24 March 2013: To support the Government of Malawi with its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, a stakeholder consultation workshop is being planned for Malawi, aimed at launching and raising awareness of the NAP process. This consultation workshop is an opportunity to plan and develop sectoral activities to support longer term adaptation planning. It will also facilitate stakeholder dialogue to determine the appropriate institutional arrangements for the implementation of the NAP process. An important objective is to engage political decision makers and policy makers at the very start of the NAP process in Malawi.

The consultation workshop is being undertaken at the request of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Management through the Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services. The Government of Malawi has indicated the specific requirement to address climatic information gaps, and also to enhance capacity for key people in government to use and update this climate information data for mainstreaming adaptation into national and sectoral planning.

"Launching the NAP process in Malawi is a great milestone in identifying and addressing medium and long term adaptation needs as stipulated in the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy and I thank the GWP for their support to this endeavor. I hope this is be beginning of our long term collaboration in assisting the most vulnerable to adverse effects of climate change in Malawi," said Mr. Fred Kossam, Head of Climate Change and Research Services, Department of Climate Change and Meteorological Services.

The Global Water Partnership (GWP) Southern Africa and Malawi Water Partnership will support and coordinate the workshop association with UNDP and UNEP – under the NAP-GSP. GWP is a collaborating partner in the NAP-GSP thorough association with the Water, Climate and Development Programme (WACDEP).

For more information, kindly refer to the website of UNDP-ALM.