Malawi Government and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have signed a $52.3 million (about K88.9 billion) project agreement to help the country cope with devastating effects of climate change.
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs Simplex Chithyola-Banda and FAO country representative Zhijun Chen signed the agreement in Lilongwe on Saturday.
The project, Ecosystems-based Adaptation for Resilient Watersheds and Communities in Malawi (Ebam), also aims at boosting the country’s long-term food security.
Said Chithyola-Banda: “The project will go a long way in achieving both local and global aspirations of hunger eradication and achieving environmental sustainability.”
Malawi is contributing $9.4 million (about K16 billion) to the project while FAO is injecting $1 million (about K1.7 billion). $42.8 million (about K72.6 billion) is a grant from the Green Climate Fund.
The minister added that the project is aligned with the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) development blueprint, which envisions that Malawi shall have a safe, clean, secure and sustainable environment.
“At a global level, the objectives of the project are very much in sync with (United Nations) Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) number 2 and 13,” said Chithyola Banda.
SDG Two advocates for ending hunger, achieving food security and improved nutrition and promoting sustainable agriculture while SDG 17 calls on countries to take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
On his part, Chen said the intervention is critical as the country has, over the years, suffered from serious impacts of climate change.
“This project will bring in the most needed resources and technologies,” he said.
Chen also expressed FAO’s commitment to help transform Malawi into a prosperous, self-reliant, inclusively wealthy and industrialised country by 2063.
The Ebam project is expected to benefit nearly 575 000 vulnerable people in rural communities for over six years, according to a statement released by FAO.
The project seeks to increase the resilience of rural communities at the watershed and farm level. It targets to restore more than 83 000 hectares of communal and farmland.
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