AfDB Approves K14.87 Billion Grant to Boost Climate Resilience and Agricultural Recovery in Malawi
The African Development Bank (AfDB) Group has approved an $8.49 million grant (approximately K14.87 billion) to help strengthen climate resilience and revive agricultural productivity in Malawi’s hard-hit districts of Phalombe and Thyolo.
The funding, provided through the African Development Fund’s Climate Action Window, will finance the Enhancing Climate-Adapted Agricultural Productivity through Improved Water Management (CAWMA) project, which is scheduled to run from June 2026 to September 2031.
The investment is expected to improve food security and livelihoods by expanding climate-resilient farming practices and protecting communities from the growing impacts of extreme weather events.
According to information released by the bank, AfDB Country Manager for Malawi Macmillan Anyanwu said the project will rehabilitate and climate-proof three irrigation schemes covering 180 hectares, ensuring farmers have more reliable access to water despite changing weather patterns.
In addition, about 28,000 farmers will receive training in climate-smart agriculture, equipping them with modern techniques to improve productivity, adapt to climate change and reduce vulnerability to future shocks.
The initiative will also restore 650 hectares of degraded catchment land, a move expected to enhance water conservation, reduce soil erosion and strengthen the long-term sustainability of agricultural production in the two districts.
Phalombe and Thyolo were among the areas most severely devastated by Cyclone Freddy in 2023, which destroyed crops, displaced thousands of people and caused widespread damage to infrastructure and farmland. The new investment is expected to play a significant role in rebuilding agricultural systems while helping communities become more resilient to increasingly frequent climate-related disasters.
The grant underscores growing international efforts to support Malawi’s adaptation to climate change by investing in sustainable water management, environmental restoration and resilient food production systems.