Change activity: Reduction of Wildfires Incidences contributing to greenhouse gas
emissions and community conservation farming in Malawi-Zambia TFCA Progress: The Malawi-Zambia TFCA was represented in the trainings by Mr Paston Simkoko from Malawi and Mr Joseph Bwalya and Mr Dominic Kapokola (Process Moderator) from Zambia. They have been well-supported by their National TFCA Coordination Units (Mr Peter Wadi, Malawi and Mr Lackson Mwenya, Zambia) Trans-boundary Collaboration in the TFCA has been quite good. Community engagement to negotiate the change project has been done and some community education actions have started. Staff at district level have partnered with sister departments such as Forestry and Agriculture to sensitize and educate the communities on the importance and benefits of conservation farming and fire management. All these activities are aimed at reducing environmental degradation while trying to meet social-economic needs and in the long run contribute to climate change adaptation and mitigation. There has been more communication with the SADC REEP mentors in the CCA network from the Malawian side compared to the Zambian side. On the Zambian side sensitization meetings have been held more especially at district level and communities within the district to discuss the causes, effects and mitigation measures to climate change. The notable change is the appreciation by the communities of the effects of climate change especially in terms of erratic, late rains, flash floods and droughts as products of climate change. It is said that who feels it knows it right if people are able to appreciate the effects and causes of climate change then they will be part of the solution. Communities have also been encouraged and supported to establish community conservation areas to protect wildlife and the environment in areas that still remain undisturbed. The purpose was to help the communities in coming up with revenue generating activities that are climate-friendly and eventually contribute to climate change mitigation in the long term. Deforestation is a major source of worry with regard to climate change and it is envisaged that the creation of community conservation areas will contribute significantly to the preservation of the remaining forest stands as it is well known that forests act as carbon sinks. One community conservation area has been created in Musalangu Game Management Area in Zambia and many more are planned for in other chiefdoms. There are also two proposals that have been done on Water provision and Bee-keeping as adaptation measures but none has been approved yet. Currently there are ongoing discussions on now the change project will be monitored in an integrated manner in the TFCA. It is planned that conservation farming pilot projects will begin in both Malawi and Zambia this coming farming season.