Recognizing the threats caused by climate change, especially the adverse impacts of droughts and floods on the economy, Malawi has prioritized climate change in its development agenda. Adaptation is a key priority for Malawi essentially in order to increase resilience and provide food security, assist vulnerable communities with livelihoods. Therefore, as part of the identification and adoption of adaptation measures, the Government of Malawi has developed, among others, policy frameworks such as the National Climate Change Management Policy, the 2013 to 2018 National Climate Change Investment Plan (NCCIP), National Adaptation Programmes of Action and the National Determined Contributions. Through these policies, National Steering and Technical Committees have been established as part of the institutional arrangements to coordinate climate change initiatives and interventions in the country. The NCCIP provides a list of 11 potential investments with a projected budget requirement of $954 million to be monitored under the MGDS indicator framework. Implementation of the Plan and reporting on progress remain a challenge.
Adaptation priorities have also been established in the 2017 Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS III), the fourth, and final, medium-term national development strategy formulated to contribute to the attainment of Malawi's long-term development aspirations enshrined in Vision 2020. At a conceptual level, climate change adaptation is well mainstreamed into the fabric of the first priority on Agriculture, Water Development and Climate Change Management
Main Objective of the NAP Project
The objective of the NAP process is derived from the National Climate Change Policy, as follows: to reduce vulnerability of people in Malawi and to promote community and ecosystem resilience to the impacts of climate change and gender-equitable adaptive capacity for planning and implementing adaptation interventions.
Outcome of NAP Project
The four NAP project outcomes are as follows:
- Capacity developed for the coordination and execution of future NAP processes
- NAP adaptation priorities are operationalised through line ministry spending plans
- Private sector finance mobilised for investment in climate risk management
- Learning about the NAP process disseminated
These build on the adaptation planning baseline in two main ways: developing the evidence base on medium to longer term adaptation needs and in developing stronger linkages on adaptation planning between Districts and central government.
Benefits of NAP Project
There will be a range of benefits from the NAP process, the main ones being as follows:
- Nationally agreed adaptation targets which are mainstreamed into sectoral strategies and policies which will provide for building of climate change resilience through regular development budgets
- Strengthened District to Central government planning linkages on setting adaptation targets and monitoring progress on those targets
- National climate change scenarios, planning and legal tools and training courses established to promote iterative adaptation planning in the future
- Enhanced access to adaptation finance that delivers the country’s adaptation targets effectively
- Private sector engagement in adaptation that will both provide support for the agenda and investment to meet some of its challenges
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