MALAWI Malawi is one of the world's least-developed countries, with an economy based on subsistence agriculture and over 90 percent of its population rural. Malawi's population has been hard hit by drought and crop failures, which have produced widespread famine in recent years. AIDS has also taken its toll, reducing the expected life span 51.1 years to 36.6 years.

Deforestation is a serious problem in Malawi. Between 1990 and 2005, the country lost nearly 13 percent of its total forest cover due to fuelwood collection and subsistence and commercial agriculture. Tobacco farming, which accounts for nearly 80 percent of the nation's export earnings (Trade Environment Database: Malawi Tobacco Industry and the Environment), is sometimes blamed for deforestation, but perhaps more importantly, it saps the country's economy. The nation's heavy reliance on the commodity has certainly weakened the overall economy by leaving it highly vulnerable to decreasing tobacco prices while impacting the health of rural farmers who grow the cash crop instead of food crops.

Malawi—a land-locked nation—is home to Lake Malawi which houses some of the greatest fish diversity of any lake on earth, but deforestation has resulted in soil erosion and siltation of parts of the lake.

Malawi's loss of primary tropical forest is of great concern to conservationists. Between 2000 and 2005, the country lost almost 35 percent of its primary forest cover. This loss threatens Malawi's tremendous potential for eco-tourism, which could be based on its famous lake and safari wildlife.

As of 2004, about 16 percent of Malawi was under some form of protection. The country is home to 658 species of birds, 108 mammals, 207 reptiles, 56 amphibians, and 3,765 species of plants. Recent articles | Malawi news updates | XML



Suggested reading - Books

• Spectrum Guide to Malawi
• The Bradt Travel Guide to Malawi
• Adventuring in Southern Africa: The Great Safaris and Wildlife Parks of Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Lesotho, and Swaziland
• Birds of Eastern Africa

Image copyright Google Earth, MDA EarthSet, DigitalGlobe 2005

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FAO-Forestry Profile
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Last updated: 4 Feb 2006