Malawi’s vulnerability to the devastating impacts of climate change is caused by the country’s significant exposure to climate variability. Agriculture and rural livelihoods are highly sensitive to climatic change.
Drought and poor rainfall affect crops, yield and household food security. Crops dry up before maturity, damage due to floods, soil degradation (soil erosion, loss of soil fertility, and siltation of fields), shortage of water, reduction in yield, and consequently food insecurity are among the negative impacts. Since agriculture is the major source of income for most farmers in Malawi, rural livelihoods are significantly affected by these problems. Malawi has of late experienced food shortages in some parts of the country, with about 1.9 million households requiring food assistance since 2007. Read more
