State and outlook of land use and agriculture sector in Machinga district, Malawi

Agriculture is the main economic activity for Malawi where people depend on natural resources like fertile soils. Thus, Government recognizes the need to conserve natural resources in its development plans. Following the adoption of the Decentralization Policy and the Local Government Act of 1998, such responsibility mainly rests with District Councils. This paper provides information about the environmental situation of the land and agriculture sector for Machinga district; and also demonstrates the outlook of the sector by the year 2020. The study used data from Machinga District Agriculture Development Office and the 2012 Machinga District State of Environment and Outlook Report. Basing on governance and economic growth, the districts future has four possible scenarios, with Ikwenda Chenene scenario being preferred. To achieve this scenario there is need for concerted efforts for the conservation and management of natural resources by all stakeholders. This case study of Machinga district provides useful insights for Malawi and indeed several other communities in geographical locations with similar environment challenges