The delay in finalizing Malawi’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP), a critical framework for addressing the impacts of climate change, has raised concerns about the country’s ability to adapt to frequent and severe climate-induced disasters.

Speaking during the stakeholders’ engagement on the review of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the finalization of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in Dowa District, Melton Luhanga, a Board Member for the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), said the process, which began in 2015, should have been concluded by now.

“Of course, if you ask me whether I’m happy about the progress, I would say no, because by this time, I think the process should have been way forward,” said Luhanga.

Despite the delays, Luhanga highlighted the importance of continued collaboration among stakeholders to ensure the NAP’s completion.

He acknowledged that challenges faced by the government have played a role in the slowdown but stressed the need for collective effort to move forward.

“This process is very important. We continue to encourage all stakeholders to move together because the delay affects our ability to respond effectively to the increasing disasters caused by climate change,” he said.

In addition to advocating for the finalization of the NAP, Luhanga championed the inclusion of agroecology as a central component of the country’s adaptation strategies.

He described agroecology as a cost-effective and sustainable approach that can help communities build resilience against climate impacts.

He pointed out that agroecology could play a pivotal role in ensuring food security in the face of recurrent disasters, such as cyclones, that have devastated Malawi in recent years.

“Agroecology has proven to be a successful practice because it doesn’t rely on foreign inputs. Instead, it uses what we already have—our soil, biomass, and diverse crops—to create integrated food systems that are better adapted to climate impacts,” he said.

Luhanga further elaborated on the benefits of agroecology, emphasizing its potential to enhance food security by utilizing locally available resources and reducing dependency on costly external inputs.

On the international front, Luhanga called out developed countries for failing to honor their climate financing commitments, which are critical for supporting adaptation in vulnerable nations like Malawi. He pointed to the recent COP29 discussions, where financing gaps for loss and damage were a key concern.

In a separate interview, Felix Magoli, Project Officer for CADECOM Zomba described the agroecology as great strategy in the country’s efforts in addressing effects of climate change.

According to Magoli, farmers from Traditional Authority (T/A) Chamba and Mposa in Machinga district where they are implementing an agroecology project, are benefiting as they are now able to harvest bumper yields.

“Farmers are facing many effects of climate change. But through the project, we are teaching them on composite manure production. We are satisfied with the outcomes as we have seen that the farmers are now realizing good yields,” said Magoli.

The Stakeholders’ engagement which brought together representatives from the government, private sector and civil society organizations was supported by the Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM), Irish Aid through Trocaire , and the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA).