Govt for investment in climate adaptation, mitigation
Ministry of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining says Malawi’s vulnerability to the effects of climate change calls for an urgent need to invest in adaptation and mitigation to enhance community resilience.
The ministry’s chief director for environment and climate change management, Yanila Ntupanyama, said this in Blantyre on Friday when she opened a Scottish Government Climate Justice Fund Dissemination Symposium.
She said government realises that the impact of climate change is seriously affecting communities as evidenced by last year’s agricultural season where most people did not harvest because of erratic rains.
Said Ntupanyama: “Currently, shortage of water in our cities cannot be overemphasised and it is against this background that Malawi Government progressively supports development programmes whose aim is to enhance the resilience of communities against the impact of climate change.”
Commenting on the dissemination symposium, Ntupanyama said the knowledge and experience sharing by various Climate Justice Fund supported projects is very important as it underlines the importance of collaboration and concerted efforts that result into coordinated and effective programmes.
Malawi Scotland Partnership (MaSP) chief executive officer (CEO) Happy Makala, whose organisation’s role is to coordinate all organisations implementing various projects in Malawi with funding from the Scottish Government, speaking in an interview, said the dissemination symposium was key in implementation of climate change projects as it provided a platform for sharing and learning.
One of projects currently being funded through the climate justice fund is Improved Community Resilience Through Increased Water Supply and Food Security in Nsanje district aimed at increasing water supply and food security for 1 500 households which is being implemented by Christian Aid.
The Climate Justice Fund is one of the priorities of the Scottish Government Assistance launched in 2012 and it has so far supported 11 projects.
The symposium was organised to profile the work of the Scottish Government in Malawi on climate justice and climate change adaptation as it contributes and supports Malawi Government development agenda
