By Arkangel Tembo, New York, United States of America

New York, September 27, Mana: President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has urged global leaders to urgently address climate change which is currently impacting every corner of the world.

He made the remarks during the leaders dialogue on climate adaptation action in Africa on the sidelines of the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, USA.

President Chakwera staid that Malawi acknowledges the struggle of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Africa, that are grappling with the severe aftermath of extreme weather events like floods which have disrupted agricultural cycles, jeopardising food and water security.

The President then called for increased support, commitments, and strengthened collaboration saying adaptation and resilience are urgent imperatives for Africa.

He expressed the significance of National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to achieving climate resilience stating that through the NAPs, Malawi has executed small scale projects addressing immediate adaptation needs and yielding promising results.

However, president Chakwera said NAPs provide a long-term framework for fostering comprehensive resilience across critical sectors such as agriculture, infrastructure, and water.

“Malawi has been fortunate to receive support from the Green Climate Fund for advancing NAP formulation.

We have completed our climate risk assessments and are now integrating adaptation strategies into vital sectors” said Chakwera. 

He said Malawi remains steadfast in its commitment to global climate action which has prompted the country to integrate climate goals into the Malawi 2063 (MW2063) and revised the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), aiming for a 51 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.