Visiting Scottish First Minister John Swinney says the £8 million Climate Just Communities Project, that his government is funding, aims at improving people’s lives in the face of climate change.
Speaking during a field visit to Ngwelero in Zomba District, Swinney said it is fair and just for his country to support countries that sit on the frontiers of the battle against climate change.
“These projects are all about tackling climate change and I think it’s part of the moral responsibility of people in countries like Scotland to support the people of Malawi who are in the frontline of the battle against climate change,” he said.
Swinney said the tour helped him to experience the consequences of climate change.
In his speech, Ministry of Natural Resources Principal Secretary responsible for administration Richard Pelekamoyo said the project is running in Karonga, Salima, Neno, Machinga, Zomba, Phalombe and Chikwawa districts.
“Malawi is one of the countries most affected by climate change. Lake Chilwa Basin supports over 1.5 million people yet it has dried-up twice in 1995 and in 2018 thereby devastating fisheries and livelihoods,” he said.
Pelekamoyo said the project, among other activities, planted over 56 000 trees last year to contribute towards the restoration of the degraded landscapes and protect river banks from flooding.
Zomba district commissioner Reinghard Chavula said the project is crucial for the district as it is one of the areas where the people are facing the impact of climate change.
“Through the CJC projects we have witnessed tangible improvements in the lives of our people. This area of Traditional Authority Ngwelero has benefited a lot through initiatives such as clean water, reforestation, renewable energy solutions, irrigation agriculture and many others,” she said.
One of the beneficiaries of the project, Maggie Wilisoni, said she is involved in reforestation projects as one way of restoring the environment.
“We have been dealt a heavy blow by dry spells. We failed to harvest enough because of unpredictable rainfall patterns,” she said.
The project is carrying out interventions such as disaster risk management, livelihoods security, loss and damage, resilient schools and water, sanitation and hygiene.
The Climate Just Communities Project is a successor to the Climate Challenge Malawi Programme and the Climate Justice Innovation Fund. Both projects ended in 2021.
The partnership between Scotland and Malawi spans over 150 years. It started in 1859 when the Scottish explorer and missionary Dr. David Livingstone first visited Nyasaland (now Malawi).
