According to Club of Mozambique and ATTA, Malawi has joined Mozambique and Tanzania to launch a $7.12 million initiative aimed at protecting the shared Ruvuma River Basin and its coastal ecosystems. Unveiled in Dar es Salaam on March 4, the five-year project is funded by the Global Environment Facility and led by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Although Malawi accounts for less than two percent of the basin's total area, its participation is considered essential for a source-to-sea management approach to address unpredictable rainfall, ecosystem integrity, and climate resilience.
On the domestic front, the Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN) has urged lawmakers to integrate recurrent climate financing into the national budget, Nyasa Times reports. MEJN Executive Director Bertha Phiri addressed Members of Parliament this week, warning that climate-related disasters have heavily damaged the country's agro-based economy. Phiri noted that these environmental shocks recently caused national economic growth rates to drop to four percent, down from a projected six percent. She further stressed the need for climate adaptation allocations across multiple sectors, including health and education.
Tiaone Hendry, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change, supported the appeal. According to Nyasa Times, Hendry committed to scrutinising the budget and lobbying for an inclusive financial plan that prioritises climate change issues.