chilima PhD gave a historical background of the National Forest Policy which he said was produced in February, 1996 in response to the ushering in of democratization and the emerging environmental conditions. The World Bank in conjunction with the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations provided financial and technical support for the development of the Forest Policy.
The Deputy Director went on to say that the policy has been in existence for over 17 years now and it is not in tandem with the current realities in the forestry sector. He cited some of the reasons that have led to the review of the policy such as:-
· There is a Malawi Government policy directive from the Office of the President and Cabinet that national policies should be reviewed every five years. The National Forest Policy outlived this life span, hence the need for review.
· The National Forest Policy has been in existence for over 17 years now and it is not in harmony with other policies in the natural resources and environment sectors.
· Unlike other policy documents in the country as well as the region, the National Forest Policy (1996) lacks clear policy statement and guiding principles.
· Most policies that impact on forestry in the country have been revised in the last decade. Consequently there are areas of conflict which have been observed and need to be addressed so that the Forestry Policy is in harmony with other natural resources policies.
Therefore, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Management, through the Department of Forestry, with assistance from UNDP-UNEP Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI), the European Union (EU) and the Malawi Government, initiated and commenced the forest policy review process in 2010.
The Deputy Director said that a work plan for the review process was developed in Salima and it was initially proposed that a Consultant be engaged for the purpose. However, through a government policy directive, it was decided that procuring external consultancy services was not in its best interest because there was local capacity within the Department of Forestry to undertake the forest policy review.
Dr Chilima said that in order to operationalise the review process, the Department formed a Forest Policy Task Force which comprised of: Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC), Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Management, Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Irrigation and Water Development, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Department of Environmental Affairs, Department of National Parks and Wildlife, and Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services. The Task Force is chaired by Head of Policy and Planning Unit in the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Management. This Task Force also formed a Forest Policy Drafting Team comprising of Heads of Sections of the Department of Forestry.
The Deputy Director said that the Drafting Team consulted a wide spectrum of society which included government ministries and departments, some Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), civil society, academia, private sector and traditional leaders which led to the production of a consolidated report of issues. However, it was also felt that some sections in the natural resources and environment sectors and the general public were not adequately consulted culminating into the publication of a press release which came out in the papers from 19th – 23rd November, 2012.
He said that a Consolidated Report of Issues coupled with policies drawn from other natural resources and environment sectors in the country as well as in the SADC region were used to produce a First Draft National Forest Policy. This is the document that was circulated for comments prior to the workshop and was presented for discussion and validation.
Finally the Deputy Director concluded his remarks by thanking all organizations and individuals that had contributed immensely to the drafting of the revised National Forest Policy particularly the Poverty – Environment Initiative for providing the resources and for the Drafting Team a job well done.
3.0 OPENING REMARKS
The Chairman of the Forestry Management Board Dr Estone Sambo welcomed all participants to the National Validation Workshop on the revised National Forest Policy following a lengthy consultative process. He expressed sincere gratitude for the participants’ acceptance to meaningfully contribute towards the finalization of the Revised Forest Policy. The Chairman also said that he was grateful and encouraged by the participants’ commitment to matters of the environment in general and forestry in particular.
Dr. Sambo reminded the participants that the goal of the National Forest Policy is a noble duty to the nation that aims to sustain the contribution of the national forest resources to the quality of life in the country by conserving the resources for the benefit of the nation. This goal, he said, is reflected as a constitutional obligation and is in conformity with other development instruments such as the Vision 2020 and the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy II, which all focus on sustainable management of natural resources and the environment, including forests. As such, the noble duty before us is to develop a policy that aspires to control deforestation and forest degradation and promote strategies that contribute to increased forest cover and sustainable management of the existing forest resources.
The Chairman reiterated that the current Forest Policy was adopted in 1996 to provide policy guidance on the management of forests and forest resources in the country. Broadly, he said, the Forest Policy aims at sustaining the contribution of forest resources to the upliftment of the quality of life in the country by conserving forest resources for the benefit of the nation. The policy provides an enabling framework for all stakeholders in the forestry sector to participate in the management of forest resources.
However, Dr. Sambo said, seventeen years (17) have elapsed since the Forest Policy was adopted and put into practice in 1996. During the 17-year period, there have been several emerging issues globally, regionally and nationally that impact directly on the management of forests and forest resources. During this period new policies in the area of environment and natural resources management have either been developed or some existing policies have been reviewed. These developments have created policy gaps, conflicts and duplications, which effectively rendered the implementation of the 1996 National Forest Policy out of tune and not in harmony with other natural resource-based policies.
The Chairman said that such emerging issues as climate change; HIV and AIDS; gender and equity; wealth creation; biodiversity and Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES); Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) and Clean Development Mechanisms (CDM) are some of the emerging issues which were not reflected in the National Forest Policy adopted in 1996. And it cannot be over-emphasized that these issues have a direct impact on forests and forest resources and therefore require a clear policy direction for management.
Dr. Sambo made mention of a long and painstaking consultative process that has been conducted throughout the country. Among groups consulted were traditional and faith leaders, private sector, NGOs, civil society, government ministries and departments, academia, individuals and the general public. He went on to say that this workshop, therefore, has been called to validate the proposed National Forest Policy as revised by major stakeholders in the natural resources sector.
The Chairman then personally recognized and acknowledged with gratitude the support provided by UNDP and UNEP through the Poverty and Environment Initiative (PEI), FAO, the World Bank, the European Union (EU) through the Improved Forest Management for Sustainable Livelihoods Programme and the Malawi Government for technical, financial and material support provided for revising the National Forest Policy. Needless to say, without their support it would have been difficult to undertake this process.
Dr. Sambo reminded the participants that it was incumbent upon them in this workshop to thoroughly review the proposals made and formulate not only appropriate but necessary amendments to the document. He took the opportunity to inform them that according to the Economic Valuation of Sustainable Natural Resources Use in Malawi, 2011, forests make a considerable contribution of 6.1% to the GDP. This contribution to the national economy and should be reflected in the policy. The Chairman concluded his opening remarks by declaring the National Forest Policy Validation Workshop officially opened and thanked the participants for their attention.
4.0 PRESENTATION OF OBJECTIVES – T. KAMOTO
The Assistant Director of Forestry T. Kamoto responsible for Regulation and Quality started his presentation by posing a question why review the Forest Policy? Mr. Kamoto then narrated some of the reasons the Forest Policy is undergoing the review process such as:-
· The current Forest Policy is very old (17 yrs), and not in tandem with other policies in the sector
· Government priorities have changed over the years and the changes should be reflected in the Forest Policy
· There are lots of emerging issues that have come up in the course of implementing the policy some due to living in a global village.
· There are also some lessons learnt that would be effectively implemented in the revised policy - adaptive learning
· The instituting of Functional review and restructuring has also necessitated the corresponding change in the policy
· Decentralization policy which has affected District operational structure should be linked to the revised Forest Policy.
The Assistant Director in his presentation also said that a number of activities were proposed to take place prior to the review and they included the following:-
· Formation of taskforce and drafting teams
· Identification of stakeholders and thematic areas
· Development of cabinet paper to justify the review process
· Development of workplan and budget
· Resource mobilisation (PEI, IFMSLP, SLMP, FMDF)
· Training of drafting team (OPC
The Head of Regulation and Quality Control then enumerated the thematic areas that were included in the revised policy such as:-
· Protected areas
· Biodiversity
· Resource mobilization (financing mechanisms)
· Climate change