President Joyce Banda to launch the National Forestry Season in Kasungu

TATE HOUSE

PRESS RELEASE

14^TH DECEMBER 2012

President Mrs Joyce Banda will tomorrow the 15^th of December 2012 launch this year’s National Forestation week in Kasungu.

The president will take Place in Kasinjeni Village Traditional Authority Kaomba in the district.

President Banda is committed to fight deforestation in the country hence her involvement in this important endeavour. The President is aware that the unsustainable use of the forest goods and services, according to a 2010 comprehensive economic study, has regrettably cost our economy US $93 million.

Speaking ahead of the event, Presidential Press Secretary Steven Nhlane said “Climate change is real and its impacts are felt by all irrespective of gender, socio-economic status, and race. In Malawi this has translated in incidents of flooding, droughts, erratic rains and general environmental damage, emergence of new diseases. Taken together it is clear that climate change threatens our socio-economic development. We know that forest conservation is one of the most important ways of mitigating climate change so we must all commit to this national crusade to plant more trees and protect the forests that we have”