3. BACKGROUND
๏ Malawi is an agro-based economy with the agricultural sector
accounting for about 42% of GDP and 81% of export earnings
with tobacco alone contributing about 67% to the countryโs
export receipts. Other major crops include tea, coffee, maize
and rice.
๏ Agriculture is primarily based on rain-fed production. Although
the country has abundant water resources in Lake Malawi and
some rivers, access to water for irrigation is limited due to
topography and cost limitations.
๏ Subsistence agriculture is focused on maize, although some
cassava, rice and millet are grown in some parts of the country.
4. BACKGROUND [2]
๏ The country has heavy reliance on wood for household fuel,
tobacco curing and for charcoal with biomass energy
contributing to 88.5% of the total energy demand.
๏ 98% of electricity is from hydropower, and almost all of that is
from one river, the Shire River, in the southern part of the
country.
๏ Shire River itself flows out of Lake Malawi, and the amount and
quality of water is heavily affected by land degradation in the
Shire Basin, as well as climate change effects such as droughts.
๏ Flooding frequency and intensity is on the increase,
compounded by land use changes resulting into interrupted
waterways/wetlands and land degradation.
๏ High level of poverty
5. RECENT IMPACTS
๏ Malawi was affected by heavy floods in January 2015
especially in the Southern Region.
๏ Estimated that the floods affected 1,150,000 people,
displaced 336,000, killed 104 people and inflicted substantial
damages and losses in the productive, public infrastructure
and social service sectors, including private and community
assets.
๏ This year, the northern part of the country has experienced
severe floods, while the central and southern parts have
experienced dry spells leading to severe food shortages and
water scarcities.
6. RECENT IMPACTS [2]
๏ Following assessment of these large-scale damages, losses,
disruptions in services delivery and the likely increase in
poverty and vulnerability levels in the affected areas, the
Government requested the World Bankโs assistance to help
finance key recovery interventions and this led to the
emergence of Malawi Flood Emergency Relief Project.
๏ Growing seasons have shifted over the last 10-20 years:
now rains are more erratic and the growing season is
typically 1-2 months late, and shorter .
๏ The country has also experienced heat waves. Data on
minimum and maximum temperatures indicate warmer
winters and hotter summers in most parts of the country.
๏ The country has also experienced strong winds which have
resulted into damages to infrastructure particularly schools.
8. HOW GOVERNMENT HAS RESPONDED
๏ The Government of Malawi has put in place a number of initiatives
which include the development of policy and institutional frameworks
and management tools as well as establishment of various
programmes to address climate change effects.
๏ Government has prioritized Climate Change issues in the Malawi
Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS II).
๏ Government has also developed a Climate Change Policy and Climate
Change Investment Plan.
๏ The Government of Malawi launched the national adaptation plan
process and we have done our road map and also finished stocktaking
๏ The country has further prepared: Climate Change Response
Framework, National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPA),
Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Actions (NAMA) and a National
Climate Change Investment Plan.
9. HOW GOVERNMENT HAS RESPONDED [2]
๏ The Government is putting climate change and disaster management
high on its agenda. Issues related to Disaster management are housed
under the Vice Presidentโs office. This is an example of prioritizing
disaster management at the highest national level.
๏ Government has joined the Africa Risk Capacity and took out a
national crop insurance to the tune of USD 4.7 Million for the 2015-
16 growing season as rains were poor and a significant part of the
country is in a severe food shortage situation.
๏ Electricity generation is a major limitation to development efforts โ
The country embarked on load-shedding efforts, but this is not
enough as production deficits continue with worsening climatic
conditions. Now government is looking at alternative power
generation including hydro expansion as well as solar generation.
10. HOW GOVERNMENT HAS RESPONDED [3]
๏ Government has embarked on Green Belt Irrigation
initiative to utilize water from lakes and perennial rivers
to enhance the country's production of a variety of crops,
livestock and fisheries.
๏ Government has expanded efforts to support subsistence
farmers through Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP,)
Malawi Social Action Fund (MASAF), expanded seed
services, extension services, and improved climate
services to support agriculture planning/calendars.
11. HOW GOVERNMENT HAS RESPONDED [4]
The country is also implementing Malawi Flood Emergency Relief
Project
๏ Components in this project that are being implemented include:
๏ Livelihoods Restoration and Food Security โ activities being
implemented include Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Reconstruction
and also restocking of the Strategic Grain Reserve
๏ In the infrastructure repairing, communities have benefited inputs to
restore agricultural activity, and this year they will also benefit cash for
work, and will also include payment in form of livestock.
๏ Infrastructure Rehabilitation and Reconstruction has included
reconstruction of roads and bridges, rehabilitation of irrigation and
rural water supply schemes, reconstruction and rehabilitation of
health and education facilities
12. HOW GOVERNMENT HAS RESPONDED [5]
The country is also implementing Shire River Basin
Management Programme
๏ The programme was formulated to sustainably develop the Shire
River Basin to improve land and water management for ecosystem
and livelihood benefits.
๏ One of the components in the programme involves improving flood
management in the Lower Shire in order to provide community level
adaptation and mitigation support.
๏ The main goal is to support the preparation and subsequent
implementation of the Integrated Flood Risk Management Plan
(IFRMP) for the Lower Shire.
๏ To date, Area Intervention Plans and Village Flood Action Plans have
been prepared and approved in the impact areas of Chikhwawa and
Nsanje in southern Malawi.
15. LOOKING AHEAD
What are major components and systems for which adaptation
and the NAP should focus on?
๏ Agriculture and Food Security
๏ง Rural agricultural production
๏ง Estate/commercial farming including large-scale schemes e.g. the Greenbelt
Irrigation Initiative
๏ง Management of seed and what crops to recommend for farmers to grow in
each part of the country.
๏ง National insurance through the Africa Risk Capacity.
๏ Water resources
๏ง Exploring other sources of water for cities including potential pipelines from
Lake Malawi
๏ง Rural water supply piping being expanded, underground water to be regulated.
16. LOOKING AHEAD
What are major components and systems for which adaptation and
the NAP should focus on? [2]
๏ Ecosystems
๏ง Major efforts in Lower Shire to rehabilitate ecosystems
๏ง Lake Malawi and major wetland ecosystems in need of protection and
improved management/rehabilitation
๏ Energy
๏ง Rehabilitation of the Lower Shire hydro plants
๏ง Rehabilitation of the power grid lines
๏ง Participation in Southern African regional power pool.
๏ง Rural electrification
๏ง Mini hydro expansion in some parts of the country.
๏ง Climate extremes and disasters
๏ง Early warning systems and improved observational networks.
๏ง Improved disaster risk Management and response.
๏ง Water harvesting programmes
17. Current progress on NAPs
๏ The Government launched the national
adaptation plan process
๏ We have prepared our road map highlighting key
milestones n the process
๏ We have also done our stocktaking which details
our adaptation needs and priorities
๏ We will embark on climate risk and vulnerability
analysis and eventually identification of
adaptation options in the medium and long term.
18. Conclusion
๏ To cope with the effects of climate change, we have
taken a proactive approach in our responses.
๏ This is based on comprehensive policy, legal and
institutional frameworks supported by programmes
aimed at improving Malawi's climate resilience.
๏ The NAP presents a good opportunity for assessing
our adaptation needs and agreeing on adaptation
priorities in the medium to long term.
๏ important to articulate milestones to be achieved and
integrate them into national development planning
and implementation processes and programmes.
