The African Development Bank Group has approved an $8.49 million grant from the African Development Fund to support climate resilience and agricultural recovery in Malawi, according to an official bank announcement. The funding will target Phalombe and Thyolo districts, which were severely impacted by Cyclone Freddy. Running from June 2026 to September 2031, the project aims to rebuild damaged irrigation schemes, train 28,000 farmers in climate-smart agriculture, and restore 650 hectares of degraded catchment land.
Meanwhile, a major gold rush at the Nambata stream in Zomba District is causing severe environmental and health problems, Malawi Nation reports. Over 5,000 miners have swarmed the area to pan for gold, resulting in rapid environmental degradation along the riverbanks. Local traditional leaders warn that the sudden population influx has also led to open defecation and a lack of sanitation, raising the risk of preventable waterborne diseases like cholera.
In regulatory news, the Malawi Environment Protection Authority has addressed delays regarding the environmental review for a new fertiliser manufacturing plant in Dowa proposed by businessperson Napoleon Dzombe. According to Malawi Nation, the authority stated that the holdup is due to the developer's failure to submit a revised environmental and social impact assessment report following a technical review earlier this year.
Finally, smallholder farmers in Karonga District are seeing improved crop yields and income stability through a new climate resilience initiative, AfricaBrief reports. The project, implemented by the Small Producers Development and Transporters Association, promotes agroecological practices that help vulnerable households recover from poor harvests and withstand the ongoing threats of droughts and erratic rainfall.