The effects of climate change are now more visible than ever, but nowhere more so than in Malawi where many know little to nothing about it. Questions are now being raised on why the country is being hit on so many fronts by drought, lower crop yields and cyclones, and what the authorities are doing for mitigation and adaptation.
On January 24, 2022 tropical storm Ana swept through Malawi, causing heavy rains that led to flooding in the southern region. Over 800,000 people were affected, dozens got injured and about people 40 died. The storm wreaked even more havoc in neighbouring Mozambique – where it had initially made landfall – and on the island nation of Madagascar.
The destruction caused by storm Ana, brought back memories of tropical cyclone Idai, which ravaged southern Malawi in 2019. In addition, it became a much needed wake up call on the need for the country to strengthen its resilience to such weather phenomena.
Now month’s since the disaster struck, many of those who lost their homes and crops to the floods are still living in camps and relying on donations in order to survive.
Women prepare food at an emergency camp in Chikwawa District, Malawi after being rendered homeless by flooding caused by Cyclone Idai in March 2019. Climate change due to CO2 emissions released elsewhere is leading to more loss and damage Africa.
Recently, the United Nations admitted that the storm that hit southern Africa in January 2022 showed the reality of climate change and the need for countries to invest in climate mitigation, especially now that more tropical cyclones are affecting Africa.
While several local organizations have argued that funding for mitigation should come from developed countries which emit the largest amount of greenhouse gases, some young people in Malawi are of the view that the responsibility should not only be left to one part of the world.
Austin Kunsinda who heads the Environmental Concerned Youth Association (ECOYA) says young people who make up 46% of Malawians population of 18 million people are crucial in the fight against climate change.
“Most of the time, authorities tend to be reactive by trying to find solutions to disasters which could have easily been prevented much sooner. Young people can be in the forefront of activities such as raising awareness, planting more trees, and promoting climate resilient infrastructure,” he explains.
Kunsinda’s organisation works with young people around Bangwe township in Blantyre, giving them opportunities to be a part of the change makers in their community.
Like many other low income communities in Malawi, water and land pollution is an issue that cannot be ignored. Most of the waste generated in such areas does not get properly disposed of and usually ends up on river banks, drains, streams and canals.
Environmental activist, Maloto Chikombero is of the view that even though Malawi may not have contributed much to climate change, the blame cannot solely be put on highly industrialised countries. He explains that Malawi has in a way also contributed to this crisis by carelessly tolerating practices that cause land degradation, especially in urban settlements.
On average, Malawi loses 50,000 hectares of forest every year and every year, millions of trees are planted across the country. Only forty percent of the new trees survive. Most of the trees cut down are used to make charcoal and firewood for domestic use.
By prioritizing awareness raising on environmental issues, Chikombero is certain that Malawians would have adequate knowledge and take part in saving the environment.
“The biggest problem that we have in the country is that not every young person has the knowledge required to mitigate environmental degradation and climate change,” he says.
Echoing Chikombero’s remarks, Kunsinda says that, “It is frustrating that we have so many brilliant minds with brilliant innovations to mitigate climate change among us but they are not nurtured with the seriousness that they deserve”.
Young people from around the world marched in Glasgow during the COP26 conference to demand urgent action on climate change.