Malawi is listed as one of the five countries most affected by climate change in the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index, yet produces less than 0.01% of the world’s emissions. The climate crisis is already bringing more intense rainfall, and more frequent floods and drought to the country, with temperatures predicted to rise by up to 5° Celsius before the end of the century. Per capita Malawi emits only a fiftieth of the green-house gases of people in the UK.
Malawi has been affected by storms and cyclones over the past few years with the country declaring a state of natural disaster on numerous occasions because of the damage caused. People have died, thousands have lost their homes and livelihoods with many people having to live in makeshift emergency camps.
As more than 80 percent of Malawi’s population live in rural areas, the vast majority depend on agriculture for their livelihood. The impacts of climate change threaten the production of staple foods that families rely on and are putting lives at risk. Climate change also affects other sectors such as fisheries and forestry – all of which provide food and income to rural communities throughout Malawi. Erratic rainfall poses a challenge to crop production, as do higher temperatures and droughts as well as dry spells in the rainy season, all of which are becoming more and more common.
Climate predictions are that there will be increased frequency of heavy rainfall and droughts and by 2050, temperatures will increase by 1–3 degrees. There will be a later onset / earlier cessation of the rainy season and an increase in the average monthly rainfall from Dec – Jan and a decrease from Feb – April.
These factors will:
Cyclone Idai, which hit Malawi in 2019, is one example of how climate change is affecting Malawians. The cyclone caused an estimated £220 million in damages and directly impacted over 975,000 people, killing 60, injuring 672, and leaving more than 86,000 without homes. Since then there has been Storm Ana, and Cyclone Freddy, plus other flash floods and droughts affecting the country.
What is happening in Malawi is just one example of the many injustices poor people across the globe face as a result of climate change.
