District Dialogue Highlights Biodiversity Policy and Community Action in Malawi’s Lake Chilwa Basin

Phalombe, Malawi — As Malawi grapples with the ongoing impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss, the Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC) has intensified community engagement efforts aimed at strengthening biodiversity protection. This week, the network began a series of district and community dialogues across the Lake Chilwa Basin, focusing on the implementation of biodiversity protection measures.

On Tuesday, 6^th May 2025, a key session was held in Phalombe District, bringing together stakeholders from various community structures. Participants were briefed on Malawi’s biodiversity conservation policies and explored how natural resource management (NRM) initiatives can be integrated into local development frameworks such as District Development Plans (DDPs).

Mwayi Mkathama, Environmental Officer at the Environmental Affairs Department, underscored the central role of policy in guiding the sustainable use of biological resources. Citing the Environmental Management Act of 2017, Mkathama noted its provisions on managing biological and genetic resources, calling for multi-stakeholder collaboration in biodiversity conservation.

“Protecting biodiversity works well when all stakeholders work together. When one stakeholder leaves this task to the other, our efforts flop,” Mkathama said.

Phalombe District Environmental Officer, Yassin Mtesha, explained the linkage between Village Action Plans (VAPs) and DDPs, emphasizing that VAPs serve as grassroots-level planning tools that inform broader district development efforts. He raised concerns over the persistent challenge of prioritizing NRM amid competing development demands.

George Kaduya, Chairperson of the Beach Village Committee, acknowledged ongoing collaboration between the committee and government agencies but flagged resource constraints, particularly the loss of a patrol boat during Cyclone Freddy, as a barrier to effective lake surveillance and biodiversity protection.

The dialogue convened a range of stakeholders, including members of Village Natural Resources Management Committees (VNRMCs), Village Development Committees (VDCs), Beach Village Committees (BVCs), community activists, extension workers, and district council officers.

The engagement comes at a critical time, as climate change continues to accelerate biodiversity degradation in the Lake Chilwa catchment. The ongoing dialogues are part of the “Community-led Planning and Management for Biodiversity Protection and Resilient Communities in the Catchment Area of Lake Chilwa” programme, implemented by CISONECC in partnership with CARD and Trócaire.