Standard Bank Plc has committed MK50 million to a re-afforestation project along the Dr. Saulos Chilima Highway and Mzimba Street in Lilongwe, according to Nyasa Times. The funding aims to replace trees removed during the construction of the city's new six-lane highway, which the bank helped finance. The project was launched on April 22 to mark Earth Day and operates under the bank's Mtengo Wanga climate resilience programme. The tree-planting exercise is a joint partnership with the Lilongwe City Council and the Roads Fund Administration, with Mayor Peter Alex Banda stating the work will help restore the capital's green spaces.
Also marking Earth Day, the Civil Society Network on Climate Change issued a statement warning that continued environmental degradation threatens Malawi's food systems and long-term development, Nyasa Times reports. The network's national coordinator, Julius Ng'oma, urged stakeholders to enact stronger policy frameworks, noting that the country is currently facing severe climate impacts including prolonged dry spells, erratic rainfall, and rapid deforestation.
In the southern region, farmers in Neno District are adopting beekeeping to combat local deforestation and adapt to climate change, according to MESHA Science. Supported by the World Bank-funded Malawi Watershed Services Improvement Project, the community in Galeta village has helped restore over 25 hectares of degraded land. Local farmers plan to increase the number of forest beehives to 50 in 2026, providing an alternative income source that discourages the felling of trees for charcoal production.
On the national weather front, the World Meteorological Organization featured Malawi's disaster preparedness in its April 23 publication, detailing how the country's early warning systems link national meteorological services with local community networks. According to the organisation, the distribution of mobile messages and local briefings allows rural residents to take action and prepare for extreme weather events before natural hazards strike.