There lived a time; when agriculture activities and the rainfall pattern could be loyal to its calendar and be predicted, it all made farming a lesser hustle.
But times changed and have changed. This rainfall calendar is no longer certain, its amount is no longer certain and annual harvests have continued to shrink from year to year.
If not for devastating rainfall that will wash away farming field … it would be little rains. Too little for bumper yielding.
This is some picture; resulting from climate-change, in the process giving governments, humanitarian agencies, farming communities and campaigners headache on how best to turn around the pages back to old glorious days.
But fast-forward to the world-today the rains have become so erratic with food insecurity becoming the order of the modern day so that in the worst of times people can resort to wild tubers for food.
Currently, with the mango season in session the many food insecure households have turned to this fruit for their food and their food reserves run empty.
Group village headman Chimowa from the outskirts of Balaka, one of Malawi’s eastern region districts paints it all; he says food-insecurity could be an understatement.
“People are starving in my village, they have nothing to eat here. Literally, most households ran out of food long ago … the same, is the story for surrounding villages too,” says the traditional leaders.
He adds: “the same can be told of livestock. The animals we rare, goats, cattle and sheep are struggling, the grasslands are dry because we’ve not had enough rains to water the grass-lands”.
And group village headman Simon Mawaya in Neno, Malawi’s border district with Mozambique shares of how climate change has impacted on irrigation activities which has seen a significant decline of water levels in water bodies.
“Once upon a time; Khombedza and Lusungwi rivers would have waters around the year. All that is history today, you won’t believe these are the same water bodies, which my people used for irrigation activities.
“You won’t believe either that these are the same rivers that run full years back. Today, during rain seasons these rains become harsh, they fill-up and wash away crops and bridges and immediately lower their levels” he explains.
However, campaigners, government agencies, local and opinion leaders alike feel it’s time to invest in climate change adaptation strategies and technologies to restore the good old days.
A smart agriculture campaigner, Tamani Nkhono has repeatedly called for transparency and accountability in the management of resources towards food safety and security.
At grassroots level; residents of Chim’dikiti village in Machinga district share the frustration of abuse of climate change adaptation resources like funds for restoration of trees along water bodies.
Mary Maundala narrates of how every-year funds are allocated from her district council to build capacity of locals in her area on compost manure making, but an activity that doesn’t happen.
“With soils having lost their fertility and with the cost of fertilizer containing to rise higher beyond manageable prices for the low income households, we have been meant to be taught manure making.
“But this; has been more on paper than in practice, and no-one has explained why agriculture extension workers have not reached out to communities in spite of committing to do so,” queries Maundala.
Thus an agriculture and food security expert, Leonard Chimwaza says there’s strong need for push for climate change interventions beyond the local boarders when millions of locals are only paying the price of crisis caused by others.
With the African continent accounting for only 3.8 % of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to 13 % for the European Union, 19 % the US and 23%, China, the campaigner feels there’s need for push for justice in the face of the food insecurity status that has become of the country.
Also, comparing the times; a 76 year old grannie, fondly known by her clan name Namulauzi, in Chim’dikiti village observes the modern-day climatic pattern has come with a lot of insecurities.
She sites, stable food, which has become a challenge, water whose levels have lowered and wild animals like mice, grasshoppers and birds which have gone into short supply
“Back then … we used to have these as food supplements, they are all gone, and you can hardly find them these days. When we ask, we are being told it’s about climate change,” she says.
The food security complexity of Malawi, has now left masses, women and children and the old generally more vulnerable as they can’t fend for themselves.
A school going 11 year old, Enock Chokonoka says school has been a challenge without steady food supply.
“Although am forced to go to school by parents, it’s not easy especially going on empty stomach, I would rather go hunting for food in other people’s gardens, but often times am turned back on grounds that am young and that employing me would child labour,” he says.
However, addressing delegates at the UN Climate Summit, CoP28 in Dubai, António Guterres, Secretary general for the UN observed it was sad Africa was suffering when it was the least contributor of gas emissions.
Hence the need to build capacity and enhance good governance measure that will strengthen natural resources management for improved resilience on climate change interventions.
For instance Cyclone Ana which hit Malawi in January 2022, affected over 9 thousand households, killing 46, injuring 206 and displacing over 2 thousand people.
It is no surprising therefore that at the summit, developing nations spared no effort in pushing rich countries to commit funds for loses and damages that would assist them in addressing adverse effects of climate change which cannot be avoided neither through mitigation nor adaptation.
On his part , a leading local natural resources advocate, Kossam Munthali says Malawi and other African states as well as the international community needs to deliver its pledge to double adaptation action for the continent.
He observes a lot of talking has been done: “but Africa now needs action, because the Malawian story is largely an African narrative and experience. It must become the responsibility of those who emit the most of carbon to contribute equitably towards reducing carbon emissions.
“The rich nations must stop their lip service and act on their commitment. We cannot continue to have these UN climate summits when little action is being done apart from mere commitments,” says Munthali.
Now that Cop28 has taken an important step towards climate justice to establish and operationalize a loss and damage fund particularly for nations vulnerable to the climate crisis, expectations are sky high of better times ahead.
Michael Usi, Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change is positive the move will assist vulnerable nations like Malawi in addressing impacts of climate change.
“ it’s a pleasant development to know that finally nations have agreed to have a loss and damage fund, this is what poor nations like Malawi have been fighting for, it’s a game changer” Usi said.
He also says that government was working towards mobilization of resources to reach out to masses to empower them with knowledge of effective interventions of reversing the climate situation.
Equally, Mathews Malata, an environmental activist observes the introduction of a loss and damage fund was key to promoting resilience.
“The aim is to secure funds that can make vulnerable countries bounce back whenever they have been hit by disasters, we hope that the processes that have been set by the Cop 28 presidency will be followed through the committee before the next climate summit” Malata said.
Currently, the Malawi Vulnerability Assessment Report indicates that 3.8 million or 20% of the po0pulation of Malawi is expected to face high levels of acute food insecurity.
The Report also states that other countries on the continent namely: Djibouti, Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya are food insecure with an approximated seven million children severely malnourished.
Like the story of Malawi where livestock is being affected by low water levels and barren grasslands, the story for Kenya is similar where nearly 2.1 million livestock has died whilst an estimated 22 livestock is being reported to be decline in milk production.
In South Sudan on the other hand 75 percent of the population is facing acute food insecurity; whilst in Ethiopia close to 7.2 million people are said to be in need of access to drinking water.
*This article has been published with support from MESHA/IDRC grant for coverage of COP-28 by African science journalists.