By Charles Mkoka
The Ndirande Mountain Reserve, once a vibrant ecosystem, provided scenic beauty to Blantyre City 50 years ago.
It offered much-needed recreation to residents while serving as a crucial water catchment for Mudi River, which remains an essential water source for the city’s inhabitants, managed by Blantyre Water Board (BWB).
However, the Ndirande Reserve has been heavily reduced over time.
What was once a vast forested area has shrunk dramatically due to human activities, especially following the onset of multiparty democracy.
Today, only a few patches of forest remain in the northern part of the catchment, while the Mudi Dam catchment area has largely been converted into farmland, leaving minimal forest cover.
In response to these challenges, Water for People, a global non-governmental organisation, has partnered with BWB, with support from The Nature Conservancy, to explore potential restoration solutions through a feasibility study.
This study is assessing the viability of a water fund model, also known as a Watershed Investment Programme (WIP), for the Mudi-Ndirande and Likhubula catchments.
The feasibility phase aims to determine whether such an initiative can be successfully implemented in Malawi.
A water fund is a financial and governance mechanism designed to improve water security by investing in the protection and sustainable management of water resources.
It brings together a variety of stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector companies, civil society organisations and local communities, to finance and implement watershed conservation and restoration activities.
Through WIP, the organisation is focusing on two key demonstration catchments: Mudi-Ndirande, which includes Mudi Dam, supplying six percent of BWB’s, and Mulanje Mountain, the source of Likhubula River, which provides 10 percent of the city’s bulk water supply.
The goal is to eventually scale this model to the Shire catchment.
Years of deforestation and encroachment on the Ndirande Forest Reserve for agriculture and urban development have led to severe sedimentation, resulting in an 80 percent reduction in the Mudi Dam’s capacity.
Additionally, urban and agricultural pollution has significantly impacted water quality, further straining Blantyre’s water supply.
Given its proximity and cost-effectiveness compared to more distant water sources, the Mudi Dam remains a vital component of the city’s water infrastructure.
Similarly, agricultural expansion is beginning to affect the Likhubula catchment in Mulanje.
Historically, pine plantations in Chambe contributed to the spread of pine trees across Mulanje, which are now known to negatively affect water resources as invasive species.
Likhubula River faces challenges such as variable rainfall, deforestation and unsustainable land-use practices, including charcoal production and forest-to-farmland conversion.
The presence of invasive species, particularly pine trees, further exacerbates water shortages by reducing annual runoff and in
