LIFE AR launched in Malawi

Malawi: Eisenhower Mkaka, Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, has stated that the Least Developed Initiative for Effective Adaptation and Resilience ( LIFE-AR) initiative is a gateway to the promotion of governance around climate action investments aimed at achieving social justice.

Mkaka recently spoke at the project's launch in Salima.

LIFE-AR is an initiative developed and derived by the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group to mobilise easily accessible resources for the protection of communities from the effects of climate change.

The initiative is being implemented in six LDC frontrunner countries: Malawi, Uganda, Gambia, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso, and Bhutan.

The initiative will be piloted in Malawi's Salima, Rumphi, and Mangochi districts, with funding from Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.

Mkaka stated that the initiative is timely because there is a mismatch between the severity of climate change impacts and the necessary adaptation.

Speaking on behalf of the project's financiers, Ireland's Ambassador in Malawi, Seamus O'Grady, said the country's indulgence is a response to President Lazarus Chakwera's call for solidarity and common humanity action.

Yamikani Idriss, Environmental Officer in the Ministry of Forestry and Natural Resources, announced at CoP27 that LIFE AR will be easier to access than other climate action funds such as the Green Climate Fund (GCF), which Malawi has struggled to access.

He also stated that the LIFE-AR vision strongly supports multi-sector approaches and that coordination groups will be established to ensure that no one is left behind.

The launch of LIFE AR has been praised for being timely, as Malawi is implementing a long-term vision (MW2063) that prioritises environmental sustainability.