List of protected areas of Malawi explained

There are nine national parks and reserves in Malawi.

National parks

• Kasungu National Park — situated approximately 165 km north of the capital city, Lilongwe, this is, at over 2,000 km², the second largest of Malawi's parks
• Lake Malawi National Park — designated a National Park in 1980 to protect the unique diversity of tropical fish living in Lake Malawi, some not found anywhere else on earth
• Lengwe National Park — most famed for the nyala antelope, not found in the other northern parks of Malawi
• Liwonde National Park — situated 120 km north of Blantyre, on the banks of the Upper Shire River
• Nyika National Park — the first (certified in 1965), the largest (over 3,000 km²) and the highest (average height 1,800 m)

Game and wildlife reserves

• Majete Wildlife Reserve — in the southwest of Malawi, with an area of 691 km²
• Mwabvi Wildlife Reserve — the smallest of the parks, at 350 km², Mwabvi was adopted by Project African Wilderness in 2007 (PAW is a charitable organisation based in Malawi and the UK)
• Nkhotakota Wildlife Reserve — the oldest and largest established reserve in Malawi
• Vwaza Marsh Game Reserve — southwest of the Nyika Plateau, to the north of the South Rukuru River, Vwaza Marsh covers an area of 1,000 km²

Other protected areas

• Lake Chilwa - Ramsar wetland of international importance

Forest reserves

Malawi has a system of forest reserves, the first of which were established over a century ago. Grazing and cultivation have encroached on many forest reserves, and many reserve forests have been replaced with exotic plantation trees including pine and eucalyptus.^[1]

• Bunganya Forest Reserve 34.7 km² est. 1973^[2]
• Chikhang’ombe Forest Reserve 5921 ha. est. 2002
• Chisasira Forest Reserve 3447 ha. est. 1973
• Jembya Forest Reserve 13,764 ha. est. 1981
• Kalwe Forest Reserve 159 ha. est. 1956
• Kamphoyo Forest Reserve 635 ha.
• Kaning’ina Forest Reserve 14,007 ha. est. 1935
• Kawiya Forest Reserve 643.9 ha.
• Kuwirwe Forest Reserve 661.5 ha. est. 1935
• Litchenya Forest Reserve 316 ha. est. 1948
• Lunyangwa Forest Reserve 374 ha. est. 1935
• Mafinga Hills Forest Reserve 4734 ha. est. 1976
• Mahowe Forest Reserve 59.168 km² est. 2002
• Matipa Forest Reserve 1055 ha. est. 1948
• Mkuwazi Forest Reserve 2020

ha. est. 1927

• Mtangatanga Forest Reserve 8099 ha. est. 1935
• Mughese Forest Reserve 771 ha. est. 1948
• Musisi Forest Reserve 7034 ha. est. 1948
• North Karonga Escarpment Forest Reserve 7907 ha. est. 2002
• Perekezi Forest Reserve 14,482 ha. est. 1935
• Ruvuo Forest Reserve 4792.9 ha. est. 1935
• South Karonga Escarpment Forest Reserve 13,050 ha. est. 2002
• South Viphya Forest Reserve (Chikangawa Forest Reserve) 157,728 ha. est. 1958
• Uzumara Forest Reserve 754 ha. est. 1948
• Vinthukutu Forest Reserve 1957 ha. est. 1948
• Wilindi Forest Reserve 937 ha. est. 1948

• Bunda Forest Reserve 426 ha, est. 1948
• Chimaliro Forest Reserve 15,205 ha, est. 1926
• Chilobwe Forest Reserve 1314 ha, est. 1960
• Chongoni Forest Reserve 12,353 ha, est. 1924
• Dedza Mountain Forest Reserve 2917 ha, est. 1926
• Dedza-Salima Escarpment Forest Reserve 30,965 ha, est. 1974
• Dowa Hills Forest Reserve 3142 ha, est. 1974
• Dwambazi Forest Reserve, 7886.27 km^2[3]
• Dzalanyama Forest Reserve 98,827 ha, est. 1922
• Dzenza Forest Reserve 779 ha, est. 1948
• Dzonzi Forest Reserve 4494 ha, est. 1924
• Kongwe Forest Reserve 1948 ha, est. 1926
• Mchinji Forest Reserve 20,885 ha, est. 1924
• Msitowalengwe Forest Reserve 98 ha, est. 1974
• Mua-Livulezi Forest Reserve 12,673 ha, est. 1924
• Mua-Tsanya Forest Reserve 933 ha, est. 1924
• Mvai Forest Reserve 4140 ha, est. 1924
• Ngala Forest Reserve 2272 ha, est. 1958
• North Senga Forest Reserve 1207 ha, est. 1958
• Ntchisi Mountain Forest Reserve 8758 ha, est. 1924
• South Senga Forest Reserve 532 ha, est. 1958
• Thuma Forest Reserve 15,767 ha, est. 1956

• Amalika Forest Reserve 370 ha, est. 1959
• Chigumula Forest Reserve 525 ha, est. 1925
• Chiradzulu Forest Reserve 774 ha, est. 1924
• Kalulu Hills Forest Reserve 2892 ha, est. 1958
• Liwonde Forest Reserve 27,407 ha, est. 1924
• Malabvi Forest Reserve 300 ha, est. 1927
• Mangochi Forest Reserve 40,853 ha, est. 1924
• Mangochi Palm Forest Reserve 501 ha, est. 1980
• Masambanjati Forest Reserve 93 ha, est. 1974
• Masenjere Forest Reserve 276 ha, est. 1930
• Mulanje Mountain Forest Reserve (Milange-Michesi) 56,314 ha, est. 1927
• Michiru Forest Reserve 3004 ha, est. 1970
• Milare Forest Reserve 59 ha, est. 1949
• Mudi Forest Reserve 39 ha, est. 1922
• Namizimu Forest Reserve 88,966 ha, est. 1924
• Ndirande Forest Reserve 1433 ha, est. 1922
• Soche Forest Reserve 388 ha, est. 1922
• Thambani Forest Reserve 4680 ha, est. 1927
• Thuchila Forest Reserve 1843 ha, est. 1925
• Thyolo Mountain Forest Reserve 1347 ha, est. 1924
• Matandwe Forest Reserve 31,053 ha, est. 1931
• Tsamba Forest Reserve 32.37 km², est. 1928^[4]
• Thyolomwani Forest Reserve 965 ha, est. 1930
• Zomba-Malosa Forest Reserve 19,018 ha, est. 1913

External links

• Web site: The Africa Guide.

Notes and References

1. Mauambeta, Daulos (2010). Status of Forests and Tree Management in Malawi: A Position Paper Prepared for the Coordination Union for Rehabilitation of the Environment (CURE). CURE Technical Report. September 2010 DOI: 10.13140/2.1.3497.7926 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/264410475_STATUS_OF_FORESTS_AND_TREE_MANAGEMENT_IN_MALAWI_A_Position_Paper_Prepared_for_the_Coordination_Union_for_Rehabilitation_of_the_Environment_CURE Forest Reserve names, areas, and dates established listed in this section are from this source unless otherwise noted.
2. "Bunganya Forest Reserve". Protected Planet, Accessed 1 September 2019 https://www.protectedplanet.net/bunganya-forest-reserve
3. https://www.protectedplanet.net/33255 "Dwambazi". Protected Planet, Accessed 1 September 2019
4. "Tsamba Forest Reserve". Protected Planet, accessed 1 September 2019. https://www.protectedplanet.net/33160