Malawi, USAID sign $4m deal on climate change

Malawi government and the United States of America International Development (USAID) on Monday signed a three-year agreement to address issues of climate change in the country.

The agreement will see Malawi receiving US$4 million grant t to implement the Enhanced Capacity for Low Emmissions Development Strategies EC-LEDS climate change mitigation program

Speaking during the signing ceremony USAID Malawi Mission Director, Doug Arbuckle said the agreement will help strengthen collaboration between the two countries on climate change and issues of environment.

“I would like to commend the government of Malawi for all the efforts to combat effects of climate change by including climate change in several thematic areas of the Growth and Development Strategy II,” said Arbuckle.

He said the United States government will provide all the necessary support to Malawi towards capacity building and technical assistance that lowers Green House Gas emissions and mitigation of climate change across all the sectors.

Arbuckle said the Enhanced Capacity for Low Emissions Development Strategy will play an important role in capacity building among staff members within the Ministry of Environment Climate Change Management and other Ministries to develop long term plans for Low Emissions Development Strategies.

The Mission Director, therefore, disclosed that USAID is currently in the process of designing several climate change projects that will enable communities embark on carbon sequestration on forest and agriculture landscapes.

Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management, Jennifer Chilunga observed that climate change has negatively affected food and water security and the livelihood of people in both rural and urban areas.

“Malawi has been experiencing a number of adverse climate change events over the last years and the most serious ones being dry spells, seasonal droughts, intense rainfall and floods,” she said.

Chilunga, however, said Malawi through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is implementing various intervention programmes at national and local levels.

The Minister thanked USAID for the support towards addressing issues of climate change in the country.

Malawi is one of the five countries in Africa to be selected for the Enhanced Low Emissions Development Strategy initiative.

The other countries include Gabon, Kenya, South Africa and Zambia.