Civil society organisations and faith leaders in Malawi have been urged to deepen their understanding of climate finance and play a stronger role in tracking funds and advocating for resources to help communities cope with climate change.
Norwegian Church Aid/DanChurchAid (NCA/DCA) Malawi Joint Country Programme Fighting Inequality Programme Coordinator Tadala Chumachiyenda made the call on Tuesday in Lilongwe during a two-day climate finance capacity-building workshop.
Chumachiyenda said greater awareness among non-state actors was critical as Malawi continued to face the effects of climate change, including unpredictable weather, droughts and floods.
She said civil society organisations and faith leaders needed to understand how climate finance works, including how funds are accessed, where they come from and how they are tracked.
“It is important for CSOs and faith leaders to understand the issues, terminologies and tracking mechanisms around climate finance,” Chumachiyenda said.
She added that “Malawi is one of the countries being heavily affected by climate change, and communities need strong voices advocating for resources that can help them respond to these impacts.”
She said strengthening the capacity of influential community actors would allow them to engage government and other stakeholders more effectively while helping ensure that climate finance reaches communities.
Faith leaders can drive change
Pastor Monica Chokhotho, one of the participating faith leaders, said climate change was already affecting congregations and communities, making it important for religious leaders to incorporate climate action into their work.
She said faith leaders could use their platforms to encourage communities to adopt practical measures, including crop diversification, to reduce their vulnerability to climate-related shocks.
“Climate change is affecting our congregants and communities, so as faith leaders, we have a responsibility to educate them and encourage practical measures such as crop diversification,” Chokhotho said.
“We also need to carry the voices from this workshop to our congregations and communities,” she noted.
Chokhotho urged government officials and other stakeholders to ensure climate finance reached communities before climate-related disasters occurred rather than after people had already suffered losses.
“We need climate financing to reach communities in time. We should not wait until the impacts have already occurred before resources are made available,” she said arguing that with concerns such as the upcoming El Niño conditions, preparedness and early action are very important.
Trocaire Programme Officer for the Resilience and Livelihood Programme Tarcizio Kalaundi said CSOs and faith leaders should be at the forefront of climate finance advocacy.
He said their role should extend beyond raising awareness about climate change to helping communities understand where climate funds come from, how much is available and how the resources are being used.
“CSOs and faith leaders need to be at the forefront of climate finance advocacy,” Kalaundi said.
She added that “They should be able to ask where the money is coming from, how much is available and how it is being used. This will strengthen accountability and ensure that climate finance reaches the people who need it most.”
Kalaundi said Malawi faced a significant climate finance gap, estimating that the country required USD46.3 billion between 2020 and 2040 to meet its climate change mitigation and adaptation needs.
“The financing gap is huge. Malawi needs about USD$46.3 billion between 2020 and 2040 to respond to climate change,” he said.
“This is why all stakeholders, including CSOs and faith leaders, must strengthen advocacy and accountability around climate finance,” he urged.
The workshop brought together CSOs and faith leaders to strengthen climate finance advocacy and accountability, including identifying shared priorities for anticipatory preparedness financing.
Participants said closer collaboration among government, civil society, faith communities and development partners would be needed to mobilise and effectively use resources to build climate-resilient communities.
The workshop is being held under the Voices for Climate Justice: Empowering Malawi’s Vulnerable Communities for a Resilient and Just Future project, implemented by NCA/DCA through the Centre for Environmental Policy Advocacy (CEPA) and Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM), with funding from the Embassy of Ireland.
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