Japanese Govt pledges continued support to Malawi’s climate change adaptation efforts

Government of Japan says it is committed to improving the country’s resilience to the crisis by providing support through projects that focuses on peace building, economic empowerment as well as climate change adoption.

Japanese ambassador to Malawi Yoichi Oya said despite the shortfalls that the project has not reached the whole country he is optimistic that funds will be added on for further extension so that others should also benefit.

Oya was speaking this in Zomba when he toured Mafuwa Irrigation Scheme in Nanyanga and Mikuyu biogas plant at Mikuyu prison.

On his part Dr. Yusuf Nkungula, Principal Secretary in the ministry of natural resources and climate change said these two interventions that are being implemented in Zomba are very important as they are also contributing to Malawi’s 2063 aspirations centering on climate change mitigation impacts.

“We saw earlier on solar irrigation scheme which is helping the communities in terms of adaptation and also mitigation of climate change impacts while also improving the livelihoods of the communities and again we have witnessed the biogas plant at Mikuyu prison which also contributing to the conservation of natural resources because they are no longer using fire hood as they use gas, so these two interventions are very important as they contribute to long term interventions in terms of climate change management in Malawi,” he said.

On her part Mary Mbonekera, officer in charge at Mikuyu young offenders prison said the biogas plant has eased many problems which they used to experience with the use of fire hood and she has pleaded for the extension of the projects throughout the country as their colleagues in many prisons across the country are facing problems in the use of fire hood.

Japan has cooperated with UNDP in climate change issues in Malawi through two consecutive projects , starting from March 2022 to the tune of 3.8 million US dollars for the first project and this is the second project which is slated to finish next year with 1 million US dollars grant.).

Six districts which are Zomba, Machinga, Kasungu, Ntchisi, Nkhotakota and Dowa were put in the first phase whilst the second phase is having Zomba and Nkhotakota as their targets.

Japan collaborates with the United Nation Development Programme (UNDP) in the provision of market-oriented horticulture training to vulnerable households in the country.