The Malawi government, in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), has launched a six-year project aimed at enhancing climate resilience in 11 high-vulnerability districts across the country.
According to MacPherson Nthala, Deputy Director of the Department of Land Resources Conservation, the Ecosystem-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi (EbAM) project, funded by the Green Climate Fund with a budget of $53.2 million, will address the adverse impact of climate change.
Nthala said practices such as persistent land use contribute to climate change by releasing greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
“Through this project, we would like to restore approximately 88,800 hectares of degraded land and promote climate-smart agricultural practices. This will help to enhance food and water security while reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” he said.
Chief Technical Advisor for the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, Ben Vickers, says the project incorporates the integration of landscape management, resilient livelihoods and food systems and enabling institutional and financial environments.
“The project will address the adverse impact of climate change triggered by human activities such as poor agricultural practices,” he added.
Chief Agriculture Officer for Nkhata Bay, Selina Malaga, praised the government for including Nkhata Bay district in the project, saying it will help to increase agricultural productivity.
“This project will help ease the impact of climate change in our district, especially during prolonged dry spells that affect agricultural productivity,” she said.
The EbAM project will benefit 270,820 individuals across 11 districts, including Nkhata Bay, Rumphi, Chitipa, Karonga, Thyolo, Zomba, Mwanza, Dedza, Neno, Nsanje, and Mangochi, and will run up to 2030.
