Jimmy Kainja's Page

Oxfam International report of June has indicated that Malawi is one of the countries worst hit by the climate change, women in particular.

The report "The Wind of Change: Climate Change, Poverty and the Environment in Malawi" has indicated that increased temperatures and heavy rains in the past 40 years has led to drought and flooding, which has caused shorter growing seasons, poor crop yields, food shortages, hunger and the spread of diseases in the country where 29 per cent of the people already live in extreme poverty.

More than 90 per cent of the people in Malawi are engaged in subsistence rain-fed agriculture and about 60 per cent of these people are food insecure all year round. Despite the recent reports that Malawi has had maize surplus in the last three harvesting seasons, the report has focused on general economic catastrophe that the climate change is having on the Southern African country.

Oxfam's country director to Malawi Sanjay Awasthi said that this has more effect on women, as they are the ones that do the domestic chores and also because of the lower levels of education as compared to their male counterparts:

"Climate change is exacerbating the inequalities that already exist for women in Malawi. Men are also struggling to cope with the effects of climate change, but as we are more likely to be educated, to have savings and skills to earn money, we have more opportunities to adapt.” Said Awasthi.

Awasthi also pointed out that climate change adaptation should take women’s needs into consideration. It should include things like practical help for women caring for orphans to allow them time and energy to cultivate their gardens and implement soil and water conservation, and access to credit to allow them to start small businesses.

United Nations statistics indicates that Malawi is responsible for 0.0 per cent of global emissions, while rich countries accounts to more that three quarters of the global emissions.

Therefore, the report has called for rich countries to minimise their emissions and also to provide support to the poor countries like Malawi, who are not responsible for the changes but are suffering the consequences.

According to the report, Oxfam is already supporting Malawians to mitigate and adapt to climate change. For example, an Oxfam-funded irrigation system has enabled 400 farming families to become completely self-sufficient, cultivating crops all year round.