FP002

Scaling up the use of Modernized Climate information and Early Warning Systems in Malawi

Scaling up the use of Modernized Climate information and Early Warning Systems in Malawi

  • Status Under implementation
  • Date approved 05 Nov 2015 at B.11
  • Est. completion 31 Dec 2023
  • ESS Category Category C

Protecting lives and livelihoods in Malawi from climate-related disasters by providing early warning weather and climate information systems and improving the resilience of vulnerable communities.

Malawi faces more intense and frequent climate-related disasters including floods, droughts, and extreme weather events that threaten loss of life, assets, and food security. Vulnerability to climate change impacts is high, with shifts in the rainfall season, longer dry seasons, and reductions in the growing season already occurring. 85% of the population lives in rural areas, with over half in poverty and most engaged in smallholder agriculture.

The project will expand the meteorological network, instal automatic weather stations, hydrological monitoring stations, and lake-based weather buoys, as well as increase the capacity to identify risks and forecast impacts. Resulting information will be better disseminated through mobile, ICT, and radio channels targeting vulnerable farming communities, as well as fishing communities around Lake Malawi. Flood modelling for river systems will be improved, increasing warning times from 6 hours and under to 24- 48 hours. The private sector, including telecoms and micro and small enterprises will be engaged.

People need to know what to do with this enhanced weather information, and the project will work with affected communities to undertake awareness raising and risk reduction in flood disaster prone areas. The capacity of local communities, district councils, and national agencies to respond to emergencies will be strengthened through training and improved emergency services.

The project has an estimated lifespan of 6 years.

Total project value

 

Beneficiaries

 

Direct
1,400,000
Indirect
700,000
Theme

Adaptation

Result areas

Project timeline

Pipeline

31 Mar 2015 - 220 days

Concept note received

31 Mar 2015

Funding proposal received

29 Jul 2015

Approved

05 Nov 2015 - 602 days

Approved by GCF Board

05 Nov 2015

Cleared by iTAP

05 Nov 2015

Legal opinion on AE's Internal Approval

25 Feb 2016

FAA executed

10 May 2017

Under implementation

28 Jun 2017 - 2,457 days so far

FAA effective

28 Jun 2017

Disbursement - USD 2,377,039

31 Aug 2017

Annual Performance Report

23 Mar 2018

Disbursement - USD 3,332,276

14 Dec 2018

Annual Performance Report

01 Mar 2019

Disbursement - USD 2,540,848

12 Nov 2019

Disbursement - USD 1,379,029

13 Oct 2020

Disbursement - USD 1,235,906

30 May 2022

Disbursement - USD 1,429,447

15 Dec 2022

Completed

31 Dec 2023 - -79 days to go

One region

  • Africa

One country

Two priority groups

  • Least Developed Countries
  • African States
USD  
  • Financing
    • Private sector
    • Public sector
  • Size
    • Micro
    • Small
    • Medium
    • Large

GCF financing100% disbursed

InstrumentAmount
GrantUSD 12,295,000
Total GCF Financing
USD 12,295,000

Co-financing

Co-financerInstrumentAmount
Co-FinancingGrantUSD 2,170,000
Co-FinancingGrantUSD 1,800,000
Total Co-Financing
USD 3,970,000

GCF Contacts

General media inquiries

GCF Communications
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GCF Information Disclosure
Request information about this project

Project complaints and grievances

GCF Independent Redress Mechanism (IRM)
Phone +82 32 458 6186 (KST)
File a complaint

Integrity issues

GCF Independent Integrity Unity (IIU)
Phone +82 32 458 6714 (KST)
Send e-mail

Accredited Entity

United Nations Development Programme
Mr. Pradeep Kurukulasuriya
Primary

Executive Coordinator and Director, Global Environment Finance
304 East 45th Street, FF-9th Floor, New York, NY, United States
Phone +1 (212) 906-5884
pradeep.kurukulasuriya@undp.org
Mr. Robin Merlier
Secondary

Environmental Policy Specialist Global Environmental Finance, Bureau for Policy and Programme Support (BPPS)/Global Policy Network
Phone +1 2129065842
robin.merlier@undp.org
More contacts

National Designated Authority

Malawi
Environmental Affairs Department
Mrs. Tawonga Mbale-Luka Primary
Director
Environmental Affairs Department Private Bag 394 Lilongwe 3, Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
Phone +265 1 771 111
Phone +265 1 773 379
tawongam@yahoo.com
Evans Njewa Secondary
Environmental Affairs Department Lilongwe 3, Malawi., Lilongwe, Malawi
Phone +265 1 771 111
Phone 265 1 770 359
Phone +265 8888 53245
Phone +265 9948 53245
evansnjewa@gmail.com
hannahkasongo@yahoo.com

Documents

News + Stories

Protecting Malawi with climate information and early warning systems

11 Nov 2021 / The lives of many people in Malawi, where 85 percent live in the countryside, are increasingly buffeted by climate effects. The introduction of climate information and early weaning systems, however, is helping them better prepare, and therefore avoid, weather disaster. A major aim of this GCF-funded initiative is to avoid past calamities, such as when the flooding of Lake Malawi killed hundreds.

Scaling Up Climate Information and Early Warning Systems in Malawi

04 Dec 2019 / GCF is working with UNDP to protect lives and livelihoods in Malawi from climate-related disasters by providing early warning weather and climate information systems and improving the resilience of vulnerable communities.

Improving climate information systems in Malawi

30 Nov 2019 / Increasingly frequent climate-related disasters threaten the development gains of the most vulnerable communities in Malawi. The Green Climate Fund (GCF), together with UNDP, is modernizing climate information systems in the country to strengthen people's resilience to natural disasters.

Lightning strikes: How installing a modern lightning detecting system in Malawi is saving lives and livelihoods

01 May 2019 / As another year of devastating events unfolds, including Cyclone Idai - one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect Africa and the Southern Hemisphere – natural disasters are a constant reminder to us that whatever progress we have been making in reducing disaster risk, we need to do more.

The positives of preparing for disaster

12 Jun 2018 / A guide to GCF's support for climate change early warning systems

The positives of preparing for disaster

11 Jun 2018 / A guide to GCF’s support for climate change early warning systems