Govt launches climate change policy
Malawi last week launched its first-ever National Climate Change Management Policy, a blueprint that seeks to guide the country’s response to adverse effects of climate change.
The policy was launched alongside the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan ll, which is expected to help Malawi as one of the most affected countries.
Speaking during the launch, Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining Bright Msaka said the country can no longer dismiss climate change and biodiversity loss as mere environmental issues.
“These are serious development issues that require immediate and urgent action. The National Climate Change Management Policy and the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan are two important framework documents intended to guide the implementation of priority areas for climate change management and conservation of biological diversity, respectively,” he said.
According to recent figures, Malawi is ranked the third most vulnerable country to climate risk, and is bearing the brunt of the adverse impact of climate change.
According to Msaka, climate change affects more than 84 percent of Malawians who depend on rain-fed agriculture and other natural resources.
“The development of the National Climate Change Management Policy, therefore, demonstrates that government is committed to fully address climate change in order to reduce the vulnerability of its people, ecosystems and socio-economic development that arise due to climate change and biodiversity loss,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the United Nations resident coordinator Mia Seppo, Florence Rolle said if left unmanaged, climate change and the loss of biodiversity threaten to unravel Malawi’s hard-won development progress as well as compromising the well-being of its people.
