MEPA issues compliance warning to Dzombe’s Dowa fertiliser plant

Malawi’s Environmental Protection Authority (MEPA) has issued a stern warning to the Mulalo granular fertiliser production factory in Dowa district, stating that the project must operate strictly within the commitments set out in its approved Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Report, Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Environmental and Social Monitoring Plan.

In an official statement, MEPA said any significant changes to the project’s design, production capacity, technology or site layout would require prior written approval from the Authority before implementation.

“The Authority remains committed to ensuring that all development projects are processed in a timely, transparent, and professional manner while safeguarding environmental sustainability and compliance with Malawi’s environmental laws and standards,” the statement read.

The warning follows a meeting of MEPA’s board on 14 July, at which it received findings from five ESIA reports, including that of the Mulalo fertiliser plant.

All five projects were approved in accordance with Section 9(2)(f) of the Environment Management Act, which empowers the Authority to review and approve Environmental and Social Impact Assessments for projects that have undergone the required assessment process, subject to conditions of approval the Authority considers appropriate.

The approval comes at a time when the Mulalo fertiliser plant has separately been the subject of parliamentary scrutiny, following complaints from the project’s backers over prolonged delays in the certification and licensing process.

MEPA’s conditional sign-off does not resolve those broader administrative concerns, but it does mark a formal environmental clearance for a project intended to boost Malawi’s domestic fertiliser production capacity, reducing reliance on imports in a sector regarded as strategically important to the country’s agricultural output and food security.