United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has said weak enforcement of the country’s laws is accelerating ecological collapse and exposing millions of Malawians to deepening climate shocks.
UNDP Resident Representative Fenella Frost said while the country has robust statutes, persistent implementation gaps remain a major challenge and leaves citizens vulnerable to the catastrophes.
The UN envoy was speaking in Mangochi yesterday when she officially opened the 2026 Malawi Law Society (MLS) annual conference and general meeting.
Frost observed that despite existing legislation, environmental degradation continues at an alarming rate due to weak monitoring, poor compliance and limited accountability.
She said without effective enforcement, Malawi risks losing its natural resources and undermining its development prospects.
“Malawi, like many countries worldwide has enacted various environmental laws. However, their application and effectiveness in practice remain a challenge for addressing the crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“The loss of biodiversity caused by landscape transformation is accelerating at an unprecedented rate and national governments have not fulfilled their commitments to protect and preserve conserved areas,” she said.
The Resident Representative noted gaps between policy commitments and implementation are limiting the country’s ability to respond effectively to climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Frost challenged legal professionals to take a leading role in strengthening enforcement mechanisms and ensuring environmental laws are effectively implemented.
She added that many citizens lack the legal awareness and institutional support needed to challenge environmental abuses.
Frost warned that failure to enforce laws is accelerating biodiversity loss and exposing communities to risks such as water and air pollution.
She stated emerging threats such as plastic waste and pharmaceutical pollutants are further endangering water bodies and ecosystems across the country.
“Let us, therefore, make this conference the event that sets the spark for meaningful responses and transformation in Malawi. Let this be the moment that accelerates Malawi’s response,” she urged.
She urged authorities to invest in institutions that monitor, enforce, and adjudicate environmental matters to improve accountability.
Frost further proposed the establishment of an environmental tribunal to enhance access to justice and speed up resolution of environmental disputes.
She also highlighted the need for a human rights-based approach to environmental governance to ensure protection for vulnerable populations.
MLS president Davies Njobvu said it was a tragedy that climate justice issues usually take a backseat and do not get as much attention from legal practitioners.
“I do hope that this time around, we are going to really change our mind set and approach these issues with the seriousness and gravity that they deserve,” he said.
The conference is being held under the theme; ‘Environmental Justice and Human Rights: Unpacking the Role of the Legal Profession in Promoting Climate Justice.’
According to Njobvu, this year’s conference which has brought together over 600 lawyers aims to reposition the legal profession as a transformative force in achieving both environmental and climate justice.
