Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) has underscored the need for finding solutions towards mitigation of impacts of climate change even before they are experienced, if the country is to deal with damage that comes in return.
This is according to Gift Numeri, CISONECC Board member, who says every stakeholder has a role to play in quest for climate justice.
“From the observation, this climate change has come to stay and as a country we need to always plan ahead of it,” says Numeri.
He is suggesting that more finances should be channeled towards the climate sector since when the impact strikes, these funds in question are still needed.
“We have to start sourcing funds now that will help us deal with the impacts. We also need to join hands in dealing with factors contributing to climate change in our country”, adds Numeri.
He was speaking this in Dowa district during a day long Stakeholders Engagement on Domestic Climate Change where parties have discussed recommendations on increasing domestic financing towards climate change management in Malawi, among other objectives.
Taking his turn, vice chairperson for budget and finance committee of parliament, Ismail Rizzq Mkumba said members of parliament are committed in the fight against the climate change.
He has since promised that his committee will work on the recommendations by lobbying for more funds from government.
“We will try as much as possible to lobby for more resources in preparation for climate change hazards because mobilizing them when the hazards are already being felt becomes a difficult task to be implemented”, he said adding other damages do in return remain unchecked.
The latest recommendations want the Malawi Government to be funding climate change adaptation, climate change mitigation, capacity building, education, training, and awareness activities and disaster risk management areas; – to deal with loss and damage associated with extreme weather events.
CISONECC in partnership with Development Aid for People to People (DAPP) is implementing an Enhancing Access and Participation in Climate Change Policy Development and implementation project which aims at capacitating sub-national actors to take a leading role in the development, implementation and monitoring of climate change actions in Malawi with support from Commonwealth Foundation.
The meeting brought together delegates from Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP), National level civil society, parliamentary committee on natural resources and climate change, Environmental affairs department and DAPP Malawi among others.
