Lake Malawi’s continued rise is putting lakeshore livelihoods and infrastructure under pressure, according to Nation Online, which reports the National Water Resources Authority (NWRA) has warned the higher lake levels could affect farming and tourism along the shoreline and electricity generation downstream. Nation Online reports NWRA said the mean lake level as of February 20, 2026 was 475.69 metres above sea level, and that the authority increased discharge at the Kamuzu Barrage in Liwonde from 500,000 to between 900,000 and one million litres per second.
On conservation, Malawi24 reports that the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) used World Wildlife Day on March 3 to call for urgent action to protect Malawi’s medicinal and aromatic plants. According to Malawi24, CISONECC cited climate change, deforestation, land degradation, and unsustainable harvesting as key threats, and urged stronger enforcement of environmental and wildlife laws as well as community-led conservation work, including restoration initiatives linked to ecosystems around Lake Chilwa.