Malawi Government has completed the First-Order Draft of its National State of the Environment and Outlook Report, marking a significant step in a process that aims to inform evidence-based policymaking on environmental management and natural resources use.
The report, last produced in 2010, is expected to shape regulatory priorities, identify ecological trends and guide investment decisions ahead of its planned launch in December this year.
reforms. |Eric Mtemang’ombe
The current report is being compiled by over 60 Malawian scientists working across 12 chapters under the coordination of the Malawi Environment Protection Authority (Mepa) with support from the Norwegian Government, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and GRID-Arendal.
Speaking at the conclusion of a technical workshop held in Lilongwe on Friday, the organising committee co-chairperson Zachariah Magombo said the development marks a midpoint in an 18-month drafting process.
Magombo, who also serves as National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens director general, said the report is structured around four core thematic areas; land and soils, freshwater resources, air quality and climate.
He said: “We are about 50 percent through. This draft allows us to take stock of what has changed since 2010 and understand which environmental aspects have worsened or improved. That understanding will help us refine regulatory priorities and propose policy options for the future.”
Mepa director general Wilfred Kadewa said the delay in producing the report affected regulatory oversight, noting that the report will also help the regulator identify areas where good environmental practices should be scaled up.
He said: “The law provides that this report should be produced every five years, but 15 years is a long time. This vacuum has allowed poor practices to go unchecked, including illegal dumping, unsustainable forest harvesting and pollution of water bodies. We now need to assess the extent of the damage and act swiftly.
“As a regulator, we want to know where to apply brakes and where to reinforce what’s working.”
The report is a statutory requirement under the Environment Management Act of 2017 and is also aligned with Malawi’s 2063 development agenda, which recognises environmental sustainability as a key enabler of long-term development.
Once completed, the report is expected to influence national budget priorities, regulatory reforms and green investment strategies.
