Making community based forest management work

Community based forest management for the well-being of the people of Malawi is a central theme of Government policy. It is not hard to see why. Almost 65% of Malawians live below the poverty
line. A total of 86% reside in rural areas. The rural poor use trees for subsistence fuel, food, construction, medicine and income generation. Beyond agriculture, forests provide one of the
only resources from which to earn a living. The extent of such
activities demand a functional framework for community based forest management if poverty reduction based on long-term
sustainability is to be secured.