Lisa Banda 80 percent of Malawi population depends on natural resources
The Dowa District executive committee [Dec] has approved a-24 month Enhancing Access and Participation in Climate Change Policy Development and Implementation project to be implemented by the Civil Society Network on Climate Change [CISONECC] in the district.
The project will target 20 CISONECC member organization, District Civil Society Organizations Network member organizations in Dowa, Balaka, Salima and Nkhatabay who focus on climate change, Parliamentary committees on Natural Resources and Climate Change and Budget and Finance and the Women Caucus and 100 Lead farmers In Dowa district.
It will be implemented in focus areas of policy research and advocacy, capacity building and information management, public awareness and education, networking, coordination and collaboration by CISONECC on advocacy while DAPP will be on livelihood element.
Speaking when she introduced the project to the District executive committee at a meeting held at the Dowa boma, CISONECC’s Programme Officer Lisa Banda, said Malawi is currently facing a policy implementation challenge in all its sectors.
Banda said limited capacity of relevant stakeholders to participate in policy development processes results in poorly developed policies and limited participation in the implementation of the frameworks.
She said 80 percent of Malawi population depends on natural resources for livelihoods saying the success of many important sectors of the economy [agriculture, water supply and sanitation, education] relies on environment and natural resources to enhance their productivity.
The officer said the project will engage the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Climate Change, Parliamentary committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change and Parliamentary committees on Budget and Finance, and other relevant stakeholders to lobby for increased budgetary support towards climate change..
She said the project will orient Lead farmers in Climate Smart agriculture, production, adaptation and mitigation and hold open demonstration days for Climate Smart agriculture as well as orientation of local leaders on climate change policy, implementation and group dynamics.
…..’’100 smallholder farmers in Dowa and Dowa Civil Society Organizations [CSO] Network will financially benefit from the project to advance inclusive climate change learning, adaptation, mitigation and advocacy,’’…..said Banda.
The project will be implemented in Dowa alongside other districts of Balaka, Salima and Nkhatabay with funding from Commonwealth Foundation amounting to 60,000.00 Great Britain Pounds.
