A political ecology perspective on environmental change in Malawi with theBlantyre Fuelwood Project Area as a case study

This article examines deforestation-induced environmental change in the Sou thern Region of Malawi.. The political ecology approach is used to critique this change, assessing how colonial and postcolonial forestry policies aff ected the landscape. It is argued that nonparticipatory, "top-down" governm ent programs disempowered Malawi's peoples and allowed the environment to d egrade. The Blantyre Fuelwood Project shows how the politics of land use pr edicate environmental change. It is argued that government implemented, "to p-down" approaches failed because they did not integrate local communities. The result has been local opposition to government programs, passive resis tance, and deteriorating environmental conditions. The article critiques Ma lawi's forestry policies since colonial times, analyzes the political ecolo gy of the Blantyre Fuelwood Project and concludes with the hope that newly implemented "bottom-up" programs that incorporate local communities will ma ke Malawi's environment more sustainable.