Malawi is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to extreme weather, and climate change is exacerbating droughts, floods, cyclones and other natural disasters throughout the country. To help impoverished farming communities alleviate some of these impacts, Cornell researchers are collaborating with a network of academics, nongovernmental colleagues and communities in Malawi to strengthen forests.
Healthy forests can help mitigate extreme weather and improve agricultural production by slowing water movement, offering habitat for pollinators and pest-control species and providing diverse food resources.
A project led by Rachel Bezner Kerr, professor of global development in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and director of the Institute for African Development in the Einaudi Center for International Studies, sought to improve communities’ food security and climate change adaptation by enhancing forest and biodiversity conservation. Working in collaboration with Malawian communities, an interdisciplinary team of geographers, ecologists, sociologists and a local nonprofit organization, the group assessed forest quality in 10 villages and designed action plans for forest restoration and conservation. The group established tree nurseries and planted approximately 25,000 trees, of which 59% have survived. The project was supported in part by an Academic Venture Fund (AVF) grant from the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.