The Government of Malawi has, in the months of September and October 2013, trained 257 forestry assistants across the country on climate change, in an ongoing effort to enhance knowledge and skills in climate change management among key personnel in sectors that are threatened by climate change. The training was implemented by Malawi’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Management in collaboration with the Ministry of Development Planning and Cooperation, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and LEAD Southern and Eastern Africa with support from UN CC:Learn.
Speaking at the launch of the training programme in Mzuzu, the Northern Region Forestry Officer, Mr. William Nkhana said the training was timely as Malawi is experiencing high climate variability and increased incidence of extreme weather events and forestry is among the eight sectors of economic growth in Malawi that are adversely affected by climate change especially through extended droughts, which lead to land degradation and loss of soil fertility, as well as forest fires. The training course was specifically designed to equip the frontline forestry personnel with knowledge and skills in managing forests using the ecosystem-based approach, which fosters the consideration of a whole range of social and ecological inter-linkages in the management of complex ecosystems.
The trainings are part of initial activities to operationalize Malawi’s National Climate Change Learning Strategy which was officially launched on 18th September 2013 by Malawi’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change Management, Hon. Ms Halima Daud, MP at Lilongwe Hotel in Lilongwe.
For more information on the UN CC:Learn project in Malawi, click on the following link: www.uncclearn.org/malawi.